IN OUR COMMUNITY

The annual Nets for Vets game is coming up on Friday, November 7th at Metamora High School!  Metamora Grade School and Germantown Hills Grade School come together to play 7th and 8th grade boys and girls games to compete and raise funds for the Peoria Area Honor Flight. 

Game Times:

7th Grade Girls - 4:00 p.m.

7th Grade Boys - 5:15 p.m.

8th Grade Girls - 6:45 p.m.

8th Grade Boys - 8:00 pm.

Halftime performances include an MGS/GHMS dance performance, $1 half-court shot to win a pizza, and MGS/GHMS Tazwood Cheer.  All Veterans receive free admission to the games.

The Germantown Hills Craft and Vendor Show is on Saturday, November 1st from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Germantown Hills Grade School at 103 Warrior Way.

There will be over 100 vendors for a fun day of shopping, creativity, and community.

This event is organized by our local MARS/WARS Robotics Team to support hands-on STEM experiences for students.

Metamora Township High School proudly presents the 50th Annual Madrigal Dinner, a beloved tradition that has delighted audiences for half a century. This milestone celebration invites guests to journey back to a grand medieval court where beautiful music, gentle humor, and the warmth of the holiday season create a truly enchanting experience.

Featuring the exceptionally talented MTHS Madrigal Singers, the evening combines exquisite choral performances, festive entertainment, and a delectable meal served in a candlelit atmosphere rich with tradition and holiday cheer.

Tickets are available through the MTHS Online Box Office. Seating is limited; early reservations are recommended.

“Cake and Wassail” Performance: $15.  (Includes dessert and wassail service) - Thursday evening.

Traditional Madrigal Dinner Performances: $30 (Friday - Sunday)

(Includes full meal and entertainment)

Sunday, November 9, 2025

The American Legion in Spring Bay (500 Legion Ln) is serving a chicken and noodle dinner from 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., or until they run out. It’s free to Post 1115 vets, $5 for adults, and $3 for children under 10.  Raffle tickets are also available to purchase for a chance to win cash or gift cards. Proceeds from the raffle are going to the local Blue Star Families organization. 

They will also be serving up pie and pumpkin bars!

If your family or organization is interested in sponsoring a tree at this year’s fourth annual event on Saturday, December 6th at 5:00 p.m., please fill out the registration form and $75 fee no later than Monday, November 3rd.  If you have any questions or need a registration form, please contact Katie Garber KGarber@villageofmetamora.com  or call 309-367-2932.

The fun starts on Monday, December 1st.  After the trees are delivered and set up, you may begin decorating.  All trees must be completed by noon on Saturday, December 6th, with the tree lighting at 5:00 p.m.!

This premier program mails free high-quality, age-appropriate books to registered children every month from birth to age five.  Children enrolled from birth receive 60 books by the time they graduate from the Imagination Library program.   

The Imagination Library is open to ANY child under five years old who lives in Woodford County. Your family does not need to live in our service area, and you do not need an IPDPL library card to participate. There is absolutely no charge to participate in the program.

Register your child today at https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/ILWOODFORD/

GFL will collect landscape waste, curbside, for Germantown Hills residents on November 3rd and 5th, as well as November 17th and 19th.  Landscape waste pickup will be on your regular garbage day.

Brush must be no longer than four feet, bundled with twine, and not exceed 50lbs.  Leaves must be in a solid container or KRAFT paper bags that do not exceed 50lbs.  No plastic bags will be accepted. 

This service is provided to residents receiving their garbage bill through the Village only.

The first full week of November signals the Village of Metamora’s last brush pickup of the season! They will begin leaf pickup shortly after brush pickup concludes.

Their organic waste site at 791 Santa Fe Trail will be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (weather permitting) on Saturdays until November 29th.  You can drop off grass clippings, mulch, and brush at this location.

The Metamora and Germantown Hills libraries will help you look into the variety of new options available for digital materials and explore the e-book and audiobook platforms the library offers.  

To find out more, visit them on Wednesday, October 29th at 5:30 pm in Metamora or on Friday, November 7th at 10:00 am in Germantown Hills

Bring your mobile device if you would like help with installing or running apps!

