Several Italy students were recognized at a school board meeting Monday evening.

Avalon ISD has had many achievements but one of them stands out before the rest, that is their dual credit college course program. The students have been very successful and two students in particular have worked the program to the max.

Carrying their tennis rackets as if they were wielding their swords in battle, the Gladiators and Lady Gladiators entourage marched onto Rice’s courts with a point to prove.

Avalon ISD participated in UIL one act play competition and performed Act Three, Scene Five by Terry Ortwein so successfully that they advanced to the district competition.

The City of Italy Park Board will have their regular monthly meeting Monday, March 26, 2012. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers of the Italy Municipal Building at 105 West Main Street, Italy. Meeting time is set for 6:00pm. The agenda slates there will be a discussion regarding the bylaws of the Park Board, Park Board meeting scheduling as well as discussion and planning for the upcoming Mayor’s Easter Egg Hunt.

The newly reorganized Stafford Elementary PTO is starting off with a bang. First item of business is to raise money to help enrich the learning of the Stafford Elementary students.

The JV Gladiators, the Gladiators and the Lady Gladiators all record district wins in Whitney with the Clifton Cubs on deck.

Richard Kampen of Italy was named winner of the two Texas Ranger 11-game tickets given away by the Italy Gladiator Band Booster Club Friday morning.

On Sunday, April 1st, the Central Baptist Church Worship Choir will present The Crucifixion by John Stainer. There will be two performances, one at the 10:45 am worship service and one at 6:00 pm. A reception will follow the evening performance.

Ellis County & District Attorney Patrick Wilson Announces His Campaign for Election to a Four Year Term

Proven conservative Paul D. Perry has announced that he will seek the Republican nomination for Ellis County Commissioner, Precinct 3.

The IHS Drama Club didn’t break a leg during their amazing performance of Kamikaze Kate (and the sword of Captain Kuroda), but they are less one spotlight.

The Board of Trustees of the Italy Independent School District will have their monthly meeting on Monday, March 26, 2012. Meeting time is 7:00pm and will be held in the Italy High School Band Hall at 300 S. College Street, Italy.

The Lady Gladiators host Pink-out to help raise funds for cancer research with honored guest and cancer survivor Karen Mathiowetz delivering the ceremonial opening-pitch before Italy’s district game against Maypearl.

Italy was unable to collect a win in Grandview but big plays and special moments prove both the Gladiators and Lady Gladiators are charging in the right direction.

Richard Cook throws out the opening pitch to get things started between Italy and Maypearl at Loyd Davidson Field and Gladiator Brandon Souder takes one for the team allowing his hair to be cut as part of a team fundraiser.

The Italy High School junior class will host a car wash on Saturday, March 24th from 10-6 at Chicken Express in Waxahachie to raise money for prom. This is their last big fundraiser of the year so please come out to support our juniors.  

The second district game for the Italy High School Gladiators came and went Friday night. Italy had clear intentions they would travel to de-stripe the Grandview Zebras but the herd just wouldn’t stand for it.

Georgia Graves Phillips Babb, age 80, of Whitney passed away Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at Trinity Mission Health and Rehab in Italy. She was born February 22, 1932 in Italy to Lester and Cynthia (Cockerham) Graves. She graduated from Italy High School in 1949.

The Italy Ministerial Alliance would like to invite everyone to the Community Easter Sunrise Service. This year it will be held at the Italy Downtown Plaza on April 8th at 7:00 a.m.

On March 10, 2012 students representing the Italy High School and Junior High School Art program entered a project in the Star of Texas Rodeo Austin Eco Art Show in Austin, Texas. 

Due to the rescheduling of the baseball game Tuesday, the Gladiator Band Boosters will hold the drawing for the Texas Ranger baseball tickets Friday at 10:35 a.m. at the high school. The drawing will be held during morning announcements.

