Storm

A weather system that is spawning severe storms across the southern Plains states is forecast to reach the East Coast on Friday, bringing a chance for strong (but not likely severe) storms here and colder temperatures. The Storm Prediction Center is cautioning of a risk for tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds Wednesday afternoon and evening in parts of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Most of Missouri was under a tornado watch as of early Wednesday afternoon. Storm risks are expected to shift eastward Thursday , with the most danger along the Mississippi River Valley.

The No. 6 Notre Dame men's lacrosse team overcame a slow start at home to defeat Big East rival Georgetown, 10-8, on Sunday afternoon. Senior attackman Sean Rogers paced the Fighting Irish offense with two goals and two assists. Notre Dame (9-2, 3-1) fell behind 4-0 by the 6:46 mark of the first quarter but responded with a 6-1 run to claim its first lead of the game early in the third quarter. The Hoyas (5-7, 2-2) became the first team to score five goals in a quarter against Notre Dame since Syracuse on May 1, 2010.

Cooler temperatures, though still well above normal for this time of year, are forecast in the Baltimore area Thursday, with cloudy skies and highs in the mid-70s, according to the National Weather Service. Partly to mostly cloudy skies are forecast, with calm winds for most of the day. But winds could be increasing and thunderstorms moving through in the evening and through Friday morning as a cold front passes through. Winds could reach 15-20 mph in the evening. Forecasters predict an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms after midnight, with about three-quarters of an inch of rain possible.

Harford County Public Schools students and faculty got some welcome news Tuesday: the school year will be ending three days earlier than expected. The school system - which has been closed six days for weather this school year - was granted a waiver for three of those days, Dr. Lillian Lowery, the state superintendent of schools, announced Tuesday. Harford County Public Schools were closed for three days near the beginning of the school year by the effects of what was left of Hurricane Sandy as the superstorm passed through the region.

Amid complaints over what critics dismiss as a "rain tax," some powerful lawmakers in Annapolis are mounting a last-minute attempt Monday to delay state-mandated storm-water fees that Baltimore city and Maryland's nine largest counties are about to assess their property owners for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. State Sen. Joan Carter Conway , chair of the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, said Sunday she plans to propose...

In Councilman David Marks' recent newsletter, he presented "facts" regarding Baltimore County's proposal to levy a storm water fee on properties throughout the county. However, he failed to provide any context. The federal government is requiring the states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to dramatically reduce the pollution that goes into the bay. Maryland is one of these. We are being required to reduce the nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment that is killing this beautiful estuary.

I am responding to Del. Stephen Lafferty's most recent letter to the Towson Times, in which he complained that I failed to provide "context" regarding the storm water fee that Gov. O'Malley has required Baltimore County to pass. Since 2010, I have worked hard to increase open space and improve the environment in Greater Towson. During the 2012 rezoning process, the County Council acted on my recommendation to reduce the intensity of residential zoning in neighborhoods throughout Towson.

Enough snow fell around Harford County during Monday's last gasp of winter storm to force the county to spend more than $100,000 on snow removal efforts. According to figures released by the county Wednesday, 135 personnel worked the storm from approximately 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. Monday. In addition, 60 personnel reported for duty at 4 a.m. Tuesday to begin salting the roads for the morning commute, county government spokesman Bob Thomas wrote in an e-mail Wednesday. Thomas said 130 pieces of equipment were used the duration of the storm coverage and 405 tons of salt were spread over the course of the two days.

Before it became "The Wall That Ate Some Cars," it was just a stone wall on Mulligans Hill Lane, bracing a 20-foot-high embankment - stalwart as the steep hills that give Ellicott City's historic district much of its character. Then in early September 2011 came the rains of Tropical Storm Lee, and in the dead of night a section of the wall that had stood since before the Civil War collapsed. Six cars parked along the wall were crushed or damaged. Parking spaces vanished under tons of stone quickly trucked in to shore up the embankment.

Now that it's clear Harford County is obliged to levy a storm water management fee on just about every home in the county, the time for political diatribes about the state being over-reaching is over. Harford County should make the best of the situation by establishing an efficient and effective storm water management operation with the dual goals of bringing storm water management facilities up to a high standard and putting itself out of business. First, a little background is in order.