The Ave Herald

The Chicago Fire return to Ave Maria for two weeks Jan. 20 to start their spring training for the 2012 Major League Soccer season. Practices will be open to the public daily and the team will play an exhibition game against FGCU Wednesday, Feb. 1, at North Park in Ave Maria.

A third-year law student at the Ave Maria School of Law remains in jail on a $1-million bond after being charged with attempted murder. Police say he shot at his roomate in their Heritage Bay apartment and threatened the life of his ex-girlfriend. All three are students at the law school. 
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Representatives of the Immokalee Fire Control District are holding a meeting in Ave Maria Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. to provide information and answer questions about a referendum to increase the millage rate by .75 mills to better fund the cash-strapped fire and rescue services. The referendum will be on the same ballot as the U.S. presidential primary Jan. 31.

Two houses in Ave Maria -- one in the Bellera neighborhood and one in Del Webb -- were burglarized in the last several days and residents are advised to be on the lookout and report suspicious activity to the police.

Three middle-school students -- Aidan Kelly, Sean Doman and Luciano Marsalli -- will be advancing to the Collier County spelling bee March 1 after they were the top three finishers in their group at the Ave Maria spelling bee held Saturday. The county winner will advance to the Scripps national competition in Washington, D.C. The elementary school champion was Luke Klein. Above, AMU physics professor Patrick Kelly pronounces words for contestants (l-r) Michael Martinez, Mary Claire Klein, Jacob Doman, Rose Kelly, Maria Camila Rodriguez, Jonathan Novecosky, Joaquin Martinez, Luke Klein and Joseph Doman.

Eight contestants will be moving on to compete in the district level of the Knights of Columbus national free throw contest after Ave Maria's first local free-throw competition Saturday. The contest drew competitors from Ave Maria, Immokalee and Golden Gate Estates.

Ave Maria Development, the partnership that built the town of Ave Maria, has announced that it has purchased the vacant gas station in the town and plans to open it by the end of June.

Head football coach Barry Fagan, who assembled Ave Maria University's first intercollegiate football team, has parted company with AMU as part of a reorganization that the university said in a statement concludes an effort to "streamline operations." AMU's first athletics director, Brian Scanlan, also is moving to a new role and Kevin Joyce, currently assistant to AMU President Jim Towey, will take over as both athletics director and head football coach.

Dr. Liwen (Lily) Heh, a practitioner of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, will begin treating patients every Saturday afternoon at Salon d'Maria in the Ave Maria town center beginning Jan. 14. Fr. Robert McTeigue, a patient of Dr. Lily's, is sponsoring a reception to introduce Dr. Lily at Salon d'Maria Thursday, Jan. 12, from 5-7 p.m.

The Ave Maria Knights of Columbus invite everyone age 10-14 to compete Saturday, Jan. 7, in the first leg of the KofC's free-throw competition. The top 10 qualifiers -- five boys and five girls -- will advance to the district competition later this month. Competition is at 3:30 p.m. at Donahue Academy. There is no charge, but competitors need to bring proof that they are age 10-14 as of Jan. 1, 2012.