These short bits of history tend to pile up as I do more research on various topics. Unless otherwise credited, all quotes are from the Laurel Leader. 1918 In March, the Leader reported that “Mayor George W. Waters, Jr., who has been confined to his home with a severe cold for a week, is again able to be out.” 1923 In December, the Laurel Boys’ Fife and Drum Corps was organized under the direction of Walter D. Lanahan. The Corps was composed of boys from every church in Laure

Mark Opsasnick’s incredibly researched book, Rock the Potomac, is chock-full of stories and biographies of the people and groups who were part of the history of rock ‘n roll and country music in the DMV. “Rock the Patuxent” provides excerpts from the book that highlight the greater Laurel area. Radio station WLMD in Laurel, where Cathy Ponton King worked as news director in the late 1970s. (Top photo: John Mewshaw. Bottom photo: Laurel History Boys Collection) Cathy Ponton Ki

(Photo: Department of Defense) “No other event … is likely to have … a greater impact on the Agency’s security program.” — NSA study (1963) In 2013, when Edward Snowden leaked thousands of documents detailing the inner workings of the National Security Agency (NSA), the reaction and outrage from the government was later summed up by former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who said, “We had a cyber Pearl Harbor. His name was Edward Snowden.” Snowden initially fled to Hong Kon

Did you know that greater Laurel is a hotbed of dinosaur and early mammal species? Just look down—fossils may be under your feet in your own yard. (Photo: Natural History Society of Maryland) Dinosaur Park in Laurel Just a short distance from downtown Laurel and the Patuxent Research Refuge is Dinosaur Park off Contee Road near U.S. Route 1. The Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) owns an

From North Carolina to York, Pennsylvania (Above): A portrait of Jonathan Jessop, the Quaker leader, engineer, and namesake of Jessup, Maryland; a map he drew as a young boy depicting the March 15, 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse, fought around his family’s North Carolina farm. Jessop’s remarkable life also included careers as a clockmaker, bridge designer, B&O Railroad superintendent, horticulturist, and a figure closely connected to the early abolitionist movement. (Cour

Years ago, promotional items like these were a common way for businesses to advertise. Restaurants, bars, and other local establishments often gave customers free ashtrays, matchbooks, and calendars featuring their name and logo. As a kid, I assumed taking an ashtray from a restaurant was stealing. One day, after I slipped one into my pocket, a waitress caught me. Instead of getting me in trouble, she smiled and told me it was perfectly fine—they were meant to be taken as sou

Photos courtesy of Jim Clash Minot, North Dakota (population 50,000) is home to the U.S. Air Force 91st Missile Wing. Buried deep in the ground there are 150 nuclear-tipped missiles, which, if launched, could destroy a good chunk of the world’s population. I traveled to Minot awhile back to visit an underground bunker there, in which two young men sit ready to turn keys to launch those missiles, and the silos where the underground missiles are housed. Both complexes are locat

53rd Annual LVFD Joint Memorial Day Service Members of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) were honored to once again host the Annual LVFD Joint Memorial Day Service on May 25. The event brought together members of the Laurel Volunteer Rescue Squad, American Legion Post 60, and the Laurel Police Department, along with residents from throughout the community. Persistent rainfall throughout the week forced the service to relocate indoors at the Joseph R. Robison Laurel

Summer 2026 Brian Bennett, 43 City of Laurel employee Brian Bennett died on April 19, 2026, as the result of a car accident. He was the son of Bob and Eileen Bennett, who raised him and his sister, Diane, in Laurel. He spent most of his life in Laurel and was known for being the quarterback at St. Vincent Pallotti High School. With a lifelong love of football and golf, he remained active in sports long after high school and college, forming lasting friendships through athleti

By Diane Mezzanotte, Wednesday, June 23, 2026 At last night’s in-person Laurel City Council meeting, Council President Brencis Smith told the audience, “A lot of passion has been going on. Please don’t mistake that for dysfunction.” It was a good segue to what followed, as Mayor Keith Sydnor found himself once again explaining his perspective on two proposed programs that yielded questions, concerns, and a divided vote from the council. Selbourne House Rental Assistance Propo

