Good morning, Columbia. You ever have such bad chronological whiplash that you feel like you need a brain chiropractor? That’s what we call it when we read about something and think, “Really? That was ten years ago already?”
In today’s Columbia Scoop:
New spa grand opening
County council campaign finance
County gov selling 6 Ellicott City buildings
Let’s get to it.
— Michelle Sinclair
THE DIGEST
The best places to watch the Super Bowl in HoCo
Just in case you missed this in Monday’s Scoop, here’s where we’d watch if we weren’t 100% dedicated to a quiet game at home (and probably going to bed before halftime).
🏆 MVP: Reckless Shepherd Brewery | Lots of reasons to put this atop the list. Lots of screens (including a huge one). The optional buffet sounds delicious and is only $30. Commercials are just as important as the game to them. And great beer. Get tickets.
🥈Ale House. 50+ TVs. That number alone earns a spot on this list.
🥈HoCo Brew Hive. New England clam chowder, fish and chips, meatball subs, and $1 wings. 11 TVs.
🥈Collective Encore. Big screen viewing, $30 buffet, and specialty team cocktails. Get tickets.
🥈The Main Event. Plenty of TVs (including a massive screen) but also tons of activities to keep everyone (especially kids) occupied. Tickets include a meal voucher and $10 game card.
🥈Looney’s Pub Maple Lawn. While traditional Irish pubs don’t have TVs, Looney’s has more than we can count and we really aren’t that bad at counting.
🥈The Greene Turtle. You can’t write about watching football in Maryland without mentioning The Greene Turtle.
County pulls permit for detention center in Elkridge
Howard County isn’t holding back in its battle against a privately-owned detention facility in Elkridge. The center has been well. . . the center of attention this week as it appears the intended occupant will be Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Department of Inspections, Licenses, & Permits revoked the building permit, saying the facility didn’t follow the procedures outlined in Maryland law. County inspections indicate the renovation was nearly complete.
County looks to offload historic buildings in Ellicott City
Howard County officials want to sell six historic buildings on Ellicott City’s Main Street. The county bought the properties for $4.6 million after the 2018 flood to save them from demolition. Another $3.5 million was spent on revitalization. Although the $140 million flood mitigation plan, Safe and Sound, is over budget and behind schedule, a county official said that’s not why the county’s selling the buildings.
Maryland’s Board of Public Works is cool with it, even forgiving the $750k in bonds it contributed. Several more approvals are needed though, including ultimately the County Council. What would you turn these into? ($)
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LOCAL BUSINESS
Even Keel Wellness Spa grand opening
Congratulations to our friends at Even Keel Wellness Spa on their newest location in Columbia! Today from 4–8 PM they’re celebrating with mini massages, a glow bar with free skin analysis, service demos, raffles & giveaways, and a gift bag for the first 25 guests. You can find Even Keel at 5425 Lynx Lane, Suite 130 in Columbia.
🍦Our sister publication, Naptown Scoop in Annapolis, tells us Even Keel has been an Annapolis favorite for over 20 years!
Vendors wanted: SpringFest
Applications close soon for Ellicott City’s SpringFest. And with this winter, we need something to look forward to. So if you could be a food or artisan vendor (or know someone who is), sign up (or forward them this email) before February 18! Vendors will hear back by February 27.
💐 SpringFest is a full day of family-friendly fun in historic Ellicott City. Last year it featured bands on outdoor stages, a beer & wine garden, DMV Elite FC players, 30 artisan vendors, and so much more. SpringFest 2026 is April 18 from noon to 8 PM.
Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.
WHAT’S HAPPENIN’
Weekend preview
Friday
Blooms & Buds: Galentine’s Workshop @ Turf Valley | Create a flower arrangement with Raimondi’s Florist with a glass of rosé and personal charcuterie plate | 6 PM
Saturday
Lunar New Year Celebration | Welcome the Year of the Fire Horse with live performances. The Mall in Columbia @ 1 PM.
Sunday
Ladies Only Galentines @ Dill Dinkers | The biggest sporting event happening this Sunday. Guaranteed | 3–6 PM
Waves of Time @ Jim Rouse Theatre | The Columbia Orchestra explores how ideas, inspirations, and musical innovations flow from generation to generation | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Trivia, Bingo, Karaoke, & Open Mic Nights
Thursday
Friday
Sunday
HCPSS dance and music performances rescheduled for this weekend
Because of all the snow and ice and closures, two HCPSS dance and music performances were moved from last weekend to this weekend and one was canceled.
