🍦Finally: Chick-fil-A on Snowden River Pkwy

Good morning, Columbia. Somewhere between Italy and Poland last week, thieves stole 413,793 KitKats (and the truck carrying them). Neither the candy or truck have been located. Sounds like someone’s planning one heck of a black market Easter egg hunt.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Columbia's getting its fourth Chick-fil-A — and this one's been a long time coming.

Owner-Operator Joe Dinoto Sr. has been running Chick-fil-A locations in Columbia for 35 years — starting back in 1990 after retiring from the Army. He currently runs the Dobbin Center location. His sons also run multiple Chick-fil-A stores in Anne Arundel County, HoCo, and PG County. This one? It's personal. "More than 20 years ago, I expressed interest in opening a Chick-fil-A in this exact location," Dinoto said. "Seeing it open is a dream come true."

This new Chick-fil-A will employ about 70 people and they’re still hiring.

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🎈 = family-friendly events

🎤 Heritage Unplugged: Multicultural Open Mic - Music, spoken word, rap, poetry, freestyle – share your story in any language or style. Free and open to ages 16+, but registration is required and capacity is limited. Doors at 5:45 PM.

🍺 First Friday Release of Manorita at Manor Hill Brewing - Manor Hill's margarita-inspired Mexican lager is back for the season, with live music from Tears for Devere (5–8 PM) and brick-oven pizza from the Pizza Trolley. The tasting room is open all weekend – including Easter Sunday.

🎈 🐣 Easter EGGstravaganza at Mary's Land Farm - Egg hunts, a petting farm, princess meet-and-greets, a trackless train, moon bounce, food trucks, and photos with the Easter Bunny. The full farm experience. Final admissions at 2:30 PM.

🎈 🎉 Kid's Fest - Howard County Rec & Parks' annual pre-Easter blowout at Meadowbrook Park. Sports, games, inflatables, arts and crafts, and an egg hunt to cap it off. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door for ages 2–12.

🎈 🌼 Annual Daffodil Day Celebration - A historic Ellicott City cemetery transformed by hundreds of daffodils and spring blooms. Free admission, with plants for sale, an archaeology talk, kids' activities, and refreshments.

🎈 🐮 April Spring Preview Farmers Market - The Commons in Clarksville kicks off the market season with local produce, meats, bread, flowers, handmade crafts, and Maryland-made wines. SNAP and FMNP benefits matched up to $20 per person.

🎈 💎 Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society 35th Annual Show - Minerals, fossils, original jewelry, cut gemstones, silent auctions, door prizes, and kids' activities at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Free admission and free parking.

🎈 🐱 Hello Kitty Cafe Truck at The Mall in Columbia - The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck rolls into the courtyard near Maggiano's from 10 AM–7 PM with treats and merch while supplies last.

🎈 🤡 HoCo HaHas #6 - A comedy and variety show in Columbia that's geared toward adults but safe for kids. A fun, low-key Saturday night out.

🎶 Jah Works: River of Life Release Party - The local reggae staples celebrate the release of their 11th album with DJ Smally the Golden Touch on the ones and twos.

🎈🔫 MD Nerf Herders Blaster Battle - Grand scale nerf battle for ages 12 and up.

🎈 🧙 Toby's Dinner Theatre Presents: The Wizard of Oz - There's no place like Toby's. The dinner theatre's production of the classic runs all weekend with evening shows Thursday–Saturday (doors at 6 PM) and a Sunday brunch matinee (doors at 10:30 AM).

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Howard County's next student school board member is down to two finalists.

Gavin Falcon of Long Reach High School and Mark Li of River Hill High School were chosen by their peers at the Howard County Association of Student Councils (HCASC) Convention on March 25 at Wilde Lake High School. Student delegates from across the county gathered to narrow the field, and Falcon and Li came out on top.

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🏫 Fully funded: County Executive Calvin Ball announced he'll fully fund HCPSS's FY27 capital budget request — all $116.6 million of it, with $98.6 million coming from the county alone. That's the highest county contribution to school construction in more than 25 years, and nearly 50% more than last year. The operating budget is a different story, and that fight is still ahead.

⏰ Rise and shine: All the snow days finally caught up with Howard County high schoolers — starting May 4, the first bell will ring at 7:48 a.m., two minutes earlier than the current 7:50 start, to make up a state-required four hours of missed instructional time. Elementary and middle schools are unaffected nor are any bus routes.

🏈 End of an era in Clarksville: Brian Van Deusen is stepping down as River Hill's football coach after 26 seasons, 227 wins, and four Maryland state championships — taking over the program from his father Don in 2000 and building it into one of the most dominant programs in HoCo history. He's staying on as a teacher at River Hill and says he could see himself coaching football again someday, but for now, the Van Deusen era on the sideline is over.

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69 🌡️ 59 | ☁️ | 24% | 💨 SW 12 mph

84 🌡️ 64 | 🌤️ | 5% | 💨 SW 12 mph

87 🌡️ 57 | ⛈️ | 58% | 💨 WSW 10 mph

Collective Encore | Bachelor Boys Band | 7 PM | Tickets 

Cured 1821 | Mark Kotision | 6 PM

Collective Encore | Never Never | 7:30 PM | Tickets 

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who calls it "spring cleaning" but just moved everything to the garage.