By Sandy Morris

The Albany Chamber of Commerce’s annual membership meeting is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 5 immediately after the 12:00 noon luncheon at The Beehive. 

The annual meeting is typically held on the first Friday in February with an agenda that includes reviewing the finance report and electing directors and officers. 

Each year, several of the board members’ terms come up for election on a rotating basis, and the new directors are chosen at the annual membership meeting. 

By Sandy Morris

February is member appreciation month at the Old Jail Art Center, and there are some special opportunities available to OJAC members.

OJAC members will receive free giveaways during their visit to the museum, and they will receive a 20 percent discount off of one item in the OJAC store. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

& Sandy Morris

An Albany clinic started administering the Moderna vaccine Wednesday, and with at least 200 more doses expected in the next week, ResourceCare staff members hope to work their way down the list of those who want the vaccine.

Even though some county residents have already received the vaccine in other locations, quite a few are still waiting for their names to come up.

By Sandy Morris

Next week ends the filing period for local board elections, and as of press time on Tuesday, a total of nine candidates had turned in their paperwork for various positions that will be decided on May 1.

There is not a fee to run for the local offices, but prospective candidates must file by 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 12 to have their names listed on the ballot.

Albany City Council

Julia Elizabeth Putnam, 77, a resident of Albany, Texas, departed this life on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in an Abilene hospital. She was born in Abilene, Texas, on Oct. 10, 1943, to Joseph Carrol Putnam and Margaret Elizabeth Sheers Putnam. Julia lived on the family’s Camp Cooper Ranch in Throckmorton County before they moved to Albany in 1947. The Putnams moved back to the ranch in 1955. Julia attended Albany schools and graduated from high school in 1962.

Jimmie Ray Wheeler, age 70, of Sulphur Springs, passed away on Jan. 16, 2021, at Christus Mother Frances Hospital. He was born Apr. 25, 1950, in Abilene, Texas, the son of Jimmie Joshuay Wheeler and Neta Fae Aston Wheeler. 

Jimmie graduated from Breckenridge High School in 1968 and received an associate degree from Cisco Junior College. He worked for Frito-Lay approximately 20 years and then worked for Coca Cola and United Food Stores. He retired in 2013 from C.D. Harnett where he had been in sales. 

By Sandy Morris

Twenty-twenty will be remembered for many unusual things, but Shackelford County weather isn’t going to fall into that category.

According to Hector Guerrero with the National Weather Service out of San Angelo, local weather was not the big story of 2020.

“Overall, the weather just wasn’t that horrible last year,” said Guerrero.

Shackelford County saw snow on Jan. 11 with 2.0 inches and again on Feb. 6 with another 2.3 inches. 

By Sandy Morris

A high school worship night has been scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10th The Feed Store. 

Executive director Tisha Wilkins invites all high school students to attend. 

“We will have more information as we get closer to the date, but we’d like the kids to get it on their calendars,” said Wilkins. 

For more information or to help with the worship night, contact Wilkins at 325-660-7443. 

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By Sandy Morris

The post-holiday coronavirus surge is still affecting many people and local businesses and organizations, including Closet Angels and Neighbors in Need. 

Both organizations are available to help local residents when they need a helping hand, but hours and procedures have been changed for the safety of shoppers and volunteers.

Closet Angels’ director Lori Reames said that they had hoped to reopen for donations this past Monday, Jan. 25.

By Sandy Morris

The Big Country chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes hosted the first event in their annual Weekend of Champions this past Saturday, Jan. 23. 

This year the Weekend of Champions camps were designed to be a one-day only event with the girls gathering at the Solid Rock Christian Camp in Eastland. 

FCA Big Country East representative Paul Johnston said the day was an amazing experience.

“It was wonderful to see the way the girls bonded,” said Johnston. “They really listened to the speakers and asked great questions.”