🍦Ethics complaint hits Deb Jung 8 days before primary

Good morning, Columbia. Ecuador fans put an Ecuador shirt on Philadelphia’s famous Rocky statue before their match Ivory Coast last night.

I guess the Rocky Curse (Philadelphia Eagles opponents who have tried this typically get stomped afterwards) applies to American football and The Beautiful Game.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Howard County's race for executive just got messier.

A developer has filed an ethics complaint against County Council member Deb Jung, one of the Democrats running for the county's top job. Brian Kim — managing member of the company building The Source community center in Columbia — alleges Jung misused her county office for political gain, leaning on council processes, nonpublic information, and even the county seal to add weight to her campaign attacks on the $25 million project.

Jung isn't backing down. She called the complaint a "political stunt" by developers who've donated to her opponent, Vanessa Atterbeary, and says she's running to end the "pay-to-play politics that have dominated Howard County for too long."

The Howard County Ethics Commission will decide what to make of the complaint. Voters get their own say in the June 23 primary.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans in Texas learned they were free — and Howard County is honoring it with two free celebrations.

Both are $0 and all ages.

P.S. County government offices are closed Friday. So are 50+ centers, the animal shelter, courts, and historic sites. Trash, recycling, and the landfill aren’t affected. Community centers, parks, and the Meadowbrook Athletic Complex are all open.

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🎸 Southern Hospitality Tour: The Black Crowes and Whiskey Myers - Southern rock veterans The Black Crowes headline with Whiskey Myers and Southall at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

🍽️ Food Truck Wednesdays in the Merriweather District - Grab lunch from rotating food trucks at Merriweather Row Plaza, with this week's lineup featuring DF 26 Mexican Food and DMV Taqueria.

🎶 IAN MAKSIN in ELLICOTT CITY MD: Songs of Love & Peace - Multilingual cellist Ian Maksin performs songs in 43 languages, blending traditional music from around the globe into a one-man cello orchestra at the Museum of Howard County History.

🎈🌱 Good Kid-izen: Water Safety Day - Family-friendly water play and safety lessons for kids ages 2-10 at Color Burst Park, sponsored by Goldfish Swim School.

🎶 Summer Sounds Series - Crafts & Cords themed night with live music and family-friendly activities at The Shoppes at Wilde Lake.

🎨 Johan Lowie: Terrain of Memory - Public reception 6 PM for landscape paintings exploring the intersection between place and recollection at the Horowitz Center.

🎭 HCST Presents: Fiddler on the Roof - Howard County Summer Theatre's 50th production features the beloved classic at Marriotts Ridge High School.

🍺 Teacher Palooza 4 - End-of-school-year celebration for educators with DJ, mechanical bull, drink specials, and huge giveaways including a $1,000 vacation at Reckless Shepherd Brewing.

🎈🎨 Juneteenth at the Lakefront feat. Kyaira - Live music, local Black-owned vendors, kids' activities, and a performance by soul singer Kyaira at Downtown Columbia Lakefront.

🖋️ Poetry, Undressed: A Curated Spoken Word Experience - Raw, unfiltered spoken word exploring love, truth, and human connection at Busboys and Poets.

🎈🌾 Juneteenth Community Yard Sale & Block Party - Community celebration with vendors, activities, and family fun.

🎈 Howard County Juneteenth Community Day & Block Party - Celebrating culture, community, and stories with food, vendors, and entertainment.

🎈🎶 Lakefront Concert: Rufus Roundtree & Da B'more Brass Factory - New Orleans brass band energy meets Baltimore funk at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront.

🤠 Zach Top: Cold Beer & Country Music Tour 2026 - Neotraditional country's breakout star brings his Cold Beer & Country Music Tour to Merriweather Post Pavilion.

🎭 The Second City Presents LAUGH HARDER NOT SMARTER - Classic sketch comedy, songs, and signature improv from the legendary comedy company at the Horowitz Center.

🎭 HCST Presents: Fiddler on the Roof - Matinee performance of Howard County Summer Theatre's golden-anniversary production at Marriotts Ridge High School.

🍺 Laurel Juneteenth Celebration - City of Laurel's community Juneteenth celebration at Emancipation Community Park.

🩰 Third Sunday DJ Swing Dance - Beginner swing lesson followed by two hours of dancing to recorded swing music at Carroll Baldwin Hall in Savage.

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🥊 Saved by the Bell – Rock Steady Boxing, a class for people with Parkinson's disease, will keep running in Columbia after community pushback. The county's Office on Aging and Independence had declined to renew the weekly program at the East Columbia 50+ Center, citing procurement rules, then reversed course after residents called, emailed, and showed up to object. The non-contact classes help with tremors, balance, and coordination. ($)

🚨 One Investigation – Howard County police are looking into digital threats and harassment aimed at students and staff at Reservoir High and Clarksville Middle, days after a bomb threat forced Reservoir to evacuate. A group calling itself "Maryland Hackers Unite" has made the online threats; the school system says it found no evidence its networks were hacked. Police say it's "all part of one investigation," with no arrests yet. ($)

🏛️ Open Mic – The Howard County Council holds its monthly legislative public hearing Monday, June 15, at 7 PM in the George Howard Building. On the docket: a school-capacity chart that helps decide where new housing can go, a bill requiring the county to track how many students new tax-break developments add, and roughly $18 million in proposed bonds. Want to weigh in? You can sign up to testify.

🚧 Road Closed – Heads up, Ellicott City: Triadelphia Road closes to through traffic near 11821–11825 Triadelphia Road starting on or around Monday, June 22, while crews replace aging storm drains and relocate an eroding utility pole. Expect a marked detour via MD 144, MD 32, and Rosemary Lane, weekdays 9 AM to 4 PM, through mid-August.

🌧️ Culvert Cure – Emerald Court in Ellicott City gets a drainage upgrade starting on or around Monday, June 22. Crews will swap a deteriorating culvert for a 30-inch concrete pipe and stabilize the stream bank, working weekdays 9 AM to 4 PM through mid-August. The county doesn't expect traffic headaches, but signs will mark the work.

🛠️ Bottoms Up – Howard County starts repairs on a failing stormwater pond near Whiskey Run in Laurel today. Crews will reline the old spillway pipe and rebuild the embankment to stop erosion and meet state environmental rules, working weekdays 7 AM to 5 PM through late August. Signs will mark the work zone.

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80 🌡️ 56 | ☀️ | 1% ☔ | 💨 NW 10 mph

80 🌡️ 61 | ☀️ | 19% ☔ | 💨 NW 5 mph

84 🌡️ 65 | ⛈️ | 25% ☔ | 💨 S 7 mph

94 🌡️ 67 | ⛈️ | 48% ☔ | 💨 SW 15 mph

Cured 1821 | Mark Kotision | 6 PM 
Collective Encore | Paul Thorn Band | 7:30 PM |  Ticket
Merriweather | The Black Crowes and Whiskey Myers | 6:30 PM | Ticket

Cured 1821 | Bob Butta | 6 PM 
Collective Encore | The Nighthawks | 7:30 PM |  Ticket

Bare Bones | Wayne George | 7 PM

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