Five Inkspot staff members are headed to the IHSA State Journalism Finals on April 26 at Heartland Community College. Abby Ruebush, Bella Green, Ben Kerber, Charlie Faulkner and BJ Dumas posted top-three finishes at April 5's Sectional competition, qualifying for the State Final. At the competition,...

The undefeated Ironmen baseball team looks to extend their win streak to 15 games when they travel to Champaign Centennial for April 12’s Big 12 matchup. Centennial is 1-7-1 on the season and 0-2 in conference play after Wednesday’s matchup between the two teams. With Community’s 12-1 win...

The Iron look to replicate Tuesday's success when they face an undefeated Peoria Notre Dame team tonight in a contest with significant conference implications. Community improved to 7-1 on the season and 4-0 in Big 12 Conference play with a resounding 9-0 win over the Urbana Tigers on April 9. From...

The Normal Public Library will continue to provide services to the community during its upcoming closure for asbestos removal. Starting this spring, NPL will begin removing asbestos from the 1973 portion of the building, a process that may take nine months to a year to complete. The library’s...

Want a chance to win an NCHS logo blanket? Enter the Inkspot's March Madness pool by filling out a NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket here. Fill out your bracket at CBSSports.com before the tournament starts so we can compete all of March Madness® for a chance to win. The current NCHS student...

Over 200 fans and family members celebrated the Ironmen basketball team's 2024 season on Sunday, March 10, recognizing the team's second-place finish in the 4A IHSA State basketball finals. Public address announcer Mr. Dana Starkey, Athletic Director Mr. Nic Kearfott and principal Dr. Adam Zbrozek...

The Ironmen, head coach Mr. Dave Witzig said, ran into the best team in the state in Homewood-Flossmoor in Saturday’s 2024 IHSA Class 4A State Championship contest at the State Farm Center. The Vikings earned the program’s first title with a 60-48 win, sending the Ironmen home with Community’s...

Community advances to the 4A IHSA State Finals for the second time in school history after defeating the Palatine Pirates 58-38 at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center Friday afternoon. Two Ironmen finished the night with double-digit scoring performances. Jaheem Webber posted a double-double...

Heading into tonight’s 4A IHSA Super-Sectional matchup between the Normal Ironmen (30-5) and Downers Grove North Trojans (29-4) at Illinois State’s CEFCU Arena, it’d be easy to look at the team’s earlier encounter-a 40-35 Trojans win-and draw your conclusions.  But the box score from Jan....

The Ironmen boys basketball team take on 31-3 Quincy Blue Devils in tonight’s Pekin Sectional Championship game, hoping to prevent the storied program from adding to its list of accolades.  The Quincy program, which played its first game in 1907, has claimed Illinois high school records for state...

For the second straight season Caden Correll and Cooper Caraway returned from the 3A IHSA State Wrestling Tournament in Champaign bearing hardware and All-State honors.    Correll earned a fifth place finish for the second consecutive season at the State Farm Center on Feb. 17. Caraway joined...

Five members of the boys swim team will compete at this weekend’s IHSA State Swimming and Diving meet after earning seven first-place finishes at the Pekin Sectional on Feb. 17.  The Ironmen fell just short of a third consecutive Sectional title, trailing the Washington Panthers’ 261 to 246.5. Senior...

Ali Ince and Dexter Niekamp were named among the 26 members selected for the 2024 Illinois High School Association All-State Academic Team on Wednesday, Feb.  21. The honorees, nominated by their high schools, demonstrated a minimum 3.50 GPA while participating in at least two IHSA-sponsored activities...

The Ironmen girls basketball team face the East Moline United Township Panthers (26-5) in the Sectional Semifinals at Normal West at 6 p.m. Feb. 20.  Community knocked off the Panthers earlier this season with 75-49 victory on Dec. 21. In that contest, North Caroline State commit Lorena Awou led...

The Ironmen girls basketball team secured their third consecutive Regional title on Thursday with a resounding 57-30 victory over Pekin, slaying the Dragons on their home court.  While Giana Rawlings wasn’t in the lineup for Community’s Regional Semis win on Feb. 14, the school’s all-time three-point...

District maintenance staff began replacing the east gym’s lighting in late January, completing the process in early February. The fluorescent lights were replaced with LEDs, improving visibility and energy efficiency.  Discussions of a lighting upgrade, Community’s Athletic Director Mr. Nic Kearfott...

The Illinois High School Association announced the introduction of a Girls Flag Football State Series, with the inaugural postseason set to kick off in the fall of 2024. In a press release, President of the IHSA Board of Directors Dan Tully expressed excitement about the addition of Girls Flag Football...

Three members of the boys wrestling team return to the IHSA 3A State Wrestling competition in Champaign on Feb. 15, looking to build on last season's results, after earning top-three finishes in last weekend’s Quincy Sectional. Cooper Caraway will make his third consecutive appearance at the State...

