Howard County Gov't

As #DaylightSavingTime comes to an end this Sunday, 11/1, @HCDFRS reminds #HoCoMD, as you set your clocks back 1 hour, be sure to also check your smoke & carbon dioxide alarms as well. Whether you have the sealed-in, 10-year/long-life battery-operated alarms or hardwired alarms (w/ battery backups), it is always good to check your smoke & carbon monoxide alarms to ensure they are functioning properly. Remember, your 1st line of defense against a house fire is a working smoke alarm. Ensure your family's safety by checking your alarms this weekend.

According to the @NFPA, decorations are the 1st thing to ignite in 835 reported home fires each year. Nearly 1/2 of these fires started because decorations were too close to a heat source, such as a candle. Ahead of #Halloween, @HCDFRS reminds #HoCoMD to keep their home safe on 10/31 by using battery-operated candles or glow sticks inside jack-o-lanterns instead of an open flame, keeping all decorations away from open flames & other heat sources like light bulbs & heaters, & remembering to keep exits clear of decorations so nothing blocks escape routes. Also, stay away from costume's w/ long trailing fabric, wear reflective gear, & cross at corners & crosswalks whenever possible. For more Halloween safety tips, visit NFPA's "Staying Safe on Halloween" website at tinyurl.com/NFPAHalloweenSaf….

.@HoCoGovExec & @HoCoHousing announce recipients of Fiscal Year 2027 Housing Opportunities Trust Fund (HOTF) awards, supporting the creation & preservation of ~350 affordable units, plus rental assistance & eviction prevention programs for an additional 200 households. To learn more about the HOTF & this fiscal year awardees #HoCoMD, check out our news release announcing the awards online at howardcountymd.gov/News10302….

As you get ready to head out tomorrow evening w/ your ghouls, goblins, dinosaurs, witches, superheroes, etc. #HoCoMD to go trick-or-treating, please be sure to keep these safety tips, tinyurl.com/HCPDHalloweenSaf…, shared by @HCPDNews in mind. HCPD will be out & about in neighborhoods & on road tomorrow to ensure everyone has a safe & fun #Halloween night.

W/ #Halloween just 2 days away, here's a friendly reminder about @HoCoGov's Bureau of Environmental Services' #PumpkinPalooza. Aimed towards reducing the number of pumpkins that end up as landfill waste each autumn season, starting this Sunday, 11/1 thru Friday, 11/20, #HoCoMD residents can drop pumpkins off at @HoCoRec's Robinson Nature Center in #ColumbiaMD & the County’s Alpha Ridge Landfill's Residents’ Convenience Center in #MarriottsvilleMD, during operating hours. For those residents participating in the County’s curbside "Feed the Green Bin" food scrap collection program, simply place your pumpkin in your bin for collection on your pickup day. To learn more about Pumpkin Palooza, including details re: the Bureau's 11/21 celebration, visit its "Pumpkin Palooza" webpage at howardcountymd.gov/pumpkinpa….

.@HoCoGov constr project to extend sewer service to 6 properties on Suland Circle and five properties from 9409 to 9425 Old Frederick Rd/MD 99, #EllicottCityMD, is scheduled to begin on/about this coming Monday, 11/2. Flagging ops will be in place to direct traffic thru the work zone as temporary lane closures in the project area can be expected during construction hours, M-F, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Weather permitting, this project is expected to be completed by mid-February 2027. To learn more about this sewer extension project #HoCoMD, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10292….

The Doctor, a.k.a. @HoCoGovExec, today announced that @HoCoGov’s beloved time-traveling Little Free Library, the #HoCoTARDIS, has regenerated at @HoCoRec's North Laurel Community Center at 9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd, #LaurelMD. The move comes 60 years after the 1st-ever regeneration in #DoctorWho aired w/ the final part of the 4th-season Cybermen serial, “The Tenth Planet.” To learn more about the #HoCoTARDIS & its regeneration in Laurel, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10292….

.@HoCoGovExec announces release of @LiveGreenHoward 's 2026 Climate Forward Annual Report. This news report highlights @HoCoGov's continued progress in implementing the strategic climate actions laid out int its June 2023 Howard County Climate Forward: Climate Action & Resiliency Plan. To find out more #HoCoMD, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10292….

