Community Corner

Artificial Turf Approved, Toxin Testing Requested

The week's biggest headlines in Howard County.

Two Columbia Schools to Get Turf Fields
By a 4-3 vote, Board of Education members approved spending half of a one-time state alcohol tax windfall on two high school artificial turf fields at Atholton and Hammond High schools in Columbia. Each field will cost $1 million. Opponents are concerned that other pressing issues, like leaking roofs, should have been higher on the priority list.

Residents living near the Alpha Ridge Landfill in Marriottsville told county officials in no uncertain terms that they want more, regular testing at a new methane-powered generator that is being built there. They also want more involvement as the project moves forward.


In a land acquisition deal gone awry, Howard County school officials filed a lawsuit this week against the owner of property on Ducketts Lane where they plan to build an elementary school. The seller has breached its contract, said officials, who are working with architects and traffic engineers to keep plans for the Elkridge school, scheduled to open in 2013, on track.

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police are investigating a pair of catburglaries early Wednesday on Riverbrink Court in North Laurel as possibly being related. Howard County Police Department spokesperson Elizabeth Schroen said a neighbor of the first victim discovered a break-in had occurred while police were responding to the first call. Schroen said there have been 40 reported catburglaries in Howard County in 2011, and there were 39 in 2010.


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