Albany News readers and advertisers are asked to be aware that no newspaper will be published, either in print or online, during the week of July 17.

“There will not be an edition on Thursday, July 20,” said News editor Melinda Lucas. “We hope we’re giving everyone, especially those who might need legal notices or other time-sensitive information, ample notice that we’re going to take that week off so that our staff can spend time with their families.”

The News office will be open for the usual hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday of that week.

By Sam Waller

Albany has drawn the attention of the syndicated television program Texas Country Reporter.

Hosts Bob and Kelli Phillips were recently in town for a segment on Jim Nobles, who handcrafts wooden caskets under the Noblex Pine Boxes banner.

Nobles said the segment will air some time this fall.

Texas Country Reporter airs on KTXS (Channel 12) at 6:30 p.m. Saturdays. The show previously featured Albany’s restored Sinclair station in 2015.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Shackelford County residents recorded significant rainfall over the weekend and have had more rain in general over last year at this time.

However, a burn ban is in force across the county, and while grass fires have yet to plague local firefighters, summer weather patterns are here and the threat is increasing.

By Melinda L. Lucas

The deadline to register for this year’s summer workshops at the Old Jail Art Center has been pushed back to Friday, July 21, according to the OJAC’s director of education Erin Whitmore.

Children in grades one through six (ages 6-12) can still sign up for four different in-person events, including the popular puppet workshop.

After a couple of years of offering virtual only and hybrid workshops because of the COVID pandemic, Whitmore said that all activities will be conducted on site this year in the museum’s Stasney Room.

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.