🍦Meet the new police chief

Good morning, Columbia. Yesterday I saw a doorbell video of a Chattanooga police officer with a man bun kicking down the door of a burning house to save a mother and two children. I will officially never make fun of the man bun again. Officer Rogers, you are a true hero.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Meet Maj. Terrence Benn, Howard County's incoming acting police chief.

A former Marine with nearly two decades in law enforcement, Benn takes over June 1, stepping in for retiring Chief Gregory Der. County Executive Calvin Ball made the announcement this week, and promoted Antonio Thomas to Acting Colonel in the same speech.

Worth knowing about Benn:

Chief Gregory Der will officially retire on June 1.

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I just saw this video of how workers have to enter Rocky, Ellicott City’s tunnel machine, and all I have to say is. . . absolutely not.

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Four of Howard County's seven farmers markets are already open. All the rest open in the next 30 days. Stock the fridge accordingly.

If you’ve never been to a farmers market, I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone. You don’t even have to buy anything. Just walking through is fun on its own. But the real fun does start when you buy something and turn it into a tasty meal.

The 2026 lineup:

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🎈 = family-friendly events

🇺🇸 Howard County Veterans Monument Opening and Dedication - The new veterans monument at Vivian C. "Millie" Bailey Park gets its official dedication with a ribbon cutting and flag raising by a Marine Corps detail.

🧙 Broomsticks & Brews ~ History of Maryland Witches Pub Crawl - Tour Historic Ellicott City with your broomstick in hand, learning about Maryland's 12 accused witches—starting with wine samples at The Wine Bin.

🎈🎉 Glow Night - Free pool party with glow-in-the-dark giveaways, martial arts demos, dance performances, and free swim assessments at the Y in Catonsville.

🎈🎨 9th Annual Maryland ASL Festival - A full day of Deaf culture showcases, ASL workshops, and community connection at the Howard County Fairgrounds.

🚗 The Annual Mid-Atlantic 86 Club Car Show - The big annual car show benefiting DASH to the Rescue, with raffle prizes and vendors at Pub Dog.

🚗 May Meet: Mikey & Mel's Cruise In at Maple Lawn - All makes and models welcome—plus the kitchen will be ready to serve.

🎶 Columbia Orchestra presents Soundscapes of Contrast - Music that thrives on tension and transformation—from indigenous spirituality to Beethoven's battle between despair and triumph.

🎈 Next Gen Maker's Market at Manor Hill - Young entrepreneurs ages 5–17 run their own booths selling handmade goods and services, with live music, pizza, gelato, and beer on tap through 4 PM.

🏃‍♀️ Women's Distance Festival - The first race in the Women's Distance Series among Maryland run clubs, with a generous hour cutoff and Mom/Daughter team options.

🍷 Wine in the Woods - Maryland's largest wine festival returns for its 32nd year with local wineries, craft breweries, six live bands, and plenty of space to picnic in Symphony Woods.

🎨 Maryland Show - Original art celebrating Maryland themes from local gallery artists at Artists Gallery in Ellicott City.

🎈🎭 Toby's Dinner Theatre Presents: The Wizard of Oz - Follow the yellow brick road to Columbia for buffet dinner and a family-friendly production.

🎨 Paint It!, Ellicott City edition — Calling all painters: the Howard County Arts Council is accepting applications for Paint It! Ellicott City 2026, the juried plein air paint-out June 4–7. Up to 30 artists will be picked to set up easels in the historic district and compete for $6,000+ in cash prizes. $30 entry fee. Get those brushes ready.

📜 HCPSS heads to nationals — A group of HCPSS students just punched their tickets to the National History Day national contest, June 14–18 at UMD College Park. This year's theme is "Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History," with kids competing across documentaries, exhibits, performances, websites, and historical papers. Bring on the AP energy.

💸 Show me the money – $12.2 million is a lot of money for a building that’s not even under construction yet. That's the number some Howard County leaders are circling around The Source — the planned 65,000-square-foot community center taking over the old Columbia Flier building. Plans call for four basketball courts, a food hall, a recording studio, game rooms, tutoring, and mentorship programs. The Baltimore Sun dug in this week. Supporters say it’s a long overdue hub for kids and families. Skeptics want to see receipts (and shovels in the ground). ($)

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65 🌡️ 48 | 🌤️ | 6% ☔ | 💨 NW 14 mph

72 🌡️ 52 | 🌤️ | 1% ☔ | 💨 NW 13 mph

83 🌡️ 62 | 🌤️ | 13% ☔ | 💨 SW 8 mph

85 🌡️ 64 | 🌤️ | 14% ☔ | 💨 W 6 mph

87 🌡️ 65 | ☀️ | 5% ☔ | 💨 SE 8 mph

Bare Bones | Moonstone | 7 PM 
Cured 1821 | Jon Waller | 6 PM 

Bare Bones | Virgil Cain | 8 PM 
The Barn & Lodge | Angie Miller | 8 PM
Cured 1821 | Jon Waller | 6 PM 
HoCo Brew Hive | The Have Nots | TBA
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub | Ciaran Quinn | 6 PM 
Looney’s Maple Lawn | 3AM Tokyo | 9 PM
The Morgan Inn | The Garrett Mabe Band | 8 PM 
Reckless Shepherd | Better Off Dead | 9 PM
Smashing Grapes | Cynthia Marie | 8 PM 
White Oak Tavern | Madisun Bailey | 8 PM

Bare Bones | Blue Line | 8 PM 
The Barn & Lodge | Grayson Moon | 8 PM
Collective Encore | The Boneshakers | 8 PM | Tickets 
Cured 1821 | Kevin Howard | 6 PM 
HoCo Brew Hive | Scotty Pip & Mike Vance | 7 PM
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub | Kevin Sullivan | 6 PM 
Looney’s Maple Lawn | Misspent Youth | 9 PM
The Morgan Inn | HOMESTEAD, THE BAND! | 8 PM 
Reckless Shepherd | Dream Machine Tour | 9 PM
Smashing Grapes | Brian Simms | 8 PM 
Sonoma’s | The Ravyn's Trio | 7 PM
White Oak Tavern | Dan Haas | 8 PM

The Barn & Lodge | Andrew Bell | 8 PM
Cured 1821 | Sidestreet Duo | 5 PM
Collective Encore | Josh Christina & The Revivals | 7 PM | Tickets 
The Morgan Inn | The Soul Family Band | 2 PM 
Smashing Grapes | Kevin Howard | 11 AM 
White Oak Tavern | Jazzy Brunch | 11 AM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who has a man bun.