The first week of the month long filing period for local board elections ended yesterday, and a total of five candidates have already filed for spots on the May 4 ballot. 

There is not a fee to run for the local offices, but prospective candidates must file by 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 15 to have their names listed on the ballot.

Albany City Council

Joe Tidwell and Carolyn Waller hold the two at large city council seats that are up for election in 2019. The office of mayor, currently held by Rodney Alexander, will also be up for vote this election cycle.

With just a week left before the official deadline, a large percentage of the county-wide taxes have yet to be collected, according to figures received Tuesday from the central appraisal district (CAD) office.

Taxes assessed during 2018 are officially due next week, on Thursday, Jan. 31, according to chief appraiser Clayton Snyder. 

Just a little over 24 percent of the total levy had been collected by the end of the year, but a number of payments have been received since then, and Snyder expects to be very busy for the next week. 

Fifteen Albany High School students will travel to Haskell this Saturday, Jan. 26 for the annual Haskell UIL Pow Wow, an academic practice meet. 

“We have 15 students entered in 13 different contests for a total of 38 individual entries,” said Rick Davis, UIL coordinator. “Several of them are doing multiple events.”

This year the student numbers are down significantly from the 37 that competed last year, but still 50 percent greater than the 10 entered in 2017.

The members of the Albany Ministerial Alliance will not host a chili luncheon this year.

In past years, the chili lunch was prepared by members of the Ministerial Alliance, and the community was invited to the fundraising meal. The proceeds raised were donated to ResourceCare for community outreach programs.

“The last few years we have had such poor attendance at the meal that we decided to just submit a donation to ResourceCare instead,” said Alliance secretary Tisha Wilkins. “We tried to make the donation about the same amount as what we raised with the chili lunch.”

Pick-up dates for the February distribution of the commodity food program are Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

On Thursday, Jan. 31, certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their monthly commodity food at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

Albany families who have been certified eligible for the February food distribution program can pick up their commodity food Friday, Feb. 1, at the rear door of the JP office (the former county jail) from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. 

Kyle Viertel, who along with his son Mackenzie is a worship leader at First Baptist Church, has invited locals of all faiths to a Worship Night at FBC from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30.

“Everyone in the community is invited,” said Viertel. “We intend to do this the last Wednesday of every month.”

Kyle and Mackenzie Viertel are members of the FBC Praise Band and lead the youth worship on Wednesday nights, typically playing three or four songs.

Three Albany siblings showed goats at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado last week, and all three placed in both their goat classes on Wednesday, Jan. 16, and in the showmanship finals on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

Paisley also completed in the Junior Market Goat Fitting Contest that took place on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

“Connor had been to the National Show in Denver once before, and he wanted to go back,” said their mother Tammy Clark. “The twins had never shown there, and they wanted to go also.”

The city of Albany will receive a sales tax allotment of $51,963 from the state this January. The amount is up 19.81 percent from the $43,371 payment received in January of 2018.

The city of Moran will receive a net payment of $1,475 this period, for a 5.16 percent decrease from the $1,555 received in January 2018.

The Shackelford County Youth Livestock Show starts Thursday, Jan. 31, one week from today. 

“We’ll start clipping pigs sometime toward the end of this week, probably Thursday or Friday, then start work on the lambs and goats over the weekend,” said Albany ag instructor Chris Beard. 

There are 137 exhibitors entered in the show this year, according to Shackelford County agent Michaela Bradford. 

Late registrations are still being accepted for girls who want to play in the Albany Girls Softball Association, but this Friday, Jan. 25 is the final deadline, according to Beth Roysdon.

“Even though they were due Monday, we will still accept registration forms up until Friday,” said Roysdon. “Please get those turned in!”

Forms can be turned in to the school, or applicants can contact Roysdon at 325-721-9023.

Registration fees are $35 for the first player in a family, and $20 more for each additional sibling.