By Donnie A. Lucas

Easter events will be featured throughout the day on Saturday, including the annual egg hunt at Webb City Park, the Easter Bunny posing with kids for pictures downtown, and a “Spring Fling” of kids activities at the Bank Park.

The day will start with an egg hunt at City Park starting at 11:00 a.m. hosted by the Albany Volunteer Fire Department.

The Easter Bunny will be hopping around in front of First National Bank from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m. to visit with children and hand out Easter candy.

By Sam Waller

Plans for the 2024 Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Show will be proposed, discussed, and voted on next week at the Shackelford Youth and Livestock Association annual meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 11 at the Albany High School Ag Building.

The meeting will include election for two positions on the Association’s board as well as discussion of this year’s show and proposed rule changes.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD staff and students will be off both Friday, April 7 and Monday, April 10 for a four-day Easter weekend.

Younger students at Nancy Smith Elementary School had Easter egg hunts planned this week.

Students will be released at their regular times Thursday, April 6 (today).

School will resume at the usual time on both campuses on Tuesday morning, April 11.

The remainder of the semester will include mandatory state testing, along with numerous spring activities.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD staff and students will be off both Friday, April 7 and Monday, April 10 for a four-day Easter weekend.

Younger students at Nancy Smith Elementary School had Easter egg hunts planned this week.

Students will be released at their regular times Thursday, April 6 (today).

School will resume at the usual time on both campuses on Tuesday morning, April 11.

The remainder of the semester will include mandatory state testing, along with numerous spring activities.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Another annual Albany Classic Car Show is gearing up for Saturday, April 15 in downtown Albany, with the public urged to come view dozens of vintage cars and trucks from around the Big Country.

Organizer and car enthusiast Robert Snyder said he has had a good response so far of owners planning to attend.

“There are actually a couple of other shows that weekend, even though we try to avoid that,” Snyder said. “The people I have talked to are planning to come to ours, and we are expecting another good show if the weather cooperates.”

By Sam Waller

An offhand remark has resulted in Albany resident Zach Harmon becoming a published author.

Harmon’s novella “The Top of the Stairs” is now available on Amazon. It is his first published work.

“It’s a supernatural noir piece of fiction,” Harmon said. “I have been a big fan of David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks.’ That’s kind of what I had in my head, that noir style on top of the supernatural side of the show.”

The novella tells the story of John Fey, a young man who travels to a small town in Texas to arrange his late father’s funeral.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Members of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department elected new officers during a regular meeting on Monday, April 3.

Joel Viertel will serve as Chief, while Jeff Hill will remain as Assistant Chief and Casey Kimbrough as Lieutenant. Cyrena Viertel was elected as secretary/treasurer.

Travis Gardenhire, who is stepping down as Fire Chief because of other obligations, was appointed as Interim Captain.

By Melinda L. Lucas

A blood drive is scheduled to take place in Albany next Friday, April 14.

Regular donors are asked to remember that the dates have changed in 2023 from Thursdays to Fridays.

Scheduled for roughly eight-week intervals, the rest of this year’s blood drives are planned on June 9, Aug. 4, Sept. 29, and Nov. 28.

Hendrick Regional Blood Center will park its bloodmobile at First Baptist Church at the usual time from 1:00 until 6:00 p.m.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Both Parliamentary Procedure teams competing for the Albany FFCLA chapter took first place at the State Leadership Conference in Dallas last weekend, qualifying them to advance to the National Conference in Denver in July.

The junior high team of all eighth graders competed in Level I division for seventh and eighth graders, while the Level II team for ninth and 10th graders entered all local ninth graders.

Most of the Level II team won the National Championship as a Level I team last year in San Diego.

By Sam Waller

Albany churches are celebrating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this week with a full slate of Easter services.

In addition to Easter Sunday on April 9, services are being held by several congregations for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Trinity Lutheran

Trinity Lutheran Church has a full slate of services starting with Maundy Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6.

A Good Friday service is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 7.