The Metamora Township High School Robotics team, MARS/WARS, has embarked on their fourteenth season with the exciting FIRST Robotics game, Reefscape!
The 2025 season is particularly thrilling for MARS/WARS as they introduce their official JV team, MARS’s Minions. This new team will make their debut at the Central Illinois Regional competition at Bradley University on March 21-22.
Reflecting on their achievements, the team proudly attended the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas, for the third consecutive year in 2024. With high hopes for 2025, MARS/WARS aims to continue its success and earn another trip to Houston.
The community is invited to join the team for their annual open house at Metamora Township High School on March 8th. This event offers a fantastic opportunity to learn about the team and get an exclusive preview of the robots before their first competition. Pictured is the field set up for their 2025 game.
What’s a football fan to do without a Sunday with football?
Join the Metamora Germantown Hills Kiwanis Club for their first Pizza, Puzzles, and Pitchers Event on Sunday, February 16th, from 4:00 p.m. -6:00 p.m. at Metamora Fields.
Race against other teams to be the first to finish your large pizza, 300-piece puzzle, and two pitchers of carbonated beverage.
Bring your three best teammates to complete your table and win the challenge.
The tables cost $120. You can have 4 on a team. All proceeds will benefit our local community. To register, click the link below.
https://forms.gle/4XuvZgULMQ3Z2MrYA
Come on out and show your community spirit!
The Village of Germantown Hills wants your help to create a long-term vision for the community. The final plan will identify strategies that address housing, parks, safety, roadways, and much more. This is a great opportunity to advocate for what matters most to you.
Stop by the Open House at the Germantown Hills Fire Department on Thursday, February 13th between 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Attend for as little or as long as you like. Food and activities for the kids will be available.
The Ilinois Prairie District Public Library’s improved site is designed to make it easier than ever to find exactly what you are looking for — from searching the catalog and accessing online resources to keeping up with all the events and programs happening at your library. Head over to their new site at https://www.ipdpl.org
Germantown Hills Grade School
Starting February 10
Metamora Grade School
March 10 - 14, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
St. Mary’s Grade School
Tuesday, February 18, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (Kindergarten and preschool).
On Saturday, February 1st at 1:00 p.m., the Metamora Courthouse presents “Abraham Lincoln in Woodford County.” Sue Knepp will present Lincoln’s travels through Metamora and other stops on the 8th Judicial Circuit as well as some of the places he stayed. Please come, visit the courthouse, and enjoy Sue’s talk!
Germantown Hills Baptist Church is hosting a blood drive for Impact Life on Tuesday, February 4th from 2:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. If you would like to donate, follow the link to schedule your appointment!
Watch Metamora High School boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball games on MTCO digiMAX Local Channel 401 and on the digiMAX Sports Network YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@digimaxsportsnetwork7028/streams
Check out the broadcast schedule at https://www.mtco.com/?sports
The IESA 7th Grade 3A Sectional game between Metamora Grade School and Knoxville will be broadcast at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, February 6th!
The latest newsletter from the Metamora Association For Historic Preservation is now available at https://historicmetamora.org/newsletters/
In this issue, you will find:
• Filming the story of the Underground Railroad in Metamora, plus a progress update on the video.
• Lincoln-Douglas debate commemoration tablet
•World War I veterans and barbershop
• We hear from two grandchildren of Captain Parker Morse, an Underground Railroad conductor
• The only person in Metamora who knew Abraham Lincoln
• Facts about Metamora from 1914
The best way to fight back against the potentially cancer-causing effects of radon is to test your home! This month, while supplies last, the Woodford County Health Department in Eureka is offering FREE radon test kit.
If your test result shows radon levels of 4.0 pCi/L or greater, you should act. Consult a radon mitigation professional about installing a mitigation system.
Installation is quick and cost-effective and will protect your family. For help finding a mitigation professional near you, visit https://iemaohs.illinois.gov/nrs/radon.html
Metamora Fields is hosting a Vendor Event on Saturday, March 8th from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Stop by for a fun-filled day of shopping! If you have a small business & want to be a vendor, contact Natalie at nclark@metamorafields.com
The following positions on the Metamora Village Board are up for election at the Consolidated Election on April 1, 2025: Village President, Village Trustee, and Village Clerk
Election Packets can be picked up at the Village of Metamora Administration Office at 100 N. Davenport St. between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Sunday, February 16th
CBS
This action drama follows the lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw, who tracks missing people for rewards. Season 2 resumes with “The Disciple,” a new lead in Colter’s white whale case — the disappearance of Gina Picket — brings him and retired cop Keaton (guest star Brent Sexton) back together to track down a serial killer.
Sunday, February 23rd
NBC
Narrated by Tom Hanks, aims to showcase the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the world’s great supercontinent. Five years in the making and filmed over 180 expeditions, “this groundbreaking series reveals the spectacular landscapes of Earth’s most varied landmass.
MTCO digiMAX TV customers!
Kick back and enjoy a FREE Preview weekend on all SHOWTIME premium channels 620 - 634. The free preview starts at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, February 7th, and lasts until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 10th.
Be sure to record your favorite movies and shows on your cloud DVR!
Here’s how to quickly use the USB port on your TV for slideshows, transform it into a computer workstation, and more! Check out this useful article: https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/home-entertainment/your-tvs-usb-port-has-superpowers-4-useful-benefits-youre-not-taking-advantage-of/
Should I send sensitive information via email? The answer is generally no. Email was not initially designed with robust security in mind. While platforms like Gmail and Office 365 have implemented security measures within their own systems, sending emails between different organizations can leave data vulnerable to interception.
If you’re within the same organization and your email system is secure (e.g., company-wide encryption), basic email might be sufficient for less sensitive information. For secure document sharing, consider using services like One Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. By employing these methods, you can significantly enhance the security of your sensitive information during transmission.
iPhone users have long been able to use AirTags for tracking; however, Bluetooth trackers are finally available for Android users. Now that Google has rolled out its Find My Device network, the Android ecosystem is catching up and can be used across all of Android, not one specific brand or its app.
Chipolo and Pebblebee have clips, tags, and cards, with more manufactures and options to come.
For a little nostalgia, check out MTCO’s new About Us timeline at https://www.mtco.com/?about
One picture you’ll see is the first Metamora Telephone Company work truck from 1945! The picture above is a picture of CEO Glenn Rauh in 1958 working on phone dialing equipment in the Metamora office.
As we end Identity Theft Awareness Week, here are a few tips to protect yourself:
Limit personal information shared on social media sites. It’s a treasure trove for cybercriminals.
Monitor your accounts regularly to spot unauthorized transactions early.
Use complex passwords as a first line of defense against cyber threats.
Use two-factor authentication (2FA) to enable an extra layer of security on all your accounts.
Initiate a credit freeze with all three major credit bureaus to make it difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.
Use identity theft protection services.
Thursday, February 20th
Prime Video
Based on Lee Child’s novel Persuader, Reacher hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out.
Sunday, February 23rd
Paramount+
With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana. Meanwhile, Alexandra sets off on her harrowing trans-Atlantic journey to find Spencer and reclaim their love.
Thursday, February 20th
Netflix
This six-episode series focuses on former U.S. president George Mullen (played by Robert De Niro), who’s summoned back to Washington from retirement to help the sitting president (Angela Bassett) find the source of a deadly cyber-attack and finds himself drawn into a dark web of lies and conspiracies.
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