By Lynsi Perry

What started as a typical Friday on Main Street quickly turned into a scene involving an emergency vehicle from the Albany Volunteer Fire Department and several concerned citizens gathered around a large pecan tree behind the CenterWell Home Health office building, located at the intersection of Main and S. 1st Street. The department was dispatched at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Friday for a kitten rescue from the said tree.

The 87th anniversary of the  Fort Griffin Fandangle is set to open next week, with performances scheduled for June 20–21 and June 27–28 at the Prairie Theater.

The annual Fandangle Parade will take place on  Saturday, June 21. Entries are still being accepted for the parade. Those interested in participating may contact John Ayers (325-669-1156), Cori Bezner (325-660-1901), or Claire Ware (325-262-2389), or email info@fandangle.org.

After a prolonged and often heated meeting marked by public outcry, board deliberations, and legal discussion, the Shackelford County Hospital District board concluded that EMS Director Mateo Millan would not continue in his role. The outcome followed Millan’s decision to decline both employment options presented by the board—one as full-time EMS director under a new contract and the other as a paramedic at the board-approved hourly rate.

The Albany 7-on-7 football team earned a trip to the state tournament after going undefeated in four games at a Division III state qualifying tournament held Friday, June 6, in Abilene.

Albany played all of its games at The Fieldhouse, while the other half of the tournament took place at the Shotwell Annex. The Lions opened pool play with a 20–14 win over Merkel, followed by a 35–13 victory over Dublin in the second game. They wrapped up pool play with a 33–20 win over Miles to finish 3–0 and claim the top spot in their bracket.