Ultraviolet (UV) light, usually associated with medical and healthcare settings, is getting a second look as a safe and effective alternative to traditional methods of cleaning commercial spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disinfectant sprays and wipes are in short supply. Cleaning services are also stretched thin and frequent cleaning service is expensive. Derek McDaniels, president […]
George Berkheimer
Posted inBusiness News
New spirits in Old Ellicott City
Howard County’s second craft distillery opened without a lot of fanfare on April 13, just one month after the COVID-19 quarantine took effect. Even so, the Ellicott Distilling Co. owners are happy with the response they’ve had. “Right now, it’s all we can do to keep up with demand,” said Arkady Lapidus, a Citi Bank […]
Posted inHoward County
State report faults BGE in explosion
An August 2020 staff report of the Maryland Public Service Commission’s Engineering Department (PSCED) faults the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) for the Aug. 25, 2019, explosion at the Lakeside Office Building on Stanford Boulevard in Columbia. According to the report, pressure tests and subsequent excavation revealed three holes in the building’s service line, […]
Posted inEducation
Back to the books means new start for everyone
Howard County public schools will operate virtually for the first half of the school year, returning to the contingency model adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. Among the biggest concerns’ administrators have is ensuring equitable access and learning opportunities for all students and the budgetary adjustments that will be necessary to deliver […]
Posted inGovernment
Franchot launches tax processing system
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot announced the launch of the first phase of a new state tax processing system in July, modernizing and streamlining how taxpayers conduct business with the agency. The initial phase of the $160 million Compass system focuses on alcohol tax collection and license renewals, using automation and condensed forms to save taxpayers […]
Posted inArt & Entertainment
Howard Council gambles on cultural center funds
Even though financing has been secured for construction of a signature home for the arts in Columbia, a cautious Howard County Council has moved the funding out of the budget to give itself more time to understand the project. Costing approximately $137 million, the New Cultural Center’s financing relies on $63 million in general obligation […]
Posted inGovernment
Howard budget increases spending, recordation tax hike defeated
The Howard County Council approved the FY21 Capital and Operating Budget May 27, increasing spending 1.2 percent over the previous year. The amended budget included about 98 percent of the proposals from Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. On May 20, Council Chair Deb Jung (D-District 4) and Councilmembers Liz Walsh (D-District 1) and David Yungmann […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Unemployment spikes as businesses prepare to reopen
With unemployment nationally continuing to grow, Maryland is doing better than many states. According to WalletHub, a Washington, DC-based personal finance website, the Coronavirus pandemic has eliminated nearly 39 million jobs nationally since mid-March. In total, 14.7 percent of Americans were unemployed as of April 2020, compared to around 25 percent during the Great Depression. […]
Posted inEducation
Colleges and schools go online during quarantine
Maryland schools will be closed at least until May 15, said Karen Salmon, state superintendent of schools. Aside from the scramble to ensure continuity of learning, public elementary, high schools, colleges and universities are also dealing with economic loss, student hunger and developing plans to resume operations when the restrictions are lifted. Nobody can yet […]
Posted inGovernment
Mining the Moon, APL orchestrates lunar exploration planning
The resources on the moon, Mars and Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are a business opportunity of nearly immeasurable potential. Getting to them – and using their abundance to improve the human condition on Earth – will require a sustained presence in deep space and on the moon’s surface. With that in mind, NASA held its […]