Watch the first round of the IHSA football playoff matchup between Metamora and Chicago South Shore LIVE on Saturday, November 1st at 1:30 p.m.  The game will be broadcast on MTCO Local Channel 401 and the digiMAX Sports Network YouTube channel. 

https://www.youtube.com/@digimaxsportsnetwork7028/streams

The outreach coordinators from Illinois Eye Center will be performing FREE vision screenings at the Germantown Hills Library from 10:00 am. - noon on Tuesday, November 4th.

No appointment or advance preparation is neede

Tickets for the 17th Annual Community Prayer Breakfast are available for sale at Goodfield State Bank in Metamora and CEFCU in Germantown Hills! The breakfast is on Wednesday, November 5th, at 7:15 am at Metamora Fields Golf Club.  Each ticket is $35 and includes a full buffet breakfast.  The last day to purchase tickets is Friday, October 31st.

The Keynote speaker is Kim Martin, founder and CEO of I've Decided.  Kim is also the President of Women in Leadership - Central Illinois, and owner of a Curves franchise

Listen to beautiful music by the MTHS Madrigal singers and Anna Joy Buegel, a Chicago-based Soprano and Voice Instructor. Anna Joy has soloed for and joined many congregational choirs in the Chicago area.

Tickets can also be purchased online at  COMMUNITY PRAYER BREAKFAST | GHChamberOfCommerce 

As of November 1st, the gates and bathrooms will be closed for the season. The parks themselves will remain open, but please be advised that the drive at Black Partridge Park will be closed. Parking will still be available at the front parking lot on Coal Bank Road. The Metamora Park District thanks everyone for another great year!

Here is another opportunity to see the Underground Railroad in Metamora!  See it on Sunday, November 2nd at 2:00 p.m. at the Stevenson House at 104 W Walnut Street in Metamora.

Looking for a fun, hands-on learning experience for your little one?  The MTHS Preschool Laboratory, where big kids teach little learners, is open for enrollment! Our preschoolers learn in a joyful, creative environment taught by MTHS high school students under the supervision of Mrs. Galpin. 

Email: lgalpin@mths.us

Phone: 309-367-4151 ext. 131

Find us on Facebook: MTHS Preschool Laboratory

The holidays are underway as the “Great American Christmas” FREE Preview is back!  All MTCO digiMAX TV subscribers will have access to watch on Great American Family on channel 496 from Saturday, November 1st to Sunday, November 30th.  Enjoy a full month of faith-based holiday cheer, including a new movie premiere every Saturday at 7:00 p.m. 

Check out the full “Great American Christmas” lineup at https://www.tvguide.com/news/great-american-family-christmas-movie-calendar-2025-the-full-schedule/

Here’s some good information to get the most out of your Windows 11 experience.   From tapping Copilot AI to personalizing your taskbar to setting up widgets, here are 31 tips:  https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/31-windows-11-tricks-that-will-change-everything

Battlefield 6 was just released and will feature a battle royal mode and is free-to-play, with gameplay dynamics similar to Battlefield V’s Firestorm.  More discussion at:  https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/ea-confirms-free-to-play-battlefield-6-battle-royale-is-coming-out-tomorrow/

These phishing emails copy trusted credit card companies to create panic and urgency, and with a goal to get you to click.  The subject of these scam emails states that “your account is temporarily restricted” or they “need to verify activity.”

For examples of these phishing emails and how to help identify them, visit https://cyberguy.com/scams/beware-fake-credit-card-account-restriction-scams

New Channel - WEEK my Team

MTCO added “my Team” on channel 224, which was launched by WEEK-TV in early October.  my Team is a hybrid of news, sports, and entertainment programming – including MyNetwork Primetime. It will be the home of state and regional sports programming, including IHSA Championship Football and Basketball, Missouri Valley Conference basketball/ArchMadness, and the Midwest Matrix Sport Network. In addition, 25News Sports Director Jim Mattson will expand his local sports coverage with Jim Mattson’s Overtime, a live sports show airing every weeknight at 10:30 p.m.

MSNBC Rebrand

The network known as MSNBC (channel 513) will begin going by MS NOW, My Source for News Opinion World, starting November 15th.  The network is being split off from NBCUniversal and will become part of a new publicly traded company called Versant, prompting the name change.

Are you considering purchasing a new laptop, Mac, or Chromebook?  Check out this article on how much RAM you may need in 2025: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-much-ram-do-you-need-in-2025-my-expert-advice-for-windows-and-mac-users/