Howard County Government

10/16/2026

WEATHER ALERT: The US National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington has issued a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH for Howard County, in effect until 8:00 p.m. tonight, October 16th. Threat of isolated hail up to half an inch in size possible, widespread wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour likely, and a couple tornadoes possible with this watch.

REMEMBER, when thunder roars, go indoors! Thunderstorms can produce deadly lightning capable of striking up to 10 miles away. So, if you hear thunder, you are likely within striking distance of the storm, even if it’s not raining where you are. For more information about lightning safety, visit the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS)'s website at www.weather.gov/safety/lightning.

Howard County Recreation and Parks is also reminding park goers that its eight regional parks (Blandair, Centennial, Cedar Lane, Rockburn, Savage, Schooley Mill, Troy, and Western) are equipped with an outdoor lightning alert system. Anytime a system senses lightning within 10 miles of its designated park, the system's horn and light go off for 15-seconds, notifying park visitors that all in-park activities, including games and practices, must immediately cease and shelter sought (whether within a structure with a roof and four walls or a vehicle). Once lightning is no longer a threat, the horn will sound in three five-second bursts to alert visitors that activities may resume.

While Howard County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) continues to monitor today's weather, OEM is reminding residents of the importance of staying weather aware. You can do so by making sure emergency alerts are activated on your mobile device (visit Ready's "Emergency Alerts" website at www.ready.gov/alerts to learn how) and by subscribing to weather alerts through NWS's website at www.weather.gov/enterprise. Of course, you can also tune to your local television or radio news station for up-to-date forecast as well.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia until 8 PM EDT.

10/16/2026

QUICK REMINDER for residents living in the County's Bureau of Environmental Services' newest "Feed the Green Bin" curbside food scrap collection program expanded zone in Ellicott City and Marriottsville, TODAY, October 16th is the FINAL day to sign up to get your bin. If you live in the new expanded zone and are interested in participating in this program, visit the Bureau's "Feed The Green Bin" webpage at www.feedthegreenbin.org to sign-up.

For questions and/or more information, contact the Bureau at 410-313-6444 or email [email protected].

10/16/2026

In celebration of our nation's 250th anniversary, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball invites all to join him Saturday, November 7th for a HoCo250 Drone Show event at the Columbia Lakefront at 10275 Wincopin Circle. The festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. and 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, and an approximately 15-minute drone show starting just after 7:00 p.m.

To learn more about this free event, check out our "Drone Show" event webpage at www.howardcountymd.gov/250DroneShow. Please note, on the day of the show, be sure to follow Howard County Recreation and Parks' page for event updates; there is no rain date.

Celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary with food trucks, live music and a drone show over the Columbia Lakefront! Join us Saturday, November 7, for this HoCo250 event, presented by our County Executive’s Office in partnership with Columbia Association and our Howard County Recreation and Parks.

The festivities begin at 4:30pm, when two Tasty Treats And More food trucks open for the evening. Bring your family and friends to the same Lakefront location where we gather for our July Fourth fireworks.

At 5pm, The Howard County Veterans Foundation, Inc. will present a video celebrating the official opening of our Veterans and Military Families Monument at Vivian C. “Millie” Bailey Park. This tribute recognizes our veterans, military families and the community that supports them.

Live music from Liquid A begins at 5:30pm I look forward to sharing remarks around 7pm before we turn our eyes to the sky for a spectacular show featuring 800 drones!

The Lakefront pathway will close at 10am for event setup. No road closures are planned.

There is no rain date. Please follow Howard County Recreation & Parks on Facebook for weather updates and any schedule changes. I look forward to celebrating with our community!

More info: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/recreation-parks/drone-show

10/15/2026

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today signed four 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, and establish a property tax credit for retired Public Safety Officers. To learn more about these pieces of legislation and/or to watch the video from Ball's bill signing press conference, check out our news release online at www.howardcountymd.gov/News101526b.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today signed four 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, and establish a property tax credit for retired Public Safety Officers.

