Incidents in 21043

Armed robberies

Tire thefts (21043)

Armed Robbery · Active Investigation · 21043

Howard County Police are investigating a late-night armed robbery on June 8 at 11:28 PM. Two male suspects approached a man in the 3300 block of Oak West Drive, assaulted him, displayed a firearm, stole his belongings, and fled. No injuries. No arrests announced.

📍 3300 block Oak West Drive · June 8, 11:28 PM

Tire Thefts · Pattern Alert · 21043

Three vehicles had tires stolen overnight June 6–8 across the Normandy Woods Drive area. Multiple locations hit within two nights.

📍 Normandy Woods Drive area · June 6–8 overnight

Armed Robbery · Juvenile Arrest · Nearby / Elkridge

Armed robbery at Weis Market, Elkridge. The 15-year-old juvenile is charged with armed robbery, assault, and theft.

📍 Weis Market, Elkridge (21075) · June 11

🔒 Safety tip: If you’re out late, stay aware of your surroundings, stay near lit areas, and trust your gut. The Normandy Woods Drive area has seen repeat activity — vehicles hit multiple nights in a row. Check your car, and if something’s off, report it.
Crime tips: (410) 313-STOP · HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov

📊 What it means for you: Median sale price hit $699K with homes up 6.3% compared to this time last year. Average days on market is down to 12 from 14 last year — still moving fast. 193 homes sold in May. If you’re thinking about listing, demand is real and the summer window is open.

Dave Carney, owner of The Wine Bin, is opening a new cocktail bar and restaurant at 8210 Main St in Old Ellicott City — the former Pure Wine space. D.C. chef Rachel Bindel is in the kitchen. They’re targeting mid-June, but no hard open date has been confirmed yet. Follow their Instagram to be the first to know when they flip the sign.

Fast-casual Italian expanding to Ellicott City’s Enchanted Forest Shopping Center. Pizza, pasta, quick bites. Opening date TBD.

River House Pizza Co. — Still Coming

Renovation work at the former Tersiguel’s space on Main Street continues. No open date confirmed yet. We’ll have it the week it drops.

Instead of numbers, you match song clips to titles on your bingo card. First to BINGO wins prizes. Free entry, competitive, and surprisingly addictive. Thursday drink specials: $5 rail drinks, $6 Long Islands, half-price domestic drafts, and 50% off cheesesteak & fries. Free Eventbrite ticket reserves your bingo cards — call ahead to guarantee a seat.

📍 All American Steakhouse, Ellicott City · Thu Jun 18 · 8–10PM · Free entry

⚽ USA vs. Australia — World Cup Watch Party

USA faces Australia at 3PM ET Thursday. Two solid local spots to watch: La Palapa Grill & Cantina on Main Street and Glory Days Grill on Baltimore National Pike — both have big screens and will have it on.

📍 Local · Thursday June 19 · 3PM ET · FOX

Juneteenth — Two Ways to Celebrate in Howard County

Columbia Lakefront (all day, free): Columbia Association transforms the lakefront into a full Juneteenth celebration — line dancing, local Black-owned food trucks, artisans, kids’ activities, and live performances. Details here.

Harriet Tubman Cultural Center (9AM–3PM, free): Howard County’s official Juneteenth Community Day & Block Party hosted by the Office of Human Rights & Equity. Live music, food, community yard sale, Juneteenth woodwork with Van Buren Woodworks, and line dancing. All ages. Details here.

📍 Columbia Lakefront & Harriet Tubman Cultural Center · Free · All ages

Local pop-up in Ellicott City with handmade pies from Hot Garbage Pizza, non-alcoholic drinks by The Plot Twist, and pastries from Old Mill Cafe. BYOB.

📍 Old Mill Cafe, 4 Frederick Rd, Ellicott City · 3–8PM · BYOB

9AM–1PM at Tiber Park through October 26. Ride the free trolley over and make it a morning.

📍 Tiber Park, Old EC · Free

🚘 Worth the drive

Rufus Roundtree brings “Balti Gras” to the Columbia Lakefront Stage Friday night — New Orleans brass energy meets Baltimore. Free, outdoors, 15 minutes away. Hard to beat for a Friday in June.

📍 Columbia Lakefront · Fri Jun 20 · 7:30PM · Free

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Your A/C is about to work overtime. Give it a fighting chance.

With temps hitting 90+ this week, your HVAC is going to earn its keep. A few things that actually make a difference: Replace your air filter — a clogged filter makes the system work harder and drives up your bill. Do it now if you haven’t in the last 1–3 months. Clear the outdoor condenser unit of any grass, debris, or shrubs crowding it — it needs airflow to run efficiently. And if your system hasn’t been serviced in over a year, a $100 tune-up now is cheaper than an emergency repair call in July. BGE also offers rebates on energy-efficient HVAC upgrades if you’re due for a replacement.

“The electric bill came and I genuinely thought it was my mortgage payment. I have apologized to my air conditioner and will not be taking further questions.”

Overheard in 21043

“Someone on our street put out a new sprinkler system and it is aimed directly at the sidewalk at head height. No one has said anything. We have all just started walking in the street.”

Overheard in 21043

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The town wasn’t called “Ellicott City” for nearly its first 100 years.

The Ellicott brothers — Quaker millers from Pennsylvania — founded this place in 1772 and built one of colonial America’s first large-scale industrial complexes along the Patapsco. For nearly a century, it was known as Ellicott’s Mills — because that’s exactly what it was. The name “Ellicott City” wasn’t officially adopted until 1867. By then, the B&O Railroad had already been running through for 37 years, and the streets were already too narrow to change. Some things just stick.

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