By Donnie A. Lucas

Thirty-two Albany High School seniors are slated to walk across the stage in the AHS main gym Friday night, May 26 to receive their diplomas, marking the end of their high school careers.

A total of $129,750 in local scholarships will be awarded to members of the class who submitted applications and plan to further their educations.

Commencement exercises are set to begin at 7:00 p.m. in the main gym, with a reception following at the Whitney Theatre downtown.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Notices of appraised value are being mailed this week for the 2023 tax year, with overall property values continuing to rise but not as steeply as last year.

Property owners should be receiving the notices in the mail by early next week, and anyone who wishes to dispute the value of a property can file a protest by the June 30 deadline.

The Appraisal Review Board will meet in mid-­July to consider any protests.

By Melinda L. Lucas

A county resident was appointed to the board of directors of the Shackelford County Hospital District at a brief specially scheduled May meeting on Wednesday, May 17.

The session was delayed two days because the regular third Monday date conflicted with the Albany ISD academic banquet.

At last week’s meeting, Maggie Viertel introduced herself to the four board members who were present, stating that she would like to be considered for the vacant seat on the board.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Chamber of Commerce is organizing its annual community-wide cleanup day for Saturday, June 10.

The effort is aimed at beautifying Albany for the influx of visitors expected to attend performances of the Fort Griffin Fandangle later in the month.

“We just want to make the town look good for all the people coming in for (the Fandangle’s) 85th year,” Chamber manager Brandi Lehew said. “It’s going to be a big one. I know tickets are selling, so we’ll have plenty of people coming into town.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County elected officials worked through a fairly routine agenda at their regular meeting on Monday morning, May 22, with discussions ranging from a disconnected HVAC control system to planting something in the Courthouse Square flowerbeds.

By Sam Waller

A team of four Albany residents will attempt to make a round trip from Buffalo Gap to Abilene in a specific time frame, accomplishing more than a dozen challenges along the way.

But there are two catches – the vehicle used should not be valued at more than $750 and the Abilene in question is in Kansas.

Albany’s Team GreaseWorm – Robert Snyder, Craig Winters, Matt Birkla, and Kennith Waters – will attempt the journey in Snyder’s 1965 Ford station wagon, a local icon that has appeared (and broken down) in several local parades over the years.

By Sam Waller

Students and staff from Nancy Smith Elementary School were able to dodge the elements long enough to get in their annual track meet and field day as the school year draws to a close.

The events were both held Tuesday, May 23, at the high school track. The field day was supposed to be at Webb Park that afternoon, but it was too wet, so the students stayed at the track for those events as well.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany band students ended the school year last Thursday with a concert showcasing each band both separately and combined.

The Sixth Grade Band performed first at the high school auditorium, followed by the Fifth Grade band. The seventh graders played a few selections alone, then joined the high school band for a combined concert. This year’s seventh graders will join the high school band in the fall as eighth graders, boosting the high school numbers to just over 50.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Two Albany High School students competed last week in the UIL Academic Meet at the University of Texas in Austin.

Junior Sidney Russell and sophomore Avery Everitt both competed in the feature writing event on Wednesday, May 17.

The top 12 Class 2A students in Texas advanced to the state meet in each event, with the top six places receiving medals at the state level.

By Sam Waller

Children’s summer programs at First Baptist Church of Albany get into full swing Wednesday, June 7.

Children’s minister Ginger Bumguardner said there are still a few openings for the Summer SONshine program, while the community children’s choir is seeking more participants.

The Summer SONshine program will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Children’s Big Room.

Space is limited by transportation, so prospective participants are encouraged to sign up soon.