Laurel marks 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with ceremony, wreath-laying

Laurel held a remembrance ceremony at the Laurel Municipal Center to mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, honoring victims, first responders and military members. The event included remarks from city officials and a performance by the Laurel High School Choir.

Mayor Keith Sidnor, a navy veteran as noted during the program, urged the community to remember service and sacrifice: "Let's take care of our veterans, our 1st responders, our ... families." The ceremony concluded with a walk to the memorial garden, a wreath-laying at a memorial that includes a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center, and the raising of a POW/MIA flag.

The program emphasized intergenerational remembrance and civic education: officials said the ceremony aims to "teach generations born after September 11 what happened that day and why it matter[s]." The remembrance was framed as a community event open to residents and concluded with a reading of 'Old Glory.'