Photo packages that were ordered of high school football and volleyball players, as well as all levels of cheerleaders, are printed and ready for pickup at The Albany News.

By Sam Waller

Season tickets for Albany Lions football games are on sale for the 2021 season.

The Lions have five home games scheduled at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium, starting Sept. 17 against Haskell.

That will be the first of three consecutive home dates, followed by Anson on Sept. 24 and the homecoming game against Olney on Oct. 1.

District 8-2A home games are Oct. 15 against Hico and Oct. 29 against Santo.

Single-game tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students. Season tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Even amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about the effect of Winter Storm Uri, hunters are still gearing up for the fall hunting season, which is happening “no matter what.” 

Opening day of dove hunting in Texas is Wednesday, Sept. 1, and hunters across the Lone Star State, including those in the Albany area, will have a 90-day hunting season and 15-bird daily bag limits.

By Sam Waller

The Moran Independent School District began classes Monday with 114 students enrolled from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

“It was great,” Moran ISD superintendent Dr. John Denson said. “Everything ran to plan. The kids all seemed glad to be here, and the teachers were, too.”

Denson said the district’s enrollment was holding steady compared to recent years.

“The senior class is the lightest,” he said.

The pre-K and kindergarten programs have a total of 16 students with eight in each group.

By Sam Waller

The Moran Bulldog football team kicks off its regular season at 7:30 p.m. Friday against the Benjamin Mustangs at Benjamin’s Ben Grill Field.

“Benjamin is going to be pretty good from what I’ve seen on film,” Moran coach John Hughes said. “They’re ranked in the top 20 in the state, so that will add a little bit of excitement to our preparations.”

The Bulldogs completed their preseason last Friday with a three-team scrimmage at Gustine.

Bette Lu Linahan, 65, passed away on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021 with her family by her side in Abilene, Texas. A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m.  Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Round Mound Cemetery under the direction of Bailey Howard Funeral Home of Clyde. 

Bette was born Aug. 24, 1955 in Albany, Texas to Ann and Ben Carlile. Bette grew up in Albany, Texas and graduated from Albany High School in 1973. She attended Western Texas College and Angelo State University. 

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany ISD is expecting just over 500 students at the start of this school year, about the number the district ended with in May.

Following “Meet the Teacher” sessions at both Nancy Smith Elementary and the Albany Junior/Senior High campuses on Monday evening, local administrators were looking for a total of 501 total students to show up for classes yesterday for the first day of school.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The number of local residents testing positive for the COVID-19 virus reached 21 over the last two weeks, with a total of 79 tests administered.

The results are the combined totals from both the Shackelford County Hospital Clinic and the Albany ResourceCare Clinic, for the period of Aug. 2 through Aug. 13.

Shackelford County Judge Robert Skelton issued an update on Tuesday for the two-week period, and results for the first two days of this week from the hospital district clinic were also added to the totals.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Tickets for the Oct. 9 Friends of Fort Griffin Gala featuring Larry, Steve, & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers.

The $50 tickets are limited to 300 seats, with response to the announcement two weeks ago even speedier than expected. 

“Half the tickets are already gone,” said Susan Waller, who is coordinating the event for the 17th year. “I just want everyone to know that you’re definitely not going to be able to wait until the last minute to decide. That will be too late.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

During their regular session on Aug. 16, Albany ISD’s board of trustees set a date for a special meeting to adopt the 2021-2022 budget and set a tax rate.

The board plans a 7:30 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 31, the last day that the budget can be adopted, according to state law.

Budget Projections

Superintendent Jonathan Scott, who met with the board remotely because he has been quarantined, went over the second draft of the budget.