Local news covering the Oldtown area A section of the Lewis family’s backyard garden. (Photos: Caitlin Lewis) The Garden Tour: A View from Inside In March, my friend Maria Gonzales Jackson texted me: “Question for you. The Laurel Museum is working on planning our garden tour and a board member passed by your house and wondered who the owner is and if they would be interested in being one of the gardens on the tour.” Flattered, I ran the idea past my husband, since he would be

Local news covering the North Laurel, Savage, and Scaggsville areas The new memorial to veterans and their loved ones (Photo: Howard County Veterans Foundation) HoCo Updates Neighboring Community on Status of Route 1 Housing Plan Approximately eight acres of property along Route 1 from Whiskey Bottom Road northward could be the future site of condominiums and an apartment community. A status report on the plan was provided to area residents by Howard County Housing Commission

Local news covering the West Laurel and Burtonsville areas Ginny Geis (front row, second from right) with her AFS classmates. (Photo: Russ Geis) Another Reunion—How Time Flies! I recently had the amazing privilege of attending yet another 50-year reunion, this time in Sweden rather than Laurel High. The year after I graduated from high school, I was an AFS (American Field Service) exchange student and lived with a family in Sweden on a potato farm. The Swedish high school sys

Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor Qamaria’s beautiful décor greets you as you enter. (Photo: Diane Mezzanotte) Talk of the Town: Qamaria Coffee Shop I’ve covered several restaurant openings in South Laurel over the last few years. Unfortunately, a few of them have already come and gone. (RIP, Dirty Dough) But this latest opening, Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., feels like a real winner. Qamaria has enjoyed a steady f

Local news covering the Russett and Maryland City areas Russett’s new community gardens await gardeners. (Photo: Rick Goddard) Russett Unveils First Community Garden New things are growing in Russett! Known for its park-like setting, the community is nestled next to the Little Patuxent River, encompasses 613 acres, and has 12 miles of walking trails and 70 acres of wetlands, which are part of the Oxbow Lake, a natural preserve. Originally farmland and undeveloped woodland, th

Local news covering the Oldtown area Laurel Cats held a grand opening celebration for its new mobile vet surgery service on March 4. (Photo: Caitlin Lewis) The Cat’s Meow: Laurel Cats Builds on Success with New Way to Help Cat Owners In 2012, Oldtown resident Helen Woods and a small group of volunteers saw a need in Laurel: the feral cat population was huge, with feral cat colonies all over Laurel, and the main method for dealing with the excess cats was euthanasia. Woods con

Local news covering the North Laurel, Savage, and Scaggsville areas Howard County Executive Calvin Ball holds a press conference to announce plans for mixed-income houses in North Laurel. (Photo: Manny Locke Jr./WMAR) Photo: Team USA North Laurel is Home to Olympic Bobsledder Bryan Sosoo, a Laurel native, made his Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy as a push athlete in four-man bobsled. A 2014 graduate of Reservoir High School, Sosoo was a track standout at Monmo

Local news covering the Russett and Maryland City areas Columnist Brenda Zeigler-Riley with Catherine’s owner Donovan Vassell. (Photo courtesy of Brenda Zeigler-Riley) Catherine’s Restaurant Draws Crowds to Corridor Marketplace Have you ever had Italian-Caribbean food? I recently had dinner at Catherine’s Restaurant, located in Corridor Marketplace. The restaurant was packed; however, my 6 pm reservation was honored. (I advise that reservations be made, especially if dining

Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor The Laurel Manor Recreation Center in The Villages, Florida, is named after Laurel Park Racecourse. (Photo: Diane Mezzanotte) The “Six Degrees of Laurel, Maryland” Most of us are familiar with the social science theory called the “six degrees of separation.” (Think Kevin Bacon and that American Express commercial.) I have come to believe that there is also a “Six Degrees of Laur

Local news covering the West Laurel and Burtonsville areas The newly renovated Burger King in Burtonsville. (Photo: Russ Geis) Nationwide Policy Actions Can Have Local and Personal Impacts A recent action by the U.S. Government has hit close to home in West Laurel. The current administration sought to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Haitian nationals living in the United States under protective status because of the dangerous situation in their home

Local news covering the Oldtown area (Above): The former home of Bertha Moore, at 622 Tenth Street. (Right): Ms. Moore, in an undated photo courtesy of The Laurel Historical Society. A Profile of Bertha Moore With Black History Month approaching, it seemed fitting to write about one of Laurel’s own extraordinary Black women. When Bertha May Levi Moore died on July 2, 1981, her obituary was printed in The Washington Post . While it mentioned her surviving children, grandchildr

Local news covering the North Laurel, Savage, and Scaggsville areas Kechy Pizza Co., a Baltimore-based restaurant chain, is planning to open in Savage on the former site of Ma’s Kettle. It will be the chain’s third location—a second is in Westminster. (Photo: Instagram/kechypizzaco) New Route 1 Corridor Campus Will Benefit Families in North Laurel, Savage, and entire county In late September 2025, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Community Action Council of Howard Coun

Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor Greater Washington Deliverance Temple, a small church on Locust Grove Drive in Oakcrest, is led by Pastor Karen Rutherford. (Photo: Diane Mezzanotte) Second-Generation Minister Leads “Love-Filled” Oakcrest Church Tucked among homes on Locust Grove Drive in South Laurel’s Oakcrest neighborhood is a church. I used to walk past it daily, many years ago, when my son was still in a s

Local news covering the West Laurel and Burtonsville areas The breakfast tacos (above) and omelette (right) offered at Eggspectation at Burtonsville Crossing, where the food is delicious, the atmosphere pleasant, and the service great.. (Photos: Russ Geis) WLCA Dedicates Garden, Will Sponsor Job Fair The West Laurel Civic Association (WLCA) will be dedicating a memorial garden to honor Melissa Daston, an active WLCA member who passed away in 2024. The native garden will be lo

Local news covering the Russett and Maryland City areas A new public playground has opened near the community pool in Russett. (Photo: Brenda Zeigler-Riley) New Playground Opens in Russett Congratulations to Russett resident Felicia Bond—a wife, mother of two, and an assistant principal—and to the members of the Russett Amenities Committee for bringing the concept of a new playground to fruition! As the only member of the committee with young children, Felicia recognized the

Local news covering the Russett and Maryland City areas Donovan Vassell, owner of Catherine’s, in front of a mural honoring his mother. ...

Local news covering the North Laurel, Savage, and Scaggsville areas Esen Paradiso’s winning design for a new Howard County flag (center)...

Local news covering the West Laurel and Burtonsville areas Wellness for Life is located at The Gardens Ice House. (Photos: Kathy May)...

Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor Gude Mansion, now known as The Mansion...

Local news covering the Oldtown area Examples of the volunteer-painted trash cans at McCullough Field featuring pollinator-themed...