There will be activities for children, a raffle for Ravens tickets and gift cards. Free lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

The event is open to all and gives guests the opportunity to speak with representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs for claims, healthcare and cemetery services. The Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families will also be there to discuss services the state’s DVMF has to offer.

Other local organizations will also be on site to help with employment, housing and other services.

For additional information, contact the commission at vetcommission@harfordcountymd.gov.

Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board awards grants

The Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board has awarded Community Arts Development Grants to 25 nonprofits for fiscal 2026.

The advisory board operates under the auspices of the Harford County Public Library Board of Library Trustees.

Community Arts Development Grants offer two types of funding: general operation support for nonprofit arts organizations in Harford County and arts programming funding for nonprofit organizations located in or serving the county.

Organizations receiving grants for general operating support are:

• Harford Ballet Company ($9,500)
• Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra ($9,000)
• Tidewater Players ($9,000)
• Harford Artists’ Association, Inc. ($8,500)
• Harmer’s Town Art Center, Inc. ($8,500)
• Harford Choral Society ($7,400)
• Maryland Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, Inc. ($6,600)
• Havre de Grace Arts Collective ($6,000)
• Scottfield Theatre Company ($6,000)
• Theatreworks Live, Inc. ($6,000)
• Burning Barriers Building Bridges Youth Theatre ($5,000)
• Deer Creek Chorale ($5,000)
• True North Project, Inc. ($4,500)
• Upper Chesapeake Chorus of Sweet Adelines International, Inc. ($3,700)
• River Stone Theatre Company ($2,600)
• Rogue Swan Theatre Company, Inc. ($2,500)

Recipients of grants for art programming funding are:

• Bel Air Recreation Committee ($9,000)
• Ladew Topiary Gardens ($8,300)
• Harford Community College ($8,000)
• Bach Concert Series ($6,150)
• The Liriodendron Foundation ($5,000)
• Friends of Jerusalem Mill ($3,600)
• The Vestry of Deer Creek Parish ($3,000)
• The Ed Lally Foundation ($2,500)
• The Historical Society of Harford County ($1,650)

The advisory board also provides Arts in Education Grants, which offer funding for arts experiences for Harford’s nonprofit schools, government facilities and community-based settings serving youth or other traditionally underserved populations. For more information or to apply, visit culturalartsboard.org/arts-in-education-grants.html.

Session on business planning with AI support offered

The Harford County Department of Economic Development is hosting the next session in their LevelUp series for small businesses called “Building a Business Plan with Smarter Strategies and AI Support.”

The free event will be held Thursday from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. at the CONVERGE Innovation Center, 1201 Technology Drive in Aberdeen.

The interactive workshop is curated for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to map out their vision, stay flexible as their business grows and use modern tools to plan and adapt easily.

Although the event is free, registration is required on EventBrite.com by searching “Building a Business Plan with Smarter Strategies and AI Support.”

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

The board will accept public comment only in written form. All comments must be submitted to the board by Wednesday at 4 p.m.

On Tuesday, MSDE overturned the decision made by the Harford school board this summer to remove the book from all school libraries.

The state board recommended that the Harford board revise its book evaluation procedures to “ensure transparency, provide notice and opportunity for community participation and future reconsideration matters.”

The Harford school system had approved “Flamer” for middle school and high school libraries, but the school board voted “behind closed doors” on June 26 to remove it from all school libraries.

Representatives from the Harford chapter of Together We Will filed an appeal to the state school board in July asking it to overturn Harford’s decision. In addition to a lack of transparency, the organization believes the Harford board also violated the Maryland Freedom to Read Act.

If the local school board votes to appeal the state’s decision, the case will then be pushed to circuit court.

“Flamer” is a 2020 semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato about a teen boy who struggles with his sexuality. The novel has been the target of nationwide debates about what is appropriate in school libraries.

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

Maryland State Police said a Nissan Sentra was traveling east on Route 7, when, for an unknown reason, it struck the right-side guardrail, crossed over the center line and struck a Nissan Murano.

A passenger in the Sentra died after being taken to a hospital; both cars’ drivers were injured and taken to hospitals. Their condition is unknown.

