By Lynsi Musselman

The 2020-2021 school year for Moran ISD gets underway on Monday, Aug. 24, at 8:00 a.m.

The staff has been busy preparing for students to arrive for face-to-face learning or on the computer for remote instruction. 

Principal Jo Hise reported that current enrollment is 110 with a few families choosing remote learning.

According to superintendent Danny Freeman, the plan is to re-open as normal for in-person students with enhanced sanitation measures, daily health screenings, and personal protective equipment.

By Lynsi Musselman

The Moran football team had its first scrimmage of the year against Baird last Friday, Aug. 14.

Moran football coach John Hughes said the scrimmage went well, with positives and negatives, but overall the players did a good job.

“We have a shot at being competitive and making the playoffs,” Hughes said. “Our schedule overall has some tough teams and some teams we have to beat to feel good about ourselves going into district play.”

By Lynsi Musselman

The Albany Independent School District 2020-2021 school year began yesterday, Aug. 19 with the tardy bell ringing at 7:55 a.m. on the elementary campus and five minutes later, at 8:00 a.m., for junior high and high school students.

Nancy Smith Elementary started the first day with 276 students enrolled.

Out of the 276 students at the elementary campus, 14 students chose the remote learning from home option being offered by Albany ISD due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

NSES enrolled 283 students in 2019 and 272 in 2018.

By Melinda L. Lucas

A budget of a little over $2.9 million was proposed at Monday night’s meeting of Shackelford County Hospital District directors, even though the board plans another meeting next Monday, Aug. 24 to trim expenses down to meet that amount.

After a couple of hours spent working through the line items in the district portion of the budget, directors postponed work on the clinic budget because of time constraints, choosing to set a special meeting at 4:30 p.m. next Monday to continue working on the numbers.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Members of the Albany city council met briefly on Tuesday morning to propose a tax rate, discussing a couple of options but agreeing quickly that they did not want to “put any more burden” on local taxpayers than necessary.

City manager Billy Holson stated that he was “comfortable” working with what is now termed the “no-new-revenue’ (NNR) tax rate, previously known as the effective tax rate.

The NNR is based on a rate that would produce the same amount of taxes if applied to the same properties taxed the previous year.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County commissioners took care of several agenda items before continuing to work on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year at a special session on Monday afternoon, Aug. 17.

Lease agreements for motor graders for both Pct. 2 and Pct. 4 were approved.

Pct. 2 commissioner Ace Reames reported that he had traveled to Oklahoma City to look at a 2019 Caterpillar motor grader, while Cody Jordan of Pct. 4 found a John Deere at Yellowhouse in Abilene.

By Donnie A. Lucas

For the third consecutive week, no positive tests for the COVID-19 coronavirus were reported in the county, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

In a notice on Facebook by county judge Robert Skelton, the latest report made on Wednesday listed no new confirmed cases and no cases still active.

However, the report did report two “probable” cases, which is defined as a person who meets clinical criteria but who tests negative.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD’s board of trustees set a date for a special meeting to adopt the 2020-2021 budget and tax rate during a regular session on Monday, Aug. 17.

The board plans an early morning meeting on Monday, Aug. 31, the last day that the budget can be adopted, according to state law.

Budget Projections

By Lynsi Musselman

Albany’s United Parcel Service (UPS) man, Larry Loveland, has delivered countless packages to residents for over 15 years.

Some might say he is one of the most important visitors to town, next to Santa Claus.

Loveland is depended on by his customers, Monday through Friday, and always “delivers.”

On Monday, Aug. 10, while Loveland was making his way to Albany via Hamby, he made a stop at a house on his route in western Jones County, just north of Fort Phantom Lake.

By Lynsi Musselman

Board members of the Albany Chest will meet to organize the 2020 fundraising campaign, nominate and elect new directors, and choose officers for the upcoming year during a Sept. 2 meeting that will be held at The Feed Store at 5:15 p.m.

Current board chair Amy Kelly said four directors will complete their current terms, with positions held by Robert Dacus, Lacey Anderson, Susan Montgomery, and Susie Beard up for election.

According to the Chest bylaws, directors can serve up to two three-year terms before they cycle off.