Winston Churchill High School field hockey player Laura Jablonover founded Project Happy Feet, a nonprofit that offers people living in low-income communities equal access to athletic equipment. The organization started by collecting more than 80 pairs of shoes, which were recycled by a third-party charity. Project Happy Feet has received donations and is collecting shoe donations at Churchill and at Thomas S. Wootton High School.

Earlier this school year, Churchill’s Athletic Coordinator Jesse Smith shared the following: “How can we make athletic opportunities more accessible to student-athletes in low-income areas?” Winston Churchill field hockey player Laura Jablonover wondered after attending a summer camp in Washington, DC, where she saw several schools in low-income districts. Laura, determined to help fix the problem, founded Project Happy Feet, a nonprofit that offers low-income communities equal access to athletic equipment. Over the summer, Project Happy Feet collected over 80 pairs of shoes, which were then recycled by a third-party charity. Project Happy Feet will also receive more than $90 to donate to schools in the following week. Additionally, Project Happy Feet has placed boxes in the main offices of Winston Churchill High School and Thomas Wootton High School for students to contribute and donate shoes. Boxes will soon be added to places such as gyms and sportsplex. However, if you are not looking to donate shoes, Project Happy Feet is holding a bake sale this week to gather funds for advertisements and boxes. Laura aims to grow Project Happy Feet and give a great number of student-athletes equal opportunities to play the sports they love.


A driver struck a pedestrian at approximately 5:30pm on River Rd. at Newbridge Drive in Potomac on Monday evening, according to our public safety reporter Cordell Pugh. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services PIO Pete Piringer tweeted the following at 5:37pm, “River Road and Newbridge Drive, collision, involves pedestrian”.

According to Pugh, the pedestrian has been “transported to an area Trauma Center with serious injuries. Scene being held with River Road closed.” Alert Montgomery sent out the following Severe Traffic Alert at 6:32pm: “Collision reconstruction investigation closes both directions of River Rd (MD 190) at Newbridge Dr. This may be an extended incident. Expect significant delays. Seek an alternate route.” Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division are investigating an armed bank robbery that occurred on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, in the 9800 block of Falls Rd. in Potomac. Detectives have released surveillance photos of the male suspect and asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him. At approximately 11:05 a.m., 1st District officers responded to the location for the report of a bank robbery.

The investigation has revealed that the suspect entered the bank, approached the teller windows, displayed a black handgun and demanded money. The tellers handed over an undisclosed amount of money to the suspect who then left the scene. Detectives reviewed the bank surveillance video and obtained a description of the suspect.


Avenel Equestrian Center supporters have started a petition to save the facility and barn that they consider central to the Avenel neighborhood’s identity. According to the petition, which has garnered over 1,600 signatures as of November 6th, “WSSC has terminated the longstanding lease with the Equestrian Operator, effective December 1, 2023. The continuation of the Equestrian Facilities was contemplated and addressed in various recorded agreements since WSSC took ownership of the property. In good faith, and despite receiving no formal notice from WSSC relating to the lease termination, The Avenel Community Association, and Natelli Communities (successor to Rock Run, Avenel’s original developer) corresponded and met with WSSC officials, requesting that they reconsider their position and delay termination of the lease. Such a delay would provide the opportunity for constructive discussions between interested parties to identify a path forward that preserves the continued use of the Equestrian Facilities.” The full petition can be seen below:

Please consider joining efforts to preserve the use of the Equestrian Facility and Barn that is central to Avenel’s identity and a significant historic feature in PotomacTo the Residents of The Avenel Community, Residents of Potomac, Maryland and other Interested Parties Concerning the Termination of the Lease for the Equestrian Facility by WSSC: The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is the owner of approximately 170 acres of property within the Avenel community.


EDENS and the Cabin John Village shopping center (11325 Seven Locks Rd. Potomac, MD) will be hosting a “Winter Wonderland” event on Sunday, December 3rd at the Community Green Space.

Per the event listing, “Bundle up and join us at Cabin John Village for a day of fun for all ages! Hot chocolate, live music, kids crafts + games+ more! Be sure to visit the special Milk Lady Holiday Farmer’s Market from 10am – 3pm. Support the community: bring a brand-new, unwrapped toy for the MHP Toy Drive.”


Lock 72 has closed permanently after 7 years at 10128 River Rd in Potomac’s Potomac Village shopping center. The restaurant is listed as permanently closed on Google, no longer listed on the RW Restaurant Group website, the phone number is no longer operational, and all of the social media accounts have been deactivated. The restaurant also had a scheduled auction for its contents, which has since been postponed.

The restaurant was purchased by the Robert Wiedmaier group in 2016 when the name changed from The Tavern at River Falls to Lock 72, Kitchen & Bar in 2916. The name Lock72 comes from one of the locks on the C&O Canal, which are numbered 1 through 75. The locks were used to help barges make their way along the canal, which runs from Georgetown in DC to Cumberland, Maryland. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


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