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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At synagogue's potluck, a learning experience
At the beginning of each month, members of Oseh Shalom, a synagogue in Laurel, come together over food and prayer to begin the weekly tradition of Shabbat. Shabbat -- Sabbath in Hebrew-- is observed every week from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. The synagogue has weekly Shabbat services...
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AP test numbers are up in Howard County, but so are participation gaps among minority students
More Howard County high school students took Advanced Placement exams last year than in 2016, but demographic gaps between student groups that participate in the testing have widened. In the past two years, the number of exams taken by Howard students increased by nearly 800, from 10,541 in 2016...
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Howard County schools exhaust snow days, will extend academic year four days to June 21
Howard County students will have to wait an extra four days to start summer vacation this June. The county school system announced Monday — following the closure of schools that day due to snow and ice — that all four of its “inclement weather make-up days” have been used. As a result, schools...
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Roadways blocked, thousands lose power in Howard County on icy Tuesday morning
Crews responded Tuesday to several reports of downed trees and fallen power lines in Howard County, State Highway Administration officials said. SHA had about nearly 40 pieces of equipment operating throughout the county Tuesday, according to spokeswoman Shanteé Felix. Officials posted on the department’s...
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29-year-old pedestrian killed while walking on Route 216 in North Laurel
A 29-year-old Prince George’s County man was killed when he was hit by a car in North Laurel during the early hours of Monday morning, Maryland State Police said. Timothy Lewis, of Mount Rainier, was pronounced dead at the scene after he was struck at about 1 a.m., state police said. Lewis was...
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In Howard County, delegate's bill mirrors Senate effort to give local school boards control over school calendar
As Gov. Larry Hogan is defending his stance last week to keep Maryland schools closed before Labor Day, a Howard County delegate is proposing a bill to allow local school boards to have local control over school system calendars. Del. Eric Ebersole, a Democrat who represents District 12 including...
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Fourth Glenelg teen gets weekends in jail in plea deal for hate crime, will appeal case to higher court
The fourth and final Howard County teen charged with hate crimes after spray-painting racial epithets and swastikas at Glenelg High School last May is being recommended to serve weekends in jail under a plea deal announced Wednesday. Matthew Lipp, 18, of Woodbine, pleaded not guilty to a hate crime...
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Grassroots Center receives $1M grant to help combat opioid crisis in Howard County
When people walk into the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center in Columbia they are often in tears, often hopeless, often coming for help at the most difficult times of their life. “Our job is to help them reconnect to hope,” said Ayesha Holmes, executive director of the nonprofit crisis center....