IN A NUTSHELL: The Laurel City Council passed an amended version of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, 3–2 with no abstentions, but Mayor Keith Sydnor non-concurred and reserved the right to veto. At issue was one line item that would fund a $1 million housing assistance program administered by local non-profit group LARS. Council members voiced support for the intent of the program but felt that the line item was not introduced properly, and thus adopted an amended budget that re

Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 25, and join us at Laurel Park for our second Voices of Laurel Day at the Races event! The Laurel History Boys and Voices of Laurel team will be under the tent at trackside—join us to enjoy live racing up close just one week before the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Preakness makes its historic debut at Laurel Park. Grants and Donations Thank you to Joan Robison, Marion Hoekstra, Karl Ginter, Amanda Green, Bryan Castro, and

A roundup of local news, events, and announcements Convicted arsonist David Crawford during his time as Laurel Police Chief (File Photo) Former Police Chief Crawford Sentenced in Montgomery County A Montgomery County judge sentenced former Laurel Police Chief David Crawford to 55 years in prison in mid-February 2026. Crawford pled guilty to two counts of first-degree arson and one count of second-degree arson for fires he started at the home of his stepson in 2016, 2017, and

Local news covering the Oldtown area Laurel Cats held a grand opening celebration for its new mobile vet surgery service on March 4. (Photo: Caitlin Lewis) The Cat’s Meow: Laurel Cats Builds on Success with New Way to Help Cat Owners In 2012, Oldtown resident Helen Woods and a small group of volunteers saw a need in Laurel: the feral cat population was huge, with feral cat colonies all over Laurel, and the main method for dealing with the excess cats was euthanasia. Woods con

Local news covering the North Laurel, Savage, and Scaggsville areas Howard County Executive Calvin Ball holds a press conference to announce plans for mixed-income houses in North Laurel. (Photo: Manny Locke Jr./WMAR) Photo: Team USA North Laurel is Home to Olympic Bobsledder Bryan Sosoo, a Laurel native, made his Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy as a push athlete in four-man bobsled. A 2014 graduate of Reservoir High School, Sosoo was a track standout at Monmo

Local news covering the Russett and Maryland City areas Columnist Brenda Zeigler-Riley with Catherine’s owner Donovan Vassell. (Photo courtesy of Brenda Zeigler-Riley) Catherine’s Restaurant Draws Crowds to Corridor Marketplace Have you ever had Italian-Caribbean food? I recently had dinner at Catherine’s Restaurant, located in Corridor Marketplace. The restaurant was packed; however, my 6 pm reservation was honored. (I advise that reservations be made, especially if dining

Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor The Laurel Manor Recreation Center in The Villages, Florida, is named after Laurel Park Racecourse. (Photo: Diane Mezzanotte) The “Six Degrees of Laurel, Maryland” Most of us are familiar with the social science theory called the “six degrees of separation.” (Think Kevin Bacon and that American Express commercial.) I have come to believe that there is also a “Six Degrees of Laur

Local news covering the West Laurel and Burtonsville areas The newly renovated Burger King in Burtonsville. (Photo: Russ Geis) Nationwide Policy Actions Can Have Local and Personal Impacts A recent action by the U.S. Government has hit close to home in West Laurel. The current administration sought to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Haitian nationals living in the United States under protective status because of the dangerous situation in their home

When Laurel Park is converted into a training center in a year or two upon completion of the renovation at Pimlico, the racetrack’s extraordinary history will come to a close. Over its 115-year existence, the track has seen numerous Triple Crown winners and for 43 years was host to the Washington, DC International, the most prestigious international race in the world. Horse racing wasn’t the only spectacular event that took place at the racetrack, as shown in the timeline bel

Site Will Host Significantly Scaled-Down Preakness in May Photo: Richard Friend Hold on to your fancy hats and mind your bets, horse racing fans, big changes are again expected to impact Laurel Park. Following the ups and downs of the fate of Laurel’s storied racetrack has become like a ride on a merry-go-round: up with the news of much needed renovations to both historic race tracks; down with the news of Laurel Park’s closing and demolition; up with the news of the 151st ru