By Sam Waller

First Baptist Church of Albany’s Summer SONshine program wrapped up its four-week run Wednesday, June 28.

The program, for children who have completed kindergarten through sixth grade, offers Bible study, music, crafts, games, and field trips.

“We’ve had fun helping kids not just have something to do, but bond as a group and a class,” FBC children’s minister Ginger Bumguardner said. “We talk about the Lord along the way. We try to make church a fun place to be, someplace they want to go to.”

By Sam Waller

A total of 17 Albany and Moran students attended the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Summer Camp at HSU last week.

The camp, held Monday-Friday, June 19-23 at Hardin-Simmons University, drew 400 youth.

Among the attendees were 12 students from Albany, five from Moran, and another 12 from Breckenridge.

“We had about 86 kids come out of my area,” local FCA representative Paul Johnston said. “It was a great week, and the kids had a lot of fun. We had about 100 kids make some type of decision.”

By Sam Waller

A group of approximately 30 Shackelford County 4-H members and their families took down seating at Prairie Theater on Sunday, June 25, following the final 2023 performance of the Fort Griffin Fandangle.

Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said the 4-Hers were rewarded for their efforts, performed in triple-digit heat, with a pool party hosted by Jamie and Dustin Parsons.

By Melinda L. Lucas

With a Saturday, July 1 deadline coming up fast, parents need to get their 6-12 year olds signed up for the  Old Jail Art Center children’s summer workshops.

The traditional Cultural Connections Camp, which is centered on Egypt this year, will be offered both on-site and virtually to start things off on Wednesday, Aug. 2.

Three other workshops will be in-person only on Aug. 4, Aug 8-9, and Aug. 11, including the popular puppet workshop..

By Sam Waller

Albany High School cheerleaders earned a number of awards, including three all-American selections last week during a home camp conducted by the National Cheer Association.

The camp was held Monday-Wednesday, June 19-21 at the auxiliary gym.

By Sam Waller

The Local Exchange will be closed until further notice due to the heat, according to director Lori Reames.

Reames said the facility has no air conditioning to combat the triple-digit temperatures blanketing the area, and staff will be taking vacation.

Reames said the ministry could have occasional openings in July if the heat abates.

“We may put the flag out once in a while if it’s cool and do an impromptu opening,” she said. “If we get too full, we might post some pictures of things that need to move.”

By Sam Waller

Volunteers from First Baptist Church of Albany are once again donating their time and labor as part of an annual mission trip to 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 again assist with a construction project.

Viertel said this year’s task is to finish out a bathroom that is being added to a house.

By Donnie A. Lucas

A variety of pets were marched around at the Bank Park Saturday during the annual Fandangle Pet Parade.

Winners were named in four categories, with each receiving $25 in Albany Bucks to be spent at local participating stores.

“We had a good turnout,” coordinator Laci Cook said. “We had several entries and a bigger than usual crowd who came out to watch.”

Cook said that she was   pleased with the response.

“We were so glad that people came out, and we are hoping for more entries next year,” she said.

By Sam Waller

Shackelford County Library’s annual children’s story hour wrapped up its June schedule Tuesday, June 27.

The program will shift to 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.  on Wednesdays starting July 5 and continue as long as attendance warrants, organizer Janna Ledbetter said.

The program is designed to give children access to reading material during the summer and familiarize them with the local library. Preschool children must be accompanied by an adult. The program includes crafts and games related to each story.

By Sam Waller

The second installment of the Big Country Beef Cattle Improvement Series will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 29 (today), at Double Deuces Event Venue in Clyde.

The topic for the program, hosted by the Callahan County extension service, is Stock Pond and Water Management.

“The main idea is how managing those water resources ties into a beef cattle operation,” Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said. “Obviously, in this area we’re prone to drought.”