IN OUR COMMUNITY

Five Points Washington is partnering with the Panther Football Alumni Association’s 12th Man to host a few Tailgate Parties this fall. Let’s get the community together to have a little fun before the game. The Tailgate Parties will take place in the Five Points Washington South Parking Lot on October 3rd (vs East Peoria) for homecoming, and on October 17th (vs Canton). The time of the parties will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Food, provided by the Washington Lions Club, and drinks will be available for purchase. The Mini Cow Corral will be there for pictures and for you to check out their merch. Face painting will also be available for the kids. Music will be provided by TJ the DJ: Straight Outta Sunnyland.

Tailgate Parties in 2025:

October 3 (vs East Peoria)

October 17 (vs Canton)

Post Season TBD

Join us for the 2025 Community Showcase – a night to celebrate Washington’s businesses and community spirit!

This FREE, family-friendly event is your chance to explore local businesses, discover products and services, and enjoy a vibrant evening out with the community. The event is held on October 14th from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Five Points Washington.

Come for the chance to win exciting door prizes or grab some table swag, but stay for the chance to meet the people and businesses that make Washington thrive! Concessions will also be available for purchase throughout the evening.

The WCHS Homecoming Parade is Friday, October 3rd at 2:00 p.m.

Please note the change to this year’s Homecoming Parade route due to construction around Washington. A few notes:

🐾The parade will stage at Lincoln Park in the parking lot between the baseball and softball fields.

🐾The parade ends at the tennis courts at Wilmor Road.

🐾Please do not reserve spots or block the sidewalk in front of Lincoln Grade School before 11:45 a.m.

🐾All the High School parking lots will be closed to the public until after the parade ends.

We look forward to returning to our regular route next year!

The largest variety of food trucks in the area will be set up for business and have their Trick or Treat. Everyone will have candy to hand out. There will be tables and chairs set up or you can bring your own. Vendors will be open for business, anlong with a farmers market, including fresh beef and local honey. Balloon man, face painter, and ride a train will be available. Live music by Roy Fifer. Come out and enjoy a evening of delicious food and fun for all ages!

Five Points Washington will bring a night of thrills, chills, and musical magic to their annual The Magic of Halloween concert! Hosted by the Peoria Pops Orchestra, this family-friendly event features spooky favorites, enchanting melodies, and a few surprises along the way. Join them on Saturday, October 11th at 6:30 p.m. at Five Points in Washington for an unforgettable evening of live music and Halloween fun. Kids 12 and under who come in costume get in free, so grab your witches hats, animal ears, or fairy wings and make it a night to remember. Costumes are encouraged for all ages, and there will be treats, photo ops, and more. Whether you’re into ghosts, pumpkins, or just great music, there’s something magical for everyone!

Come out to the annual Trunk or Treat event at Faith Lutheran Church located at 2206 Washington Road! There will be s’mores and a best-decorated competition. Come join this free, family-friendly fun on October 25th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Saturday Night Lights Cruise-In will be on October 11th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Anything with wheels is welcome. If you just want to come out and hand out candy, you are welcomed to do so! Bring your vehicles to show or just come to look at the vehicles. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. 

Join in at Five Points Washington every 1st Tuesday (October 7th) of the month in the Senior Room for Washington Park District’s monthly BINGO game. You do not have to be a Five Points member to attend. Bingo begins at 10:00 a.m. and runs to about 11:30 a.m.

Spooky fun, sweet treats, and a whole lot of community spirit await at Trick or Treat in the Park! The event will be held on October 25th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Lincoln Fields in Washington Park.

Bring the whole family for a spooktacular afternoon of trick-or-treating, costumes, and community fun! Local businesses will be set up in the parking lot, handing out candy and goodies to all our little ghouls and goblins.

🎶 Enjoy a DJ spinning fun tunes, play games, and hop on barrel rides, then grab a bite to eat from The Station Food Truck and Gramma Nana’s!

🧡 New this year: we’re offering a Sensory-Friendly Trick or Treat Hour from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. with reduced noise and crowds—making it a more comfortable experience for those who need it. For details, email us at info@washingtoncoc.com.

The fun continues rain or shine—so grab your costumes, bring a candy bag, and celebrate the season with us! 

Thanks to the diligent work of the Metamora Association for Historic Preservation and Levi Obery of Ten-Thirty-One Productions, the Underground Railroad in Metamora is being brought to life again to broadcast on MTCO's Local Channel 400!  The full story unfolds with the airing of the movie at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 25th, and on Sunday, October 26th.  

Metamora, Illinois, played a pivotal role in the Underground Railroad. This network of secret routes and safe houses established from 1837-1865 allowed tens of thousands of enslaved African-Americans to escape into largely free states and Canada.

Fall TV sun outages will begin on Wednesday, October 1st, and are expected to last through October 8th. You can expect to see video issues these days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.  Video outages will range from a few blips of interrupted video to channels that may go dark for several minutes. 

Sun outages are a natural phenomenon that occurs when a satellite and a receiving earth station come directly in line with the sun. The sun’s energy interferes with the satellite’s signal and affects the signals received by the earth station.

Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month teaches people simple ways to protect themselves online. Small actions can make a big difference.  Here are four core steps you can take to boost your online safety:

Use Strong Passwords and a Password Manager 

Passwords are your first line of defense. Make them at least 16 characters long, make each of your passwords unique (don’t reuse), and add complexity with upper and lowercase letter, numbers, and special characters.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

2FA requires you to verify your identity in two ways before accessing your account. Your first step is to provide your username and password.  The second step could be a code sent to your phone, or a notification from an app. You can also set up MultiFactor Authentification for additional layers of security.

Recognize and Report Scams

Click here for good tips and advice: https://www.staysafeonline.org/articles/how-to-avoid-scams

Update your software

Here’s how to stay on top of software updates without the hassle:  https://www.staysafeonline.org/articles/software-updates

What was the content of the first email ever sent?  “This is a test.”  “Test 123.” “Please reply if you received this.”   No, the first email was gibberish.  In 1971, Ray Tomlinson sent the world’s first email to himself. He tested the system by typing a random string of letters, later admitting he couldn’t remember exactly what it said. What he did was invent the use of the @ symbol to designate email addresses. Courtesy of Curt the Cyber Guy. 

The prevalence of phishing scams is at an all-time high. Below is a list of questions to ask yourself about any links in an email that may help you realize that you are being phished.

• Hover over any links and check the link address. Do they match the sender’s website exactly?

• Did you receive a blank email with long hyperlinks and no further information or context?

• Does the email contain a hyperlink that has a misspelling of a well-known website, such as Microsoft?

• Is the sender’s email from a suspicious external domain, like micorsoft-support[dot]com rather than microsoft[dot]com?

If you notice anything about the email that alarms you, do not click links, open attachments, or reply.

Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on October 14th.  Here’s a good read on how to prepare to move needed information to a new computer running Windows 11, or Microsoft’s extended security updates if you are not ready to upgrade:  https://cyberguy.com/windows/windows-10-support-ends-upgrade-windows-11-safely/

MTCO digiMAX is adding the new TV channel, WEST, to its lineup on TV channel 223.

The channel offers a deep catalog of over 30 iconic Western series, featuring some of the most celebrated programs in television history. The lineup includes timeless shows like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Maverick, Rawhide, The Wild Wild West, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Virginian, Wagon Train, The Big Valley, Cheyenne, Bronco, Sugarfoot, Lancer, Daniel Boone, and Colt .45, among others.