🍦Another new acting police chief

Good morning, Columbia. It’s estimated that there are 63 UN-recognized countries with less landmass than America has parking lots. Now here’s the real trivia question. How many do you think are islands? True islands where the entire country is its own island, not part of a bigger island. Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Howard County police have a new boss, again. County Executive Calvin Ball named Col. Antonio Thomas as acting police chief on Monday, replacing Maj. Terrence Benn, who had run the department since Chief Gregory Der retired June 1.

The swap is procedural. Per the county charter, acting department heads can’t serve more than 60 days. County Council can extend it, but it’s in recess all of August.

The open question is when the acting part goes away. Ball’s office said in May that the permanent hire should be the next county executive’s call, and Ball’s term ends in December.

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Six Howard County homes open their doors Saturday and Sunday, from a $389,900 townhouse condo in Elkridge to a $949,900 colonial a short walk from Centennial Park. Two of them are still listed as coming soon, so the open house is the first look anyone gets.

My favorite: the Columbia contemporary in Phelps Luck, built in 1972 by Howard Homes and offered for sale for the first time in over fifty years. It’s what Jim Rouse would have wanted.

See all six

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🎈 = family-friendly events

🎈🎶 Dancin' Under the People Tree - All-ages dance fitness session led by high-energy instructors under the 30-foot People Tree sculpture at the Lakefront.

🎈🎬 Movie Night - Freakier Friday - Free outdoor screening of the body-swap comedy sequel at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront—bring a blanket and settle in at dusk.

🎨 Fused Glass Workshop - Adults 55+ can drop in between 1–6 PM to create summer-inspired fused glass planter inserts with step-by-step instruction. Just $20 for two projects.

🎈🐮 Clarksville Commons Farmers Market - Saturday morning market on the plaza with fresh local produce and regional vendors.

🎈🐮 Fulton Farmers Market - Saturday morning market at Maple Lawn (10 AM–2 PM) with produce, bakery items, artisans, and food vendors from local family farms.

🎈🐮 Old Ellicott City Farmers Market - Saturday morning market (9 AM–1 PM) in Tiber Park with fresh produce, mushrooms, meats, dairy, and baked goods.

🎈🎉 Y2K Night - Party like it's 2000 at the Lakefront with early-2000s hits, music videos on a giant screen, throwback games, and a 21+ beer garden. Dust off your best 2000s fit.

🎈🐮 Oakland Mills Farmers Market - Sunday morning market (9 AM–1 PM) at Oakland Mills Village Center with fresh local produce to close out the weekend.

🎈🐾 Jenn's Uncommon Critters Educational Event - Hands-on program at Manor Hill Brewing featuring reptiles, invertebrates, and small mammals with meet-and-greet and photo ops. Proceeds support rescued animal care.

🎨 Nature in Two Voices - Two artists explore nature through delicate watercolor on rice paper and vibrant oversized floral paintings at Artists' Gallery in Ellicott City. Free.

🎨 Red, White or Blue - Group exhibition featuring 28 artists working in oil, watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, and ceramic pottery at The Meeting House Gallery. Free.

🎶 Toby's Dinner Theatre Presents: Mean Girls - Closing weekend for the hit musical at Toby's, dinner included—a last chance for fans of the fetch phenomenon.

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🥕 Extra Innings: The Merriweather District farmers market was scheduled to close out on August 27. It just added a week, so there are three left: today, August 27, and September 3, all 3–7 PM at Merriweather Row Plaza.

🍣 Sushi Go Round: Conveyor belt sushi is angling for a spot in Ellicott City. Uzu Revolving Sushi & K-Pub goes before the county liquor board on August 25 for a license at 8801 Baltimore National Pike, a 6,000-square-foot space in Lotte Plaza. At Uzu’s Rockville location, some plates ride a belt to your table and others arrive by robot.

📉 Plate Expectations: Rekor Systems, the Columbia company behind a lot of the region’s license plate readers, has cut dozens of jobs since March. Once one of the fastest-growing companies in the county, it has grown revenue every year since 2022 but still lost $31 million last year. The cuts have moved the needle — Rekor says its quarterly losses have narrowed sharply and it expects to be profitable in the back half of the year. The stock is the problem. Nasdaq warned Rekor in April that its shares had spent too long under $1, and the company has until October 26 to fix that or face delisting ($).

🥪 Table for One: Parents can no longer drop in on their kid’s lunch period. HCPSS ended parent lunch visits at every school, saying it keeps buildings secure and cuts down on disruptions. One other change before Monday’s first bell: the Applications and Research Laboratory is now the Career & Technical Education Center (CTEC).

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84 🌡️ 65 | ⛈️ | 75% ☔ | 💨 S 5 mph

81 🌡️ 67 | ⛅ | 20% ☔ | 💨 NE 5 mph

81 🌡️ 67 | ⛈️ | 62% ☔ | 💨 E 3 mph

83 🌡️ 64 | 🌤️ | 20% ☔ | 💨 W 7 mph

81 🌡️ 63 | ☀️ | 2% ☔ | 💨 NW 8 mph

🌳🎵= Outdoor concert

Bare Bones | David & Paula | 7–10 PM
Cured 1821 | R&B Night Featuring Anissa Hargrove | 5–10 PM
🌳🎵 Turf Valley | Red Sky Dawn | 6–8 PM

Bare Bones | Impulse | 8 PM–12 AM
Barn & Lodge | Andy B | 8–11 PM
Cured 1821 | The Young Brothers | 6–11 PM
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub | West City | 6–9:30 PM
Looney’s Maple Lawn | Crashed Chords | Time TBA
Smashing Grapes | Cynthia Marie | 8–11 PM
White Oak Tavern | Sam O’Hare | 8–10 PM

Bare Bones | Film at Eleven | 8 PM–12 AM
Barn & Lodge | Grayson Moon | 8–11 PM
Collective Encore | BRENCORE Presents…A Tribute to the Music of Earth, Wind, and Fire | 8 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Darius Scott | 6–11 PM
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub | Brandt Dunn | 6–9:30 PM
Looney’s Maple Lawn | Lush | 9 PM
The Morgan Inn | Dixie Wind Band | 8–11 PM
Reckless Shepherd | KiTTYBACK | 8:30 PM
Smashing Grapes | Andrew Bell | 8–11 PM
🌳🎵 Union’s Jack | Chris Montcalmo | 6–10 PM
White Oak Tavern | Mercy Creek | 8–10 PM

Barn & Lodge | Stephen Henson | 11 AM–2 PM
Collective Encore | Jazz Brunch with Jazzy Blu | 11 AM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Sidestreet Duo | 5–9 PM
🌳🎵 Manor Hill Brewing | John Benjamin | 2–5 PM
The Morgan Inn | The Soul Family Band | 2–5:30 PM
Smashing Grapes | Kyle Anthony | 11 AM–2 PM
White Oak Tavern | Jazzy Brunch | 11 AM–2 PM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with the friend who tours open houses every weekend even though they have no intention of moving.

Answer: 31 of the countries are islands.