It was Valentine’s Day 2021 when Katy Perry fell in love with Benson Boone during the 18-year-old’s audition for the nineteenth season of “American Idol.” Boone would punch his ticket to Hollywood, with judge Perry predicting to the up-coming singer, “I see you winning American Idol if...

The Ironmen have their sights set on a third consecutive Regional title after knocking off Normal West 49-26 on Feb. 12, improving to 29-3 on the season. While Community and West traded leads for the first five minutes of play, the Iron began to pull away after Olivia Corson banked a layup of the backboard...

The Ironmen came away with a 31-29 win over defending 4A State Champions, the Moline Maroons, battling back from a nine-point first-half deficit. Community (25-5) and Moline (23-6) posted season-low scores in what was, at times, a slow to no-tempo game. The Ironmen trailed 8-5 at the end of the...

The dance team's annual Guy/Girl Dance performance took place during halftime of the boys basketball game against Danville on Feb. 2. The tradition, where senior members of the dance team teach choreography to a male partner and perform at the first home boys basketball game of February, dates back...

Six wrestlers advanced from Feb. 2’s Joliet Central Regional, moving on to compete in Friday’s Quincy Sectional, where they will vie for a shot at the IHSA 3A State Wrestling Tournament. Senior Cooper Caraway is looking for a third consecutive trip to the State meet after taking first in the regional’s...

The Ironmen boys basketball team secured the Big 12 Conference championship with a 73-48 win over the Danville Vikings on Feb. 2. With the victory, Community improved to 9-0 in conference play, placing the Big 12 title beyond the reach of the 8-1 Richwoods Knights. Despite one conference contest remaining,...

The boys swim team, after clinching a fourth-straight Intercity title and a third Big 12 championship in as many years, looks poised to compete for a historic third-consecutive Sectional title when Community heads to the Pekin Swimming and Diving Sectional on Feb. 17.  Fueling the team’s late-season...

Everyone has their New Year traditions–and the Inkspot staff is no different. Every year, as first semester wraps, we like to dive into our analytics, looking back at all we accomplished at the end of each year and share some of our most notable achievements. With that, we present to you the Inkspot's...

The 2023 State Farm Holiday Classic proved historic for Community's basketball programs, as the Ironmen boys and girls secured championships in their respective brackets. The double championships mark a first in Community's Holiday Classic history, an achievement the school fell just shy of in 2017....

Each year, Spotify takes us on a trip down musical memory lane with a look back at the songs, the albums and the artists we had on repeat.  When Spotify Wrapped hit the app on Wednesday, Nov. 29, recapping our most-played music, the Inkspot couldn't help but wonder if Wrapped really encapsulated...

A small fire in the boys locker room was reported during 4th hour on Wednesday, Dec. 6. The incident, still under investigation, was allegedly caused by a student igniting a paper towel dispenser in the Athletic hallway locker room, according to several sources. The fire was quickly extinguished...

The Normal Community Ironmen (12-0) secured a spot in the IHSA Class 7A Semifinals with a 45-28 second-half comeback victory over the Glenbard East Rams (10-2). Despite leading Glenbard East 14-0 just over four minutes into the contest, Community would head into halftime trailing the Rams 28-14. The...

The Ironmen head to the IHSA 7A Football Quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 with a 31-30 overtime victory over the Bradley-Bourbonnais Boilermakers Saturday at Dick Tharpe Field. Watch the highlights and the video recap of the second round playoff win.

Check out the video highlights from the Ironmen's 43-0 win over the Argo Argonauts in the first round of the IHSA playoffs. Read the full game recap here.

The Iron defense and tailback Tommy Davis led Community to a dominant 43-0 win over the Argo Argonauts in the opening round of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs at Dick Tharp Field on Friday. Amidst the driving wind and relentless rain, Community's defense was stifling, denying the Argonauts a single first...

The boys and girls cross country teams will race in the 3A Granite City Sectional on Saturday, Oct. 28, after the boys took third in the Alton Regional on Oct. 21 and the girls finished fourth.  Last weekend, Joey Yaros was first to the finish for Community in sixth, posting a time of 15:55.38.  The...

The undefeated Ironmen begin their playoff run at home against the Argo Argonauts of Summit (5-4) tonight after finishing the regular season 9-0 with last week’s 42-0 win over the Peoria Manual Rams. The Big 12 Champions earned the top seed in Class 7A after favorite Chicago Mt. Carmel suffered...

The Hauntcert, Community’s annual October orchestra concert, takes center stage with a cinematic theme, ‘Villains On Strike’ on Thursday, Oct. 26. While the Hauntcert isn’t exactly a Halloween-themed performance, Orchestra director Mrs. Melissa Siebenthal said, the show takes place at the...

