By Melinda L. Lucas

Basic information about scholarships being awarded to this year’s graduating class at Albany High School is needed by the first part of next week.

Ann Riley at the AHS office needs to update her list of available scholarships and requirements and would like to be contacted by the end of the day on Monday, March 21.

School offices are closed this week for spring break, but representatives of scholarship boards can go ahead and email Riley at ariley@albany.esc14.net so she will have the information when she returns to work.

By Donnie A. Lucas

A number of high school students placed at the Stamford UIL Practice Meet originally scheduled for Feb. 26. It was switched to a virtual meet due to weather conditions.

Students were administered UIL tests in a variety of categories and submitted using email to Stamford, with final results announced late last week.

“It was difficult catching all the kids to test virtually because they are all so busy,” high school coordinator Rick Davis said. “There were a couple of kids who didn’t get to compete because of scheduling conflicts.”

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Albany Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Membership Drive Crawfish Boil at the depot parking lot at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 7.

All Chamber members are invited to attend without charge, and anyone who isn’t a member is welcome to join the organization at the event.

The meal will include a traditional crawfish boil, as well as fried catfish and the fixings cooked by the group’s board members, along with Ken and Lesley Jones.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Shackelford County residents who want to request ballots by mail for the May 7 statewide amendment election and the county-wide hospital district election can now send in their applications.

The deadline for requests to be received in the clerk’s office is April 26. The application form to request a mail ballot can be found on the county website at www.shackelfordcounty.org.

Voters can also call the clerk’s office at 325-762-9415 in order to receive one through the mail.

By Sam Waller

The Shackelford County Library recently dedicated a bench outside its main entrance in memory of librarian Carolyn Waller, who died in December 2020.

The bench, constructed by sculptor Joe Barrington of Throckmorton, was presented by the Prairieland Quilters, of which Waller was a member.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County commissioners got serious about implementing formal regulations for subdivisions in unincorporated portions of the county, setting a date for a public hearing with plans to adopt the proposed regulations immediately after the hearing.

The document, presented at a previous meeting by county attorney Rollin Rauschl, is adapted from Stephens County regulations and will give commissioners more control over water, sewer, and roads within subdivisions.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany city council members proposed a budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year starting April 1 and set a date for a public hearing during their regular session on Monday, March 14 at the Aztec Theater.

Lester Galbreath made a motion and Austin Sherwood seconded to propose the $3,475,400 budget, which was reviewed by city manager Billy Holson at the February meeting.

A special 7:00 p.m. session was planned March 28 as a public hearing for the budget, which is expected to be adopted that evening.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The number of positive COVID-19 cases tested locally has continued to fall over the last two weeks, with just three positive cases last week and four the week before.

The three local testing sites reported a combined total of  three positive test results from the 17 tests administered during the week of March 7-11, and four positive results out of 17 tests given the week of Feb. 28 through March 4.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany ISD students and staff are out of school this week for spring break, returning to their classrooms on Monday, March 21.

The school will pick up the regular schedule on Monday, with only two more holidays remaining in the 2021-2022 school year.

Students and staff will be off again on Good Friday, April 15 and Easter Monday on April 18.

The district is having to making up time for days missed earlier in this semester due to bad weather, but the Easter holidays will remain intact.

By Sam Waller

Rehearsals for next month’s Fort Griffin Fandangle Sampler at Rey­nolds Bend will pick up next week with two sessions scheduled.

The cast and crew conducted a second rehearsal Tuesday, March 15 at the Aztec Theater. Next week, rehearsals will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 and Thursday, March 24 at the Bank Park.

The Sampler will be performed at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 16 at Reynolds Bend on the Lambshead Ranch. The evening will include a catered meal and dance following the performance.