Ellicott City, A Decade After The Flood - Howard County Brief 2026-07-23

Thursday morning: sunny, high near 81 degrees. North wind 1 to 5 mph.

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In neighboring Anne Arundel County, the Board of Education heard emotional testimony this week over student cellphone use in classrooms. The testimony came during a Tuesday meeting focused on screen time and phone restrictions during the school day. It's the latest school system in the region weighing limits on phones during class.

A swim school in Columbia is teaching children with autism water safety skills, with lessons built around each child's needs. The program aims to give kids and parents more confidence in the water this summer.

Ellicott City is getting another creative community space: a new art cafe opening in town, according to the Baltimore Sun. It joins a run of small creative businesses opening on and around Main Street as the historic district keeps rebuilding its business mix.

Howard County's Summer Restaurant and Craft Beverage Weeks return Monday, July 27th, and run through August 9th, with restaurants around the county taking part. At the Howard County Library, the Savage Branch has a program for kids ages three to six this morning at 9:30, followed by Babysitting 101 at 10. At the East Columbia Branch, there's a toddler program for ages two to three at 10:30 this morning.

In Laurel, Howard County officials are highlighting proposed safety improvements at a busy intersection, aimed at cutting down crashes. In Columbia, the county celebrated the opening of Phase Six of Blandair Regional Park, adding trails and green space. In Ellicott City, the county is looking to sell some of the historic buildings it bought up to reduce flood risk. The Baltimore Banner profiled Howard County Council District 1 this week, looking at who represents the district. In Montgomery County, a council committee voted unanimously to recommend an 18 month pause on new data centers and adopted a formal definition for large facilities. County Executive Calvin Ball's legislation expanding the senior tax credit and extending the Aging in Place tax break remains in effect for Howard County homeowners. Baltimore Fishbowl caught up with Nick Schauman of The Local Oyster for a Baker's Dozen interview on food and favorites. Baltimore County police released more details on Tuesday's school bus crash in Parkville, which involved two other cars. Riders with mobility issues say Metro's Red Line shuttle buses are hard to board, after steps replaced ramps. In DC this weekend, Lavender Con and the Craft2Wear market are on WTOP's list of things to do.

In market beat: a condo at 8625 Andrew Ellicott Court, Unit 8, in Ellicott City is on the market now, according to Realtor dot com. It's in the 21043 zip code, right in the historic district that's been rebuilding since the flood.

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