A Monday, Nov. 19 deadline has been set for the Nov. 22 edition of The Albany News due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. All news articles and advertising, including classified ads, must be received no later than noon on Monday, Nov. 19.

Members of the Albany Chamber of Commerce have planned a special evening in the downtown area on Saturday, Nov.

Albany city council members met in open session for about 20 minutes on Monday, Nov. 12, then closed the meeting for 45 minutes to go over city manager Billy Holson’s annual evaluation.  No action was taken when the session was re-opened. Several other items were approved during the evening.

The United States Postal Service recently awarded Albany postal clerk Suzie Patterson with a 25-year Service Award Pin and letter of appreciation in recognition of her 25 years of government service.

Theater art students from Albany Junior High School will present Robert Nail’s “Antic Spring” in the district one-act play competition taking place in the Albany High auditorium today, Nov. 15. Because the Lion football team is playing at San Angelo this evening at 6:30 p.m.

Albany school students will be dismissed for the Thanksgiving holidays on Tuesday, Nov. 20 with a noon release time. Classes will also be released slightly earlier on Monday, when the district will enact the usual Friday schedule, with all classes being released by 3:00 p.m.

Students and teachers at Nancy Smith Elementary School are wrapping up a full week of Grandparents Week celebration. “Granparents Week is going really well,” said administrative assistant Stephanie Gleitz. “We have had a great turnout.

Friendship Baptist Church members are inviting everyone to attend the church’s third annual “Harvest Acres” this Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to buy homemade baked goods, purchase handcrafted gifts, eat a hot meal, or just “come by and drink some coffee and visit for a while.

The annual community-wide Thanksgiving service will be held at the Albany Church of Christ this Sunday, Nov. 18, at 6:00 p.m., and everyone is invited to attend the Ministerial Alliance sponsored event. “We hope that a lot of people will attend,” said pastor Sonny McCauley.

The Albany Ministerial Alliance is once again sponsoring the Christmas Basket food program, and for the first time this year, Alliance members are adding a new drive to help with the cost of Christmas gifts for local teens.