Good morning, Columbia.. We may have lost Spirit Airlines at BWI but JetBlue already picked up their slots with flights to two former Spirit BWI destinations: Fort Lauderdale (starting in July) and Puerto Rico (starting in November).

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Hint: 9,126 square feet, 3 acres, 8 bedrooms & 8 baths, and the realtor jumped in the pool in a full suit in the listing video. That’s not really relevant but it’s fun.

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🎈 = family-friendly events

May the 4th be with you. Sadly, HoCo Rec & Parks cancelled its Star Wars celebration for today ☹️

🎶 Open Rehearsal at the Columbia Orchestra - Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how the magic happens before their Soundscapes of Contrast concert.

🎈🎊 Cinco de Mayo Celebration! - Making Waves brings 80s & 90s hits to Bare Bones for a festive evening celebration.

🎈🏫 Homeschool Days on the Farm - Hands-on learning with farm animals, greenhouse tours, and fresh food activities at Mary's Land Farm.

🎨 Bark Social - Paint your pet's portrait while your pup plays at this unique painting and social combo event.

📚 Grassroots Trivia Night - Test your knowledge and support a great cause at this fundraiser for the crisis support nonprofit.

🎨 One-Day Sand Animation Workshop with Corrie Francis Parks - Learn the mesmerizing art of sand animation and create your own short film.

💐 Blooms For Her: A Mother's Day Floral Workshop - Create beautiful spring arrangements at Mary's Land Farm with local designer Lisa Derx.

🍷 Kelsey's Annual Spring Sip & Shop - May Day market featuring local artisans with complimentary wine tasting and appetizers.

⛳ Midnight Mini-Golf - Y2K-themed mini golf under the stars with DJ, food truck, and early 2000s vibes.

🎭 Staging Ground: Reminiscences and Dreams - Toby's and CCTA leaders share the transformation story of Columbia's theater scene.

🎈📚 10th Annual Books in Bloom Festival - Celebrate storytelling at Color Burst Park with local authors, teen writers, book swaps, and creative activities.

🏃 2026 Nurses Run 5K - Non-timed 5K to raise funds for nursing scholarships and education at Johns Hopkins Howard County.

🎈🚲 Children's Bike Rodeo - Free bike safety event with agility courses, helmet checks, and bike licenses from Ellicott City VFD.

🍺 Craft Fair & Maker's Market at Manor Hill - Local artisans, food trucks, live music, and farm-brewed beers in a festive outdoor setting.

🎷 Vanessa Collier - The Columbia-raised blues and jazz saxophonist returns home for two nights at The Collective Encore.

🎈🎶 Columbia Bands 2026 Spring Concert - The Columbia Concert Band performs an energetic program including selections from Encanto and John Williams.

🎶 Free-For-All Concert: Spring Strings - Chamber Music Maryland presents a free string ensemble performance at the Horowitz Center.

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There's a giant tunnel-boring machine 150 feet beneath Old Ellicott City right now, and its name is Rocky.

This summer, Rocky starts digging.

By the time it's done, Rocky will have carved a mile-long, 18-foot-wide tunnel that can flush 26,000 gallons of stormwater per second into the Patapsco — the centerpiece of the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan, born after the catastrophic 2011, 2016, and 2018 floods.

County Executive Calvin Ball announced the construction start last week, standing in the access shaft alongside state lawmakers and Heather Owens, who survived the 2016 flood. The full $350 million plan also includes five retention ponds (three already built), two stormwater conveyance projects, debris management, and a flash flood alert system. The whole thing should wrap by December 2027.

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🐾 Pet cemetery vs. Sheetz: Howard County's zoning board pushed Wednesday's vote to June 3 on rezoning the front acres of Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park — a 1935 Elkridge pet cemetery — to make room for a six-pump Sheetz and a car wash. ($)

🥍 Record breaker: Howard senior and UMBC commit Brynn Bartlett broke Howard County's all-time girls lacrosse points record Friday with 15 points in a 20-0 senior-night rout of Wilde Lake. Bringing her to 372 career points, snapping a 32-year mark set by Cathy Reese (now Maryland's head coach) at Mt. Hebron. ($)

🚒 Big tank in Fulton: A Howard County construction crew starts digging today at Lallybroch Lane (just north of Lime Kiln Road) to bury a 30,000-gallon fire suppression tank — needed because the surrounding community isn't on the County's water grid. Work runs weekdays 8 AM–4 PM through late May, with no expected traffic impact.

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76 🌡️ 59 | ☀️ | 7% ☔ | 💨 SW 10 mph

83 🌡️ 62 | 🌤️ | 47% ☔ | 💨 SW 15 mph

74 🌡️ 50 | 🌧️ | 89% ☔ | 💨 SW 14 mph

58 🌡️ 41 | 🌧️ | 78% ☔ | 💨 N 9 mph

Collective Encore | Bachelor Boys Band | 7 PM | Tickets 

Cured 1821 | Mark Kotision | 6 PM

Cured 1821 | Joe DeCara | 6 PM 

Bare Bones | Adam Merkle | 7 PM 
Collective Encore | Disciple of The Garden | 7 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Rodney Kelly | 6 PM 
The Morgan Inn | Dave Phenicie & Paula Richardson | 6 PM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who painted a room in their house this weekend.