The Department of Community Resources and Services (DCRS) is continuing efforts to house individuals and families facing homelessness, especially those who meet the CDC definition of vulnerable or at high-risk for severe health outcomes or fatality if they contract the COVID-19 virus.

The County’s Department of Public Works will hold a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, August 11 to present plans for a stream stabilization project between 6733 and 6737 Pirch Way in Elkridge. The purpose of the project is to stabilize the stream channel and banks and to provide water quality improvements to areas downstream.

Approximately 40 public sanitary sewer-house connections along Stonebrook Lane and Blue Sea Drive in Columbia will be relined using cured-in-place pipe lining to extend each connection’s service life. During this project, there may be times when households are asked limit or reduce the amount of water discharged to the County’s sewer main.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the launch of a 30-day comment period on the draft Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan. This comprehensive, long-range document creates a community-driven vision for historic Ellicott City and the surrounding Tiber Branch Watershed. The master plan establishes goals, desired outcomes and policies for the next 20 years. It also features conceptual illustrations that can serve as inspiration should specific opportunities arise over time.

Epidemiologists are seeing an increase in the number of positive cases among those 35 years of age and younger, with recent data from the week of June 21 to the week of July 5 showing a case count increase of 111 percent.

The County’s Department of Public Works will hold a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, August 4 to present plans for a stream restoration project along Rogers Avenue in an effort to reduce stream bed and bank erosion and to protect the surrounding infrastructure.

County Executive Calvin Ball and Director of Recreation & Parks Raul Delerme spoke before a Senior Sendoff Baseball Tournament that began Tuesday, July 14 and concludes on Wednesday, July 15 at Blandair Regional Park.

County Executive Calvin Ball announced the 203 recipients of the first round of HoCo RISE Business Relief Grants. Howard County allocated $5.7 million in CARES Act funding towards the grant program to provide financial assistance to businesses in targeted sectors that have been most impacted by COVID-19 and plan to re-open.

County Executive Calvin Ball will announce the recipients of the first round of HoCo RISE Business Relief Grants on Wednesday, July 15th at 11 a.m. at Savage Mill. Howard County allocated $5.7 million towards the grant program to provide financial assistance to businesses in targeted sectors that have been most impacted by COVID-19 and plan to re-open.

A Howard County construction project to improve a storm drain system near 3605-3621 Valley Road in Ellicott City. For approximately six weeks during the project, the northbound lane of Valley Road at the project site will be closed during work hours, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., eather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by late November.

County Executive Calvin Ball and Recreation & Parks Director Raul Delerme will celebrate the high-school class of 2020 baseball players ahead of two evenings of Senior Night games on Tuesday, July 14 starting at 6:00 p.m. The event will provide local high school senior-aged baseball players a chance to play a few games after missing their senior seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic this spring.

A BGE project to relocate a gas main in the 8600 block of Main Street in Ellicott City, is expected to begin on or about Wednesday, July 15.

County Executive Calvin Ball highlighted the important impact of the Howard County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The COAD is a collaborative effort of community stakeholders, each having an equal role in the organization. Their goal is to organize and deploy community resources in an efficient and timely manner, effectively contributing to each phase of a disaster.

Starting July 13th, temporary lane shifts can be expected along Woodleigh Drive and Kiteline Court due to a County construction project to extend the public sewer main to 6210 Woodleigh Drive and 10401 Northdale Road in Columbia. Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by mid-August.

Today, County Executive Calvin Ball launched the planning process for Howard County’s next General Plan, “HoCo By Design.” Last night, the Howard County Council adopted the General Plan Guidelines to be used by the Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) in the preparation and revision of the General Plan.

Today, County Executive Calvin Ball and Visit Howard County announced Summer Restaurant Weeks & Craft Beverages will be July 13-26th, 2020. Curbside and delivery options will available for the first time ever.

Today, County Executive Calvin Ball announced two innovative private partnerships to improve diagnostic testing and antibody research in Howard County.

A Howard County construction project to install a water main near 5247 Brook Way in the Village of Wilde Lake in Columbia. This project is not expected to impact the flow of traffic.

Beginning Monday, July 6th, Howard County residents may apply for financial assistance to pay past due rent payments to prevent eviction. The $​1.5 million in housing ​payment relief is being allocated through local non-profit partnerships. Applicants must be Howard County residents, provide proof of home address, and provide evidence of loss of income due to COVID-related job loss, reduction in hours, and/or medical illness.

County Executive Calvin Ball will announce two private partnerships on July 6th to improve diagnostic testing and antibody research in Howard County. The County and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) have entered a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to collaborate in the analysis and understanding of infectious diseases and the use of emerging technologies in treatment and prevention.

County Executive Calvin Ball will announce two private partnerships on July 6th to improve diagnostic testing and antibody research in Howard County. The County and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) have entered a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to collaborate in the analysis and understanding of infectious diseases and the use of emerging technologies in treatment and prevention. Johns Hopkins APL will serve as a technical advisor to review technologies and make recommendations to the County on the efficacy of those technologies in addressing infectious diseases. The first priorities will be to determine the efficacy of serology testing and the use of air filtration systems that use high-intensity UV lighting to kill or neutralize bacteria and virus particles. Additionally, Howard County is partnering with Quality First Urgent Care will operate a diagnostic drive-through testing site at Savage Volunteer Fire Department Monday - Saturday.

In the past month alone, Howard County paramedics have responded to three potential drownings. To ensure residents has the information and resources to keep its families safe during the summer month, County Executive Calvin Ball joined county officials to talk water and swimming safety.

The County's Department of Housing and Community Development is now accepting applications for its MIHU program July open enrollment period, now through Friday, July 31, 2020.

The County's Department of Recreation & Parks has completed construction of a replacement pedestrian bridge along the pathway loop at Centennial Park, which connects the park's west and south areas and was initially closed earlier this year.