BY KATIE V. JONES

With a new year fast approaching, I took a moment to look over the events of 2023 as reported in The Laurel Independent. There was news: a new medical center opened, a former police chief was convicted of arson, the city’s Department of Public Works formed a union, a new mayor was elected and there were celebrations — Laurel Community Garden turned 10, the farmers market returned to Main Street, and the Laurel Multiservice Center opened. The paper  also brought you features on a number of nonprofits, festivals and local businesses.

We rely on the Laurel community to fill our pages; volunteer writers submit stories, and local businesses purchase ad space. Now, we are asking our readers to help us in our fundraising efforts, too.

The Laurel Independent and its umbrella nonprofit, Streetcar Suburbs Publishing, are participating in NewsMatch, a fundraising initiative sponsored by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN). Now through Dec. 31, INN will match all donations to The Laurel Independent up to $13,000. Our goal for local donations this year is $15,000.

With additional funding, we hope to expand our coverage of government and education developments, fulfill our goal of adding Spanish-language content and to bring  hyperlocal news to every home in Laurel, every month.

You can donate online right here, or you can send a check to Streetcar Suburbs Publishing, P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, Md. 20781.

We look forward to serving you in 2024, and for many years to come!

Katie V. Jones, managing editor
The Laurel Independent