Catalina Righter

At a series of town hall meetings across the county, Carroll County Public Schools will ask parents and community members to weigh in on priorities for the next budget cycle.

Not only does local tattooer and "Ink Master" finalist “Creepy Jason” now have a key to the Town of Hampstead, but Oct. 31, 2019, has also been designated “Creepy Jason Day.”

From the super spooky to the slightly frightful, here are six local activities to consider this fall.

A small fire at West Middle School on Tuesday afternoon caused officials to temporarily evacuate the school out of caution.

Lars Nye Nolen, of Hampstead, was arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through a car window, striking a woman in the ribs.

A bill that went into effect at the beginning of October enables the school systems in Carroll and Howard counties to create a school that works across district lines.

The Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. 1 celebrated fully owning their fire station after 21 years of loan payments.

The film “Escalation” will be screened Monday, Oct. 21 from 6-8 p.m. at the Carroll Arts Center.

A tractor caught fire in a shed on a Taneytown property Wednesday afternoon, causing a fire. Firefighters controlled the blaze in about seven minutes, according tot eh office of the State Fire Marshal.

The play "Best of Enemies," which will be produced at McDaniel College Oct. 2-5, is based on the true story of a Grand Cyclops of the KKK and an African-American civil rights activist during the desegregation of the Durham, North Carolina schools in 1971.

Manchester has joined thousands of other local governments nationwide in taking up legal representation to seek damages from drug distributors and manufacturers in response to the opioid crisis.

Jared McAbee was sentenced to 25 year incarceration after a plea to first-degree child abuse of an infant last year.

The Carroll County Board of Education asked for more data about out-of-district transfers between high schools and high school athletics.

The touring National Players production of "As You Like It" is coming to the Carroll Arts Center this weekend.

The key findings from the survey that city staff highlighted at the Mayor and Common Council meeting were: “Westminster residents enjoy a high quality of life and strong sense of community. Mobility presents an area of opportunity, with public transportation as a focus. Residents generally feel safe but place a high importance on safety as a future focus of the City.”

He came close, but Hampstead tattooer “Creepy Jason” ended his run on Paramount Network’s “Ink Master” as a runner-up.

Looking at estimated costs, much of the cost savings at the Friendship Valley site came from the fact that the East Middle site would revert to property of the county. The costs of demolishing the building and rehabilitating the recreation fields wouldn’t be a part of the school system’s budget.

Lynn is a contestant on season 12 of the Paramount Network competition that pits 24 tattooers against each other for a grand prize of $100,000, a magazine feature and the bragging rights that come with Ink Master status. He battled his way to a place among the final three contestants in the finale airing Tuesday night.

C.A.P.S. stands for Celebrating All Persevering Students. It’s a nonprofit organization as well as a touring performance that is a mix of high-energy songs and motivational messages headlined by performer C.J. Luckey.

As the Kirwan Commission buckles down on education funding formulas, the statewide teachers union hosted a forum in Carroll County encouraging the community to contact their elected officials in support of more money for Maryland schools.

The Carroll County Board of Education will hear community feedback on the budgets for upcoming construction and renovation projects at a public hearing Tuesday at 7 p.m.

A Westminster man was charged with second-degree assault after allegedly striking a woman in the face, the second time he has been charged with assault in September.

The opening reception will be held Thursday, Sept. 26 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. The show will be in the gallery for public viewing through Nov. 2. Admission to the gallery is free and the gallery is open almost any time the college is, said Jessi Hardesty, curator of collections and exhibitions.

Hampstead tattoo artist Creepy Jason, also known as Jason Lynn, was revealed as one of the three finalists of the Paramount Network competition show “Ink Master" on Tuesday night.

The possibility of putting a replacement for East Middle School on the campus of Friendship Valley Elementary School has been reduced to near-zero after the Board of Education learned construction there would have to be delayed several years.

The Day for Book Lovers hosted by the Carroll County Public Library brought bestsellers Tracy Chevalier and Angie Kim to Westminster.

The city of Westminster intends to purchase property on Main Street with a focus on redeveloping it because of its key location downtown.

After a Thursday vote by the Interagency Commission on School Construction, Carroll County is off the chopping block for a proposal that could have cut a significant percentage of the state’s share of school construction funding.

The Arts Council’s 17th annual Members Show art exhibit runs through Nov. 2. An opening reception was held on Thursday, Sept. 12. This year’s theme is a celebration of 50 years of the Arts Council.

The board chose to slightly modify the third of three calendars presented — which starts after Labor Day 2020 — at its meeting on Sept. 12 and send it back out for community review.

Finding a director is the next order of business in the process of moving Carroll toward a countywide fire and EMS system.

The third annual Invincible Summer: Patrick Kisicki Memorial Music Festival is both a celebration of Kisicki and a fundraiser for music students at Carroll Community College in his honor, Saturday, Sept. 14 at the college campus in the outdoor Rotary Amphitheater. Doors open at 2 p.m. and music begins at 2:30.

Fire companies responded early Tuesday afternoon to a fire in a mobile home in Silver Run that displaced two residents.

McDaniel College was named No. 1 in Best Value of Regional Universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report, which released 2020 rankings Monday.

A Reisterstown man was arrested Friday after he allegedly assaulted a woman.

The Carroll County Board of Education scheduled a work session to discuss the replacement of East Middle School for Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 2:30 p.m.

With the recent announcement that retired Lt. Gen. Otto J. Guenther would step into the the role of chair of the Board of Trustees for McDaniel College, it also meant the end of a 12-year run for Martin K. P. “Marty” Hill.

School facilities and future budget unknowns stemming from anticipated legislation and predicted economic recession were discussed at the joint meeting of the Board of County Commissioners and Board of Education on Thursday.

The county commissioners approved funding for security upgrades in the Carroll County Circuit Court's buildings including visitor management, panic button upgrades and 17 additional security cameras.

Two Carroll County men were charged after an argument between them allegedly turned to blows, including with a replica handgun. Their statements to police differ on who brought the replica handgun to the scene.

The Elementary Behavior Task Force formed by Carroll County public Schools presented on some of their findings to the Board of Education.

A play written by a Carroll Community College student about planetary science and the power of individuality will make the rounds as the college's touring children's show to schools and libraries around the county. Catch it this weekend in performance at the college before it goes on tour.

Principal Sharon Lilly directed traffic making sure sixth, seventh and eight graders all went to the right place.“We love the first day. All of the kids are excited and happy to be at school, at least for one day,” she said.

A lottery ticket worth $250,000 was purchased in Thurmont but is still unclaimed, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming.

As Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) prepares for a new year, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office told the Carroll Board of County Commissioners Thursday, Aug. 29 that they Student Resource officer Program is in compliance with state standards and “going forward at full steam.”

Carroll County Public Schools buses have been inspected and are ready for students to return to school. Now officials are asking drivers to be safe around Carroll’s youngest commuters.

The Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) community starts classes Tuesday, Sept. 3 after a period of significant change with a few new policies in place and plans to build on successes.

A Keymar man was flown to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center on Thursday to be treated for non-life-threatening burns.

An audit found that the Westminster Municipal Pool’s shell is leaking water and that upgrades need to be made to the filtration system’s capacity.

A Westminster man, Eric Wayne Crizer, was charged with malicious burning and assault after allegedly headbutting a woman and lighting a piece of clothing on fire.