The 2013 Italy Gladiator Banquet featured honors its strongest, fastest and brightest stars with a meal fit for champions, award presentations and a couple of surprises.

Margaret Ann Feaster (Class of 1960) and Roy Lee Epperson were married on June 7, 1963 at Central Baptist Church, Italy, Texas. Earlier this year they celebrated their 50th anniversary with a cruise to Hawaii with friends.

The Youth Group from FBC Italy will host a bake sale Saturday morning, June 15th, at the Uptown Cafe beginning at 8:30am. Stop by and grab a dessert to enjoy on Father’s Day! All proceeds from the sale will support the youth’s activities this year, including summer camp and a ski trip!

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have their regular monthly meeting on Monday, June 17, 2013 in the Italy High School cafeteria. Meeting time is slated for 7:00pm.

IYAA President Charles Hyles would like to invite the IYAA players and their families to the end of the year bash to celebrate an outstanding year of IYAA Sports.

The 2nd annual Guns vs. Hoses softball game will be Saturday, July 6th, at the Italy ISD softball field benefiting the Italy Shop With A Cop Program.

Italy High School is going to miss Mrs. Margie Davis. After teaching our junior high and high school students for 18 years, she is going to be sorely missed. “My end of the hallway won’t be half as exciting without me,” Margie laughingly said.

Italy High School 2013 graduate, Ryheem Walker, signed his letter of intent to play football for Tyler Junior College as he prepares to finalize his high school career by participating in the 5th Annual FCA Victory Bowl on June 15 in Waco.

Within two minutes of opening the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation, the Italy ISD School Board convened into executive session. After 30 minutes of deliberation, the board came to a unanimous conclusion to hire Davee Garcia as a 4th grade teacher for Stafford Elementary. Barry Basset made a motion to hire Mrs. Garcia and Cheryl Owen seconded.

Lady Gladiators, Alyssa Richards (Sr.) and Jaclynn Lewis (So.) have both been named to the 2013 Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Softball team for Class 1A with Richards to appear in the TGCA All-Star game on July 12 in Austin.

The Italy City Council will have their regular monthly meeting tonight, June 10, 2013. The meeting will be called to order at 6:00pm and will be held in the Italy City Council Chambers at 105 West Main Street, Italy. The meeting is open to the public. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have a called meeting today, Monday, June 10, 2013. Meeting time is slated for 6:00pm and will be held in the Italy High School Cafeteria at 300 S. College Street, Italy.

The last day of school rolls around and what do you do? You throw pies at your principal, of course. Naturally, the event was planned and Erica Miller, Lee Joffre and Casey Holden lived up to their part of deal. The class that brought in the most donations for West ISD was allowed to throw pies at the trembling trio. Mr. Joffre took a few in the ol’ mug for a good cause.

Several activities kept local residents, Italy High School student organizations and Stafford Elementary students busy on Saturday with several fundraisers taking advantage of a gorgeous Texas day.

The IHS cheerleaders are going to hit the ground running to earn funds for new uniforms and a summer cheer camp. They have a carwash planned for Saturday, June 8 from 10:00am to 3:00pm to be held in the Lowe’s parking lot in Waxahachie. Make plans to stop by on Saturday!

Now holding the title of 2013 Ellis County Cinderella Tot, Italy’s own, Azlin Itson, age 5, and her parents, Amanda and Aaron Itson, will be hosting a fundraising Car Wash tomorrow, Saturday, June 8, on the AutoZone parking lot in Waxhahchie from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Proceeds from the Car Wash will be used to send Azlin to two upcoming major pageants.

Forty-seven seniors entered the dome on Friday night. It was the last time as a student of IHS. Dressed in cap in gown, some with medals and honor chords, the group lined up and marched to the Processional of Pomp & Circumstance, performed by the Italy High School Regiment Band, and headed to their seat in front of the podium. It was a night to remember.

^{More images were added on Wednesday, June 12, 2013}

The 2013 Italy Junior Awards Ceremony proved to be an assembly line of award presentations as students are recognized one after another, after another for their overall achievements.

