Christmas is less than a week away and, as they have for the past few years, volunteers from Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church will make sure that no one in Albany misses out on the chance to enjoy a holiday meal on Christmas Day.

Christmas is less than a week away and, as they have for the past few years, volunteers from Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church will make sure that no one in Albany misses out on the chance to enjoy a holiday meal on Christmas Day.

Royce Duane Donaldson, 49, of Moran was taken into custody last Friday, Dec. 14 after he was indicted on separate charges by a local grand jury and by a federal grand jury in Abilene.

A community blood drive will take place in Albany on Thursday, Dec. 20, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club. The Hendrick Regional Blood Center bloodmobile will be parked at First Baptist Church from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Only 11 days remain in the Albany Chest 2018 campaign and donations to the drive were still $9,733 short of the $42,000 goal as of Wednesday, Dec. 19.  The current total is $32,267, according to board treasurer Paige Adair at First National Bank.

Shackelford County Hospital District directors discussed the replacement of aging servers at the clinic, but opted to wait another month so they could hear some options from the district’s IT consultant.  At the board’s Dec.

Several Nancy Smith Elementary School students and teams placed at the district A+Academics University Interscholastic League contest held on Wednesday, Dec. 12 in Hawley.  Schools competing at the District 8-2A UIL meet were Albany, Cross Plains, Haskell, Hawley, Roscoe, and Stamford.

Some Albany churches have planned special services for Christmas, and they have invited everyone to come and join them in celebrating the birth of God’s only son and our Savior. First Baptist Church First Baptist Church will hold a Christmas service on Sunday, Dec. 23 at 10:45 a.m.

With the help of 30 to 35 local volunteers, members of the Albany Ministerial Alliance distributed almost all of the 82 requested Christmas baskets on Sunday, Dec. 16. Last week, Nancy Smith Elementary School sixth grade students divided the canned goods and other staples into the bags.

Students at the Albany Independent School District will be released for the day at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, and will break for the Christmas holidays at noon this Friday, Dec. 21. The district will be closed for the winter break from Monday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Jan. 4.