A Broom for Christmas, And It's Awesome | Patch PM

Stories worth talking about tonight:

Engineering Student Builds Replica of Harry Potter Broom

Harry Potter fans worldwide ought to be a little envious of Shelby Stein, a George Mason University (GMU) student whose boyfriend Jared Weissman, also a GMU student, surprised her on Christmas with a perfect gift for a Harry Potter fan: a “Nimbus 2000” that he built for her.

“I‘ve been a huge Harry Potter fan for years and love collecting prop replicas and memorabilia so my boyfriend Jared Weissman, of 5 years, spent 3 weeks making me this broom by hand, from scratch,” Stein said. “He gave it to me on Christmas morning all wrapped up like it is in the movie when Harry receives it!” >>>see more pics.

News Van Burglarized During Anti-Robbery Press Conference

Irony alert: A news crew team’s car was ransacked Wednesday during a press conference announcing the formation of a task force to combat robberies in DC, according to WJLA-TV.

The WJLA-TV news team’s car window was smashed in, and items were taken, they reported, during a news conference being held by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser about crime in the city. Police Chief Cathy Lanier joined the mayor at the news conference. >>>read more.

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Your Odds of Winning Powerball Jackpot

• The largest lottery jackpot in nearly a year, even with slim odds, is enticing Virginia residents to buy tickets.

Dulles Airport Garage Walkway to Close Temporarily

• The pedestrian walkway to Washington Dulles International Airport will close starting on Jan. 11 to facilitate Silver Line construction.

McLean Ranks Near Top of Nation for Credit Card Debt

• McLean is in the top 10 communities nationwide and #1 in Virginia for having the most substantial credit card debt, CardHub says.

Patch PM shares a few of the day’s must-read items from our Virginia and D.C. network. The Patch community platform covers 31 communities across the region.