By Kathy Thomson Several Shackelford County youth, parents, and advisors are in the middle of one of the busiest times of the stock show season, with Fort Worth, San Angelo, San Antonio, Houston, and Austin all underway over the next few weeks.

By Kathy Thomson The Parent Teacher Organization’s Scholastic “Book Fair Jungle: Elephants, Tigers, and Books, OH MY!” is set to wind down to a close tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 14, at the Nancy Smith Elementary School cafeteria, but purchases can still be made between now and then.

Albany Independent School District has scheduled a student holiday for Monday, Feb. 17, in honor of Presidents Day.  Schools at both Albany campuses will release at the normal times on Friday, Feb. 14, and will resume classes at the normal times on Tuesday, Feb.

by Kathy Thomson Tuesday, Feb. 18 is the first day of early voting for the March 3 primary election, with balloting taking place at the Shackelford County Courthouse, in the lobby area on the first floor, through Friday, Feb. 28.  Early voting hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.

By Kathy Thomson Kim Davis teaches several elementary classes at Moran School, including math, science, and art, and she recently decided to branch out to include music in her art class.

By Kathy Thomson Moran Independent School District, along with several other schools in the Big Country area, cancelled classes last Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 5 and 6, due to forecasts of extremely cold and hazardous winter conditions. Classes resumed on Friday, Feb.

By Melinda L. Lucas Less than a month after the resignation of EMS director Mary Quintero, directors of the Shackelford County Hospital District met in special session early Monday morning, Feb. 3 to review three applications and name a successor.

By Melinda L. Lucas February is member appreciation month at the Old Jail Art Center, and several special events have been lined up in the next few weeks that should interest not only current members, but everyone who has an interest in promoting the arts.

By Melinda L. Lucas A “lock-out” at both Albany school campuses on Friday morning, Jan.

By Kathy Thomson The deadline to file for local offices on the May 2 ballot is only one week away, and as of press time on Tuesday, only seven candidates had turned in their paperwork, leaving plenty of opportunities for additional civic-minded locals to volunteer to help lead their community.