Scaring up a little Halloween spirit

VILLAGE OF WHITEHOUSE, Ohio - With Halloween coming up, people all over the Toledo area are finding ways to celebrate the festive spirit of the evening.

Businesses in Downtown Whitehouse and in the Shops at Blue Creek are working together to put on the village's Halloween Happenings event. The citywide event, which will have a pumpkin decorating contest, trick-or-treat stands provided by local businesses and decorative store fronts, goes from 6pm to 8pm.

While businesses in the city will have decorated stations to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, the main event of the evening is the pumpkin decorating contest.

People at the event can submit their carved or decorated pumpkins to the Village Park Shelter house between 3pm and 5pm that Saturday. Pumpkins can be entered in one of two categories: scariest and most comical.

For full details on the judging, look at the official flier or go to the Whitehouse Chamber of Commerce Web site .

The KLucas County Sheriff's Department are combining forces and resources with Security Detection Central and Springfield Local School Administration to put on the Safe Halloween candy screening effort.

The event will use X-ray machines and metal detectors to scan candy and other items trick-or-treaters bring to the event to ensure the items are safe. The event will take place Halloween night, Saturday Oct., 31, and will run from 6-9 p.m.

The screenings will be held at two locations: Juvenile Justice Complex lobby at 801 Spielbusch Ave., in Downtown Toledo; and Halloway Elementary School, 6611 Pilliod Rd. in Maumee.

Another way to make sure Halloween is safe for all trick-or-treaters is for people to inspect the candy and treats before giving them out.

Lucas County Sheriff deputies who will be operating the machines during the screening will be handing out additional treats to those who get their candy scanned at the event.