Moran Independent School District started the 2018-19 school year on Monday, Aug. 27.

“We had a great start to this school year,” said superintendent Danny Freeman. “Students and teachers alike were excited to see each other again after a long summer break.”

The 110 students on Monday was down by 20 from the first day of school last year, but only 10 less than at MISD at the end of the 2016-2017 year.

The Lady Bulldogs lost games to Gorman, Bluff Dale, and Mullin, beat Rochelle, and took Bluff Dale in a rematch before falling again to the host team at the Gorman Spikefest Tournament earlier this month, according to coach Dakota Fowler.

Moran continued to travel, and lost in Aspermont on Tuesday, Aug. 21, before heading to Lingleville for a tournament last weekend.

Results of the first game at the Gorman Spikefest were reported last week.

The Lady Bulldogs lost two close sets to Bluff Dale to drop their second tournament game 21-25, 22-25.

Moran community members who want to include their location in the city-wide garage sale this weekend need to contact organizer Michelle Taggart before 10:00 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 31.

“I will not add any more sales locations after 10:00 a.m., because I will start printing maps at that time,” Taggart said. “As always, there is no fee to sign up. I’ll just need to get some info from you about your sale.” 

The city-wide garage sale in Moran is set for 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Parents of boys and girls at Nancy Smith Elementary are encouraged to sign their children up to participate in the Albany NFL Flag Football league.

Registration

Forms for the football league were sent home with the students at Nancy Smith Elementary School and need to be returned to the front desk of NSES by Friday, Sept. 7, according to league organizer Anthony Ceder. 

Fees are $60 per child.

“Financial aid is available if needed,” said Ceder. “The registration fees includes providing a jersey, shorts, and flag football belts.” 

During their regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 20, school board trustees learned that Albany ISD earned a “B” in the state’s new accountability ratings with distinctions given in social studies at the secondary level and science on both campuses.

The board also looked over the second draft of the proposed budget and made plans to act on the numbers at a special morning meeting on Friday, Aug. 31.

Rating System

Albany Independent School District student enrollment number totals for the beginning of a new school year dropped below 500 for the first time since 2014.

A total of 491 pupils were registered for the 2018-2019 term on Monday, Aug. 20, a few more than at the start of 2014, but 18 less than the 509 on the rolls at the onset of school last year, and 27 below the 518 students enrolled at the comparable time in 2016. There were 505 enrollees at the beginning of the fall semester in 2015, 481 in 2014, and 489 in 2013.

Albany city council members worked through several significant agenda items during a meeting on Friday morning, Aug. 17, including proposing a tax rate and setting dates for two required public hearings.

The session had been postponed from its regular time on the second Monday of the month so that more council members could be present.

The elected officials also approved an annexation agreement with Clarke Estate Development.

Low Water Crossing

Proposed budget totals for the Shackelford County Hospital District for 2019 increased about $150,000 more than the current year’s original budget, but that is primarily due to the addition of a new ambulance.

The hospital board worked on budgets for both the district and the clinic at a regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 20, proposing expenditures of $2,972,476 based on the effective tax rate of 20.97 cents, which was also proposed during the evening.

Atmos Energy Mid-Tex Division currently lists half a dozen projects in various stages of completion in Albany, and anyone that has driven around the Kenshalo, Pate, Gregg, Jacobs, and Williams Street areas has probably noticed the crews at work, or at least the construction signs, trucks, trenches, and dirt mounds that are on display during the process.

According to city manager Billy Holson, Atmos is replacing all of their steel gas lines with poly lines.

For the most part, the projects do not involve City of Albany workers.

ResourceCare employees took time to participate in National Health Center Week 2018 and reached out to the various communities they serve with special activities every day last week.

The theme chosen by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) this year was “Celebrating Health Centers: Home of America’s Health Care Heroes.” 

Honoring health center heros was chosen as the goal for Monday by the national organizers.