Jess Nocera is a regional reporter covering Howard County. She previously worked for The Richmond-Times Dispatch, The Baltimore Sun and The Bristol Herald Courier. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a double major in multi-platform journalism and government & politics in May 2017. When not reporting, Jess enjoys practicing yoga, running and antique shopping. Jess lives with her boyfriend and their two adorable kitties.
The Howard County Public Schools needs to relieve overcrowding at two elementary schools — Bryant Woods in Columbia and Centennial Lane in Ellicott City. Doing so could affect attendance zones in as many as 11 of the county’s 78 schools starting in fall 2026.
Nearly a year after a Western Howard County resident retroactively applied for a permit to keep a go-kart track on his property for his son, a local county board is poised to decide the track’s fate later this month.
The Maryland Department of the Environment has approved an air quality permit for W.R. Grace to build a pilot plastics recycling plant at its Columbia headquarters.
Kimco, a New York-based company that owns seven of Columbia’s 10 village centers, wants to revitalize the Hickory Ridge location, but the community can’t agree on what redevelopment should look like.
With more Howard County Public Schools students eligible to ride a yellow school bus this August, families can check an online map to verify their transportation for the 2025-26 academic year.