Plans for the 2021 Fall Festival will be discussed at 3:30 p.m. today at a meeting at Nancy Smith Elementary School.

Members of the Albany Parent Teacher Organization encourage parents and students of all grade levels to attend. Organizers plan to present new ideas and hear feedback and additional ideas from parents.

The meeting will immediately follow the Campus Improvement Committee meeting, which starts at 3:00 p.m.

Last year’s Fall Fest was cancelled because of COVID.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The annual membership meeting of the Fort Griffin Fandangle Association is set for Tuesday, Oct. 12 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Albany Visitors Center (Depot).

Discussion and a motion to hold the Fandangle in 2022 are expected, along with the filling of five terms on the board that are expiring and the election of officers for the coming year.

Members of the board whose three-year terms are ending are Leslie Jones, Dustin Parsons, Lauren Willen, John Ayers, and Shelly Bartee.

By Sam Waller

National 4-H Week is scheduled for Oct. 3-9 with more than a week’s worth of activities scheduled for Shackelford County 4-Hers.

“I’m trying to use that week as a really big push to  promote everything we have going on and encourage people to get their kids involved,” Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said. “We’re highlighting community service. A huge part of 4-H is teaching our kids the value of serving our community.”

Things kick off Friday with a float in the Albany homecoming parade. 

By Donnie A. Lucas

This Friday is the deadline for organizations that plan to apply for 2022 funding from the Albany Chest.

Applications need to be finished and submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 1.

Board vice chair Melinda Lucas said Monday that only a few applications had been received so far, and she emphasized that all organizations wishing to receive an allocation from the Albany Chest must submit a written request by the deadline.

By Donnie A. Lucas

After almost 45 years of ownership, Melinda and I are ready to let someone else take over the reins of this 140-year old newspaper – The Albany News.

Before we advertise to the newspaper industry or other possible interested parties statewide, we want to determine if there is interest by someone locally or with local ties who wants to explore this opportunity.

We know this could take awhile, but the time has come for our family to retire and start the process of getting the newspaper in the hands of someone else.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The 2021 homecoming parade is set to roll through downtown on Friday featuring Albany High School and ex-student royalty, followed by special presentation of the homecoming court during the halftime of the Albany vs. Olney homecoming game that kicks off at 7:00 p.m.

The parade is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m., weather permitting, from the staging area in front of the stadium, then wind its way through the downtown area around the courthouse and return through downtown to end back at the stadium.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Chamber of Commerce has postponed the Home of the Hereford Cookoff and Cornhole Tournament scheduled for this weekend until the weekend of Oct. 23, Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones announced on Tuesday.

Jones said the decision was made because of the threat of rain in the forecast for the weekend.

“I think people have been watching the weather, and we have not had that many enter,” Jones said. “They were waiting until this week to see what the weather was going to do, and the weather is telling us it’s not going to happen.”

By Sam Waller

The field is almost full for the 14th annual John Rose & Jim Law Memorial Albany Kiwanis Charity Golf Tournament and Fajita Fiesta.

Kiwanian Zach Maberry said 10 teams are already signed up for the four-person scramble, which is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 1 at Albany Golf Course.

The event raises funds for the Albany K Charity Scholarship Fund as well as a number of other local projects.

Entry fee is $50 per person, which includes a Fajita Fiesta meal. Golfers may also purchase up to four mulligans at $10 each.

By Sam Waller

Moran’s Johnnie Hise will speak at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Fields of Faith program on Wednesday at Abilene Wylie.

“Paul Johnston nominated Johnnie to speak,” Moran principal Jo Hise said. “They pull up four or five seniors from the area to give their testimony or tell about how FCA has impacted them.”

Johnston serves as an area representative for FCA.

“Fields of Faith is a big youth rally,” he said. There’ll be a lot of kids from a lot of schools, with music, testimonies, and a speaker.”

School Pictures

By Donnie A. Lucas

A fifth quarter fellowship will be held following the Albany vs. Anson football game on Friday, with the junior high and high school students being hosted as separate locations.

Students in grades 9-12 will meet in the back yard of the Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church, while the junior high will continue to meet across the street at The Feed Store.

Food and beverages will be provided by the Presbyterian and Lutheran churches this week.