Baptist church withdraws petition for construction
The Covenant Baptist Church of West Columbia has withdrawn its petition to allow the construction of a school on its 6.3-acre property at the intersection of Cedar Lane and Cedar Fern Court.
The special exception petition had been scheduled for this morning's Planning Board meeting.
Senior Pastor Walter Collett said his church has a contract to buy 123 acres off Centennial Lane across from Centennial Park, and hopes to build a new church and a Christian elementary school.
The church has about 500 members and has five worship services and three Bible classes in its current 9,000-square-foot church. The new facility might be as large as 45,000 square feet, Mr. Collett said, adding that church members would like to have it finished by January 1995.
Before that happens, the church must be granted a special exception for the new property.
Mr. Collett said it will file a petition with the Board of Appeals with in a month.
Man charged in battery of estranged wife
Howard County police have charged a 26-year-old Columbia man with assault and battery following a domestic dispute with his estranged wife in an apartment in Wilde Lake.
Kevin Darnell Fowlkes, of the 10500 block of Cross Fox Lane, was charged with assaulting his 23-year-old wife, Deneen Fowlkes, about 2 a.m. yesterday in the apartment.
His wife received a superficial stab wound to her right hand during the disturbance, police said. She was treated and released from Howard County General Hospital.
Police said the dispute began after Mr. Fowlkes forced his way inside the couple's apartment.
At some point, Mrs. Fowlkes was able to flee the apartment and call for help, police said. There were no other occupants in the apartment.
Police and the Howard County Tactical Unit arrived about 3 a.m., and unsuccessfully tried to make contact with Mr. Fowlkes. They then entered the apartment and discovered he was no longer there. Police have issued an arrest warrant and
are searching for Mr. Fowlkes.
Columbia Foundation elects officers, members
The Columbia Foundation has elected four officers and eight board members to its 28-member Board of Trustees.
The officers are Richard B. Talkin, president; Donald H. Wood, vice president; Donald A. Manekin, secretary; and Linda Odum, treasurer.
Newly elected board members include G. Ronald Brown of Westvaco; Vincent Cavallaro of Cavallaro and Co.; Sandra Gray of Independent Sector; Dr. Michael Hickey of the Howard County Public School System; Norma Hill of the Howard County Library; H. Elizabeth Horowitz of EVI Corporation; James R. Moxley of
Security Development; and Jean W. Toomer, a county-based builder.
The Columbia Foundation has awarded 49 grants totaling $286,500 in 1992.
POLICE LOG
* Wilde Lake: 10900 block of Route 108: A lawn tractor was reported missing Wednesday after a homeowner discovered someone had pried off doors to two sheds.