The volleyball team takes on the Pekin Dragons (16-17) in the first round of Regional action Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at Minooka High School. The Iron enter the contest as the two-seed with a record of 24-11. Those 11 losses, Head Coach Ms. Christine Konopasek said, have prepared Community to win...

The girls basketball team’s veteran core looks to lead Community to its first Sectional title in 19 years after falling in the Sectional Finals the last two seasons.  Those back-to-back Finals appearances marked a resurgence for the Ironmen on the hardwood, as Community had gone 17 seasons without...

As the leaves start to turn and pumpkin spice lattes make their triumphant return, there's another seasonal tradition that we can't help but indulge in revisiting the pilot episode of "Gilmore Girls." This beloved show serves up the perfect slice of mother-daughter dynamics, bundled with a generous...

When the Theatre department’s fall production of “The Diviners” premieres this weekend, a new generation of performers will take center stage.  Set in a rural Indiana town during the Great Depression, the story revolves around the intertwining lives of the townspeople as they grapple with faith,...

WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will test the nation's Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts Wednesday, Oct 4, at 1:20 p.m. This nationwide test will encompass two segments, examining the capabilities...

The Normal Community Ironmen secured a 27th consecutive playoff berth with Friday’s decisive 42-10 victory over the Danville Vikings. The win solidifies the Iron's position atop the Big 12 Conference standings as they move to 5-0 in conference action and 6-0 on the season. Community's defensive...

Waiting Room Records, located in Uptown Normal, stocks new vinyl and buys and sells used vinyl, making it a popular among Community's record enthusiasts.

Abby Ruebush takes a look at why "Barbie" will have a legacy that lasts beyond the film's record breaking box office performance. Photo Illustration: Brad Bovenkerk Promotional Images // Warner Bros. Pictures

The 4-0 Ironmen host the Bloomington Raiders in Big 12 Conference play tonight, looking to keep their undefeated streak alive. Community enters the matchup 3-0 in conference action, trailing Champaign Centennial (4-0,4-0)-- an opponent they will not face this season.  The Raiders sit third in...

The boys cross country team earned its third consecutive first-place victory on Sept. 14, edging out Taylorville 33-35 to win the inaugural Taylorville Invite. Junior Joey Yaros took second with a 15:37.22 finish, trailing Taylorville’s Owen Morgan by 13.31 seconds. Four Ironmen would...

Homecoming ticket sales for the second session of the Sept. 23 dance have been temporarily suspended after the Senior Class Board exhausted its supply of 600 paper tickets for the 8:30-10:30 p.m. session. Additional second-session tickets will be available online via TicketLeap beginning Saturday...

The Ironmen dominated the first half of Friday’s 57-6 win over Champaign Central, leading the Maroons 49-0 at halftime.  Community improved to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in Big 12 Conference play and extended their winning streak against the Maroons to 18 games, a record that dates back to 2002.  The...

The Ironmen head to Champaign Central looking to extend the program’s 17-game winning streak against the Maroons when they open up Big 12 Conference play on the road tonight. Community heads into the matchup 1-0 after a decisive win over Sacred-Heart Griffin, while Champaign (0-1) enters the...

Five Ironmen found the end zone in Friday’s 54-14 rout of defending 4A State Champions Sacred Heart-Griffin. Tailbacks Tommy Davis and Calen Taylor and wideout Mar’Quan Gary were key offensive contributors in the statement victory over the Cyclones, scoring two touchdowns apiece in the season...

Unit 5's text selection policy identifies the criteria on which the district's libraries adopt books for circulation. The policy seeks to provided students with texts that: support and enrich students’ personal interests and learning; meet high standards in literary, artistic, and aesthetic quality;...

Twelve Ironmen advanced from Edwardsville’s Track & Field Sectional on May 17, earning their place at this weekend’s IHSA 3A State meet. Six individuals and two relay teams will compete in Friday’s preliminaries at Eastern Illinois University. Senior Alex Sohn returns to the State meet...

When five Inkspot staff members competed in the IHSA Journalism Sectionals April 1, the student journalists went from reporting the news to making it themselves. Each of Community's five individual competitors boasted a top-three finish to secure a spot in the IHSA State Final, where they will compete...

Superintendent Dr. Kristen Weikle said ultimately, students will suffer due to the nearly $2 million in budget cuts approved during Jan. 31’s special board meeting. “Our students,” Weikle said, will be “negatively impacted” by the budget cuts, including eliminating co- and extracurricular...

Community's girls basketball team looks to extend its historic 31-3 run tonight when the Iron take on the O'Fallon Panthers (30-4) in the 4A Sectional Finals. The Iron look to claim the program's first Sectional Title since 2005 when the team tips off at O'Fallon at 7 p.m. The Panthers are undefeated...