Emergency crews from Joppa Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company and Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company arrived at about 5 a.m. to the scene and worked for roughly 15 minutes to free a trapped person, Joppa Magnolia Fire Company said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, police said.

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

The Maryland State Board of Education’s decision came Tuesday. In it, MSDE recommends that Harford’s school board revise its book evaluation procedures to “ensure transparency, provide notice and opportunity for community participation and future reconsideration matters.”

Community members had criticized the Harford school board for its June 26 decision to remove the book “behind closed doors.” The Harford school system had previously approved the book for middle school and high school libraries.

This was the Harford school board’s first such move since the county school system launched a Library Material Reconsideration committee in early 2024.

Harford school board President Aaron Poynton said Wednesday that he will discuss the decision with fellow board members and figure out what to do next.

“I respect the [state’s] decision but I disagree with it,” Poynton said. “I think that the [Harford] board made a decision that was consistent with the procedure. I still hold firm that if content is designed for a particular age group that only parents and not the school system should decide what’s appropriate for children.”

Poynton said revisions to the school system’s book reconsideration process will be made “in the coming weeks.”

“The board has two options right now: to either do nothing and just modify the procedure or challenge the decision, which would then elevate it to the next appeal level, which would be the circuit court,” Poynton said.

The “Flamer” removal sparked outrage among Harford community members who expressed their discontent at school board meetings following the decision. The local chapter of Together We Will, a national group supporting grassroots progressive activism, spearheaded the effort pushing residents to use their voices to oppose the book removal.

“Flamer” is a 2020 semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato about a teen boy who struggles with his sexuality. The novel has been the target of nationwide debates about what is appropriate in school libraries.

“I believe the community has delivered a message that they do not want book bans, that we should trust librarians and that we should trust the process that is in place in which the reconsideration committee is a reflection of the community at large in making these decisions,” said DeLane Lewis, president of the Harford chapter of Together We Will.

Representatives from Together We Will filed an appeal to the state school board in July asking it to overturn the decision. In addition to a lack of transparency, the organization believes the Harford board also violated the Maryland Freedom to Read Act.

Poynton defended the book removal in a lengthy statement this summer, in which he listed sexually explicit expletives in “Flamer” and acknowledged varying opinions on the book.

“This was the first formal appeal under the newly finalized book review procedure — a process nearly two years in the making, developed with input from staff, board members, and members of the public. The decision we made will likely set precedent for future challenges, and we recognize the importance of clarity,” Poynton wrote in the statement.

Poynton also wrote a letter to the editor of The Aegis in August, saying the book removal decision was not about “silencing voices or removing diverse perspectives.

“I oppose censorship. It is about applying standards consistently and restoring trust in public education. Confidence in K-12 schools is already at historic lows. Ignoring our own rules erodes that trust even further,” Poynton wrote.

County Executive Bob Cassilly released a statement on the state school board’s decision, saying he was “disappointed.”

“It would be great to see the State Board of Education show such enthusiasm and concern for falling test scores, violence in schools and the increasingly unworkable Blueprint for Education,” Cassilly said. “The state’s message is clear, pornography over progress, politics over parents and dogged adherence to a woke agenda.”

The Harford school board consists of six elected members and three members appointed by the county executive.

Lewis said she hopes the state’s reversal will prompt a change to the reconsideration process.

“I think this presents an opportunity for us to all work together to come up with a rational and reasonable solution to having the book ‘Flamer’ in school libraries and talking about the reconsideration process,” Lewis said. “I hope that the Board of Education will be open to that.”

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

According to unofficial election results, incumbent Bill Montgomery retained his seat, receiving 486 votes. Wassum received the second highest votes with 453. The two candidates with the most votes receive four-year terms on the council.

Lenora Robinson, who came in third, received 343 votes, incumbent Tim Lindecamp had 276 and Erick Stone received 214.

Last month, a police union called for Lindecamp to resign, which he refused to do, after police said he sought favorable treatment during a traffic stop of his stepson in June.

Lindecamp told The Baltimore Sun he believes the call for him to resign was an effort to “smear him politically” because he’s been advocating for the department to have fewer commanders and more patrol officers.

This will be Montgomery’s second term on the council. He was first elected to a two-year term in 2023, the start of staggered terms for council members.

