By Phil Cerroni

Irving ISD Athletics Director, Joe Barnett, is ready to step off the plate and into retirement after guiding Irving sports for 10 years. To replace him, IISD administrators recruited Dallas ISD Assistant Athletic Director, Clint Roddy.

“In the end we were looking for someone who we thought could build upon the solid foundation that Coach Barnett has put in place, but also someone who has the capacity to take us to the next level,” said IISD Superintendent Dr. Dana Bedden.

By Elaine Paniszczyn

Amid flames and explosions, three strangers’ lives intertwined in a dramatic way in front of DFW Airport’s Terminal A when T.J. Griffin’s van caught fire and Walter Vaughn, a Freedom Park valet driver, and Kristy Dana Gish, who was arriving for a flight, rushed to T.J.’s aide about 6 a.m. March 29. T.J. is disabled from a football injury he received during his senior year at Trinity High School in Euless.

For their heroic actions, Kristy and Walter received Citizens Recognition Awards at the DFW Board of Directors meeting last week.

By Jess Paniszczyn

Newsweek recently released ‘America’s Best High Schools,’ a ranking of the best 2,000 high schools in the nation for 2013. Four local high schools made the grade. North Hills Preparatory School, an Uplift Education charter school in Irving whose students are chosen by lottery, was ranked 41. Coppell High School (open enrollment) was ranked 265. Irving ISD’s Jack E. Singley Academy (lottery) and MacArthur High School (open enrollment) were ranked 1699 and 1775 respectively.

By Will Jukes 

Audience members at Irving Arts Center were delighted when Bandan Koro gave a performance of authentic West African music and dance on May 4.

Bandan Koro, which in the West African language Malinke means “under the tree,” is a local performing arts group that promotes awareness and respect for West African culture in the DFW area through education and performance. Their performance Saturday used music and dance to tell the story of the African Diaspora, the diffusion of African culture in the new world.