By Sam Waller

Shackelford County 4-H members Riley Reames and Kerrigan Howard submitted their plan for a community service project Monday, Feb. 24 to the Shackelford County Commissioners.

“Our senior officers each have a community service project they do each year,” Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said. “Our 4-H club has been approached several times about doing some work on the courthouse square, and that was something Riley wanted to take on. She’ll be heading that up, and Kerrigan is her junior partner.”

By Sam Waller

Albany FFA members continued their run at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo last week with several placing.

Jake Hale earned a blue ribbon in the ag mech contest with his hydraulic hay trailer, his third in as many shows. The project also garnered blue ribbons at Fort Worth and San Angelo.

In Wave 2 of the livestock judging, Kenzie Neve placed second with her AOC steer and made the sale.

Creed Spencer placed 21st in his barrow class with a crossbred, while Ryan Turner also participated.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions saw their boys basketball season come to an end Friday, Feb. 21 with a 66-46 loss to Graford in the area round of the Class 2A Division II playoffs at Eastland.

The Lions, who reached the second round for the fifth year in a row, finished the season with a 14-9 record.

By Sam Waller

Moran Independent School District started this week with a safety drill to test security procedures.

During the drill, conducted Monday, Feb. 24, bells and lights in school buildings activated. Also, every computer screen on campus as well as the large screens in every classroom displayed explicit instructions. Different messages appear depending on the current drill or situation.

By David H. Waller

A weeks-long investigation into a fraudulent check scheme has led to the arrests of three Fort Worth men in Albany, with authorities linking them to a larger organized crime operation that has targeted multiple communities across North Texas.

By David H. Waller

After 21 years of dedication to preserving and restoring the Fort Griffin Historic Site, the Friends of Fort Griffin organization is ceasing operations. Founded in 2004 by Cliff Teinert, Bill Cauble, Lester Galbreath, and Susan Waller, the nonprofit group played a critical role in maintaining and supporting one of Texas’ most historic frontier sites.

By David H. Waller

The Albany Mainstreet Playhouse (AMP) is putting the final touches on its production of Neil Simon’s Rumors, set to take the stage February 28, March 1, and March 2 at the Aztec Theater. With stage construction complete and props in place, the cast and crew are ready to bring this fast-paced comedy to life.

By David H. Waller

The Albany Chamber of Commerce held its annual membership meeting on Friday at the Icehouse, with over 30 people in attendance to discuss the Chamber’s progress and plans for 2025. The meeting included the election of new officers, with Tisha Wilkins named president, Jana Kitchens as vice president, Robin Balliew as treasurer, and Kyra Krause as secretary.

By Sam Waller

Albany FFA students wrapped up their participation at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo last week and now turn their attention to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

In addition to steers and hogs being exhibited in San Antonio this week, Will LeMay, Jack Nail and Slayton Parsons were entered in roping events in the rodeo and Jake Hale was entered in the ag mechanics contest. Hale has already earned blue ribbons for his hydraulic hay trailer at Fort Worth and San Angelo.

By Melinda L. Lucas

There was a flurry of applicants filing for the Shackelford County Hospital Board before last week’s deadline, with a total of seven names to be on the ballot – six for the three two-year positions and one for an unexpired term.

There also ended up being four candidates for the Moran ISD board of trustees, with two seats available.