.@HoCoGov Dept. of General Services has begun exterior design & rehab work to the existing cupola & exterior façade of @HoCoRec's The Capitoline Center, located at 8360 Court Ave, #EllicottCityMD. Work includes repairs to the attic area & cupola, window & shutter restoration, & repairs to locally sourced granite walls. Design work is anticipated to take 3-4 months to complete & following its completion, the rehab work is expected to commence & weather permitting, should be completed by fall 2027. To learn more about this project #HoCoMD, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10192….

Our Office of Human Rights & Equity's (OHRE) Community Ambassador Program is a volunteer initiative aimed at equipping #HoCoMD residents w/ the tools, training, & knowledge they need to help their neighbors access vital @HoCoGov services. If you are motivated by service & want to make a positive impact on your fellow community members, join OHRE's Community Ambassador Program this Wednesday, 10/21, 6 p.m. at @HoCoCommunity's East Columbia 50+ Center for its next monthly mtg featuring @HCDFRS & @HoCoOEM personnel who will discuss the County’s approach to fire & life safety & emergency mgmt. To attend this FREE event, visit eventbrite.com/e/community-a… to register.

While @HoCoOEM continues to monitor today's wx, OEM reminds #HoCoMD of the importance of staying weather aware. You can do so by making sure emergency alerts are activated on your cell (ready.gov/alerts) & by subscribing to weather alerts thru @NWS 's website at weather.gov/enterprise. Can also tune to your local TV/radio news station for up-to-date forecast. (3/3)

.@HoCoRec reminds #HoCoMD park goers that its 8 regional parks (Blandair, Centennial, Cedar Lane, Rockburn, Savage, Schooley Mill, Troy, & Western) are equipped w/ an outdoor lightning alert system. Anytime a system senses lightning w/in 10 miles of its designated park, the system's horn & light go off for 15-sec, notifying park visitors that all in-park activities, incl' games & practices, must immediately cease & shelter sought. Once lightning is no longer a threat, the horn will sound in 3 5-sec bursts to alert visitors that activities may resume. (2/3)

WEATHER ALERT: @NWS_BaltWash has issued a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH for #HoCoMD, effect until 8 pm, 10/16. Threat of isolated hail up to 1/2" in size possible, widespread wind gusts up to 70 mph likely, & a couple tornadoes possible w/ this watch. REMEMBER, #WhenThunderRoarsGoIndoors! T-storms can produce deadly lightning capable of striking up to 10 miles away. So, if you hear thunder, you are likely w/in striking distance of the storm, even if it’s not raining where you are. For more info abt lightning safety, visit @NWS's website at weather.gov/safety/lightning. (1/3)

QUICK REMINDER for #HoCoMD residents living in @HoCoRecycles' newest "Feed the Green Bin" curbside food scrap collection program expanded zone in #EllicottCityMD & #MarriottsvilleMD, TODAY, 10/16 is the FINAL day to sign up to get your bin. If you live in the new expanded zone & are interested in participating in this program, visit @HoCoGov's "Feed The Green Bin" webpage at feedthegreenbin.org to sign-up. For ?s &/or more info, call 410-313-6444 or email [email protected].

In celebration of our #America250, @HoCoGovExec invites all to join him Saturday, 11/7 for a #HoCo250 Drone Show event at the #ColumbiaMD Lakefront at 10275 Wincopin Circle. The festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. & will feature food trucks, a video celebrating the official opening of the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Monument at Vivian C. “Millie” Bailey Park, live music, & an ~15-minute drone show starting just after 7 p.m. To learn more about this free event, check out our "Drone Show" event webpage at howardcountymd.gov/250DroneS…. Please note, on the day of the show, be sure to follow @HoCoRec's Facebook page for event updates; there is no rain date.

.@HoCoGovExec today signed 4 pieces of local legislation that will support the Howard County Arts & Culture Plan, approve BikeHoward 2026, expand the property tax credit for day care providers, & establish a property tax credit for retired Public Safety Officers. To learn more about these pieces of legislation &/or to watch the video from Ball's bill signing press conference #HoCoMD, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10152….

.@HoCoGov Traffic Engineering Division to host a community outreach open house on Wednesday, 10/28, 5-6:30 p.m., in Rooms 346 & 347 of our Office of Aging & Independence’s offices at 9830 Patuxent Woods Dr, #ColumbiaMD, to present traffic calming plans for Stonecutter Rd & Hayshed Ln. The project implements strategies available in the County’s recently updated Howard County Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy, incl' the proposed installation of speed humps, speed hump, a raised crosswalk, & bump outs along Stonecutter Rd & narrowing Hayshed Ln, to combat excessive vehicular speeds along the roadway. To learn more about this open house event & who to contact for ?s #HoCoMD, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10152….

