The local fire departments have been busy with several calls over the past week, including two that required some special skills.

A propane tank fire at an oil lease on the Nail Ranch last Wednesday, Aug. 1 was extinguished without much incident because the pop-out valve had already blown out by the time firemen began working at the scene.

Members of both the city department and rural department answered the call, according to Albany VFD Fire Chief Kyle Tischler.

Students who still need school physicals can make an appointment with one of two local clinics.

Both the Shackelford County Health Clinic and  ResourceCare charge $25 for a school physical.

There have been times in the past when the physicals have been offered free of charge by both clinics, but since most students were present for their physicals when they were offered at the school in May, there will be a $25 fee.

Also, appointments need to be made at both clinics.

Plans are underway for the Albany Golf Club’s traditional Labor Day tournament set for Sept. 1-2 at the local course. 

Registration for  the two-person scramble was officially opened after a Monday night board meeting held to finalize plans.

Participants in the tourney will tee off at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1, after which teams will be flighted for Sunday’s rounds.

An entry of $80 per person, or $180 per team, includes one mulligan per player for each day of play. The entry fee also covers a meal on Saturday evening.

Albany’s Kami Norton was one of three women across the country to be named as a Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year in NCAA Div. II Track and Field, a first for any female athlete at Angelo State University in San Angelo.

Selected from a field of 405 female athletes across the country, Norton was joined by Alicja Konieczek of Western State Colorado University and Caroline Kurgart of the University of Alaska at Anchorage.

The Moran Independent School District is fully staffed for the upcoming year, according to superintendent Danny Freeman.

“We just finished our hiring for this school year,” said Freeman last week. “Teacher in-service will begin Aug. 10 for all new staff, and Aug. 13 for everyone else.”

Staff Changes 

at Moran ISD

Several new faces will be at Moran this year, including teachers, coaches, and members of the support staff.

Local singer Lorna Ayers will step into the spotlight at the Aztec and utilize her trademark voice and the excellent acoustics of the historic theater to again become the lead character of the musical Always...Patsy Cline, along with Pam Davis as Louise, and live music provided by The Bodacious Bobcat Band.

Show dates are Friday, Aug. 10 and 17, and Saturday, Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m., and a 2:30 matinee on Sunday, Aug. 12.

Tickets are $20 each for reserved seating on the first three rows. General admission seating is $15. 

Three members of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department attended the 89th Annual Municipal Fire Training School held at Brayton Training Field in College Station last week, July 23-27.

Clay and Mel Deatherage completed their sixth year as invited guest instructors.

They taught Building Construction for the Fire Service in the Phase II part of the program.

New local volunteer Joel Viertel successfully completed Firefighting Phase I. 

Parents who missed the Aug. 1 deadline to sign up their child for the annual Adopt-a-Buddy school supply program should call ResourceCare case worker Makenzie Marshall at 325-762-2447, ext. 119, to see if applications are still being accepted.

Enrolled parents should pick up their child’s backpack and school supplies next Wednesday, Aug. 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Youth Center. 

Albany High School band members will meet next Monday evening for the first rehearsal of the 2018 AHS marching band, according to band director John Stockdale.

“It’s time to get ready for the 2018-2019 year,” the director said. “Our first rehearsal will be Monday, Aug. 6 at 7:00 p.m., in the high school band room. All early rehearsals will be finished by 8:30 p.m.”

The band will continue practicing each week night until school starts. 

High school and junior high school students from across the eastern part of the Big Country and their families are invited to a free “Kick Off Rally” hosted by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium in Albany this evening, Aug. 2.

A Christian concert by the Albany band Five2 Offering will start at 7:00 p.m., and be followed by an inspirational message from pastor and coach John Ward of Stamford.