By Sidney Bartee

Albany students Cort Peterson and Will LeMay competed in the American Junior Rodeo Association finals last weekend, bringing home a top award.

The boys won the team roping short go competition in their division and received a saddle and belt buckles as prizes.

Peterson is the header for the team and LeMay is the heeler.

The duo has traveled to rodeo competitions most weekends since September of 2020, and their successes in the qualifying events made them eligible for the finals.

By Sam Waller

The Moran Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs began preseason practices in football, volleyball, and cross country on Monday in preparation for the upcoming school year.

Lady Bulldog volleyball season begins Tuesday, Aug. 10 with a match at Loraine. The Bulldog football team kicks off its season Aug. 27 at Benjamin.

Football

Coach John Hughes started the week with the bare minimum six players, but has already seen that number increase and expects more players to join the team.

By Sam Waller

Enrollment packets for prospective students at Moran Independent School are available now in the school office. All students planning to attend Moran schools need to pick up a packet.x

Students may pick up paperwork during business hours over the next two weeks. Packets will also be available during the Meet the Teachers event on Aug. 19, according to principal Jo Hise.

Meet the Teachers will be preceeded by Meet the Bulldogs.

By Sidney Bartee

The final day for the swimming season at the Albany city pool is Sunday, Aug. 1.

Pool manager Jennifer Bowman said the pool’s closing coordinates with Albany’s two-a-day schedule.

All lifeguards hired at the pool are high school students, and many participate in sports.

“With the pool closing on Aug. 1, we will stop taking pool party reservations after this date,” Bowman said.

Last year, the pool was only allowed to be at half capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions, but it was back to full capacity this year.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Online registration for all Albany students opened on Monday, with only about 60 of the anticipated 475 enrollments complete as of Tuesday afternoon.

The school district is using the Ascender Parent Portal for registration and a link can be found by using one of two locations on the school’s website, including clicking on the registration information page on the left side of the home page or accessing the red button labeled “Parents Sources.” Then look for the Ascender link.

By Melinda L. Lucas

One new teacher was hired and a resignation accepted during a regular meeting of the Albany ISD board of trustees on Monday, July 26, a week later than usual because of the lack of a quorum on the previous Monday.

The board also spent a good portion of the 2-1/2 hour session discussing a new state bill that allows public school districts to decide if homeschool students can participate in the district’s UIL activities.

By Sidney Bartee

Cornerstone Community Action Program in Coleman is facilitating a grant, funded by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), to help households impacted by ­COVID-19 pay part or all of their mortgage payments for six consecutive months.

Shackelford County families can apply for the funding, according to information received last week.

Applications for the program are available online or in-person at the Cornerstone Community Action Program, 114 Needham St., Coleman TX 76834.

By Sidney Bartee

A blood drive is scheduled to take place in Albany next Thursday, Aug. 5.

Hendrick Regional Blood Center (formerly Meek Blood Center) will park its bloodmobile at First Baptist Church at the usual time from 1:00 until 6:00 p.m.

Hendrick Regional Blood Center offers ­COVID-19 antibody testing at no charge for donors who successfully donate.

The blood center depends on volunteer blood donors to supply 100 percent of the blood that is used for patient care at 17 area hospitals. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County elected officials continued to work on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, spending a good part of Monday afternoon going through the line items prepared by county treasurer Tammy Brown.

During the three-hour session that morning, the commissioners and other officers watched a demonstration of new voting machines, voted to change copier providers, and finalized the verbiage to advertise for bids to repair a bridge on CR 179 (Caldwell Lane).

Voting Machines

By Sidney Bartee

Students who are a part of 4-H have attended camps and other events throughout the summer.

“Several kids attended a variety of camps throughout June and July,” volunteer leader Kristie Smith said.

Students from Albany attended three camps in July, the first of which was a fishing camp that students attended June 16-18.

The second was the Outdoor Adventure Camp from July 7 through July 9.