IN OUR COMMUNITY

The 13th Annual “A Village Christmas,” sponsored by the Metamora Area Business Association (MABA),  is set for Sunday, December 7th from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.   

Businesses and organizations on or near Metamora Square offer Christmas cheer, free make-and-take crafts, treats, smores, pictures with Santa, Christmas caroling, and more!  For a full list of activities and a map of participants, scroll down, or visit https://metamorabusiness.com/a-village-christmas

It’s time again for the Germantown Hills Fire Department Santa Parade!  Santa Claus will be enjoying a ride around town on top of a fire truck from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 21st!    Visit their Facebook page soon for further details at https://www.facebook.com/GermantownHillsFD

The “Shine a Light on Metamora” Tree Lighting Ceremony is set for Saturday, December 6th!   The Metamora Grade School Choir carols begin at 4:30 p.m., with the lighting commencing at 5:00 p.m. Join this beautiful event in the middle of Metamora Square!

Unified Redbirds Presents: Sensory Friendly Meet & Greet Santa Claus on Saturday, December 6th, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the MTHS library!

Bring the whole family for a special and sensory-friendly Meet and Greet event! This is a wonderful opportunity for all kids to share their wishes with Santa, snap festive photos, and experience the joy of the season in a comfortable environment.  Small activities/crafts will be provided for individuals waiting.

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.!

If you or someone you know would benefit from having library materials delivered, Illinois Prairie District Library’s Homebound Delivery Service is here to help! We will deliver books, movies, magazines, and more right to your doorstep. This service is available to anyone in our service area, regardless of the nature of the need. If you can’t come to us, we can come to you!

To apply by phone, call (309) 921-5074, or apply online at: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxydUlINd-WJsItvguA_S7H3B-SygjVWiCyP99bIUtsSPL7A/viewform

Tune in to MTCO digiMAX Local channel 400 starting mid-December and through the holiday to see past MTHS Christmas band and choir concerts and grade school Christmas programs.

New recorded broadcasts this year will include the MTHS Band and Choir Holiday concert on December 10th. 

Join the fun on December 29th for a 1-day Softball Clinic. Train with MTHS coaches and learn from current MTHS players. MTHS alums Kaidance Till (Ole Miss) and Katy Ramage (NIU) will be joining to assist athletes with hands-on instructions and inspiration! Come train, learn, and elevate your game! 

The 1st-4th grade session is from 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.  The 5th-8th grade session is from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Online Registration:  

https://forms.gle/B9hLFRWkVBL8FAvn8

Registration is not complete until payment has been received by mail or Venmo. Payment can be sent to Metamora Parents Softball Association at 200 W. Rohman St. Metamora, IL 61548.  Venmo Payments can be sent to https://venmo.com/u/Suzanne-Weldon-2

*Make sure to include your Players name for Winter Clinic in the memo line.

Questions? Contact: metasoftballparents@gmail.com

MTCO is a drop-off location for the Woodford County Heartline and Heart House Tree of Hearts program, which provides Christmas gifts to low-income people in Woodford County. They are seeking new, unwrapped gifts for children aged newborn through high school. For Christmas 2024, they had 100 families (269 children) sign up, and over 2,000 gifts given! 

Donations will be accepted at MTCO (220 N. Menard St., Metamora) until 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 10th.

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/

The Lourdes Men’s Club is holding a Sausage Sale!    The last day to pre-order bulk or link sausage is Sunday, December 7th. The cost is $4.00 per pound.  Call or text Bill Kessling at 309-645-7795.  Orders can be picked up at St. Mary of Lourdes on Sunday, December 14th from 7:00 a.m. until noon.

Please save the date for a Public Information Open House regarding the Germantown Hills to Metamora Trail Project.  It will be held at Metamora Fields on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at Metamora Fields Golf Club.  Light appetizers will be provided.

Scroll down for more information on this open house.

Check out these 12 tech gifts for the holidays: https://www.wired.com/story/best-tech-gifts/

Or look at this list of 40 tech gifts under $100:  https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-gifts-under-100/

Google Maps is rolling out four new features that are meant to save time and find activities over the coming holiday season and more. They include Gemini integration, an EV charger locator, trending activities and helpful review tools for your favorite businesses.  Details at: https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/mobile-apps/google-maps-gets-four-new-features-to-help-cut-your-travel-time-during-the-holidays

Scammers take full advantage of the hectic holiday shopping season.  The image above is a sample of a package delivery text message scam you could receive.  

Notice the link does not lead to UPS or USPS, it is upss.update-aldress.  The scammer uses a domain that resembles a real website, and “address” in the link is misspelled. Next, the text says “Pls” which is lingo you would not typically see in correspondence from a business.   

MotorTrend, MTCO channel 552, will become Discovery Turbo on January 6, 2026.  

Discovery Turbo is the ultimate destination for car enthusiasts, thrill-seekers, and anyone who lives life in the fast lane. Whether you’re passionate about performance tuning, classic restorations, DIY culture, or the latest automotive tech, Discovery Turbo connects you to the people, inspiration, and tools that fuel your journey.

Is there a RAT in your computer?  Hopefully not!  A Remote Access Trojan (RAT) is malware that gives a hacker hidden control of your device to monitor your keystrokes, turn on your webcam, install additional malware, and more.

Signs that your computer has been infected by a RAT can include unusual network activity, sluggish performance, unexpected pop-ups, and unknown apps appearing on your computer.

To prevent RATs and other threats, stay cautious  and never act urgently when receiving unexpected attachments and links in emails or texts, download only from trusted sources, keep software updated, and use antivirus and firewall protection.

The holiday season is a prime time for hackers, scammers, and online thieves.  The best defense against these threats is awareness. Here are three detailed steps to be more secure before and after we shop: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Holiday%2520Online%2520Safety_tip%2520sheets_2020-v5-DW_508%2520pobs.pdf