Montgomery, 63, is an adjunct professor at Harford Community College and strategic adviser at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Wassum ran for City Council in 2023 but lost by roughly 32 votes. The 53-year-old sales manager said he decided to run again because he wanted to continue giving back to his community.

Official election results will be available Friday around 12 p.m. once votes are certified following the canvassing of absentee and provisional ballots.

Council members will take the oath of office on Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. at Aberdeen City Hall in the council chambers.

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

A school’s star rating is evaluated by the state using a balance of academic and non-academic factors, such as standardized test scores and student and teacher surveys about school life. The report card also looks at high school graduation rates, growth in middle and elementary schools, the progress of English language learners, and MCAP scores, among other factors.

Of the county’s 54 schools, 44 retained their star rating from the previous school year.

The five Harford schools that lost a star are: Church Creek, Emmorton and Youths Benefit elementary schools, and North Harford and Southampton middle schools.

Seven total schools got five stars. Norrisville, Jarrettsville, Churchville and Bel Air elementary schools and Harford Technical High School retained five-star ratings from the previous year. Red Pump and North Bend elementary schools, which achieved four stars in the previous year, were bumped up to five stars.

Fountain Green Elementary didn’t change star ratings but is one point away from receiving five stars, according to the data.

The other schools that improved their star ratings were Center for Educational Opportunity, which increased from one star to two; Edgewood High, which improved from two stars to three; and Havre de Grace Elementary, which went from three to four stars.

Only one Harford school received less than a two-star rating: Harford Academy at Campus Hills, a special education school that did not receive a rating last year.

Statewide, modest gains in MCAP scores and a reduction in chronic absenteeism helped push up star ratings, according to Geoff Sanderson, deputy state superintendent of accountability.

In 2022-23, statewide chronic absenteeism was 30%. It fell to 27% in 2023-24. In 2024-25, it was 25%. For the current school year, the Maryland State Department of Education has a goal to reduce the number to 15%.

The ratings come out as the state is anticipating a transition in its accountability system. Findings of an accountability advisory committee will be presented to the state school board Dec. 9, which will inform next steps on changes in the state’s accountability system, according to Sanderson.

Baltimore Sun editor Steve Earley contributed to this article.

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

Representatives from more than 40 manufacturing and trade companies — such as Clorox, Dunlop, Andersen Automotive and Jones Junction — spoke with students regarding their companies and the benefits of working in their industry.

“We’re looking for people who maybe want to get into the trade right out of high school and don’t really know if they want to go to college,” said Elizabeth Hood, senior key accounts and marketing at Böttcher Systems. “A lot of our current employees have been here over 30 plus years and are going to be starting to age out, and we need to find our next generation. We want to get them in, teach them and have them have a full career.”

Böttcher Systems, a 300-year-old company, located in Belcamp, manufactures rollers, blankets, sleeves, fountain solutions, washes and maintenance products for the printing industry. They have 26 factories all over the world. At the Belcamp location, they make rubber rollers that their customers can use to print massive signs.

“If you want to think about it like where I am in my high school journey, I feel like this event marks the beginning of the end,” said Aiden Ballard, a junior at Havre de Grace High School. “And that’s not a bad thing … We’re starting to move away from just talking about school, now we’re trying to see where school’s going to lead.”

Ballard participates in the Information Technology Oracle Academy magnet program at his school, which provided him with baseline knowledge on his fields of interest before attending the showcase.

He went into the showcase looking for jobs related to topics he had learned about through the magnet program, such as database creation and coding. Ballard said he enjoyed the opportunity to chat with companies. “What is really appealing to me is the freedom to go out and explore what I want and also have multiple options.,” he said.

Mohit Mathur, owner of NBM Design, said he attended the showcase to learn more about the next generation of workers and to teach them about the mechanical engineering industry.

NBM Design, Inc., located in Forest Hill, builds equipment used in material science departments, primarily at universities and national labs, according to Mathur. Their specialized product is meant for fundamental research in the next generation disk drives, phone coatings and devices that go inside a phone.

Some of their equipment, Mathur said, can be found at Texas State, Rice and Brown universities, as well as around the globe in Argentina and China.

