By Lynsi Musselman

Albany Junior Senior High School started up the after-school Lion Academy last week as a chance to give students an extra academic boost.

AJSH principal Glenn Hill said the expectation is to give students an opportunity to get caught up on school work and provide extra help for those who need it.

“I am excited about Lion Academy, and I know it is a great benefit to the students,” Hill explained.

Lion Academy will be open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 3:45 to 6:45 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m.

By Lynsi Musselman

The University Interscholastic League announced in August that three students from Albany have been named to the 2019-2020 All-State Journalism Staff.

Current seniors Tana Thompson and Hannah Trail, along with AHS graduate and Texas A&M freshman Addison Asher, were recipients of the honor.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Students, teachers, and support staff will celebrate the first school holiday of the year on Monday, Sept. 7 when the local school district dismisses for Labor Day.

Classes will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the normal times of 7:55 a.m. at Nancy Smith Elementary School and at 8:00 a.m. at the secondary campus.

The next scheduled student holiday is Columbus Day, Oct. 12, followed by Thanksgiving. Classes will dismiss early on Tuesday, Nov. 24, and will resume the Monday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 30.

By Lynsi Musselman

The 34th annual First Impressions Invitational Pig Sale in Shackelford County will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the county show barn.

Last Saturday, Aug. 29,the Shackelford County Youth and Livestock show barn was cleaned up and is now ready to welcome visitors next weekend.

Albany ag instructor Chris Beard said there was a lot of participation during the clean-up, and it was complete in about an hour.

By Lynsi Musselman

Hurricanes that threatened the Gulf Coast last week took several Albany residents to Sulfur, Louisiana to help in clean-up and relief efforts for those affected by Laura.

First Baptist youth minister Campbell Terry, Paige  Thompson, and Michala Huckabay all traveled south together last week.

“We did not go to the Texas coast like we originally planned, Terry said. “Due to the shift in the storm, we went to Sulfur, Louisiana where we helped serve Houston River Baptist Church and the people of Sulfur.”

By Lynsi Musselman

Pick-up dates for the September distribution of the commodity food program are Sept. 3 and Sept. 4.

On Thursday, Sept. 3, certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their monthly commodity food at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

Albany families who have been certified eligible for the September food distribution program can pick up their commodity food Friday, Sept. 4, at the rear door of the Justice of the Peace office (the former county jail) from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. 

By Lynsi Musselman

Maybe it is in the water, or maybe it is just coincidence, but the number of residents that are one of a pair of twins is unusually high for a town the size of Albany.

Generationally, Albany has seen several sets of twins grow up and pass through, but this year at Nancy Smith Elementary School 17 children out of 280 are multiples.

Not only are there seven pairs of twins, but there is also a set of triplets, which makes the percentage of multiples at NSES double the national average.

By Lynsi Musselman

Albany’s traditional fifth quarter fellowships will resume after this Friday’s first home game again Colorado City on Aug. 28 at The Feed Store.

Ministerial Alliance president Jeff Turner said the organization’s goal is to provide a safe environment for youth to come together for food and fellowship after home football games.

“We feel that these fellowships give students another option and helps keep them out of trouble,” Turner explained.

After each home game, different churches in the community sponsor the snacks and drinks.

By Lynsi Musselman

The Labor Day Golf Tournament hosted by the Albany Golf Club has filled all tees times with a waiting list in place.

 The tournament held on Sept. 5 and 6 is a two- person scramble format with an entry fee of $160 per team.

The entry fee includes one mulligan per person each day and a meal on Saturday night.

There is a morning tee time on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m.

Teams will be flighted after Saturday’s play.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Texans are living in uncertain times amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has lingered for months and thrown most daily activities for a lurch, but if there’s one thing hunters in the Lone Star State can count on, it’s that fall hunting seasons are almost here, and once again, the overall dove hunting forecast is strong.

Opening day of dove hunting in Texas is Tuesday, Sept. 1, and for the fifth year in a row, hunters across the Lone Star State, including those in the Albany area, will have a 90-day hunting season and 15-bird daily bag limits.