The Lady Gladiator Softball team would like to extend an invitation to the community to come and join their efforts to raise money for cancer research. On Tuesday, March 20 Wednesday, March 21 the Lady Gladiators will take on the Maypearl Lady Panthers in a district matchup beginning at 6:00pm 6:30pm. All proceeds from this softball game will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. 

January 28th was the official start date for the new Stafford Elementary PTO. It is now up and running and the PTO members are giving their all to make things better at the school.

How many of you remember your second grade teacher? Well, if you had Jan Shepard for your second grade teacher you would remember her. She goes the extra mile to make your child’s school experience a good one.

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Italy Mayor Frank Jackson said the annual Mayor’s Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 7. The event will begin at 10 a.m. at Upchurch Field for children throughout the city.

The Gladiator Athletic Booster Club will have a meeting on Sunday, March 25, 5:00pm at the Italy High School library. The upcoming athletic banquet and year end business will be discussed.

The 2012 Lady Gladiators continue to build on their early season momentum and start 2-0 in district play.

On March 14, 2012 at around 11:17pm, Officer Daniel Pitts, with the Italy Police Department, conducted a routine traffic stop with a Blue 2000 Ford Escort at 1020 Dale Evans Road for a traffic violation.

For the first time in Milford history, two students qualified in regional powerlifting. Alan Singleton and Jaquay Brown competed in the regional powerlifting meet on Saturday, March 10 in Rusk, Texas.

The Italy Lions Club wishes to thank Lonestar BBQ Society for their support in our 4th Annual BBQ Cook-off. The cookers came from local and as far as Oklahoma, Abilene and Austin to name a few locations. The cookers were very generous with their donations and awesome BBQ. This year we had 50 cookers and that made it a qualifier for the Invitational Cook-offs later in the year.

On Saturday, March 3, two teams of bowlers from the Milford Chapter of the National Honor Society participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowlathon in Waxahachie raising over $1,500.00 for the Ellis County BBBS chapter.

The Italy City Council will have their regular monthly meeting today, Monday, March 12, 2012 in the Council Chambers of the Italy Municipal Building (105 West Main Street, Italy). Meeting time is 6:30. The agenda slates six Regular Session agenda items and one Closed Session agenda item. The meeting is open to the public.

The Italy High School Band, under the direction of Jesus Perez and Erica Miller, ended its contest season just short of capturing sweepstakes at the University Interscholastic Leagues Concert and Sight-reading Contest for Region VIII held Friday in Groesbeck.

Susan Welch-Rodriguez has announced her candidacy for the office of Ellis County Sheriff on the Republican ticket. Mrs. Rodriguez has more than three decades of experience with the Dallas County Sheriff’s office and retired in 2009 collecting more than 100 commendations. She still serves with the Sheriff’s Posse and is the only Ellis County Sheriff candidate that is endorsed by the Dallas County Sheriff Association.

Meals on Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties have released their meals menu for March and April of 2012. These meals are subject to change.

The Italy Lady Gladiators are packing a collective punch and have come out swinging for the fences with the team’s expectations high.

Italy High School baseball is in full swing and started on a high note. Axtell High School traveled to Italy on Monday and stood their ground as best they could. Senior Justin Buchanan was the winning pitcher with the final score Italy 4, Axtell 1.

The Italy School Board announces Hank Hollywood as the new athletic director, head football coach and social studies teacher at Italy High School.

Ward’s Warriors shine in all facets of the game to dehorn the Axtell Longhorns at home.

Italy High School Senior, Brandon Souder, has a head full of hair, thick and curly and reminiscent of Harpo, a member of the comedy team, The Marx Brothers or Epstein, a character from the 70’s show, “Welcome Back, Kotter.” Well, that’s not a bad thing because Brandon is willing to go out on a limb and take one for the team.

On March 2, 2012 Tara Wallis (freshman) and Kaytlyn Bales (senior) competed in the Region 11 Powerlifting meet in Canton. Both ladies beat their personal records and represented Italy High School with pride with each of them placing in their weight division and one advancing to the State competition this coming week in Corpus Christi.