The Lady Gladiator softball team traveled to RioVista on Monday to take on the Lady Eagles in their district opener. Senior pitcher, Megan Richards logged the shutout win and her sister, Alyssa Richards got the scoring started for the team with a one run homerun over the right field fence (into the wind!).

The Italy Gladiators wrap up their 2011-2012 basketball campaign finishing as District 15 Conference 2A Co-District Champions and bi-district finalists while grabbing a few individual player and coach honors along the way.

Lady Gladiator basketball head coach, Randy Parks, is proud of his team’s all-district accomplishments.

Annie Plumhoff passed from this life at her home on March 05, 2012 at the age of 86. There will be a graveside service at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 at Waxahachie City Cemetery. Annie was born at Hammock just south of Italy on July 15, 1925 to her parents Otis and Ora Graves Hamby.

Seven Lady Gladiator volleyball players receive All-District accolades.

Tuesday morning the Stafford Elementary gymnasium was filled with smiling students, smiling teachers and proud parents, grandparents and relatives. It was the fourth six-weeks awards assembly and talk about a lot of awards! There were awards for excellent conduct, perfect attendance, good citizenship, AB honor roll and A honor roll.

IYAA Baseball/Softball Signups will be two days only!

Italy’s JV Gladiators have three games in the books including a win over Meridian as they prepare for district play.

The theatre students of Italy High School, directed by Andrea Windham, is busy with rehearsals for their upcoming UIL One-Act-Play competition in March. The play, titled Kamikaze Kate (and the sword of Captain Kurdoa) will be performed for the community on Monday, March 19, 2012 in the Italy High School band hall. Everyone is invited to come and watch their performance and enjoy an ice cream social afterwards. The performance will begin at 6:00pm.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have a called meeting on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. The lone agenda item for this meeting it to approve the superintendent’s recommendation for Athletic Director.

This was the fourth year for the Italy Lion’s Club’s (sanctioned by the Lone Star BBQ Society) annual cookoff. According to Arval Gowin (Lions Club president) it was a great success. They had the most entries (cookers) they have ever had. This year there were fifty cooks!

Larry Mayberry, Sr. rejoices the union between his daughter Jennifer Rochelle Hall and her husband Cory Jermain Johnson, a.k.a. The Johnsons!

The Lady Gladiator Softball team will take on the Rio Vista Lady Eagles (at Rio Vista) in their district opener on Monday, March 5th at 5:30. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday the 6th of March but due to this week’s TAKS testing the game was moved back a day.

Charlotte Morgan has been teaching first grade for about twenty-two years at Stafford Elementary and credits Mr. George Scott (a past Italy ISD superintendent) and her husband John Morgan for her success.

There will be a PTO meeting on Tuesday, February 28th at 7:35 a.m. in the Stafford Elementary Library.The agenda focuses on educational goals and needs for the Stafford Elementary students and staff. Door prizes, homework passes along with refreshments will be a part of the meeting.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have their regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 27, 2012. Meeting time is set for 7:00pm and will be held in the Italy High School Band Hall at 300 S. College, Italy. The school board has a full agenda this month. Contract renewals for the Elementary and High School principals, teacher resignations, football field bleacher improvements and business regarding the upcoming school board election are among the agenda items to be considered.

Oh boy, was there a lot of excitement in the old Avalon gym on last Friday afternoon! The gym was filled with excited boys and girls because for the first time at Avalon Elementary they were having an awards assembly and would be giving awards for good citizenship, Soaring Eagles (most improved grades), A honor roll, A B honor roll and AR points.

In their home opener this past Tuesday night, the Lady Gladiators dominated the Palmer Lady Bulldogs. They won the contest 9-0 giving senior pitcher, Megan Richards, a shutout for her stat book.

The fourth annual Italy Lions Club BBQ Cook-off in scheduled for Friday and Saturday, February 24th and 25th. This event is sanctioned by the Lone Star BBQ Society. As in years past, the cook-off will be staged at the Upchurch Ball Park at 201 E. Dilworth Road in Italy. New this year will be a Cooks Choice category.

Baseball season always begins with a little cold weather. However, die hard fans are ready for that with sleeping bags and blankets in the stands. The Italy Gladiators hosted their first exhibition game against Waxahachie Faith Family this past Thursday night.

On February 10-11, 2012, Italy High School’s FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) took part in a regionals leadership competition in Waco. Fifteen Italy High School students competed in two categories — STAR and LEO.  As a result there will be nine students advancing to the State competition in Dallas on April 12-15, 2012.

Italy Gladiator Band Booster Fundraiser is holding a raffle for a 2012 Texas Ranger 11 Game Pass for 2 people, including Opening Day! A total of 22 tickets good for 11 games of exciting Ranger action.

If you are interested in strength training, sculpting your torso, kickboxing or hiring a personal trainer, Jennifer Rendon has a new business you might be interested in. Located at 113 Chambers Drive, Dumbbells and Whistles Fitness has just opened to the public.

Italy’s JV Gladiators end the season with a blowout win over Axtell to seal the district championship.

Italy will try to rally in the first round of the playoffs tomorrow against the Franklin Lions after enduring a tough loss to the Whitney Wildcats to determine seeding this past Friday night.

Brenda Dianne Jaynes, age 40, of Italy, passed away Saturday, February 18, 2012 at her home from a long battle with cancer. She was born March 30, 1971 to Paul David and Barbara (Henley) Skaggs in Antlers, Oklahoma. She married Carl Jaynes on December 29, 1996 in San Leon, Texas. Dianne was a homemaker. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and sister, and will be greatly missed. 

Italy Powerlifting Team competes in Blooming Grove, Kaytlyn Bales achieves personal best to earn 1st place in her weight class. 

Strike Zone Tournaments announces their Spring/Summer 2012 Schedule. All tournaments are Super Series Baseball of America national qualifiers.

The Italy High School junior class hosted the 2012 Junior High Valentine’s Dance, Saturday, February 11th in the George E. Scott Gym.  

Senior lineman *Larry Mayberry, Jr. will be representing the Italy Gladiators in the 2011 FCA SuperCentex Victory Bowl to be played at Floyd Casey Stadium on the Baylor University campus on Saturday, June 9, 2012.

Midlothian Mega Bowl! Italy Gladiators to duel with the Whitney Wildcats for the district crown Friday night in Midlothian. Mega Bowl!

It was very, very cold the night of Dianne Jaynes fundraiser. But the citizens of the small community of Italy, Texas was not going to let a little bad weather bother them and as usual came out in full to support one of their own, Dianne Jaynes and her family.

The Italy Band Boosters were successful with their spaghetti dinner Saturday night raising more than $3,000 that will be used for scholarships, band instruments and various other needs of the Italy ISD band program.