10/15/2026

The County's Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Highways’ Traffic Engineering Division will hold a community outreach open house on Wednesday, October 28th, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., in Rooms 346 and 347 of our Office of Aging and Independence’s offices at 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia, to present traffic calming plans for Stonecutter Road and Hayshed Lane. The project implements strategies available in the County’s recently updated Howard County Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy, including the proposed installation of speed humps, speed hump, a raised crosswalk, and bump outs along Stonecutter Road and the narrowing of Hayshed Lane, to combat excessive vehicular speeds along the roadway.

To learn more about this open house event and who to contact for questions, check out our news release online at www.howardcountymd.gov/News101526.

10/15/2026

Howard County Government's HoCo Fresh is NOW accepting applications for its 2027 New & Beginning Farmer (NBF) Program! Launched in 2025, the County’s Office of Agriculture's (OoA) NBF Program aims to support aspiring farmers as they build profitable and sustainable farm businesses in Howard County by providing access to farmland, shared equipment and greenhouse resources, hands-on production experience, mentorship, and business development support.

To learn more about this program and/or to apply, visit OoA's "2027 Howard County Office of Agriculture New and Beginning Farmer Program" SurveyMonkey webpage at www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBFP2007. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, December 21st.

For questions about the NBF program and/or to request a hard-copy application, email OoA at [email protected] with "Farm 2027" in the subject line.

2027 NEW & BEGINNING FARMER PROGRAM APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

Are you ready to turn your passion for farming into a sustainable agricultural business?

The Howard County Office of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2027 New & Beginning Farmer Program (NBFP)! Designed to help aspiring farmers establish and grow successful farm businesses, the program provides access to farmland, shared equipment and greenhouse resources, hands-on production experience, mentorship, and business development support.

To learn more about the program and apply visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBFP2007

To request a hard-copy application or ask questions, contact [email protected] with the subject line: Farm 2027.

Help us grow the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs in Howard County!

Howard County Government

10/14/2026

If you are looking to call Howard County home, Howard County Housing & Community Development (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 its "Moderate Income Housing Unit (MIHU) Homeownership Program" website at www.howardcountymd.gov/DHCD-MIHU-Program. Applications from this program are due by 4:00 p.m., Friday, October 30th. For questions, contact DHCD at 410-313-6318 (select option two) 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 its “I Want To Rent A Home In Howard County” website at www.howardcountymd.gov/DHCD-MIHU-Rental.

10/13/2026

Don't forget, the County's Bureau of Environmental Services will host its FINAL 2026 document shredding event this Saturday, October 17th. Deemed "The BIG Shred," this Saturday's event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (OR UNTIL the trucks are full) at four locations throughout county, where Howard County residents can bring up to three bags or boxes of vital documents to be shredded securely onsite.

To learn more about The BIG Shred, check out the Bureau's "Document Shredding" website at www.howardcountymd.gov/documentshredding.

About There are typically multiple County-sponsored shredding events each year; in the spring (in April) and fall (in October or November). Think before you shred--residents are asked to ONLY bring items that contain personal information. Junk mail, catalogs and office paper can be recycled in ...

10/13/2026

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has announced the launch of an online "Report Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Activity in Howard County" form for residents and Howard County Government employees to use to report U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in Howard County. On the form, users will be asked to provide the date, approximate time, and 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 www.howardcountymd.gov/News100926b.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the launch of an online form for residents and County employees to report activities of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in Howard County.

10/13/2026

REMINDER: There are REGULAR curbside trash, recycling, food scraps, and yard trim collections this week; the County's holiday "slide" schedule is NOT in effect even though County offices were closed yesterday, October 12th for the Indigenous Peoples' Day holiday.

The six holidays that do affect curbside collection are: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. To learn more about the holiday slide schedule, visit the County's "Holiday/Inclement Weather Trash & Recycling Schedule" website at www.howardcountymd.gov/holidayschedule.

About Certain holidays impact curbside collection and landfill operations. When inclement weather is in the forecast, the Bureau of Environmental Services monitors the weather and road conditions to make a swift decision regarding Alpha Ridge Landfill operations and curbside collections. Stay in the...