By Donnie A. Lucas
Albany ISD announced last week that students in all grade levels will be provided free meals for the 2021-2022 school year after being included in a COVID-19 recovery grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
However, parents are being asked to fill out applications in the next few weeks in order to begin next year with free or reduced meals.
Free This Year
By Donnie A. Lucas
Albany teachers and staff started back to work this week in anticipation of students arriving on Aug. 18, and with the new year comes a new slogan that embodies the theme for the year.
Local school personnel will focus on “The Relentless Pursuit,” a motto that principal Glen Hill selected to promote a way of thinking for teachers, staff and students.
By Sidney Bartee
Albany ISD’s annual “Meet the Teacher” night and new student orientation are scheduled for Monday, Aug. 16.
Meet the Teacher
“Meet the Teacher” will begin at 5:00 p.m. for Head Start and pre-K through second grade students, while third through sixth grade will meet at 5:30 p.m.
Teachers will be in their rooms at the stated times.
Parents with students in multiple grade levels should split up and attend separate sessions if they occur at the same time.
By Sidney Bartee
Several Albany churches traditionally hold special events during the transition from summer to the start of the school year, but due to COVID and other changes, many churches have not been able to hold their usual events.
Wednesday night youth groups will start for many churches in Sept.
Church of Christ
The Church of Christ will begin Wednesday night classes on Sept. 1.
The Youth in Action kids, which is junior high and high school age, will meet from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
By Sidney Bartee
The United Pentecostal Church’s annual Back to School Bash will be held on Saturday, Aug.21 at the church on Cook Field Road, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
All students from kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to attend the celebration along with their friends and families.
After music and prayer time, a hot dog meal will be served in the Family Life Center.
There will be games and drawings, with several gift cards to be given to different age groups.
School supplies will also be given out to students.
By Sidney Bartee
The show will go on for CareFest 2021 on Aug. 28.
The event will feature nine well-known musicians and bands.
CareFest will take place at Happy Wife Happy Life Wedding and Event Venue outside of Albany.
The bands and musicians for this year are Roger Creager, Stoney Larue, Giovannie and the Hired Guns, Dylan Wheeler, Shea Abshier, Randy Brown, 360 Band, Cole Barnhill, and Jeff Martin.
The bands will begin to hit the stage at 2:00 p.m.
Three ticket options are available to purchase.
By Sidney Bartee
Members of the Ragin’ Red Band are hosting a Community Night, scheduled for the last evening of summer band rehearsals, Monday, Aug. 16, with a special program beginning at 8:00 p.m. at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium.
The AHS musicians will perform everything they’ve been working on throughout the last couple of weeks, including marching and playing the opener of their 2021 show, warm-ups and drills, and stand tunes.
Band members will be introduced and recognized for their hard work, said band director Will Vaughan.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lady Lions began their volleyball season Tuesday evening at Breckenridge after a weekend of scrimmages. Now, the Lady Lions face another busy weekend as they host their Summer Slam tournament.
The local girls won their opener against Breckenridge Tuesday night 25-23, 25-22, 25-15. Details will be reported next week.
Albany played four scrimmages last week, taking on Benjamin and Lingleville on Friday and Mineral Wells and Paradise on Saturday.
By Sam Waller
The field for the Albany Golf Club’s Labor Day tournament is almost full with just one spot remaining.
“I’m full up in the afternoon and have one spot available in the morning,” Golf Club board member James Waters said.
The two-person scramble is scheduled for Sept. 4-5. Entry fee is $160 per team. Morning entries will tee off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday with the afternoon group starting at 1:30 p.m. The field will then be flighted for Sunday’s round.
Waters said a waiting list will be started if the last spot is filled.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions football team has moved on to the next phase of its preseason with the commencement of full-contact workouts, and the players will cap their second week with their first intersquad scrimmage.
The Lions will visit Coleman on Friday for a controlled scrimmage in their first taste of outside competition.
Head coach Denney Faith said donning full pads for the first time is something of a new beginning to the preseason.
