Allen Dyer, Insect Pests and More: This Week’s Best in Local Columns & Community News

Patch readers know we’re all about objective news in and around our neighborhoods. But we also like to hear about the thoughts and personal experiences that matter to you. We’ve pulled together a bevy of great columnists, so if you want to find out what residents are saying in your neck of the woods, or local news of your area, read on for this week’s Columns and Community.


Had enough of stink bugs yet? Well, there's a new pest in town.The emerald ash borer, native to Asia, is a destructive insect that poses a threat to ash trees, and it’s headed our way. Get the buzz about quarantine information on Arbutus Patch.


Junction, Inc. will continue to be a part of the Carroll County community, serving individuals and families dealing with substance abuse issues, thanks to the Board of Commissioners. Learn how the board’s staff explored ways to keep the organization operating, on Westminster Patch.


All flags in Maryland that adorn public buildings and state government institutions are produced at a Jessup prison and have been for 70 years. The only prison in the flag-making industry in the state is MCIW, where inmates range from short-term to lifers. Find out why the women on the “flag line” added a new pattern to their repertoire, the War of 1812 flag, on Elkridge Patch.


As the summer stretches ahead, families often think about how to find entertaining and enriching experiences during the vacation months.  One need not wander to Washington, D.C., to find fascinating aspect of our nation’s history. For example, the role of African-Americans in the evolution of the Capitol are featured in a traveling exhibit entitled “From Freedom’s Shadow,” produced by the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. More about the exhibit, housed in the museum gallery of the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park, is available on Catonsville Patch. Or learn how you can participate in area , happening state-wide, on Reisterstown Patch.


Last week, the school board passed a resolution asking for the State Board of Education to remove Allen Dyer from his seat. Once the request is officially filed, according to the Maryland State Code, Dyer will receive a copy of the charges against him and will have 10 days to request a hearing. Find out the latest updates in the ongoing case on Ellicott City Patch.


Appalachian-based music that holds so much American history is revitalized when young musicians picking up their banjos, fiddles and dulcimers for the annual Fiddlers' Convention. Read how musical influences of the Cumberland Cap have been used to bridge a generational one, on Eldersburg Patch