Page 7 - Normal West News Today

Normal native Leah Marlene will be back in town for a parade and concert Tuesday prior to her American Idol finale.

When American Idol finalist Leah Marlene takes the stage on Sunday night, a crowd will be cheering her on at her alma mater.

Jon Norton and Sarah Nardi revisit past conversations with Normal native Leah Marlene, who is now in the Final 10 to be the next "American Idol."

With Unit 5 serving over 12,000 students, that number only growing larger, and the budget getting smaller each year, the school board has turned to the community to help them determine the future of the schools.

Students at Bloomington, Normal Community and Normal West high schools aren't usually teammates on their field, but there's one exception. The three schools are part of a co-op lacrosse program.

On today's episode, you'll hear a new perspective on Ukraine from a retired Illinois National Guard colonel who's now teaching Normal West students. Also, Eric Stock checks in with the head of the Central Illinois Regional Airport about the latest travel trends, just in time for spring break. And a new installment of Beyond Sports brings you an inspiring story from the ISU baseball team.

Normal West grad Leah Marlene's busy week included winning a Golden Ticket to appear on "American Idol," and her first new album in two years.

Unit 5 leaders are looking at cutting three dozen full-time teaching positions and two administrator roles for next school year, as well as eliminating two programs — fifth-grade band/orchestra and eighth-grade foreign language — to address a multi-million dollar deficit.

UPDATED: A Sangamon County ruling, lawsuits filed naming Unit 5 and a legislative panel voting against the man...

Unit 5’s school board has scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday afternoon. The district’s teachers’ union says it’s expecting a vote on whether to make masks optional.