Woodbine

Inside Westminster Abbey, eight 20-foot-tall live trees lined the center aisle during the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. The trees transformed the space, doing what even the most elaborate floral arrangement could not — providing a natural, living sense of permanence and an air of drama. The move was unexpected, unpretentious and bold. A potted tree on your patio or deck can have the same effect. While not every tree is well-suited for a container, there are a surprising number of options, ranging from crape myrtles to hollies.

Early in December, the Howard County Council will cast its vote on the virtually unknown growth tiers of "Plan Howard 2030," a general plan for Howard County, as required by the statewide Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012 (Senate Bill 236), dividing all of Howard County into new development tiers.   For the eastern half of Howard County, this means locking in higher density housing development and continued overcrowding of schools, roads and facilities, for decades to come.

Jessica Cooper , of Woodbine, is the recipient of the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Ambassador award, given by the Student Services Department at Glenelg High School. She is being recognized for her leadership skills. Cooper will attend a three-day leadership conference in the spring with other Ambassadors from the state.

State Police said Sunday evening that they have arrested and charged a Carroll County man in connection with the shooting of his apparent girlfriend this morning. Maryland State Police investigators have charged William R. Brueckmann, 26, of the 6800 block of John Pickett Road, Woodbine, with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and felony gun charges.   He is currently being held at the Carroll County Detention Center.

State Police said Sunday evening that they have arrested and charged a Carroll County man in connection with the shooting of his apparent girlfriend this morning. Maryland State Police investigators have charged William R. Brueckmann, 26, of the 6800 block of John Pickett Road, Woodbine, with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and felony gun charges.   He is currently being held at the Carroll County Detention Center.

If Oprah Winfrey singles out just 13 items as her "favorite things" of 2011, and one of them is yours, it's safe to assume you're going to quickly become very — very — popular. So now is probably not the best time to try to reach Sherry Kendall. Ever since Winfrey raved about Kendall's Christmas ornaments featuring hand-painted pet portraits in December's O, the Oprah Magazine, visits to the Woodbine artist's website have spiked, orders are piling up and the glass balls have appeared on two national TV shows.

FIRE* Conestoga Heights: Mount Airy and Lisbon of Howard County responded for a chimney fire on Conestoga Court in Mount Airy at 7:51 p.m. Monday. They were out for 30 minutes.

Firefighters from Carroll and Howard counties were battling a barn fire near the Patapsco River in Woodbine last night.Fire officials in Howard County received the call about 7 p.m. foa fire in a barn on Morgan Woodbine Road near Woodbine Road, just south of the Carroll-Howard border.Animals already had been removed from the barn before thfirefighters arrived, said a firefighter at the Lisbon station in Howard County.He added that no other structures were threatened.There were no injuries as of press time and the firefighter said iappeared the blaze would be controlled without any problems.

A Woodbine woman returned home yesterday afternoon and found her two-story farmhouse in blazes, Howard County fire officials said.The 3:36 p.m. fire, which apparently started in the kitchen and spread to the living room, caused at least $25,000 in damage to the home in the 1700 block of Saint Michael Road.Firefighters from Lisbon, from Mount Airy in Carroll County and from Damascus in Prince George's County reponded to the incident and extinguished the fire about 4:30 p.m.Jan Gordon called 911 when she came home and discovered the fire, said Howard Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Don Howell.

Larriland Farm, a pick-your-own operation in Woodbine owned and operated by the Moore family since 1973, is offering opportunities to pick blueberries, tart cherries, red raspberries and beets through much of the summer. Sweet cherries can be picked Thursdays and Saturdays (call for hours). The farm also has an on-site farm market, selling fruits and fudge. The farm is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Containers are provided. Dogs are not allowed.

Air Force Airman Joshua Gahm completed basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. A graduate of South Carroll High School, he is the son of Steven Gahm, who resides in Woodbine. Army Pvt. Kevin Lowman completed basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga. A 2009 alumnus of South Carroll High School, he is the son of Scott Lowman, of Woodbine, and Molinda McDonald, of Frederick.

Did You Know? Howard County is known nationwide for its schools, parks, sports programs, libraries and affluence. But tucked away in faded, aging documents and longtime residents' minds, there are plenty of little-known facts that might just surprise you. #1 Take Morse to the water In the early 1800s, the village of Poplar Springs in western Howard County served as a temporary home for travelers headed west. Travelers including Samuel F.B. Morse, one of the inventors of Morse code, were drawn to the town for its lodging, food, general store, post office and blacksmith services for horses and wagons, according to “Howard's Roads to the Past,” by Barbara W. Feaga.

When he wanted to get the attention of his scuba class, Ed Kidera would bang on a full air tank that he used for instruction. His students would instantly redirect their eyes toward him, drawn back to reality by the beautiful tone emanating from the heavy steel cylinder. The tank's special sound wasn't lost on Kidera, either, as he immediately recognized its potential as kinetic art. That moment of serendipity more than 20 years ago changed the direction of his life. Kidera, who has a master's degree in ocean engineering and was a self-employed consultant at the time he was giving scuba lessons part time, began experimenting with making bells from various types of tanks shortly after his chance discovery.

The Board of County Commissioners last week gave the Hoods Mill Landfill in Woodbine a reprieve, saying it won't close as scheduled on July 1, but remain open at least until the end of the year. The county had previously planned to close the landfill, located at 7901 Kabik Court, Woodbine, but last week's vote by the commissioners will keep it open at least temporarily under a compromise plan that will curtail hours and limit how much the county spends to keep it going. At the same time, the commissioners said they'd explore whether a private-sector operation connected to the landfill might be viable.

To ensure that kids learn how to bathe a horse properly, why not let them have fun painting the animal in vibrant colors first so there's something visible to wash away? That concept had 20 youth volunteers brushing water-soluble paints and glitter Tuesday on five mild-mannered horses at Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Woodbine as part of a new educational venture called the Legacy Program. The two-week sessions for youths ages 12 to 17 are a far cry from past summers, when parents tended to use the previously unstructured volunteer opportunity at the 58-acre facility as a "free baby-sitting service," said Jill Pokorny, volunteer coordinator and former teacher.

Elizabeth Ann Daly, who was a past Maryland state regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution, died of congestive heart failure Monday at her Woodbine home. She was 91. Born Elizabeth Ann Prentiss in Baltimore and raised in Howard Park, she was a 1937 Forest Park High School graduate. She later attended Strayer Business College and went to work as a secretary. She married H. Kenneth Daly, a manufacturer's representative for science lab equipment, in 1941. They lived in Lochearn for many years.

A motorcyclist was killed in a single-vehicle crash Sunday evening on Route 99, Howard County police reported. Gary Alan Lynch, 45, of the 1200 block of Adgate Court in Woodbine was driving a 2002 Honda CBR 900 motorcycle west near Alpha Ridge Park. It went off the road and struck a post about 6:16 p.m., according to a police news release. Lynch and a passenger were taken to Howard County General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Speed and failure to stay within the lane may have been factors in the crash, according to a preliminary investigation, police said.

When a deadly earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, and Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana seven years ago, humans weren't the only creatures in distress. Countless horses and other animals also needed help, and emergency teams from the Woodbine-based Days End Farm Horse Rescue came to their aid. The 58-acre farm in Woodbine, established in 1989, has carved out an international reputation for its work training first responders, animal control officers,...