After arriving to work this morning, it didn’t take Dollar General employees long to realize that the store had been robbed during the night.

IYAA Baseball & Softball teams keep fans cheering as the season nears it’s end. The Italy Eagledogs and the Pink Panthers put on late season displays of athleticism, skill and perseverance. And that’s just trying to get a helmet that fits and the catching equipment snapped together.

The Ellis County Renegades Baseball Team (12U) have qualified to play in the Super Series World Series in Colorado Springs, Colorado this summer (July). They are doing a few fundraisers in the month of June to raise money so all the families are able to go on this trip.

There will be a free football camp held in Waxahachie on July 14-16 from 8:00 – 11:30 am. The camp will be held at the Waxahachie High School practice fields. Please contact 972/351-6155 for more information.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will meet on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Agenda items include considering bids for surplus property as well as consider approval of the interlocal agreement with the City of Italy regarding the Park. During executive session the board will consider the applicants for the Junior High/High School Principal and Director of Special Programs positions.

As I walked into Trinity Mission on Tuesday around 2:00 PM my ears were delighted with sounds of old country music being played by none other than Clyde Farrell.

Traveling with the family can be fun if you have a well planned trip in store. Take a minute and peruse the fine fare the Italy-Neotribune has gathered for you. You will have a hard time deciding where to visit first.

On Monday, June 8, 2009, the Ellis County Commissioners court held a short meeting and recognized the Italy Gladiators Softball, Baseball, Track and Powerlifting teams. The students were invited by Commissioner Heath Sims.

Boot Camp is coming! Central Baptist Church, 113 S. Ward in Italy, is sponsoring Vacation Bible School and the theme is boot camp this year. Train to be in God’s Army June 22-26, 2009 from 9:00 to noon.

Lady Gladiator Head Coach Stacy McDonald is the architect of a championship game plan for the girls basketball program. And included in her blue prints for success is the Lady Gladiators Basketball Camp this week.

The Lady Gladiators take advantage of summer league basketball to stay sharp for another playoff run in 2010. And who better to compete against than Italy’s old rival, the 2A Maypearl Lady Panthers. Warning: The following pictures are not for the faint of heart…

May 5th, 2009 was Chris Baker’s first day as the new Marketing Director at Trinity Mission in Italy. He came to Trinity Mission from Austin, but he is no stranger to Ellis county. He was born and raised in Waxahachie, Texas and graduated from Waxahachie High School.

Jessica Clark received her first camera when she was twelve years old. This sparked a life long dream of being a photographer and owning her own studio. “Being a photographer is all I ever wanted to be.”

June 7 through June 10 Italy’s varsity cheer squad attended the ’09 UCA Cheer Camp in Waco. The UCA camps separate the cheerleaders and mascots which helped the two develop the desired traits needed to become the best. Four days of hard work payed off with several awards for the Italy squad and mascot.

Today around 4:30 PM the Milford Fire department was called out to a car fire on I-35 S Highway. Traffic was backed up for miles. Smoke was everywhere. Milford fire fighters were on the scene and had the fire under control.

Have you been by the Italy Cemetery lately? If you have I am sure you have noticed the beautiful flag pole with the United States of America flag waving in the wind. The folks with the Italy Cemetery Association decided it was time for a flag.

Last night at 8:53 PM the Milford Fire Department was called out to a fire on the 500 block of Frank’s Road in Milford. An abandoned mobile home had caught on fire and burned. Italy and Milford fire fighters were out fighting the blazing flames until 1:30 AM.

Italy’s JV and Varsity Boys basketball teams competed in their 2nd round of summer league games on Monday.

Italy Basketball Coaches Kyle Holley and Larry Mayberry along with Milford’s Head Basketball Coach Otis Carter, wrapped up a 4-day basketball camp held at the Italy Gladiator Coliseum.

Italy Lady Gladiator Head Basketball Coach Stacy McDonald will be coordinating a girl’s basketball camp at the Italy High School Domenasium. The camp will be Monday thru Thursday, June 15-18, between 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day.

The Italy Lions Club will be pre-selling BBQ Briskets on June 13 and June 20 at Hobbs Feed & Supply on the corner of Hwy 77 & Hwy 34. The Lions club will be there from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. both days.

