City Beat
A roundup of local news, events, and announcements
American Legion Post 60 Hosts Honor Flight Veterans from Maine
Laurel’s American Legion Post 60 recently hosted some very special guests for dinner: 75 veterans from Maine, who were finishing up a 3-day tour to Washington, DC. The tour was sponsored by Honor Flight Network, a national nonprofit organization that provides all-expenses-paid, 3-day trips to DC for veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
The Maine contingent visited Fort McHenry, Fort Meade, and numerous sites in DC: the Marine Corps Iwo Jima Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the Navy Memorial, the Military Women’s Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, the Korean War Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery, and the World War II Memorial.
The dinner at Post 60 occurred on the final night of their trip. Buses carrying the veterans passed under a huge American flag hoisted by a Howard County fire truck at the American Legion’s parking lot, which was lined with a large contingent of Legionnaires forming an honor guard, all holding flags. Cadets from Laurel High School’s Junior ROTC program and members of St. Mary’s American Heritage Girls helped out by ushering the veterans and serving them dinner—catered by Mission BBQ. Laurel City Councilmember Adrian Simmons welcomed the group, and Post 60’s Sara Berschet, who coordinated the event, served as mistress of ceremonies.
Tom Spencer, leader of the group from Maine, talked to Voices of Laurel about the welcome they received at Laurel. “Incredible,” he said. “Phenomenal. This was way beyond our expectations.”
Teen Takeover Redux
For the second year in a row, Laurel’s Fourth of July festivities were marred by a teen takeover, forcing city officials to take action. After a social media-organized takeover in 2025, during which hundreds of teens descended on Laurel Lakes, with some riding dirtbikes through the crowd and shooting off Roman candles, the Laurel Police Department had announced strict security measures for 2026, including controlled entrances and a ban on backpacks and other items. Nonetheless, a large group of teens disrupted the event, prompting the mayor to enact an immediate 8:30 pm curfew—90 minutes earlier than the usual curfew. The announcement went out at about the same time a thunderstorm hit the area, causing attendees to head for their cars. At that point, confusion arose over whether the official fireworks would still occur. Several people commented on Facebook that they had been told by LPD officers that the fireworks were canceled, so they went home; others were apparently told to watch from their cars. People who had signed up for text alerts about the event were provided no updates about its status. The fireworks did eventually happen, to a mostly empty field at Granville Gude Park.
Laurel Police Chief Elected Head of State-Level Chiefs Association
Laurel Police Chief Russ Hamill was elected Chief of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association and was sworn in to that office on September 23. According to an LPD press release, law enforcement leaders across the state vote on the position and, by electing Hamill, showed “the trust and respect he has earned statewide.” The MCPA works hand-in-hand with the Maryland Sheriffs Association by sharing information, coordinating strategies, and strengthening relationships across the state. Hamill has previously served in other leadership positions within the MCPA, including first vice president. His term as president will be for one year.
Latest City Council Legislative Actions
After a somewhat slow summer, including the traditional August break, City Council went back into action in September, discussing and amending several pieces of legislation. The following summarizes the new ordinances approved by council between June and September:
Selbourne house rental assistance. In June, the council passed a FY26 budget amendment to fund a temporary rental assistance program for eligible senior residents of Selbourne House, who were hit with a sudden 7.5% rent increase after the property was purchased by Urban Atlantic Development. The assistance program will last for 1 year and is funded by accrued interest from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) account.
Police drones and AI. In July, the council approved a 5-year contract between LPD and drone manufacturer Skydio, for just under $90,000 annually, to purchase and operate two “first responder” police drones. A related action was the approval of a 3-year contract with Peregrine AI for $79,500 annually; LPD stated that the AI tools will “aggregate and analyze data from a number of existing sources” to help crime analysts achieve “in minutes what typically takes hours or days to accomplish.”
ADUs. In late September, council approved text amendments to the Unified Land Development Code in order to allow, and regulate, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on single-family residential properties. The action was necessary in order to bring Laurel’s code into compliance with a 2025 state law, which authorizes ADU development beginning on 1 October. Prior to the vote, much discussion about ADUs had occurred during council work sessions and planning commission meetings; interested citizens can watch the recordings of council work sessions in September and the September 15 Planning Commission meeting to learn more.
At press time, council was considering legislation that would add fines and other penalties to the youth curfew law, as well as a mayoral-proposed $132,000 youth employment program, which would hire 24 teens to work for the city.
Also of note, Mayor Sydnor had presented a resolution to dissolve the committee established by former Mayor Craig Moe to study the potential for creating a no-kill community animal shelter. However, the council did not approve the resolution.
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