Albany’s Cause for Paws helps keep the stray animal population in check by contributing toward the costs of spaying and neutering local dogs and cats. However, the nonprofit is struggling to keep up with the requests for assistance, and they are asking for help themselves.

A visit from the Easter Bunny and the chance to hunt for eggs by the basketful should make for a fun Saturday for local children. The Easter Bunny will make what has become an annual trip to downtown Albany on April 20, visiting in stores and along the street from 11:00 a.m.

The boys and girls track teams both advanced two relays and several individuals to the Region I meet by placing in the top four positions at the area track meet last Wednesday, April 10 in Mertzon.

The Albany High School baseball team picked up a 15-0 win in a no-hitter in Hamlin last week as the Lions prepared for their final round of district games.

The Lady Lion softball team continues to fall to the 2A teams in their district, losing to Hawley at home on Tuesday, 9-7 to finish in fourth place in their bracket of the playoffs. The regular season schedule will end next Tuesday in Eula against Lady Pirates at 5:00 p.m.

Six Albany basketball players have been named to positions on the All-Big Country Basketball teams for Class 2A, along with a local coach being recognized as Coach of the Year.

The newest employee at the Shackelford County sheriff’s office is only two years old, but the energetic youngster comes highly trained and is a specialist at narcotics detection. Joey was brought on board to replace Spyngo, the recently retired 11 year-old narcotic detection canine.

Members of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call of a tank battery fire just after 6:00 a.m. last Saturday, April 13. The location was about two and a half miles south of town off of Highway 283.

All 4-H and FFA members who plan to enter steers in major livestock shows in the fall of 2019 or the spring of 2020 should have already placed their order for validation ear tags. Tags should also have been ordered for show heifers, swine, market lambs, and market goats destined for the State Fair.

The Moran Independent School District will be closed on Good Friday, April 19 and Easter Monday, April 22. Classes will release at the normal times on Thursday, April 18 and begin again on the regular schedule on Tuesday, April 23.