By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany’s municipal swimming pool at Webb Park will close for the season at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, July 30.

The popular “cooling off” spot is still open for another three-plus weeks on Tuesdays through Sundays unless scheduling conflicts with lifeguards force more closures.

The pool was closed last Friday and Saturday because manager Meg Walser wasn’t able to line up enough workers. Most of the lifeguards are high school and college students who have camps and other activities during the summer months.

By Sam Waller

New officers for the Albany Athletic Booster Club are gearing up for another school year with a kickoff meeting scheduled for later this month.

The Booster Club is in the process of beginning ad sales for football programs for the 2023 season.

“We’ve been hashing that out this past week,” president Cari Heatly said. “We haven’t set a definite date yet, but we’re going to start ad sales around July 15.”

By Sam Waller

Preregistration for Albany Community Vacation Bible School is underway.

The event, sponsored by the Albany Ministerial Alliance, is for children age 4 through those who have completed sixth grade and is scheduled for Sunday-Wednesday, July 30-Aug.. 2. Preschoolers must be 4 years old by Aug. 1.

Preregistration may be done by scanning a QR code included on promotional posters or the ad in this week’s Albany News. Organizer Betsy Spraberry said there has been a handful of children preregister already.

By Sam Waller

A mission team from First Baptist Church of Albany returned home Saturday, July 1, after spending a week helping install a bathroom being added to a home in Del Rio.

The six-member team of Sue Brown of Breckenridge and local residents Ricky Davis, Shane Fields, Nan Herrell, John Ross Reames, and Kyle Viertel departed Sunday, June 25 to assist with the project.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Pick-up dates for the July distribution of the commodity food program  provided by Shackelford County are July 6-7.

Certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their monthly commodity food at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 6.

Albany families who have been certified as eligible for the June food distribution program may pick up their food on Friday, July 7 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the rear door of the JP office.

By Sam Waller

Two Albany teens are again taking part in the Texas Brigades programs.

Riley Reames attended the North Texas Buckskin Brigade camp after taking part in the Ranch Brigade and Bobwhite Brigade camps the past two years.

Reames was selected as a Junior Director for the Texas Society for Range Management for its 70th annual Youth Workshop.

Connor Smith is attending the Bass Brigade camp as an assistant leader after being a cadet attendee last year. He will attend Coastal Brigade camp as a cadet.

By Sam Waller

What started as a class fundraising project and went on to gain a certain notoriety on the local art scene gained a new home earlier this year.

In January, Albany’s Jennifer Carlile took possession of a sculpture created more than 50 years ago by her late father, Steve Carlile.

The piece had been owned by A.V. and Pat Jones since they purchased it as part of a fundraiser.

With heartfelt gratitude and thankfulness, we appreciate the support we lovingly received from each and every one through prayer, visits, friendships, phone calls, cards, meals, flowers, smiles, hugs, and attendance in celebrating the life of our beloved Maxine Moore. A special thank you to the staff and friends at Shackelford County Health Clinic, CenterWell Home Care, and Solaris Hospice Care. Blessings to each one of you.

Family of Maxine Moore

By Sam Waller

Shackelford County 4-H’s Summer STEAM program took this week off in observance of the Fourth of July holiday, but starts another five-week stretch next week.

The program will resume a 1:00 p.m. Thursday, July 13, at The Feed Store.

“The next two sessions will both be technology days because we had to swap some things around in June,” Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said. “One will be led by Matt Howard and the other by Eric Johnson. “I think Eric will doing some engineering, like taking apart a radiator and putting it back together.”

By Sam Waller

Albany’s Debbie Hamilton has been recognized for her efforts as a substitute teacher as one of four May Employees of the Month selected by Education Management & Staffing Solution (ESS).

Hamilton finished out the final month of the school year teaching senior English at Cooper High School in Abilene after faculty member Jimmy Pogue encountered health problems. Others recognized were from school districts in New Jersey, New Mexico and Utah.

Hamilton was nominated by Cooper teacher Shawna Parmelly.