Smell

Jacob Rand learned about fire safety from a program sponsored by the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue, which tells children that in the event of a house fire don't look for its source — just get out. The Fulton Elementary School third-grader didn't know that someday he would utter that directive. But on Aug. 25, he smelled smoke in his Fulton home and was the only family member who heard the fire alarm, because his siblings were asleep, his father had left the house and his mother, Vicki, was in the shower.

The sewage smells have stopped at the upscale Villas at Cattail Creek in Glenwood, and now the litigation that resulted might be over, too. Howard County government has reached agreement on terms of a settlement with the developers and builders of the community for seniors, which was built with a shared septic system that never worked and was later replaced, according to an announcement. The developers have also posted a $350,000 performance bond with the county to help guarantee the system will work, and have made other changes to eliminate seasonal odors emanating as recently as last fall from the replacement system.

In Prince George's County, the cops failed the smell test. Maryland's highest court this month threw out the conviction of a man on drug charges because the arresting officer based his search and subsequent arrest on the odor of ether, an ingredient in PCP. The officer found a small, half-full glass vial of the drug in the man's pants pocket, but the court ruled that merely smelling it didn't give the officer the legal grounds to conduct the...

Frank Marion used to light candles to mask the odor. Marion, who owns a home about 300 feet from the Millersville landfill, has complained since 2008 about the smell of rotten eggs permeating his home on an almost-daily basis. Now, Marion and other neighbors say the odor has gotten progressively worse - stronger and more frequent - and is causing nausea, vomiting and headaches among some residents. "It has totally destroyed my life," Marion said. Last week, about a dozen of the residents met to discuss remedies: They are requesting that Anne Arundel County appoint a third party to monitor emissions from the landfill and to test the air and well water to determine if there are any contaminants.

Question: I have a 7-foot Dracena marginata in my living room. Recently I noticed an ammonia scent coming from the soil. It's sporadic but smelly. Any thoughts? Answer: Sounds like an overwatering issue. Saturated soil decomposes anaerobically (no oxygen is available because the water takes up all the empty soil spaces.) This process stinks — think of a swamp or sewer. Draceneas do need high humidity however. To achieve this, especially during winter months when heating systems tend to dry indoor air, create a moist atmosphere by standing plant pots on trays or saucers of moist pebbles.

I'm ashamed to say that I didn't see this one coming. I was so caught up in my fear of death panels that it didn't occur to me that lawmakers would use health care reform to neuter Roe v. Wade. The legislation now in the Senate would require insurers covering abortion to "segregate" federal dollars and the policyholders' dollars so that the government, in what can only be described as a parallel universe, wouldn't be paying for any abortions. Compared to the draconian language in the House version, the Senate bill is considered a good compromise.