County Courthouse

In another sign of Republican dominance in Howard County, the sheriff and register of wills switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican side yesterday, saying they were more comfortable with the GOP."I've always been a conservative Democrat," said county Sheriff Michael Chiuchiolo, who won about 60 percent of the county vote in the 1994 election as a Democrat. "This is not a sudden decision on my part. It's something I've contemplated for a long time."Sheriff Chiuchiolo joined Kay Hartleb, the register of wills, and about 10 others from their offices in registering yesterday with the Republican Party.

Two quaint buildings in the shadows of the Howard County Courthouse - one a museum and the other a library - are getting ready to make history. Early next year, the Howard County Historical Society is planning to add an executive director and open its doors three days instead of two. The center currently is open Tuesday and Saturday. "It's a big change for us," said Henry Griffith, first vice president of the historical society. "We've talked about it for years, and our board decided this time to carry it through."

A state prison inmate from Baltimore accused of killing a correctional officer, kidnapping a hospital visitor and carjacking a taxi driver leaped from his courtroom chair yesterday in an escape attempt before security personnel tackled him. The midafternoon ruckus erupted in front of dozens of potential jurors and rocked the Howard County Circuit Court as sheriff's deputies and plainclothes prison guards raced to stop Brandon T. Morris' bid for freedom....

At least in theory, the Harford County Council is supposed to be the county's part time citizen legislature, responsible for responding to the needs of the voters when the executive branch fails to do so. Supposedly, the council also should be acting as a check on potential largesse in the county executive's budget. And it is also supposed to, from time to time, draft and enact new legislation to deal with local problems. In recent years, the council has generally failed when it comes to drafting and enacting new legislation.

After months of trying to persuade city leaders to move a large stone replica of the Ten Commandments from a public park in Frederick, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland filed suit yesterday in federal court in an effort to force the issue. In a 15-page complaint, Baltimore attorney Dwight H. Sullivan said not only is the placement of the tablets on government property an endorsement of religion that violates the First Amendment, but the city's efforts to remedy the situation have only made things worse.

Smith practices partisanship in Baltimore County In Michael Olesker's column "County executive favors funding over GOP slogans" (Sept. 3), Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. attacks Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. for the strained relationship between Annapolis and Towson. Mr. Smith is the last person who ought to complain about partisanship. While his predecessor reached out to Republicans, Mr. Smith has operated the county courthouse as if it were a war room. He has openly antagonized the county's Republican legislators.

Charles Town, W. Va. -- Residents of sedate Jefferson County gambled with the unthinkable: the closing of their largest industry, the Charles Town racetrack. They lost.After 61 years as the county's main attraction, the quaint, country horse track will run its last race Sunday.A thousand track employees will lose their jobs. Several hundred slow-running horses will lose their lives. And this usually placid community will be left with the bitterness engendered this fall by its divisive debate about the track's future.

The Annapolis Historic District Commission last night gave the go-ahead for construction of a $43 million Anne Arundel County courthouse in downtown Annapolis.The approval was contingent on several cosmetic changes in the design, and on county officials returning to the commission with more details on landscaping, lighting, signs, and renovations of the existing court house.The approval means the county can proceed with site preparation, expected to begin this summer. Work will progress in phases, with completion scheduled for 1998.

In the primary elections for court-related offices in Baltimore County, only one position will not be contested. That's the office of state's attorney, occupied by tough-talking Republican Sandra O'Connor. Unopposed not just in the Sept. 13 primary but also in November's general election, Ms. O'Connor is thus guaranteed another four years as the state's chief lawyer in Baltimore County.Incumbent Clerk of the Circuit Court Suzanne Mensh faces Kenneth N. Frederick in the Democratic primary.