West Friendship Farm Wants Giant Solar Farm

Zoning regulations need to be addressed to make it happen.

Ellicott City Shopping Guide

Whether you live here or you're just visiting, here's a look at some of what Ellicott City has to offer

  If you’re looking for unique gifts, unique dining experiences, or you are just trying to get into the holiday spirit, try Ellicott City. As the holiday shopping season gets going, Patch decided to put together a guide to local shops to help you make the most of your time here. Parking in the Historic District is free through Jan. 1, and if you don’t know where to find parking, try using Parker – a smartphone app that will let you know where the available spaces are. There are also several parking lots in the Historic District, find them on the attached map.  Is there a local business you think shoppers should try for the holidays? Expand our guide by telling us about it in the comments section below. Looking for toys? Mumbles and Squeaks…

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Poll: Should MD 32 Expand to Four Lanes Through Clarksville?

A recent fatal accident has brought the stretch of road between I-70 and 108 in Clarksville under examination.

  After an Ellicott City man was killed in a fatal accident on Route 32 in Clarksville on Nov. 13 the safety of the high speed, two lane road has been called into question. Currently the stretch of road where the fatal accident occurred is a two-lane road that experiences traffic during rush hour. On Nov. 13, the fatal accident was caused by the driver of a flatbed truck losing control of the vehicle while driving southbound, skidding into the northbound lane and striking a Jeep driven by an Ellicott City man who later died at the hospital, according to police.  A Maryland State Highway Administration spokesperson said officials are still examining the circumstances surrounding the crash to determine exactly what happened. In 2004, a group…

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Parking in Ellicott City? There's an App for That

A new mobile application that shows available parking in the Historic District has gone online.

  If you want to find parking in Ellicott City, County Executive Ken Ulman told a small crowd standing outside the Howard County Welcome Center Thursday morning, “We now have an app for that.” The app – mobile phone application -- is Streetline’s Parker. It allows people to look up real-time information about available parking spaces in the Historic District. Ulman said it addresses a problem that was brought to light as the result of a parking study carried out when he came into office.  "One of the biggest challenges that we face … is parking,” Ulman said. “More importantly, it’s frankly the perception of parking.” For visitors to the Historic District, particularly those from out of town, “How would you know that right behind the …

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Laurel Woman Pleads Guilty to Robberies Involving Son

The duo said they robbed armored cars in Maryland and Washington DC, among other places.

  A woman whose son pleaded guilty to a series of armed robberies  pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy on Tuesday for her role in schemes to rob armored car employees, according to the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office. Regina McCullom, also known as Regina Wilson, of Laurel, faces 20 years in prison for conspiracy as well five years for a related gun charge, according  to prosecutors. McCullom is scheduled to be sentenced in January. According to the plea agreement, McCullom, 49, and her son Erick Wilson, of Ellicott City, staged a gunpoint robbery of a Dunbar armored vehicle with other co-conspirators in 2008 and 2009. Wilson—who was an employee of Dunbar at the time—along with his mother and another co-conspirator executed the…

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Mt. Hebron Student Hit By Car

School officials say the high school student was near her bus stop.

  A Mt. Hebron High School student was taken to the hospital Friday morning after being hit by a car, according to school officials.  According to an email sent by the Howard County Public School System, the student was near her bus stop. Howard County Police say a 15-year-old girl was running across Town and Country Boulevard near West Springs Drive at about 6:55 a.m. when she was hit by a car.  The girl was taken to Howard County General Hospital with minor injuries, according to police, and has been released. Police say the preliminary investigation does not indicate any fault on the part of the driver; no charges have been filed.  Students at Mt. Hebron were told that if they were having “a difficult time” with the news of the incident…

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Gospel Singer Pleads Guilty in $8 Million Ponzi Scheme

Michael Winans of renowned gospel singing family submits plea in wire fraud case.

  A Jessup man pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to defrauding investors of $8 million, according to the Detroit Free Press. Michael Winans Jr., 30, recruited more than 1,000 people to invest in the Winans Foundation Trust, which he claimed was a Saudi Arabian crude oil venture, said the FBI in an Oct. 3 statement. Victims lived in Michigan, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas and other states, according to federal court filings, and were told they could make $1,000 to $8,000 in 60 days. The U.S. Attorney's office charged Winans, listed as a resident of the 10000 block of Guilford Rd. in Jessup, with defrauding investors "in classic 'Ponzi scheme' fashion" between 2007 and 2008, according to charging documents. Winans allegedly took some of …

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Andrew Metcalf

9:55 am on Friday, October 5, 2012

That was this guy's fault, sorry, fixed.   more ›

North Laurel Drug Warrant Leads to Cross-County Chase

Police pursued two suspects after attempting to serve a warrant.

  Two suspects are in custody after Howard County Police pursued a vehicle from North Laurel into Baltimore County while attempting to serve a drug warrant, according to a department press release. At approximately 5 p.m. Thursday, police officers attempting to serve a search and seizure warrant at the Turf Motel, on the 9800 block of Washington Boulevard, observed the two suspects, a man and a woman, enter a 2003 Ford Taurus and drive away. The officers followed the vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop, but the male driver did not stop the vehicle, according to a release. Police continued to pursue the suspects on several roadways, crossing into another jurisdiction, at "reasonable" speeds," until the suspects stopped on …

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Construction Worker Electrocuted in Ellicott City

The worker was pronounced dead at the scene.

  A worker at a construction site in Ellicott City was killed Tuesday on the scene of a new house construction, according to a statement released by the Howard County Police Department. Police reported that around 3:30 p.m Emeterio Badillo Soto, 29, of Hyattsville, MD had been electrocuted on the 9200 block of Furrow Avenue, according to police spokeswoman Mary Phelan. Soto had been carrying metal scaffolding when it touched a live wire, according to Phelan. When the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services responded, personnel provided CPR to Soto, but he died at the scene, Phelan said. According to Phelan, there is no indication of foul play but an investigation was continuing.

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Cal Ripken Talks Baseball, Mom, Parenthood

The Cal Ripken World Series kicked off Friday at Cal Sr.'s Yard in Aberdeen.

  His son leaves for college next week. His mother was recently abducted at gunpoint. Most people would be ready for a quiet night at home. Cal Ripken was in Aberdeen Friday night for the opening ceremony of a global baseball tournament named in his honor. And he took a few moments to talk about the last few weeks with Patch. “Mom is continuing to get better, bit by bit. It’s still unsettling for all of us,” Ripken said. “You have to deal with the reality of that. It was a traumatic experience for her. We have to be sensitive of that. I think she’s trying to get back to the normalcy of her life, the freedoms she’s enjoyed. She’s a very independent woman, and she doesn’t want to be held back. We know it’s going to get better, but it might …

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