.@HCPDNews' "Bike with a Cop" is back again this Saturday, 10/31 from 9 a.m. to noon. This time, HCPD's Community Outreach & Pathways officers invite #HoCoMD of all ages to join them for a bike around the Wilde Lake neighborhood, starting from the Playground & Barn at 10101 Pasture Gate Ln, #ColumbiaMD. Registration is not required to participate; however, children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult & all participants must bring their own bike & helmet. Oh & because it's Halloween, Halloween costumes are of course welcome!

TRAFFIC ALERT: Starting at 9 p.m. this Friday, 10/30, @MDSHA will be CLOSING 3 lanes of NB I-95 just prior to the WB MD 32 exit to replace a bridge joint. This project will continue overnight, w/ SHA crews working thruout Saturday, 10/31 til the joint replacement is complete. During this time, only 1 lane of NB I-95 will be open to traffic. As a result, SHA is encouraging motorists to consider alternative routes, i.e., US 1, US 29, or MD 295, as delays can be expected on I-95. For more info about this work, check out SHA's news release online at roads.maryland.gov/mdotsha/p…. Remember #HoCoMD, work zone safety is in your hands.

.@HoCoGovExec recently joined Enterprise Community Development to cut the ribbon on 2 new affordable housing developments in #ColumbiaMD, The Vision at Parkway & Legacy at Cedar Lane. To learn more about these development projects #HoCoMD, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10272….

#HoCoMD residents in #EllicottCityMD & #MarriottsvilleMD who recently became eligible and signed up for @HoCoGov's Bureau of Environmental Services' "Feed the Green Bin" expansion, unfortunately due to production delays, we regret to inform you that your new green curbside food scrap bin won't be arriving now until mid-November. We do apologize for this inconvenience. For those that live in the eligible area & didn't get a chance to sign-up for the expansion, great news, you now can as the deadline to reserve a green bin has been extended to this coming Monday, 11/2. If you live in the new expanded zone & are interested in participating in this program, we encourage you to visit the Bureau's "Feed The Green Bin" webpage at feedthegreenbin.org today to sign-up. For ?s &/or more info, contact the Bureau at 410-313-6444 or email [email protected].

.@HoCoGovExec announces #HoCoMD has been designated JustServe’s 1st “JustServe County” East of the Rocky Mountains. JustServe is a free, community-wide online platform – website & app – where nonprofits, schools, faith groups, & gov't agencies can post real volunteer projects for anyone in the community to find. Like its JustServe City Program, the nonprofit’s growing JustServe County Program provides local gov'ts w/ support to boost volunteerism in their communities. To learn more about this announcement, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10262….

.@HoCoGovExec has announced the retirement of @HoCoHealth Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman, effective end of October 2026. To read more about this announcement, learn about Dr. Rossman's career as #HoCoMD Health Officer, & to learn who has been named Interim Health Officer, check out our news release at howardcountymd.gov/News10232….

.@HoCoGovExec today joined @HopkinsHowardC personnel to cut the ribbon on the hospital's new Observation Unit. A 29-bed space, the Observation Unit will expedite patient care & enable patients to move from the emergency room to other hospital units more efficiently. To learn about the Observation Unit & more #HoCoMD, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10222….

.@HoCoGov's Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission is seeking nominations for its annual “Living the Dream” award & student entrants for its 2027 essay, oratory, & poster contests. To learn more about this award & contests, visit the County's "Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission" webpage at howardcountymd.gov/OHRE-mlk. The deadline for award nominations and contest entrees is 5 p.m. next Friday, 10/30.

.@HoCoGov Bureau of Engineering’s Transportation & Special Projects Division to hold a community outreach meeting next Thurs, 10/29 from 5-6:30 p.m., in the Hockley Room of Howard County Library System’s Elkridge Branch, to present planned modifications to the Old Montgomery Rd/Brightfield Rd intersection, #EllicottCityMD. To learn more about this project & meeting #HoCoMD, check out our news release online at howardcountymd.gov/News10222….

Every 5 years, @HoCoRec updates its Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan (LPPRP), which guides the dept on key issues, trends, & plans for managing & enhancing its preserved public lands, facilities, & programs. As part of its 2027 LPPRP process, next Wednesday, 10/28, the dept will host its FINAL Preserve + Play Open House from 4-7 p.m. at the Roger Carter Community Ctr at 3000 Milltowne Dr, #EllicottCityMD, where attendees can share their feedback on the draft goals & actions for the future of rec & parks in #HoCoMD. To learn more about the LPPRP, visit the dept's website at tinyurl.com/HoCo-LPPRP27.