By Sam Waller

The Albany Lady Lions softball team enjoyed its best week of the season so far, going 4-0, and now looks to keep the momentum going.

Albany (4-1) visited Roby on Tuesday, March 4. Results will be reported next week. At 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 7, Roby visits Albany.

The Lady Lions notched their first win of the season Tuesday, Feb. 25 with a 7-5 victory against Aspermont. Albany then beat Santa Anna, Merkel JV and Eastland JV over the weekend at the Eula tournament.

By Sam Waller

Autum Russell and Allen Hebel were named queen and king of the Moran High School prom Saturday, March 1.

The event, with a theme of “Under the Stars,” was held at the Moran gym.

Spring Fling

Moran PTO will hold its annual Spring Fling carnival Wednesday, March 12 at the football field. Hamburger meals will be served at 5:30 p.m. with booths opening at 6:00 p.m. The event will last until 7:30 p.m.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Grandparents Week at Nancy Smith Elementary continues today and tomorrow, along with the annual Book Fair, which is set up on the cafeteria stage.

The school is hosting the special week for grandparents, with help from Albany PTO members, who are sponsoring the book fair.

For the next couple of days, grandparents and other senior adults are invited to bring a lunch to eat with students.

By Melinda L. Lucas

The Albany city council is expected to cancel its May 3 election at the March 17 meeting after Henry Garcia withdrew his candidacy this week.

City secretary Kenisha Lucas said that Garcia did not have all the paperwork he needed to run for election, and after reviewing his options, Garcia opted to remove his name from the 2025 ballot for personal reasons.

Because of his decision, there are now only two candidates for the two terms expiring this spring – incumbents Lynsi Musselman and Don Taggart.

By David H. Waller

The Albany Mainstreet Playhouse will open its production of Neil Simon’s Rumors this weekend at the Aztec Theater, marking the first time in two decades the fast-paced comedy has been performed on the local stage.

By Lynsi Musselman

Four Albany locals won second place out of 812 teams in the statewide February 2025 West Texas Big Bobcat Contest, held in San Angelo this past weekend. Ryder Wilkins, Laithe Leech, Will LeMay, and Jack Nail came home big winners after their 28.5-pound male bobcat earned them one of the top two spots with prize money of $32,380, with an additional $500 paid to Nail for the highest placing youth hunter.

Rehearsals for the 2025 Fandangle Sampler will begin on March 17, marking the start of preparations for the April 19 performance at Collins Creek Ranch, the historic site of Fort Griffin.

The Fandangle Sampler serves as a preview for Fandangle members, allowing both new and returning cast members to rehearse songs and scenes before the full-scale Fort Griffin Fandangle in June. This year’s 87th anniversary of the Fandangle will take place June 20, 21, 27, and 28 at the Prairie Theater.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Officials at Moran ISD clarified that Jason Price, who filled out paperwork for the school board before the Feb. 14 deadline, filed specifically for a two-year unexpired term rather than a full three-year term, left vacant when longtime trustee Sug Roller resigned.

The school will still conduct an election on May 3 to decide between three candidates for two seats – incumbents Alice Branham and Sam Snyder, along with Chris Leonard.

The two candidates who get the most votes will win the two at-large seats.

The Albany ISD school board met last week to discuss key issues, including the purchase of new buses, facility improvements, and contract extensions for district employees.

Two New Buses 

Approved

One of the primary topics was the need for new school buses to replace aging vehicles. The board approved the purchase of two 72-passenger Thomas buses, priced at $140,000 each, using foundation funds. The buses are expected to arrive by mid-March, sooner than anticipated.

By Melinda L. Lucas

At Monday’s Shackelford County commissioners meeting, Shackelford County 4-H representatives reviewed a detailed proposal to enhance the Courthouse flower beds as a community service project.

After a brief introduction by 4-H advisor Kelsey Bell, Riley Reames and Kerrigan Howard took over the presentation, with multi-page handouts to explain their plans.