Recent stories by Larry Carson

11:34 PM EDT, June 29, 2011

Lake Elkhorn dredging to resume, but runoff is larger problem

Dredging of Columbia's 37-year-old Lake Elkhorn will resume, but curbing residential runoff that carries sediment and algae-producing nutrients into it is the key to its long-term health, a panel of four experts told a crowd composed mostly of Owen Brown residents Tuesday night.

11:44 AM EDT, June 30, 2011

Howard Dems pull for Obama; GOP says it has momentum

With Maryland's presidential primary only nine months off, Howard County Democrats are organizing at basic levels, contacting newly registered Democrats, building their base of core neighborhood organizers and volunteers, secure in knowing they have President Barack Obama as their certain candidate.

11:40 PM EDT, June 29, 2011

Howard swim club tax credit bill could be in trouble

A bill intended to forgive Howard County property taxes for six private, nonprofit swim clubs might be in trouble, judging from the dozens of questions raised at a County Council work session by the three members who represent Columbia.

5:14 PM EDT, June 24, 2011

Howard Co. to buy Belmont from community college

Howard County government is moving to buy Belmont, the historic 18th-century Elkridge estate left vacant in December when owner Howard Community College removed its culinary training classes and canceled future rentals.

9:17 PM EDT, June 23, 2011

Residents to meet about Lake Elkhorn dredging concerns

Fifteen residents who live beside Columbia's algae-choked Lake Elkhorn are sponsoring a public meeting Tuesday night to inform the public about the 37-acre lake's prospects.

8:47 PM EDT, June 23, 2011

Panel weighs increased membership for Howard Co. Council

Keeping Howard County Council members part-time legislators is a goal most county leaders take for granted, but some worry that that if the county's population continues to swell the size of the five members' districts, the job may become more of a full-time commitment.

7:07 PM EDT, June 23, 2011

Political Notebook: Howard's elected officials head overseas

Patching potholes and balancing Howard County's or Maryland's budget may seem far removed from visits to foreign and exotic places, but several local elected officials traveled overseas this spring, visiting places as diverse as Israel, Turkey, northern Europe and Asia.

9:35 PM EDT, June 20, 2011

Fiber optics a boon, from classroom to operating room

Leasing office space in this economy can be a challenge, especially in older buildings, but Taylor Fields is working on getting an edge: a super-fast fiber-optic broadband connection.

7:23 PM EDT, June 22, 2011

Watson supports tax break for Columbia pools

County Councilwoman Courtney Watson said at a public hearing Monday night that she would support including the Columbia Association's 26 swimming pools in her bill to forgive local property taxes for six private, nonprofit Howard swim clubs — if it is legally possible.

11:12 AM EDT, June 18, 2011

Howard's population has grown, but County Council has not

Howard County's population was 62,000 when the five-member County Council was formed more than four decades ago. Now Courtney Watson's Ellicott City/Elkridge district alone holds that many people, and she'd like the citizens commission reviewing the county charter to look at whether it's time that the council grew too.

11:34 PM EDT, June 15, 2011

Clarksville Commons project in Howard County is stalled

The empty lot next to Kendall's Hardware in busy Clarksville belies the hopes Howard County Executive Ken Ulman expressed in January 2010 when he announced the choice of developers for what he predicted would be a "dynamic, environmentally friendly and unique" mix of stores, offices and a hotel.

5:32 PM EDT, June 16, 2011

St. Clair to replace Anne Towne at Howard nonprofit group

Duane St. Clair, a social worker who helped develop senior centers throughout Howard County, will replace the retiring Anne Towne as executive director of the Association of Community Services on July 5.

11:46 PM EDT, June 15, 2011

School redistricting returning to Howard after four-year lull

After four years without moving school district boundaries, Howard County parents and children can expect numerous rounds of redistricting for the rest of this decade, school officials told County Council members at a meeting Wednesday morning.

12:25 PM EDT, June 14, 2011

Howard County residents offered free home energy audits

Howard County residents can get free home energy audits paid for with federal stimulus money, county executive Ken Ulman announced Tuesday.

10:29 PM EDT, June 16, 2011

Elkridge residents want redistricting to preserve their clout

Elkridge residents don't want the once-per-decade redrawing of County Council district lines to dilute their political influence, but some wonder if the interests of the county's oldest community are tied more closely to those of Ellicott City's in District 1 or to the rest of the U.S. 1 corridor, which is now divided among three districts.

6:06 PM EDT, June 13, 2011

One Maryland Broadband Network facility opens

Federal, state and local officials gathered in an Elkridge industrial park Monday morning to mark the opening of a key hub for the Central Maryland portion of a $158 million statewide broadband network designed to link localities via fiber-optic cable.

February 9, 2010