By Lynsi Musselman

Back to school is not just for academics. Church families are also getting  their back-to-school programs underway to educate the spiritual aspect of life.

First Baptist Church 

FBC youth minister Campbell Terry said JAM will kick off Wednesday, Sept. 9, but the youth group starts gathering a couple of weeks before that on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Terry said there will be a small get-together to start the school year, with details still being finalized.

Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church

By Lynsi Musselman

Shackelford County youth between the ages of eight and 18 who are interested in participating in 4-H activities are encouraged to attend a 4-H club meeting on Monday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at The Feed Store.

County Agent Kloey Painter, who will serve as the club manager this year, said the kick-off party will be a time to go over events and pass out T-shirts.

The event is designed to be an informal meeting and 4-H membership drive.

By Lynsi Musselman

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar released August state sales tax revenue amounts for counties across the state of Texas, including Shackelford County.

The City of Albany will receive a sales tax allotment of $41,015 from the state this month. The amount is down 2.04 percent from the $41,872 payment received this time last year.

Payments to date for the 2020 year to the City of Albany are $313,393 down by 16.61 percent from the comparable time last year, when payments of $375,843 had been made.

By Donnie A. Lucas

City officials are strongly urging the use of face coverings such as masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus as the school year kicks off next week and larger groups of residents will be together again for the first time since March.

For the second week in a row, county judge Robert Skelton reported no new cases in the county, as well as no active cases according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

By Donnie A. Lucas

County commissioners continued trimming the budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 and got their first look at tax rate numbers during a meeting held Monday.

The court continued to clip away at the expense side of the budget, hoping to have a document ready to propose in the next two to three weeks.

“The goal is to have a budget proposal by the last meeting of August or the first meeting in September,” county judge Robert Skelton said. “We will also have a proposed tax rate at the same time.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

Despite ongoing coronavirus restrictions, blood is still needed, and a blood drive is scheduled to take place in Albany next Thursday afternoon, Aug. 20.

Hendrick Regional Blood Center (formerly Meek Blood Center) will park its bloodmobile at First Baptist Church at the usual time from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Blood Center staff members are being screened daily and are wearing the proper personal protective equipment, according to marketing manager Kelsey Caprio. 

By Lynsi Musselman

The back-to-school rush is here for students and parents as they shop for supplies and clothes, or prepare a space to learn from a distance.

Teachers and administrators are also preparing for students to return to the classroom, both virtually and in person.

Albany Independent School District teachers returned to their posts this week, and students will begin the school year on Wednesday, Aug.19.

Nancy Smith 

Elementary School

By Lynsi Musselman

Test taking can unnerve most students – even former students – so when the subject of standardized testing comes up, administrators, teachers, students, and parents in the state of Texas wince.

State of Texas Assessment and Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams were cancelled for the 2019-2020 year due to school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced earlier in the summer that tests will be administered for the 2020-2021 school year but with a few changes.

By Lynsi Musselman

Albany High School alumna and 2020 valedictorian, Addison Asher, was recently notified that she had received the Arlis Parkhurst Endowed Scholarship for her participation in UIL academic events at the state level.

The scholarship awarded Asher totals $1,000 a year – $500 per semester – and is renewable up to three years.

In 2017, the scholarship was established to specifically help students from small schools in West Texas.

By Lynsi Musselman

The Old Jail Art Center virtual camps continue this week with Frontier Days: Tonkawa!, closing out the August camps next week.

OJAC education director Erin Whitmore said the first two weeks of the August camps have been successful, with families in Albany and around the state participating.

This week, students will learn about Puppetry.

“This is historically the most popular camp,” Whitmore said. “Students create kinetic artwork at home that is inspired by virtual art at the OJAC.”