Columbia Heat Advisory & Snowden Theater Closing

Sunday morning: chance showers and thunderstorms, high near 85 degrees. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph.

Good morning, it's Sunday, August 2nd. Howard County's under a heat advisory today, so we'll get you the details on that first. The Mall in Columbia is rolling out paid parking near Restaurant Row starting tomorrow. The Snowden movie theater in Columbia is closing for good today. And a Green Party candidate just jumped into the race for County Executive. Let's get into it.

Howard County is under a heat advisory today, the county health department announced, in response to high temperatures. The National Weather Service has Sunday running hot and unsettled: a high near 85, with showers and thunderstorms likely through the afternoon into evening, and rain chances near 90 percent overnight. Half an inch to three quarters of an inch of rain is possible during the day, with an inch or more possible overnight. Heat advisories mean the combination of temperature and humidity will make it feel hotter and more dangerous to be outside for extended periods, especially during peak afternoon hours. If you've got outdoor plans today, at the Lakefront, at the arts open studio market, or elsewhere, factor in both the heat and the afternoon storm chances. The advisory is in effect for today. Check howardcountymd.gov for updates on when it lifts.

Nater Kane has announced a Green Party run for Howard County Executive, setting up a fall challenge to the winner of June's Democratic primary. Kane says he decided to run after seeing the primary results, arguing the winning Democratic candidate was the only primary candidate who skipped the county's Citizens Election Fund and instead raised money from corporations with business before the council. The race adds a third option for voters this November.

The Columbia Snowden movie theater is permanently closing as of today, Sunday, first reported by WMAR 2 News Baltimore. The multiplex sits in the Snowden Square area of Columbia. No word yet on what happens to the space next.

Tonight at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Weird Al Yankovic brings his Bigger and Weirder tour through, with Puddles Pity Party opening, gates at 6, show at 7:30. This afternoon, HoCo Arts hosts a Resident Artists Open Studio Market, with painters, printmakers and fashion designers opening their studios to the public. And if you're planning ahead, the Howard County school system is taking applications for its new Policy Advisory Committee through August 21st, a two-year commitment that replaces the old system of multiple advisory committees.

In Columbia, the Mall in Columbia adds paid parking near Restaurant Row and Main Event starting Monday, about 120 spaces. Marking ten years since the deadly 2016 Ellicott City flood, the county is still building a flood-prevention tunnel downtown. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball is urgently seeking volunteers for the county's new Multimodal Transportation Board. Howard County has joined the Dementia Friendly America Network, Ball announced this week. At the Elkridge library branch today, a certified peer recovery specialist meets with residents from 11:30 to 5. At the Glenwood library branch, a Senior Planet class covers anti-virus and malware removal from 10 to 11 this morning. Also at Elkridge, the Read, Think, Talk discussion group meets tonight from 6:30 to 7:45. At the Howard County Welcome Center in Ellicott City, the Paint It open paint exhibit runs through August 23. At the Arts Council, watercolorist Jing-Jy Chen and painter Chris Rapa show new work through August 30 in Nature in Two Voices. An exhibit from artist Nishita Jain and her students is on view through September 25. And the Columbia Concert Band debuts on the new Lakefront stage in Columbia tonight.

What I keep coming back to today is how much is changing in Columbia without much warning. The Snowden theater closing and the mall adding paid parking near Restaurant Row, that's two pieces of the mall district shifting inside a week. And then you've got a heat advisory keeping everyone cautious anyway, on a day packed with outdoor stuff, the Lakefront concert, the arts open studio market. Feels like a good weekend to check the forecast twice before you commit to plans.

That's the brief for today. Full stories and links live at hocobrief.com, along with the newsletter and the archive if you've got a tip to send. Thanks for starting your morning with us. See you next time.