Red Ribbon Week is underway at the Moran Independent School District, and students have been encouraged to dress up for the special theme days this week.

On Monday the theme “I won’t get mixed up with drugs!” was reinforced by “mixed-matched” clothes.

Camo attire on Tuesday encouraged students to “Join the fight against drugs!”

Students could dress Wednesday as their favorite character for “My character is too great for drugs!”

“Stomp out drugs!” is the dress-up theme for today, and everyone was urged to wear boots.

Local veterans will be honored guests at the sixth annual Albany Study Club Veterans Day Luncheon next week, and committee chairman Tammy Glover wanted to make sure that everyone noted the change in location this year.

“We are having the luncheon at 12:00 noon Thursday, Nov. 8, at Friendship Baptist Church,” said Glover. “This is a new location for the event! We tried to highlight the change on the invitations we are sending out to all local veterans who are already on our mailing list.”

Winning the fourth annual Junior Garcia Golf Tournament that took place at the Albany Golf Course on Saturday, Oct. 27 was The Wolf Pack, made up of Jason Gardner, Jeff Balliew, Ronnie Kitchens, and Mike Reddin.

The second place team was led by Charles Barrett, and Clint Chapman’s team took third.

Rodney Barton and Charles Barrett won the longest drive competitions.

Closest to the hole bragging rights went to Akisha Holson and Jason Gardner, while Lute Wheeler won the gun raffle.

Veterans are invited to attend a special Veterans Day Assembly hosted by the secondary school next Friday, Nov. 9, in the high school gym starting at 10:00 a.m.

The program will open with the Presentation of Colors by local Boy Scouts, followed by the National Anthem played by members of the Albany Junior/Senior High School band.

Student Council president Ryan Hill will introduce the veterans.

Other Council members will lead pledges to the American Flag and the Texas Flag, and will present a patriotic poem.

Children are invited to dress up in costumes late Saturday afternoon and head to the elementary school for the Ministerial Alliance sponsored Trunk or Treat, taking place between the school and the bus barn, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 27.

Members of various churches of the Alliance along with other volunteers from the community decorate their vehicles and bring games and/or treats to share with attendees, offering a safe place for the tykes to go trick or treating. 

Games of skill and chance, homemade cakes and assorted other scrumptious desserts, freshly prepared chili and beans, prizes, and children and adults dressed up as characters from video games, heroes, mermaids, animals, and clowns are all expected to be on hand for the annual Parent-Teacher Organization’s Fall Fest held at the Nancy Smith Elementary School campus on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Shackelford County commissioners met for about 30 minutes Monday morning, okaying several budget adjustments so county treasurer Tammy Brown could begin to close out the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.

She stated that there were only a couple of areas that couldn’t be adjusted within that department’s budget.

Not enough was budgeted for utilities at the county library, Brown said, with the overage taken from the non-departmental budget.

Early voting for the Nov. 6 general election is underway in Shackelford County and continues through Nov. 2, with 110 people casting their ballots in person on Monday, another 95 voting Tuesday, and 71 mail-in ballots returned by Tuesday, according to election clerk Cheri Hawkins.

Early in-person voting takes place on the first floor of the Shackelford County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. 

Youth from Beltway East will be involved in a somewhat unusual Halloween pastime next Wednesday, Oct. 31.

“The students will be reverse trick or treating,” said organizer Lorna Ayers. “They will give bags of treats to homes, and will offer a prayer of blessing to each household they go to.”

Ayers explained that the youth group’s goal is to bless the community.

All 4-H and FFA youth who plan to exhibit lambs and goats this show season need to get them validated on Monday, Oct. 29.

Validation will be done at the Albany High ag farm during school hours on Monday, and at the Shackelford County Show Barn from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on the evening of Oct. 29.

Swine exhibitors who still need to purchase pig tags must turn in their orders to FFA advisor Chris Beard by Oct. 31.

Pig validation tags are $18 each.

“If you need tags, please let me know ASAP,” said Beard.