.@HoCoGov's Office of Agriculture (OoA) is NOW accepting applications for its 2027 New & Beginning Farmer (NBF) Program! Launched in 2025, OoA's NBF Program aims to support aspiring farmers as they build profitable & sustainable farm businesses in #HoCoMD by providing access to farmland, shared equipment & greenhouse resources, hands-on production experience, mentorship, & business development support. To learn more about this program &/or to apply, visit OoA's "2027 Howard County Office of Agriculture New and Beginning Farmer Program" SurveyMonkey webpage at surveymonkey.com/r/NBFP2007.

If you are looking to call #HoCoMD home, @HoCoHousing (DHCD) is now accepting applications for its Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) Homeownership Program October open enrollment period. Held quarterly, DHCD’s MIHU Homeownership Program is an inclusionary zoning program that offers quality new homes at reduced sale prices. To learn more about DHCD's MIHU Homeownership Program, visit howardcountymd.gov/DHCD-MIHU…. Applications from this program are due by 4 p.m., 10/30. For ?s, contact DHCD at 410-313-6318 (select option 2) or email [email protected]. DHCD's MIHU Rental Program also offers rental homes at reduced rents to income eligible families. Unlike the MIHU's quarterly Homeownership Program, applicants interested in MIHU rentals can apply directly to participating rental communities at anytime during the year. Please note, MIHUs are rented on a first-come, first-serve basis. To learn more about DCHD's MIHU Rental Program, visit howardcountymd.gov/DHCD-MIHU….

Don't forget, @HoCoRecycles to host its FINAL 2026 document shredding event this Saturday, 10/17. Deemed "The BIG Shred," this Saturday's event will take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (OR TIL the trucks are full) at 4 locations thruout #HoCoMD, where county residents can bring up to 3 bags or boxes of vital documents to be shredded securely onsite. To learn more about The BIG Shred, visit howardcountymd.gov/documents….

.@HoCoGovExec announce launch of an online "Report Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Activity in Howard County" form for residents & @HoCoGov employees to use to report @ICEgov activities in #HoCoMD. On the form, users will be asked to provide the date, approximate time, & location of the observed incident, among other details; reports may be submitted anonymously. To access this form and/or to learn more about the County’s immigration-related policies, check out our "Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Unveils New Tool for Reporting ICE Activity in Howard County" news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10092….

REMINDER #HoCoMD: There are REGULAR curbside trash, recycling, food scraps, & yard trim collections this week; @HoCoRecycles holiday "slide" schedule is NOT in effect even thou @HoCoGov offices were closed yesterday, 10/12 for #IndigenousPeoplesDay. The 6 holidays that do affect curbside collection are: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, & Christmas Day. To learn more about the holiday slide schedule, visit howardcountymd.gov/holidaysc….

REMINDER #HoCoMD: @HoCoGov offices & more are CLOSED this Monday, 10/12 #IndigenousPeoplesDay. There will be REGULAR Monday curbside trash, recycling, yard trim, & food scrap collections on the 12th & @HoCoRecycles Alpha Ridge Landfill will be open. For a complete list of what's open/closed on the 12th, check out our Indigenous Peoples’ Day news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10072….

Did you know walking is Maryland’s official exercise? To help get you moving & grooving this #Walktober, @HoCoHealth & local partners have come together to host a wide range of walking events this month, including Monday Morning Meanderings, Wednesday Walking Group, Sneakers and Coffee, & more. For a full list of activities, be sure to check out Health's "Walktober" website at howardcountymd.gov/walktober.

.@HoCoGov construction project to improve drainage along portions of Centennial Ln & Century Dr in #EllicottCityMD, to begin on/about this coming Monday, 10/12. This project will involve temporary shoulder & lane closures, as well as sidewalk closures in the project area. To learn more about this project & closures, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10092…. Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by late November 2026.

Just a quick reminder that @HoCoRecycle's holiday "slide" schedule is NOT in effect next week as there will be REGULAR Monday curbside trash, recycling, yard trim, & food scrap collection on 10/12, even though @HoCoGov offices will be closed in observance of the #IndigenousPeoplesDay holiday. To learn about the holiday "slide" schedule & what holidays do affect curbside collection #HoCoMD, visit howardcountymd.gov/holidaysc….

In case you missed it #HoCoMD, @HoCoGovExec today cut the ribbon officially opening @HoCoRec's new “Community Garden at Old Montgomery Road” in #EllicottCityMD. Located on Old Montgomery Rd, just north of the MD 100 overpass & Maryland School of the Blind, this 16.22-acre community space features 126 standard-size garden plots where Howard County residents from Ellicott City to #ElkridgeMD & beyond can grow fresh produce & flowers. To learn more about this community garden & how you can be a part of it, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10082….

LIVE video #HoCoMD from @HoCoGovExec's press conference to cut the ribbon on @HoCoRec's new “Community Garden at Old Montgomery Road” in #EllicottCityMD; facebook.com/share/v/1DgzwE1….