“It’s fantastic that young people get to talk to companies from a variety of backgrounds because then they can also see what opportunities there truly are out there,” he said. “Especially somebody who’s looking to maybe go into college, but they don’t know what they want to do, they can start looking at these companies and say ‘well, what does this company do’ and how can I find a degree that’ll guide them toward a focus in college that leads to a career.”

For Lailah Ingram, a junior at Edgewood High School, attending the showcase was an opportunity to learn more about how her interests fit into the job market as a high school student with “little experience but big dreams.”

Ingram, who’s interested in real estate, entrepreneurship and marketing, said she used the showcase to ask questions that could help her in her future career, despite it not being trade and manufacturing focused.

“Definitely taking in everything that I got from here because I’m constantly searching for opportunities,” she said. “Being in here itself is already very inspiring because it’s not a lot of times where students can be surrounded by such successful companies.”

Ingram and Ballard both plan to take the information they learned, do more research and take the necessary steps to decide on a potential career.

“I honestly think where we are right now is the best point to be at,” he said. “Because you’re not so old that you have to now start worrying about bills and everything, but you’re not so young that you’re not mentally mature enough and you start getting overwhelmed. I think right now is the perfect time to have these kinds of conversations.”

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

The top flavors as judged by a special panel— Caramumpkin (vanilla, pumpkin, caramel swirl and snickerdoodle bits), SpongeBob Paradise (vanilla, pineapple swirl and pineapple chunks) and Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake (French vanilla, cheesecake crumbles and graham cracker)— will be available until Nov. 11 at the scoop shop at 701 Edgewood Road.

This weekend only, customers can also try The Screamer (french vanilla, orange dye and KitKat pieces), Buried Brownies (chocolate, fudge swirl, brownie chunk and blondies), Golden Hour (mango with coconut swirl, coconut flakes and chocolate on top), Caramel Explosion (vanilla, caramel swirl and vanilla wafers) and Apple of My Pie (vanilla, apple pie filling, caramel and pecans), in a five-flavor flight.

Eight groups of students in the school’s Academy of Finance worked with Ingredion and the creamery to dream up unique ice cream flavors. Then each group pitched the ice creamto a panel of judges, and everyone got a taste test.

This is the second year the school has collaborated with the ice cream shop to showcase its flavors.

Each group had to create a 60-second pitch, “Shark Tank” style, to convince judges why their flavor should win. Throughout the school year, students are practicing their pitches in front of various crowds in an effort to help them become comfortable speaking, which Chuck Hunter, coordinator for the Academy of Finance, said is often difficult for high school students as they aren’t often in front of large groups.

Rayhaanah Ingram, a senior, was part of the winning group that created Caramumpkin. He said his group wanted to focus on a flavor that was “relevant to the season.”

The group floated many ideas for fall-related flavors, such as matcha, French vanilla and chai. Ingram said her favorite ice cream flavor also influenced the group, as they wanted something to replicate the crunch in mint chocolate chip.

“We wanted something that wouldn’t melt into the ice cream,” she said. “We wanted something that would give it a little bit of a crunch, so we chose snickerdoodles.”

Ingram said she was disappointed at first by the color of the snickerdoodle bits, but once she tasted the ice cream, she realized everything went well together.

Ali Kargbo, also a senior, was in the Golden Hour group. His favorite flavors are cotton candy and cake batter, and he attempted to bring the sweetness of them into the group selection. He said his mother was also a big influence, as she enjoys coconut and mango, two main components of Golden Hour.

“I love the sweetness of cotton candy and also the natural flavor of cake batter because it takes me back to when you’re making cake yourself and you just lick the frosting off the pan,” he said. “That sweetness with the coconut and the mango definitely came from a place of nostalgia.”

For both Ingram and Kargbo, presenting was the most challenging part of the project.

Hunter said the students get lots of practice before giving their final pitch.

“Ideally, by the time they get to this point, they’ve practiced it a whole bunch and they’ve done it in front of other people,” Hunter said. “So just adding a few more people or changing the setting a little bit doesn’t usually impact them too much.”

Hunter, who’s been the academy’s coordinator for six years, said the goal of the project is to provide students with hands-on experience in business development.

“They get to see that whole process and also see the marketing of it, too,” Hunter said. “Not just ‘here’s a great product,’ but you’ve got to be able to sell that product. You’ve got to be able to go out and tell people about that product, because if you can’t do that you’re going to have best product in the world, but if nobody knows about it, or nobody believes in the product, nobody’s going to buy it.”

