The local spring turkey hunting season looks promising, according to Stasney’s Cook Ranch wildlife manager Billy Hill.

“There are not quite as many birds as we’ve had the last two years, but there are still an adequate number,” Hill said. “The first morning (of the season) we got three. It should be a good spring.”

Hill added that they do not plan to harvest as many birds as normal on the Stasney.

“We want to make sure to leave enough birds so the population can rebuild,” said the wildlife manager.

Season Dates

Albany High 2018 graduate Reyna Garcia got her first hit as a college softball player just a couple of weeks ago, and it was one that she will probably always remember.

It was not Garcia’s first time at the plate as a member of the War Hawks. The freshman had struck out a couple of times earlier this season and had scored a run back in February after taking four balls from an Austin College pitcher. 

But the hit during the March 15 game with Concordia was special.

“My first hit was for a home run!” Garcia said. “Everyone on my team was really excited.”

Afternoon golf scrambles will start next week on Wednesday, April 3 at the Albany Municipal Golf Course, according to Albany Golf Club representative James Waters. 

“We will start next week, weather permitting,” said Waters, who encouraged participants to be at the course and signed up prior to 5:30 p.m.

Entry fees are $10 for club members and $15 for non-members. 

Reports from concerned citizens to local law enforcement about suspicious people roaming in neighborhoods or on property where they might not belong have risen in recent months, and Shackelford County Sheriff Edward Miller said that quite a few incidents could be prevented if everyone would lock down and password protect their internet WiFi access.

“We are getting a lot of calls about prowlers and loiterers in alleys, streets, and yards,” said Miller. “Many of these encounters turn out to be people with a handheld device or laptop looking for internet access.”

A Mexican fiesta will greet ticket holders at the Old Jail Art Center’s spring fundraiser Fiesta Cárcel! next Saturday, April 6, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., and there is still time for everyone to join the party in exchange for a contribution to the local art outreach program.  

“Tickets are still available,” said OJAC marketing director Susan Montgomery. “It will be a fun event, and everyone is welcome.”

Tickets are $50 for members of the OJAC or $65 for non-members, and include food and drinks. 

Albany made major headlines last week after a Big Country snake removal company posted a video on its Facebook page that went viral within a day.

Most of the news reports, which included both area and nationwide networks, started out with the phrase, “A Texas homeowner who reported seeing ‘a few’ snakes under his home actually had dozens of rattlesnakes living beneath his house.”

Many of the reporters also said that the house was “in Albany,” but according to Big Country Snake Removal’s post, the site is actually located between Albany and Baird.

The Chamber of Commerce has reduced the price of vendor sites for “Wild West Day” on Saturday, April 27 from $50 to $25.

“We felt that maybe $50 was a little too much for some vendors, so we decided to lower it to draw larger numbers,” treasurer Lisa Barton explained.

Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones added that Chamber directors want to make sure that vendors will be glad they came and will want to return again next year.

“This is the first annual Wild West Day,” Jones said.

The 2019 Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association Buyer-Seller Banquet will be held at the Nancy Smith Elementary School Cafe-teria at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, and a meeting of the SCYLA will take place the following Tuesday, April 9 at 6:00 p.m. in the Albany High School ag building.

“Exhibitors’ thank you notes should be turned in by this Friday!” said county agent Michaela Bradford.

Thursday, April 4 is the last day to register to vote or make a change of address effective for the May 4 local board elections. 

Voter registration applications can be found online at votetexas.gov, or filled out in person at the Tax Assessor-Collector office at the Shackelford County Courthouse.

Shackelford County voters who wish to vote by mail ballot for the Albany city council or the Albany ISD election can submit applications. However, the vote by mail applications for this election should not be sent to the courthouse.

Fandangle practices move outside next week, with the next scheduled rehearsal set for 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 1, at the Bank Park.

The Membership Sampler is barely three weeks away, and starting next week, rehearsals will also take place on Thursdays, with a practice set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, at the Bank Park.

Veterans and those who have never been in the Fandangle before can still come and join the cast.