By Donnie A. Lucas

A group of 14 Albany students and sponsors left Monday to travel to San Diego to compete in the FCCLA National Leadership Conference.

The 12 students will attend the conference through Friday to either compete or present projects.

Two Level 2 online teams for ninth and tenth grade students were selected to present their projects at the national conference.

The online teams were picked as the lone presenters in their respective categories from the state of Texas.

By Sam Waller

The Community Vacation Bible School will be held Sunday, July 24, through Wednesday, July 27, with programs for two age groups and workers from several local churches helping with classes.

Students who were in Pre-K through fifth grade during the 2021-22 school year will meet 5:30-8:00 p.m. July 24-27 at First Baptist Church of Albany. Attendees must be 4 years old before Sept. 1.

New this year is the R.O.P.E. program (Rights of Passage Experience) for rising seventh graders. Those sessions will be held 5:45-8:15 p.m. at The Feed Store.

By Sam Waller

A team of volunteers from First Baptist Church of Albany left for Del Rio on Sunday, June 26 to help with a construction project.

The group has traveled to the Del Rio area several times to help work on buildings and churches in surrounding locations.

Team member John Ross Reames said the group had a lengthy job list they were going to try to get accomplished this week.

By Sam Waller

The Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes conducted its summer Leadership Camp recently at Hardin-Simmons University with 14 attendees from Albany taking part.

Local FCA representative Paul Johnston said the camp, which started June 13 and wrapped up June 17, “was a great experience.”

“We had about 180 young people there, 60 of them from my area,” Johnston said. “There were several decisions that were made. The kids had a lot of fun, learned a lot about the Bible, and learned a lot about how to apply it to daily life.”

Angelo State University conferred 880 undergraduate and graduate degrees during the 2022 spring commencement exercises on May 13-14 at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena in San Angelo.

Graduates include ­Sierra Price Brooks of Albany who earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She is the daughter of Charlie and Diana Price.

Addie Beth Denton was named to the Dean’s List at Cisco College for both the fall and spring semesters.

Students on the Dean’s List must have a GPA of at least 3.5 with no grade lower than a C, and be enrolled in 12 or more hours per semester.

Denton, a 2021 graduate of Albany High School, is the daughter of Dena and Myron Denton of Albany.

By Sam Waller

The Moran ISD school board voted Monday, June 27 to cover insurance for district teachers for the coming year.

“That’s something we can do to show our teachers we appreciate them,” Moran superintendent Dr. John Denson said, “to thank them for sticking around.”

Denson said the perk will be reevaluated on a year-by-year basis.

“If the money’s not there next year, we might not be able to do it,” Denson said. “I’m going to do my best to make sure the money’s there.”

Denson added that Moran has no faculty openings at this time.

On June 21, Jimmy Dye, James Shelton, and James Cotter stepped down from the First National Bank Albany/Breckenridge Board of Directors after a combined 40 years of dedicated service.

James Shelton, a highly established bank consultant, spent 47 years in banking and now resides in Moran on his family ranch with his wife Sarah of 58 years. He was a longtime president of the Breckenridge location.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Parents are reminded to stop by the Albany News office to pick up photo packets of players in various spring and summer sports league.

Individual and group pictures of graduating seniors have also arrived and are ready for pickup.

Packages that weren’t paid in advance or charged to established accounts can be ordered when paid for.

By Sam Waller

A total of 10 Albany student-athletes, five Lion baseball players and five Lady Lion softball players, were honored for the achievements this spring with inclusion on all-area teams selected by the Abilene Reporter-News and Big Country Preps.

Baseball Honors

Outfielder Cooper Fairchild and first baseman Zane Waggoner were named to the ARN’s All-Big Country team, with pitcher Cole Chapman receiving honorable mention.