The Italy Junior High was able to include a Science Fair for an activity this year. The Science Fair was held in the dome and was hosted by Lindsey Thompson, Junior High Science teacher, and Catherine Hewett, 8th grade Science teacher, Biology and IPC (integrated physics and chemistry). With these two teachers, plans are to get the students excited about science and have fun learning.

On May 28, Italy High School welcomed the newest members into the Italy Chapter of the National Honor Society. The 10th grade students were recommended by their teachers and are required to have five qualities which are Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character and Citizenship. They were required to have a 90 or above average in the five core subject areas for their 9th and 10th grades. The students were also required to record all awards, accomplishments and community service they performed in this same time frame. These new members will perform community service and participate in leadership training throughout the upcoming year.

The Italy Athletic Department to hold several summer camps for Boys’ football, baseball, and basketball and for Girls’ volleyball, softball and basketball.

As you walked into the cafeteria of Stafford Elementary last Friday morning you saw the cutest cowgirls and cowboys you ever saw singing and dancing and having lots of fun performing “Nowhere else but Texas.” This is their annual second grade program and they really out did themselves.

The Italy School Board of Trustees hired three teachers/coaches at a special meeting Monday evening.

IYAA 8U boys Italy Gold coach pitch baseball team, sponsored by Stiles Land & Cattle, defeats Maypearl 11-7 to claim the division championship while Italy White’s 8U boys baseball team, sponsored by Cate Welding, finishes the season impressively as the 3rd Place team.

Thursday evening Italy Boze Community Center was packed with citizens of Italy to thank Frank Jackson for his last 14 years of service as Mayor. City council members, friends and family were there to celebrate Jackson for the work he had done for the city.

Roy Don Potter, 42, of Italy, Texas passed away Friday, May 31, 2013 in Italy.

Last Thursday Stafford Elementary’s gifted and talented and student council students took a field trip to the North Texas Food Bank. What they did there has made a wonderful impression on these students.

Coach Hank Hollywood presents Italy Gladiator Football team members and managers with a surprise during the 2013 Italy Athletic Banquet.

The Italy ISD School Board will have a called meeting on Monday, June 3, 2013. The meeting will be held in the Italy High School cafeteria and will be called to order at 6:00pm. The agenda slates that several hires will be considered by the board.

Italy ISD’s dome gymnasium was filled with fifth, sixth, seventh and eight grade students ready to meet Tim Green. Greene was a former football player with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and now is a renown author.

Teachers, administrators, former teachers, friends and family were on hand Wednesday to bid a fond farewell to Sharan Farmer, librarian at the Italy ISD.

Kortnei Johnson continued receiving accolades for her track and field accomplishments at the meeting of the Ellis County Commissioners Court Tuesday afternoon.

The Italy Gladiators are recognized by North Texas Chevrolet as the best in Class 1A football for 2012 after turning around their season and driving straight into the State semifinals.

Residents of Italy, Texas are cordially invited to attend a public reception for Mayor Frank Jackson for 14 years of dedicated service to the City of Italy on May 30, 2013 at 5:30 pm, at the Italy Boze Community Center. You are invited to share in the serving of refreshments, and to extend your appreciation to Mayor Jackson as well as wish him well in the future.

Italy High School hosted the Senior Scholarship and Award Program inside Italy Coliseum as 2013 graduates wrap up their final days as leaders of the school.

Birthday celebrations are here again for the residents of Trinity Mission. And of course they were celebrated with their usual flare, serving ice cream and cake for everyone.

When you walked into Stafford Elementary last Friday night you took a double take to be sure you were in the right place! Vines, trees and wild animals had transformed the cafeteria into an amazing jungle complete with drum beat music. Yes, I am talking about the annual 1st grade play Deep in the Jungle.

Thursday, May 16th James Hobbs was sworn into the office of Mayor by Terri Murdock (City Administrator) along with incumbent Rodney Guthrie and incumbent Greg Richards for city council to a packed house.