The Howard County Dance Festival (featuring all 13 high school dance companies) is February 7 at 7 PM. Get tickets.
The Solo & Ensemble Festival at Long Reach High School is February 7 from 9 AM–4:30 PM.
The Elementary School Cantus and Lyric Concert has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.
Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.
CIVIL NEWS
Checking in on county council campaign finances
Earning a spot on the County Council isn’t as simple as putting a few signs in the ground and shaking some hands anymore. Folks spend serious money for those seats. And the campaign finance reports just came in so we know exactly how much.
denotes candidates using public financing
District 1
Jean Xu* has about $64k on hand of $74k raised. Biggest expenditure so far: printing and campaign materials
Kevin Chin* has about $63k on hand of $69k raised. Biggest expenditure: printing and campaign materials
James Handley* has about $13k on hand of $20k raised. Biggest expenditure: fundraising
District 2
Arinze Ifekauche has about $50k on hand with $35k raised. How’s that work? He lent his campaign $36k. Biggest expenditure: Political consulting
Jessica Nichols has about $20k on hand of $26k raised. Biggest expenditure: Printing and campaign materials
Regina McLendon* has about $1,300 on hand of $3,700 raised. Biggest expenditure: Fundraising
District 3
Christiana Rigby has about $26k on hand with $21k raised. How’s that work? She’s an incumbent with money leftover in the account. Biggest expenditure: Fundraising
Amir Naviwala* has about $1,000 on hand of $2,600 raised. Biggest expenditure: Software
District 4
Janssen Evelyn has about $59k on hand of $80k raised. Biggest expenditure: Fundraising
Linfeng Chen* has about $61k on hand of $70k raised. Biggest expenditure: Printing and campaign materials
Regina Clay has about $8k on hand of $23k raised. Biggest expenditure: unknown.
Shamieka Preston* has about $11k on hand of $17k raised. Biggest expenditure: Media
District 5
Cat Carter* has about $10k on hand of $11k raised and has lent her campaign about $4k. Biggest expenditure: Printing and campaign materials
Steven Bolen* has about $715 on hand of $1,400 raised and has loan his campaign about $1,000. Biggest expenditure: Printing and campaign materials
Ryan O’Connor, the only Republican on this list, hasn’t filed a report yet because he just filed to run.
Kinda makes me wish I owned a print shop rather than a local newsletter that refuses to run political ads. But we’ll never bore you with those. Promise.
Stories with ($) require a third-party subscription.
WEATHER
Thursday
34 🌡️ 20 | ☀️ | 5% 🌧️ | 💨 7 mph
Friday
33 🌡️ 19 | 🌨️ | 40% 🌨️ | 💨 6 mph
Saturday
23 🌡️ 10 | 🌬️ | 1% 🌧️ | 💨 23 mph
Sunday
25 🌡️ 11 | ⛅ | 7% 🌧️ | 💨 9 mph
LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN
Thursday
Cured 1821 | John Waller | 6 PM
Collective Encore | Bostyx | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Morgan Inn | The Fog Acoustic Trio | 6 PM
Friday
Bare Bones | Crush | 8 PM
Blackwall Barn & Lodge | Andy B | 8 PM
Cured 1821 | Aiden Interrante | 6 PM
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub | Brendan Pelan | 6 PM
Looney’s Maple Lawn | Smoke Signals | 9 PM
Manor Hill Brewing | Jon Watkins | 5 PM
The Morgan Inn | Dan Ingham Duo | 6 PM
Smashing Grapes | Marissa Zechinato | 8 PM
Saturday
Bare Bones | Crash The Limo | 8 PM
Blackwall Barn & Lodge | Mike Sharp | 8 PM
Collective Encore | Jimmy Buffet | 8 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Kevin Howard | 6 PM
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub | Kevin Sullivan | 6 PM
Looney’s Maple Lawn | Kono Nation | 8 PM
The Morgan Inn | VooDoo! | 8 PM
Reckless Shepherd | Kanye Twitty | 8 PM
Smashing Grapes | Andrew Bell | 8 PM
Sunday
Blackwall Barn & Lodge | Sean Bera | 11 AM
Cured 1821 | Rodney Kelly | 5 PM
Manor Hill Brewing | Frank Florence | 1 PM
The Morgan Inn | Soul Family Band | 2 PM
Smashing Grapes | Patrick Cooper | 11 AM
White Oak Tavern | Jazz Brunch | 10 AM
THANKS!
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