The girls basketball team looks to make history when they open post-season play Tuesday, Feb. 14, against the Moline Maroons (6-21). With a 69-13 victory over Danville on Feb. 9, the '22-23 team tied the program's all-time win record -- a record that had stood since the '94-95 season when Berny Chiaro's...

Community's Speech team proved their mettle at the IHSA Regional competition at Olympia High School on Feb. 4, taking second as team and sending 10 medalists to compete at this weekend's Sectional. Community finished team sweepstakes scoring with 56 points, trailing Regional Champions Normal U-High...

Facing a $12 million deficit, the Unit 5 Board of Education unanimously approved a series of budget cuts for the 2023-2024 school year at a special board meeting on January 31. The cuts may be reversed if the property tax referendum passes in April. The cuts, which total approximately $2 million,...

The larger recycling bins used by students to gather recycling from classrooms were "incredibly dirty" and had "an awful smell," Cardiff said.

Limited tickets remain for the 22nd annual Renaissance-themed holiday performance, Madrigals, after Friday, Dec. 2's concert sold out. Accompanied by a brass quintet and string ensemble, Community's Chamber Choir and Court Singers will perform various traditional and contemporary holiday songs.  Tickets...

Community’s girls basketball team opened the 2022-23 season with the goal of building on last year’s success, a goal they took a step toward with Monday’s 54-27 win over the U-High Pioneers in Intercity play. Last season, the Iron went undefeated in the Intercity Tournament on the way to a 27-7...

The '22-23 Ironmen basketball roster has big shoes to fill to replace last season's standout seniors.

Seven members of Community's girls swimming and diving team will race in the IHSA State competition in Westmont after the team won the Normal West Sectional on Saturday, Nov. 5.   Community took first in six of the meet's 12 events, finishing 39 points ahead of the Normal West Wildcats to secure...

The Inkspot endorses the referendum on Nov. 8's ballot. Vote yes, vote for students' futures.

  For this special edition of the Sweet Spot, the Inkspot staff put 10 popular Halloween candies to the test, dissecting the selections from two variety packs. 97% of Americans planned to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters this year, according to the National Confectioners Association,...

Can you name these candies by their cross section? Sink your teeth into the quiz here [link].

Audiences are in for an unusual experience when the Theatre department’s fall production of “Failure: A Love Story” continues this weekend. The dark comedy is performed in the round, with the audience seated on stage for the first time since Community’s 2019 production of "The Curious...

Community's girls swimming and diving team are Intercity champions for the second straight season in a meet decided by the competition's final race. After 11 events, Community held a 3-point advantage over Normal West heading into the 400-yard freestyle relay. While West's A relay team won the...

Less than 20 tickets remain for the second Homecoming dance session, with online ticket sales closing Thursday at 11:59 p.m.  The Senior Class Board, said Board co-sponsor Mrs. Jennifer Kelly, decided to split Oct. 1's Homecoming dance into two sessions and cap ticket sales for each at 1000 to ease...

Community's A-Train concessions advanced to the second round of the 2nd annual Pork and Pigskin competition, a partnership between the IHSA and the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) to determine the State's "best pork chop sandwich," on Friday, Sept. 16.   Fans from four regions, each named...

The IHSA postseason structure is already convoluted and confusing (an issue the Inkspot tried to clear up last season). Add in details like the fact that the Big 12 Conference has 11 schools while the Central State Eight has 10, and it only gets more complicated. The 2022 football season poses...

Community (1-1) looks to snap Normal West’s (2-0) shutout streak when the Ironmen host the Wildcats in Friday’s annual Chili Bowl game at 7 p.m. West enters the rivalry matchup outscoring opponents 88-0, with the Wildcats looking to snap a streak of their own -- Community’s nine consecutive...

National Merit Honor finalist, FBLA president, Best Buddies event coordinator, Inkspot Sports Editor... Those are just some of Jonah Kramer's accolades, begging the question -- is there anything Jonah can't do? We literally put Jonah to the test, challenging his ability to solve 34 puzzling questions. Can...

10 years later, Hunger Games franchise still survives among die-hard fans

Alfred Hitchcock Day -- March 12 -- celebrates the genius of “The Master of Suspense”

Famious French ('22) surveys the floor versus Pekin. French and the Ironmen will face Bradley-Bourbonnais at home Friday in the Regional Final.

The most affordable Madrigals holiday performance in 20 years takes the stage this weekend. As a result of COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting food service, ticket prices dropped from a past average of $20 to $5 for the Chamber Choir and Madrigal singers' Christmas concert. While the local restaurant...

The Lady Iron basketball team takes on the Normal West Wildcats in non-conference play Saturday, Nov. 20. Check out how the crosstown rivals matchup heading into their Intercity tournament contest.

Governor Pritzker’s high school mental health legislation goes into effect in January - Community students and staff share their thoughts and reactions.