Elkridge Secures High School Land | 2026-07-19

Sunday morning: isolated rain showers then mostly sunny, high near 85 degrees. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph.

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Howard County has secured the land for Elkridge's first-ever high school. It's a milestone for a community that has grown for years without a high school built specifically for it. Howard County Public Schools hasn't released a construction timeline or an opening date yet. The land deal is the first concrete step, the next thing to watch for is when HCPSS brings a design and construction schedule to the school board. For now, Elkridge families still send their kids to high schools outside the immediate community; a new building would change that.

County Executive Calvin Ball signed three bills into law covering the county's historic jail, the Interfaith Advisory Commission, and affordable housing. One bill sets a plan in motion to transform the historic jail building downtown. Another formally establishes the Interfaith Advisory Commission. A third updates the county's affordable housing rules. Timelines for the jail conversion and the new housing standards haven't been released yet.

Angeli's Pizzeria is opening a new location in Ellicott City. It'll be the pizzeria's first spot in the historic district, adding another pizza option to the Main Street area. No opening date has been announced yet, worth keeping an eye on if you're a regular in the EC restaurant rotation.

Over on r/HowardCountyMD, a thread asking where to find a good soft-shell crab sandwich in HoCo blew up this weekend. Dozens of replies, everybody with their own pick. Classic Maryland-summer debate, and proof that in this county, people take their soft-shell crab seriously.

A tornado watch covered the Baltimore region, including Howard County, during Saturday's severe thunderstorms. Earlier in the week, the county was under a heat advisory as temperatures climbed into the 90s. Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota kept pushing into the region, with air quality warnings lingering through the weekend. Howard County added police presence at three county schools this week after online threats were reported. In Ellicott City, stormwater pond repairs are getting underway as part of ongoing infrastructure work. County Executive Calvin Ball opened a third flood mitigation project under the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan. Howard County Finance wants residents signed up for digital property tax notices, details at howardcountymd.gov. Columbia's Fourth of July drone show was canceled last month due to FAA flight restrictions. HCPSS is rolling out updates to its five-year special education strategic plan, including new coaching and support roles. At the Elkridge library branch today, a certified peer recovery specialist from the county Health Department is on hand from 11:30 to 5. Also in Elkridge, a Play Partners session for infants and toddlers runs at 9:30 this morning. At the Savage branch, a summer science program for kids ages 3 to 5 runs at 10. East Columbia's library hosts a Stitches and Stories craft session at 10, followed by a bilingual Spanish-English story time at 10:30.

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That's the brief for Sunday, July 19th. Full newsletter and archive at hocobrief.com, that's also where you can send tips. See you tomorrow.