🌱 Patch AM: How will The Laurel Center’s makeover change support for Winchester survivors?

Hi Winchester! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How will The Laurel Center’s makeover change support for Winchester survivors?
• Why a Clarke County wine heist now has a global manhunt
• How a Route 522 school bus crash affected local families Monday

Also on today's calendar: Serenity Service and 9 more events.

And lastly, we have a post from a neighbor, Dale S.!

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Winchester? Post it to Winchester photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Partly sunny and not as cold, with a high of 39 and low of 25 degrees.
• Wednesday: Not as cold, temps: high: 50, low: 25.
• Thursday: Rather cloudy, with a high of 49 and low of 41 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• HomeAid Completes $165K Renovation at The Laurel Center (thewinchestergazette.com) — Survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Winchester will now access services in a significantly upgraded Empowerment Center at The Laurel Center, thanks to a $165,000 renovation. The project added new offices, accessibility upgrades, and refreshed interiors, while The Railway Café space also received improvements to better support job training and community use.
   

• Second Suspect Identified in L'Auberge Provençale Wine Theft (thewinchestergazette.com) — Clarke County deputies have identified a second suspect, Serbian national Nikola Krndija, in the high-end wine theft at L'Auberge Provençale and issued three felony warrants with nationwide extradition. With one co-defendant already charged, authorities near Winchester are asking the public’s help to locate Krndija and recover the remaining rare Burgundy bottles.
   

• School Bus from Warren County Involved in Route 522 Crash (thewinchestergazette.com) — A Warren County school bus carrying 10 elementary students crashed with a pickup on Route 522 at Chester Gap Road, sending eight children and both drivers to area hospitals with minor injuries. No life-threatening injuries were reported, and Virginia State Police continue to investigate as this regional incident affects families and commuters around the greater Winchester area.
   

📸 Around Winchester

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

NEW: Like a shout-out or pic? Click the heart!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Winchester

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Wednesday December 17

• No Business & Breakfast for December
  Top of Virginia Regional Chamber , 407 S Loudoun St , Winchester
• WASHRM Winter Social
  Winchester Country Club , 1300 Senseny Rd , Winchester
  5:00 pm

Thursday December 18

• Business after Hours Mixer | The George Washington - A Wyndham Grand Hotel
  The George Washington - A Wyndham Grand Hotel , 103 E. Piccadilly Street , Winchester
  5:30 pm
• Rotary Club of the Northern Shenandoah Valley
  Region's 117 (Skyline Room) , 180 Bald Eagle Dr , Lake Frederick
  6:00 pm
• Serenity Service
  2161 Brucetown Rd, Clear Brook, VA, 22624
  7:00 pm
• Antique Silver & Brass Restoration Services: THURSDAY 10-4
  6830 Elm St, Suite 9, McLean, VA, 22101
  10:00 pm

Friday December 19

• Gift Ideas at Eugene B. Smith Gallery
  Eugene B. Smith Gallery
  10:00 am
• Esports Open House
  The Youth Development Center , 302 South Loudoun Street , Winchester
  6:30 pm
• Big Hair, Bright Lights & Spank the 80's
  Backseat Events , 114 Full House Drive , Winchester
  8:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Bitcoin Brunch
  Water Street Kitchen , 2 S Loudoun St , Winchester
  10:00 am

Sunday December 21

• "Silent Was The Night" A Christmas Cantata
  Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 2732 Martinsburg Pike, Stephenson, VA, 22656
  3:00 pm

Wednesday December 24

• Christmas Eve Service
  2732 Martinsburg Pike , Stephenson
  7:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Winchester PatchAM possible:

• Sparkling squad — (154) 032-7823
  Cleaning services
• Sparkling Squad — (550) 327-8233
  Cleaning services
• Plumbing Services | No Dispatch Fees | AllTech Services — (703) 495-3466
  No Dispatch Fees for Plumbing Services!
• Light of Lotus Massage Therapy — (540) 335-5258
  Mobile massage therapy
• FREE Water Testing - JR Snider Water Care & Plumbing — (703) 454-8921
  JR Snider – Your Local Water Care & Plumbing Experts

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Please help me find my dog .
  His name is Buddy. He is friendly and responds very well to his name. Any information would be really helpful. Thank you! https://neighbors.ring.com… (Nextdoor Winchester City West)
• A crash has been cleared on US-522 northbound at the West Virginia state line in Frederick County.
  10:55AM on Dec 14: All northbound and southbound travel lanes on US-522 at the West Virginia state line in Frederick County are closed. (Nextdoor )

• Home Depot (Retail) posted a job opening for Freight/Receiving in Winchester. Apply here.
• UniFirst posted a job opening for Warehouse Unloader/Loader - UniFirst in Winchester. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Winchester here.

🗞 Nearby News

Berryville

• Second suspect identified in Clarke County wine heist (winchesterstar.com)
• Celebrating Eventing Successes at the 2025 USEA Year-End Awards… (useventing.com)

Strasburg

• Strasburg's running game blows past Glenvar to claim school's first state football championship (cardinalnews.org)

Ok Winchester! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook