Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes East representative Paul Johnston has planned a Kick Off Rally for all of the high school and junior high students from the eastern part of the Big Country, and all of the churches, parents, and kids from towns served by the FCA Big Country East are invited to join them at the free event at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium in Albany at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2.
Ground preparation for the foundation of the new Albany Scout Hut is almost completed, and the metal is paid for, but the future of the $95,000 building project is not yet secure.
Local Scouts need help to raise another $3,800 before Sept. 1 in order to be awarded funds of $15,000 each from two pledged matching grants.
Parents and grandparents of Albany students, as well as businesses and other school supporters, still have almost two weeks to contact a member of the Albany Athletic Booster Club to have an ad included in the 2018 football program.
The magazine-type program is sold at all of the home football games and is typically the Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
The Albany Athletic Booster Club uses the money raised to help support all of the high school and junior high sports, according to treasurer Shawnee Tischler.
Officers who will serve during the upcoming year for Moran Masonic Lodge #863 were installed in Clyde last weekend.
The Moran organization held its officer installation ceremony in conjunction with the Clyde Masonic Lodge officer installation on Saturday, July 14 at the Clyde Masonic Lodge on Oak Street.
Masonic Lodge officers include Worshipful Master Earl McFerrin, Senior Warden Harley Wheeler, Treasurer C.L. Miller, Senior Deacon Mike Fomby, Junior Deacon Frank Davidson, and Tiler Bobby Estes.
ResourceCare’s 18th annual Summer Day Camp began on Monday, and if camper numbers on the first couple of days are any indication, overall participation may exceed last year’s record numbers.
There were 186 attendees on the first day of camp this year, Monday, July 9, including about 50 workers and 136 campers, according to organizer Ragan Riley, and on Tuesday, July 10, they served lunch to 187 people, including the staff and volunteers, added program director Mindy Ary.
“We are averaging around 130 campers a day,” said Ary.
Members of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department will be on hand to unload donations of water, Gatorade, and Powerade at their upcoming water/Gatorade drive, set for Monday, July 16.
The water/Gatorade drive is scheduled to take place at the firehouse at 609 Railroad Street next Monday from 5:00 to 6:20 p.m., followed by the regular VFD meeting at 6:30 p.m.
An emergency management proposal and a report on the nearly complete Courthouse repair project were among the most discussed items on the Shackelford County commissioners court agenda for a Monday morning, July 9 meeting.
The elected officials also opted to leave the county-wide burn ban active, especially in light of recent lightning strikes and area wildfires.
Emergency Management
Jones County emergency management coordinator Buddy Pope asked the commissioners to consider joining with other surrounding counties to form a regional coalition.
Albany volunteer firemen were called to the scene of a truck trailer fire on Saturday around noon near the east city limits.
According to AVFD chief Kyle Tischler, an equipment hauler was moving a large track hoe from New Mexico to Houston when he noticed that his trailer brakes had become overheated and caught on fire.
The driver was able to unload the equipment before the fire spread with only slight damage to the track hoe.
He also disconnected the truck from the trailer and drove the rig away from the fire.
The Old Jail Art Center will host three Region 14 teacher workshops for Continuing Professional Education credits during the month of July.
A fourth workshop, Project Archeology: Investigating Shelter, was planned for this Friday, July 13, but has been cancelled.
The Art of Reading workshop is scheduled to take place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 20.
Workers at Resource Care Community Health Center have organized a new fundraiser and sponsorships and tickets for CareFest 2018 are currently available.
Gates at Happy Wife Happy Life will open for CareFest 2018 at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, the music will begin at 1:00 p.m., and the party will end at 1:00 a.m., early Sunday morning.
“We’ve limited it to a maximum of 1,000 people this year, since this is our first time to hold the event,” said organizer Ragan Riley. “Ticket sales are discounted until the end of July. Prices will increase on Aug. 1.”
