By Nolan Davis

As the Fourth of July quickly approaches, Shackelford County residents are encouraged to take necessary safety precautions when celebrating and using fireworks.

“People need to pay close attention when they’re using fireworks during the holiday,” said Shackelford County Rural Fire Department chief Brad Henry. “Just be very careful.”

While the county is not under a burn ban or any special fireworks restrictions, people should still be cautious as fireworks can easily cause fires in grassy and wooded areas.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Summer conditioning programs for both boys and girls entering grades 7-12 are well underway at the high school campus.

Head football coach Denney Faith said that about 25 to 30 boys have been attending during the last three weeks, while girls coach M.J. Reneau reported an average of 25 girls attending the sessions for Lady Lions.

The boys are meeting at 7:00 a.m., followed by the girls at 8:00 a.m.

By Kathy Thomson

Around 40 people attended the Shackelford County Range and Pasture Tour on Tuesday, June 25.

“We had lots of great speakers,” said local county extension agent Michaela Bradford. “It was a good educational event.”

The AgriLife sponsored event was the first of a three-part Big Country Beef Cattle Improvement Series and was held at the Trail Ranch.

The city of Albany will receive a sales tax allotment of $46,797 from the state this June. The amount is up 31.38 percent from the $35,618 payment received in June of 2018.

Payments to date for the 2019 year to the city of Albany are $299,589, up by 16.80 percent from the comparable time last year, when payments of $256,486 had been made.

The city of Moran will receive a net payment of $1,316 this period for a 2.11 percent increase from the $1,289 received in June 2018.

Special Fandangle activities are on the Old Jail Art Center’s schedule over the next two weeks, starting with a Native American Dance exhibition this Saturday afternoon and ending up a Family Festival “Round Up” on June 29.

Located one block east of the Courthouse, the Old Jail does not charge admission and is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Fandangle performance nights.

The Moran Independent School District has filled their two vacant staff positions, according to MISD superintendent Danny Freeman.

“They haven’t been by to sign contracts yet, but we have verbal agreements with both of them,” said Freeman. 

John Hughes will be the new football coach for Moran. 

Hughes graduated from Venus High School and received his BS from Tarle-ton. He has worked at several schools including Milano, Hubbard, Whitney, Joshua, Morgan, Brookesmith, Maud, and High Island. Most recently he coached in Rochelle. 

A monthly country and western musical will continue this month on Saturday, June 22 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Moran Community Center.

Moran singer-songwriter M.L. “Marty” Clifford is coordinating the event, which got underway last month.

Clifford plans to hold the musical on the fourth Saturday of each month.

Proceeds will benefit local organizations such as the fire department, said Clifford.

There is no cover charge, but snacks will be available.

For more information, call 325-668-5084 or 254-631-9777.

By Kathy Thomson

The 81st anniversary edition of the Fort Griffin Fandangle is scheduled to open to a large audience at the Prairie Theater at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow evening. 

This year’s script is based on Sallie Reynolds Matthews’ book Interwoven, and the cast includes some cowboys who haven’t been in the show in several years, as well as some members of the author’s family.

The book chronicles the true pioneer adventures of the Reynolds family and their often-times neighbors and eventual relatives, the Matthews family.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Parents of Albany students in grades 3-11 should soon receive reports for state STAAR testing results administered during the spring.

According to AISD testing coordinator Leigh Lowe, individualized “portfolios” or reports were mailed to parents earlier in the week for STAAR testing and 2019 End of Course (EOC) tests in a variety of subject areas.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Seven positions were filled with five new hires and two reassignments during Monday’s regular Albany school board meeting.

Also on the agenda was an explanation of recently received STAAR and EOC test scores from district testing coordinator Leigh Lowe. Those results are detailed in a separate article in this issue.

Staff Assignments