I saw a new episode a few weeks ago. I must say, I had to do a double take because this new Loonette looks an awful lot like the original, but the mannerisms and voice aren't the same.
It would take some getting used to the new actress, but as they say, nothing is the same as the original. I'm sure she was chosen as the best Loonette out of many, so we've got to give her that credit.
As for clown town...I heard somewhere that Loonette has gotten older too, so now she's allowed to go into town (supervised, of course)
How cool is that? She's growing up!