This past week eight future Lady Gladiators attended the Waxahachie High School Volleyball camp for 6th and 7th graders. Cassidy Childers, Ashlyn Jacinto and Hannah Washington were the 6th graders that attended. Reagan Cockerham, Bailey Eubank, Jaclynn Lewis, Kelsey Nelson and Madison Washington were the 7th graders that attended.

Sarah Demoss, one of Italy’s standout softball players and a member of the Angelo State University softball team, has seen another one of her dreams come true. She played in the Division II National championships in Salem, Virginia in May.

Graduation has come and gone for the seniors of Italy High School. Their plans have been tentatively set and forward they march.

The Milford Music Festival that will be held on August 22, 2009 has vendor spaces for rent. Spaces available are 10×10 for $25. Each vendor will receive two tickets to the music venue which includes legendary Texas singer songwriter Billy Joe Shaver along with ten other Texas Singer/Songwriters or Groups.

On Friday, the fifth day of June the Jeter family (of Hillsboro) was pulled apart and broken. Kiersten and Kelsey Jeter were attacked by their mother in an abandoned house located on Highway 77 and Highway 35 in Hillsboro.

June Frame celebrated her 100th birthday on June 5th, 2009 at Trinity Mission with music, food and drink. Her granddaughter, Arlan Kanz and her two great granddaughters, Gracie and Mylie Kanz, came to play the harp and the violin for her to help her celebrate this momentous moment.

GLADIATOR BASKETBALL CAMP
The camp will be for Boys currently in grades 3 through 8 inside the Gladiator Coliseum dome. Camp dates are June 8 thru June 11. Late registration will be accepted through the second day of camp!

The IYAA kept the hits coming all night long at the Upchurch Ballfields. At first, the surrounding neighbors thought a storm might be brewing since they were hearing, what seemed like lightning strikes, off in the distance.

Garbage Details: The City of Italy has arranged with DCI Sanitation, LLC to provide small Recycle bins and large Garbage cans along with continuing DCI’s regular trash removal service.

The Italy ISD School Board of Trustees will have a called meeting next Tuesday, June 9. The meeting will be held in the administration offices at 300 South College Street.

The Italy City Council will have a meeting on Monday, June 8. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall beginning at 6:30. Agenda items include Certification of Election and election of Mayor Pro Tem.

There are no helmets or pads at this event but the summer league football team is having fun. This is not officially the varsity squad from Italy but most of these guys have previously played for the team. The team is made up of 9th-11th graders from IHS and coached by Pastor Todd Gray of Central Baptist of Italy.

On Thursday, June 4th 2009, eager parents filed into Avalon’s Monolithic dome gym to see their sons and daughters graduate….from kindergarten! The beautiful young ladies and handsome young men were stunning in their formal attire and graduation caps as they entered the gym.

Senior students from Italy High School enjoyed Mexican pile-ons at Central Baptist on Thursday. The graduates practiced for graduation and then made a bee-line for lunch. This is a tradition with the church and this year is no exception.

The Italy High School seniors and Principal Scott Herald spent a pleasurable evening at Union Baptist Church of Italy on Wednesday night. The church hosted a hot dog supper in their beautiful fellowship hall and the students appreciated a message from the pastor.

The Italy Church of Christ hosted a luncheon on Wednesday for the graduating seniors of IHS. Brother Walter Buchanan of Italy Church of Christ and his congregation invited the students for hot dogs and melt-in-your mouth homemade cookies. The seniors obliged their hosts and enjoyed their meal.

Carolyn Maevers’ voice is all I heard as I entered Stafford Elementary’s cafeteria Thursday morning. One name after another was being called as the students came up and accepted their awards. Everywhere you looked there were proud parents, grandparents, other family members and very proud students enjoying the last honor assembly of the school year.

The sounds of the Beach Boys and Elvis singing Blue Hawaii trickled through the halls of First Baptist Church of Italy on Tuesday night. The seniors were eating chicken, wearing their beach clothes and bowling Hawaiian style.

Thursday May 28th the Stafford Elementary cafeteria was filled with science projects completed by Mr. McLean’s fifth grade science class. The projects were on endangered species. Each student picked an endangered animal, researched it and then put pictures along with information about the animal on poster boards.