The Academy of Finance is a three-year program designed for students interested in pursuing careers in finance. The academy places an emphasis on financial literacy and soft skills, including public speaking, marketing, and interpersonal communication.

“We focus a lot on personal finance, things that even if you’re not going to college, we still want you to be able to balance your checkbook,” Hunter said. “We still want you to be able to realize why you should have a bank account and things like that.”

For Kargbo and the other students, the ice cream flavors were concept-only until they gave their presentation and were able to taste them.

“It felt so euphoric,” Kargbo said. “Even if we don’t win, it’s just the fact that we were able to create something.”

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

Shawn Ryan, who spoke during public comment, said his sons were “embarrassed, humiliated and hurt” by a teacher for wearing to school shirts that said “Freedom” on the front .

“Freedom” T-shirts are sold by Turning Point USA and are often used as a symbol for the group that slain conservative political activist Charlie Kirk started. Kirk was wearing a similar shirt when he was killed last month.

“The teacher pressed them again and again: ‘Do you know what this shirt means?‘ until they felt cornered and bullied by an adult they’re supposed to trust,” Ryan said. “If she truly had a concern, she could have spoken to them privately. Instead, she made a scene that left two children ashamed for wearing something completely appropriate.”

Ryan told the board he wanted it to create a policy so that something like this never happens again.

“Teachers are there to teach, not to embarrass students or inject their opinions in classrooms,” he said. “Values are learned at home. My sons should have never felt ashamed for expressing a word like freedom.”

The board said Harford Schools’ dress code policy does not specifically address political attire.

“No student should be made uncomfortable for wearing a T-shirt that doesn’t go against dress code,” said school board member Melissa Hahn of District D. “Teachers are supposed to support every single student in their classrooms, not just ones that they agree with politically.”

School board President Aaron Poynton advised speakers to be vigilant of their social media use, as it has been used to spread false and misleading information about school-related issues.

“Our responsibility as a board is to focus our time and energy on the things where we can actually deliver the greatest impact on our students and our staff and our schools and to make sure that we respond in a way that is grounded in the facts and not fiction,” he said.

He said parents who have legitimate issues with the school system should bring them through the proper channels so they can be addressed and “taken seriously.”

“The board will be focused on real issues, real people and real solutions, and not the online nonsense,” he said.

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

Co-owner and pastry chef Tiffanee Blackwell, 39, founded the bakery in 2012, when she began crafting cakes out of her home for family and friends.

Blackwell, originally from Dover, Delaware, worked as a phlebotomist and baked on the side. In 2014, she opened her first storefront in Dover, Delaware, after identifying safety concerns with conducting business from home.

When she was 10 years old, Blackwell started baking because she wanted cookies her mother refused to make.

“I always had a love for baking and art, then eventually I combined the two,” she said.

The bakery was originally called Tiffanee’s, but was later renamed Tiffanee and Co. to mimic the jewelry company, Tiffany and Co.

“No matter who you are, even if you’ve never been there, when you hear the name Tiffany and Co., you think great quality and great service,” she said. “So, I piggybacked off that because I have great quality and great service. I just sell something else.”

Blackwell, who appeared on Food Network’s baking competition “Cake Wars” in 2015, specializes in custom cakes and cookies.

“I did not win, but it definitely was an amazing experience because I didn’t think that little old Tiffanee from Delaware would ever make it on this national show with all these professional bakers,” she said. “It just made me love my craft more than I originally did.”

Inside the Bel Air bakery, smaller treats like cupcakes, brownies, cookies, Rice Krispies treats, muffins, cake pops and push pops will be available for purchase.

Although she doesn’t service the Delaware area anymore, she still provides service to the region through shipping and delivery services.

“We always tell people, don’t let our physical location stop you from ordering [from us],” she said.

Blackwell said she’s excited to see everything come to life as the process has been a battle and took longer than anticipated.

“I saw how much the business grew in Delaware, and I just know it’ll grow exponentially in Maryland,” she said. “I’m excited to meet the new customers and build new relationships.”

The bakery, at 2225D E. Churchville Road, will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.