IN OUR COMMUNITY

Celebrate the flavors, families, and traditions that make Washington home. Roots & Recipes: Tales and Tastes from Washington’s Kitchens is a community collection honoring the stories and recipes that have been shared for generations.

Available for purchase in person at the Washington Chamber of Commerce office at 105 S Spruce St., on the 2nd floor of the Washington Park District, only during office hours of Monday-Wednesday 9:30am-11:30am. For quick pick-up downstairs, please submit the below form or call (309) 444-9921 to place an order. Quantities are limited – secure your copy today at https://washingtonilcoc.com/cookbook/

The Washington Winter Walkabout is a community-wide, family-friendly event that encourages community members to bundle up and get out of the house to visit local businesses or offices on a hunt to find winter-themed signage! Walkabout sheets are turned in for a chance to win prizes.

This event is ideal for businesses seeking to increase community visibility, drive foot traffic to their location, and showcase their brand in a fun, family-friendly setting. There is no charge to be a participating business for this event. As a participating business, we will provide a winter-themed sign that will be hung in your business window for players to easily see. If you are interested in sponsoring this event for $50, you can find more information on the added benefits

We’re excited to announce the Grand Opening of The ROAR!! January 21st from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The ROAR is a new after-school hangout for the students at Beverly Manor school. Each Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., students can take a break after school and have fun in our youth room–ping pong, air hockey, an arcade machine, snacks, games, and more! Students can stop by for 15 minutes or for the whole time–it’s up to them.

The program is hosted at Faith Lutheran Church by a group of our church members. Volunteers are vetted and background checked to ensure your child’s safety.

Follow our page for more information and updates on our program as we get closer to our grand opening.

Questions can be directed to Nick or Lory at family@shareourfaith.org 

The MAGIC OF MOTOWN is coming to the Caterpillar Performing Arts Center at Five Points Washington! The event will be held on January 31st at 7:30 p.m.

This highly-acclaimed show features all of your favorite hits! Hailed by critics and audiences alike, it has established a reputation as being “the #1 Motown show in the country.” It is quite simply, “more than two hours of Detroit city magic!”

You’ll enjoy The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and all of the legends! The show’s pitch perfect harmonies, dynamic choreography, & costuming perfectly captures the sights and sound of Motown!

Whether you choose to sway in your seat or spend the night up on your feet, this will be one great night of music you won’t want to miss. It perfectly captures America’s most beloved songbook!

Look out, Washington, ‘cause here we come!

Buy tickets at www.fivepointswashington.org or call the box office at 309-444-8222! 

The general public is invited to attend the 2026 Tazewell County Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Forum at Five Points Washington on Thursday, January 15th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Scheduled to participate are candidates Darren Bailey, Ted Dabrowski, and James Mendrick. This forum will be moderated by Tazewell County’s own Dean Kaisner who has moderated many important local and statewide forums and debates in the past.

Firing J.B. Pritzker is critical to restoring integrity and sanity back to Illinois government, and these candidates are vying to win the Republican nomination in the March 17th, 2026 General Primary election to advance to the November ballot to win the Illinois Governor seat.

There is a maximum occupancy of 1000 attendees at the Five Points Washington auditorium and admission is free. If time permits, there will be a short Meet & Greet following the forum.

Questions? Contact Chairman@tazewellgop.org.

Join in at Five Points Washington every 1st Tuesday (January 6th) 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.

Belkin’s new device, ConnectAir, lets you cast from any USB-C device to any screen. It’s a compact, plug-and-play device with no need for an app, driver, or Wi-Fi. Simply plug the USB-C transmitter into your laptop, tablet, or phone, and plug the HDMI receiver into your TV, monitor, or projector screen to start sharing. The HDMI receiver requires access to a USB-A port for power. 

The ConnectAir will be available in early-to-mid 2026 and will cost $150.

MotorTrend, MTCO channel 552, will become Discovery Turbo on January 9, 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.

Many of us think about whether we need to investigate the privacy or security settings on our devices and apps but often don’t know where to find the specific setting.  Use the links on this Stay Safe Online website to quickly find where to check your security settings on Amazon, Venmo, credit cards, Gmail, Facebook, Netflix, and many more: https://www.staysafeonline.org/articles/manage-your-privacy-settings

Test your online safety knowledge by taking this quick   and fun educational phishing quiz.  Each sample will give you insight as to whether the sample is legitimate or a phishing attempt:  https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/ 

Get Ready for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics!

The world’s biggest winter sports event is almost here! Starting February 6, 2026, watch every thrilling moment—from alpine skiing to ice hockey to all the impact—right from your living room on digiMAX TV.

Here’s a great article with 10 cybersecurity resolutions to lower your risk and protect your digital life: https://cyberguy.com/security/10-simple-cybersecurity-resolutions-safer-2026/