Jess Nocera
Jess Nocera covers education and crime for the Howard County Times. Jess has previously written for The Bristol Herald Courier, McClatchy DC and The Diamondback, her college's student run newspaper. Jess graduated from the University of Maryland in 2017 with a degree in journalism and government and politics.
Recent Articles
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New age of Scouting joins boys with the girls
Julia Roth, a newly minted Cub Scout, misses nothing about being a Girl Scout. In September, Julia, 8, of North Laurel, joined Cub Scout Pack 602, leaving behind three years of being a Girl Scout. “I get to be with my brother,” Julia said. “We also get to do things we wouldn’t get to do in Girl...
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Howard education foundation establishes scholarship honoring former superintendent Sydney Cousin
A scholarship fund to honor the late Sydney L. Cousin, former Howard County superintendent, was established this month on what would have been his 73rd birthday. Bright Minds, a foundation for the county school system, established the fund Dec. 2. The scholarship is intended for a county high school...
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Prince George's interim schools CEO claims progress for Laurel schools in new ratings
The 10 Laurel public schools located in Prince George’s County received three or four stars out of five in the state’s new education rankings unveiled last week. The Maryland State Department of Education rated each school from a minimum of one star to a maximum of five, part of the Every Student...
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Columbia teenager who 'preyed on elderly' sentenced to 10 years in jail
A Columbia teenager who “preyed on the elderly,” said a Howard County judge, was sentenced to 10 years in jail, county prosecutors announced Tuesday. Zayah Abdul Hassan, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of theft scheme — $100 to under $1,500 — and one count of robbery on Dec. 4 after being charged...
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Howard schools score well in state's new star rating system, but officials say focus remains on student needs
Most Howard County schools received high scores in the state’s new star education rankings, but officials with the school system say their analysis of the rating isn’t focused on the number of stars, but rather on the factors that helped the school succeed — and where improvements can still be...
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Howard schools will offer free lunches during winter break
In an effort to curb child hunger, for the first time, Howard schools are offering free lunches during two days of winter break. Howard established the winter meals program “because hunger doesn’t end when school ends,” said Brian Bassett, a county schools spokesman. “The more days we can offer...
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Outgoing Howard County police chief reflects on tenure, from Columbia mall shooting to memorial garden
On Jan. 16, 1984, Gary L. Gardner had his first day with the Howard County Police Department, as a patrolman in West Columbia. He would go to spend 35 years with the police department, climbing the ranks and eventually becoming chief. On Dec. 31, Gardner will walk the hallowed halls of the department...
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Attorneys press to dismiss top charges in Glenelg High hate crimes case on free-speech grounds
Defense attorneys for two of the former Glenelg High School students facing hate-crime charges are expected to argue that slurs found at the high school amount to constitutionally protected free speech. Six days before graduation, four seniors at the west-central county school were accused of hate...