The Lady Iron took 3rd in the Intercity volleyball tournament Sep. 24, finishing 2-2. Community’s two losses came at the hands of eventual champions the Normal West Wildcats and tournament runners-up the U-High Pioneers. After defeating Central Catholic in three sets in the tournament’s opening...

The Ironmen basketball team is set to host Pekin High School (7-16) in the IHSA Regional Semifinals Wednesday at 6 p.m. Community defeated the Dragons Dec. 7 by a 25-point margin at Pekin. Community held the Dragons to 18 points, despite Pekin averaging 41.3 points per game. The Ironmen are undefeated...

The undefeated Ironmen take on the 4-1 Peoria High School Lions at Peoria Stadium on Friday, October 1, with a win and one more in the season's three remaining games, the Ironmen seal a Big 12 Conference title. The “team that wins this game,” Head Coach Jason Drengwitz said, “is going to be...

Seniors Drexel Douglass and Joey Fela were crowned as the inaugural “Homecoming Royalty” at the kickoff of Friday, Sept. 24’s Homecoming football game. NCHS opted for the more inclusive term “Royalty” in place of “King” and “Queen” terminology. As a result, two male candidates,...

The varsity boys and girls cross country teams finished 2nd in the Randy Sharer Intercity meet Tuesday, Sept. 21, with each race decided by a tiebreaker. Varsity Boys After Community and U-High's first five runners crossed the finish line, the teams were tied for 1st place with 38 points apiece. Jonah...

Kingsley Junior High School students were greeted with a new mascot to start the 2021 school year -- the Cougar -- after announcing the decision to replace the Cavalier mascot in May. The change was motivated by the school’s value of community. The Mid-April edition of the Kingsley Connection, the...

During the pandemic's unpredictability, everywhere you look, there's a new unknown.  Dogs unexpectedly barking in the background of a Google Meet, the fate of events like prom and graduation, when everything will return to normal.  Seeking to escape from a world full of uncertainty is every teenager's...

Got Milk? Milk used to be just milk. Sure, there were choices to make in the dairy aisle -- 2% or Skim? Gallon or Quart? Maybe even chocolate milk if you were feeling fancy. Now the choices are seemingly endless -- exotic animal milk (like goats) to plant-based options -- rice, coconut, soy, almond....

Junior Zachary Cleveland’s 25 points led the Ironmen to a 56-43 victory over the Peoria High Lions 5-5 (4-4) on Tuesday, Feb. 23. The win continued Normal Community’s dominance over the Lions, as the Ironmen are 7-0 vs. Peoria High since the Lions joined the Big 12 conference in 2014. After taking...

As the Super Mario 35th anniversary celebration draws to a close, Nintendo has celebrated in style. The Super Mario franchise, with the addition of this year’s Paper Mario: The Origami King, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Super Mario Bros. 35, and the imminent release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s...

2020 was a monumental year in music. While the pandemic, political turmoil, and the underlying uncertainty in nearly every aspect of life could have served as distractions and hampered creativity --  artists did what they have always done best. They prevailed, releasing career-defining masterpieces...

Before the pandemic, fashion was an expression of outward individuality, highlighting different aspects of their personalities. Before we locked down, when we still had a reason to put on shoes and leave the house, fashion provided an outlet for our different personas. Each day, we could channel our...

Rising unemployment rates and a record-breaking hurricane season increased food insecurity nationally in 2020, with more people relying on food pantry donations than in recent years.  Midwest Food Bank, which distributes over $23 million of food each monthly, has found the increased demand for food...

From pandemics to 'Gossip Girl' reboots, the world is scary right now; who knows what terrifying event will be next? So why not cope with the horror of 2020 with... horror? 'The Haunting of Bly Manor', Netflix's follow up to 2018's 'The Haunting of Hill House,' is the perfect way to deal with the...