Trump Sign Vandalism: What Will It Cost You? | Patch PM

Stories to talk about this evening:

27 Campaign Signs Vandalized in Howard County, Police Say

After more than two dozen cases of vandals wrecking political signs of unspecified candidates, Howard County's top executive is asking the public to "rise above the name-calling, rancor and acts of destruction when someone else’s views challenge our own."

According to Maryland state law, malicious damage to property worth less than $500 is "subject to imprisonment not exceeding 60 days or a fine not exceeding $500 or both."

A local campaign coordinator for Donald Trump told the Howard County Times that one third of large Trump signs posted around the county have been ripped, burned and graffitied with things such as the word "rapist" in the past week. >>> Read more.

Justice Department Will Track Police Killings Across US

The Department of Justice announced plans to create a national database to track police use of force and police killings of civilians on Thursday.

The move comes, in part, from President Obama's "Task Force on 21st Century Policing," which called for police to "collect, maintain and report data . . . on all officer involved shootings, whether fatal or nonfatal, as well as any in-custody death."

Until now, there has been no official nationwide effort to monitor the rates of police violence and killings in the United States. >>> Read more.

Ellicott City Receives $3.8M to Prevent Flooding: County Executive

• Retaining wall, stream bank stabilization and debris cleanup will be part of efforts to prevent future flooding in Elllicott City.

Lothian Grandmother’s Scratch-off Luck Pays $50K...Again

• A Lothian great-grandmother won $50,000 playing the lottery's Triple Green Crossword game; it's not her first $50K win.

Baltimore Police: Officer Accidentally Shot Himself in Carjacking Investigation

• While investigating a carjacking in Federal Hill, officers were led to Cherry Hill, where a shooting occurred, police said.

Patch PM shares a few of the day’s must-read items from our Maryland network. The Patch community platform covers communities across the state.