The portion of Baird Street between Hwy. 180 and Rambler will be closed next week starting on Monday, according to Albany city manager Billy Holson, so that a concrete low water crossing can be constructed at the Rambler intersection.

The street was newly paved two years ago, but Holson said that his plan was always to put concrete where water crosses the road behind the old nursing home.

“I was hoping to get a couple of years out of the asphalt, and we did,” said Holson. “But it keeps spidering and I don’t want it to go any further.”

Donations to the Albany Fire Department have been used to purchase a replacement for the City’s aging 1987 GMC fire engine, and in the next week or two the new rescue engine will officially be installed in a “Push In” ceremony. 

“Last year, the fire department received a sizable donation and kept most of that money set aside in hopes of coming across a good used truck,” said fire chief Kyle Tischler. “Unfortunately, buying a brand new fire engine like this is simply out of the question. Funding is just not available.”

Shackelford County elected officials looked at Information Technology (IT) suggestions for the upcoming fiscal year in an afternoon meeting on Monday, Aug. 13 that ended with an hour-long budget workshop.

Commissioners also discussed a contract with Callahan County for inmate housing.

Technology Needs

Sam Goldsmith, the county’s IT consultant, presented several different items on Monday’s agenda, updating the commissioners about ongoing issues and giving them a list of needs that need to be addressed in the near future.

The Albany Chamber of Commerce annual garage sale will take place on the third Saturday in September this year, rather than the usual second Saturday of the month because of the way the dates fall. 

Chamber directors decided that since Sept. 1 is on a Saturday, the second Saturday would be too early in the month.

Albany High agriculture teacher Chris Beard, new Moran ag instructor Matthew Hise, and Michaela Bradford, the new Shackelford County AgriLife extension agent, are all getting ready for the start of a new year of activities with FFA and 4-H students.

There will be a pool party at the Webb Park complex from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Aug. 20 for 4-H and FFA students to kick off the new school year.

FCCLA members are also invited to join the party.

Former Albany resident Gina Gillit Overby has been named the new high school principal at Anson.

Overby attend Albany schools from third grade until she graduated with honors in 1992. She then graduated Cum Laude from Abilene Christian University a few years later, and received her masters degree from the University of Texas at Arlington in Curriculum and Instruction in 2006.

County residents may have noticed a bright red flag flying at the Albany Visitor Center.

The new banner signals whether the Shackelford County Commissioners have enacted the county-wide burn ban. It will be flown continuously until the ban is deactivated.

New AgriLife extension agent Michaela Bradford is in charge of making sure the flag is flown at the correct times.

The Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension are in partnership for the effort, Bradford said.

Forty years ago this month, record-setting rainfall caused severe flash flooding in Shackelford County, killing nine Albany residents, leaving 102 families in the city and 50 more in the county homeless, damaging about 100 additional houses, washing out multiple bridges and miles of roadway, destroying hundreds of miles of fences, making the water unsafe to drink, and causing millions in property losses to area businesses and agricultural producers.

Several Albany churches schedule special events during the transition from summer to the start of the school year to encourage local students to take advantage of opportunities to plug into groups where they can grow in their faith while enjoying the fellowship of other Christians. 

The following activities are planned for students over the next few weeks.

Aug. 19 – FBC

First Baptist Church will hold a Back-to-School/Back-to-Church social event this Sunday, Aug. 19 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Bumguardners’ backyard.

ResourceCare’s first annual CareFest fundraiser took place last weekend, and although organizer Ragan Riley and program director Mindy Ary were disappointed that the event was not as profitable as they had hoped, they were very pleased with the event itself and they are planning to host it again next year.