Summer vacation for Albany students will end in just under a month, when the 2018-19 school year starts on Thursday, August 16, at 7:55 a.m., and officials at Nancy Smith Elementary School have requested that parents of returning students go online and register their children for the upcoming year if they have not already done so.

“Several still need to complete the online registration,” said principal Jonathan Scott. “We will have computers available to anyone needing to complete the registration process during new student registration on Aug. 1.”

Seven members of the Albany chapter of the Future Farmers of America and their sponsor were among more than 12,000 FFA members and guests that attended the 90th Texas FFA State Convention held on July 9-13 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, and another three members from Albany competed in the 2018 Texas FFA Rodeo.

The city of Albany will receive a sales tax allotment of $39,028 from the state this July. The amount is up 0.61 percent from the $38,789 payment received in July of 2017.

Payments to date for the 2018 year to the city of Albany are $295,514, down by 1.48 percent from the comparable time last year, when payments of $299,979 had been made.

The city of Moran will receive a net payment of $4,293 this period, for a 273.53 percent increase from the $1,149 received in July 2017.

Aspiring young artists entering first through 12th grades can attend various art camps at the Old Jail Art Center this summer and learn about recycling, Italy, puppets, and/or creating artwork from various media. 

All classes, including supplies, are free, but space is limited, so early registration is encouraged and is already underway for all the classes.

Italy

On Friday, Aug. 3, up to 30 participants in first through sixth grades will meet from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to focus on the music, food, and art of Italy. 

Rylie Scott of Albany, Texas, will have help attending Texas A&M University this fall, thanks to her selection as a Jimmy Rane Foundation scholar. 

Scott is among 36 students selected to receive a scholarship from the foundation this year. A 2018 graduate of Albany High School, she will major in biomedical engineering.

In high school, Scott earned a 3.98 GPA and was active in campus organizations. She was a captain on the varsity volleyball team, editor of the high school newspaper, and vice president of the student council. 

The Albany Ministerial Alliance’s supported Community Vacation Bible School theme this year of Game On! has been a big hit if attendance numbers are any indication, with 160 children participating on Monday and 155 on Tuesday.

“We have a lot of kids!” Tisha Wilkins said. “We’ve had between 100 and 110 from Day Camp, plus 40 to 50 drop-ins that were not in the ResourceCare program.”

The Feed Store youth played volleyball and kickball at City Park on Tuesday, July 17, and they plan to get together later this week for another evening of exercise and fellowship. 

Youth ministers Levi and Ashlee Herron have asked youth that plan to go to the Skatin’ Night on Friday, July 20, to sign up in advance so that transportation can be arranged.

Cost is $8 per person, and the group will leave The Feed Store at 6:15 p.m. tomorrow.

The following weekend, July 27-29, is the Feed Store Lake Retreat at Hubbard Creek Lake.

Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes East representative Paul Johnston has planned a Kick Off Rally for all of the high school and junior high students from the eastern part of the Big Country, and all of the churches, parents, and kids from towns served by the FCA Big Country East are invited to join them at the free event at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium in Albany at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2.

Ground preparation for the foundation of the new Albany Scout Hut is almost completed, and the metal is paid for, but the future of the $95,000 building project is not yet secure.

Local Scouts need help to raise another $3,800 before Sept. 1 in order to be awarded funds of $15,000 each from two pledged matching grants.

Parents and grandparents of Albany students, as well as businesses and other school supporters, still have almost two weeks to contact a member of the Albany Athletic Booster Club to have an ad included in the 2018 football program.

The magazine-type program is sold at all of the home football games and is typically the Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

The Albany Athletic Booster Club uses the money raised to help support all of the high school and junior high sports, according to treasurer Shawnee Tischler.