By Melinda L. Lucas

Two artists will be featured in the Old Jail Art Center’s fall exhibitions, scheduled to open at the local museum with a members’ reception and dinner on Saturday, Sept. 23.

The evening is free to all OJAC members, who are asked to RSVP by next Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Memberships range from $15 for educators and $25 for individuals to $1,500 for “Sustainers.” To obtain a membership, call the Old Jail Art Center at 325-762-2269, email- -kbellah@theojac.org, or visit the museum’s website, www.theojac.org.

Fall Features

By Melinda L. Lucas

Application forms for Albany Chest funds are now available at both local banks and The Albany News, with a deadline of Friday, Sept. 29.

Forms can also be requested by email at news@thealbanynews.net.

Funding requests, which are mandatory to be able to receive Chest monies, will be reviewed at the board’s next meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 4, when a goal will be set.

Letters to previous Chest donors and new prospects will be mailed soon after the Oct. 4 meeting to kick off the 2023 campaign.

By Sam Waller

Five Moran FFA students exhibited heifers last week at the West Texas Fair and Rodeo in Abilene.

Zech Henderson, Caleb York, Kacenda Thompkins, MaeKayla Kersey, and Landon Herrell all showed in the Other Registered Breeds division.

Herrell placed fourth, York eighth, Kersey ninth, Thompkins 11th, and Henderson 12th.

“It was a very good first show for our show heifer team,” Moran FFA advisor Minnie Denson Bennett said.

End Of Six Weeks

The first six weeks grade period for Moran ISD ends Thursday, Sept. 14 (today).

By Donnie A. Lucas

A ribbon cutting is set for 1:00 p.m. Friday at the Shackelford County Show Barn to give the public and involved officials a look at the recently improved facility.

The ribbon cutting is being sponsored by the Albany Chamber of Commerce immediately following the usual Friday lunch meeting.

The event is open to all residents, including donors, livestock show officials, county officials, anyone who helped with the project, or residents who are interested in seeing the upgrades.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Dallas resident Jason Harlow received a last-minute call in January from an Albany friend urging him to come out to eat and celebrate one last time at the famed Ft. Griffin General Merchandise Restaurant and Beehive Saloon before it closed.

He says he never could have dreamed where that visit would lead him.

By Sam Waller

After weeks of planning, it’s time for the Albany Chamber of Commerce’s community-wide garage sale to be held Saturday, Sept. 9 at locations around town.

Chamber manager Brandi Lehew said she was still fielding inquiries earlier this week as the registration deadline neared.

“We had about 16 as of Tuesday, but I had people call me to say they planned to make it by the office to sign up before the deadline,” Lehew said. “We may get close to 20, which is not too far off of last year.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD trustees passed a budget for the 2023-2024 school year during a special early morning session on Aug. 31, meeting the required state deadline.

They also okayed the proposed tax rate of 73.80 cents cents per $100 valuation, including the state-allowed “five golden pennies.”

Total expenditures budget are projected at $6,906,021, while revenues are listed at $6,605,165, a difference of $300,956.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Several local government entities have set or are in the process of scheduling meetings to approve budgets and/or tax rates, including the following:

•Shackelford County: Sept. 7, budget hearing 9:00 a.m., tax rate hearing 9:30 a.m. – Courthouse

•City of Albany: Sept. 11, regular meeting to approve NNR tax rate 7:00 p.m. – Albany City Hall

•Shackelford County Appraisal District: Sept. 14, budget hearing 7:30 a.m. – SCAD office

By Sam Waller

The 37th annual First Impressions Invitational Pig Sale will christen the renovated Shackelford County Livestock Show Barn with 135 show pigs to be auctioned off

The longest-running livestock sale in the U.S., benefitting youth who participate in the county stock show, is set for Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 9-10. At 1:00 p.m. Friday, a ribbon cutting will be held to reopen the renovated show barn.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Members of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department will host and participate in the third annual “Never Forget” Memorial Walk next Monday morning, Sept. 11 on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001.

The event will again be held at the Shackelford County Courthouse, beginning at exactly 8:46 a.m., which is the time that the first hijacked aircraft struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.