Officer Accidentally Shoots Himself, $3.8M to Prevent Ellicott City Flooding, Campaign Signs Vandalized: News Nearby

Patch has community sites across Maryland. Here are some of the top posts from the past 24 hours.

• Ellicott City Receives $3.8M to Prevent Flooding: County Executive
• Killer of WWII Veteran Likely to Die In Prison: Prosecutor
• Baltimore Police: Officer Accidentally Shot Himself in Carjacking Investigation

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 signsposted 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.

• Lothian Grandmother’s Scratch-off Luck Pays $50K...Again
• Customer Robbed at Knifepoint at Wells Fargo ATM
• Towson Courthouse Evacuated, Area Roads Closed for Gas Main Break: Police
• Dogs Displaced by Hurricane Matthew Need Homes

Share your local news, events and pics by clicking the pencil at the top of any page.

• Pride of Baltimore II Returns to City for Fleet Week
• Former Baltimore Mayor Files as Write-In Candidate to Get Her Job Back
• Mega Crab Makes Cameo on Susquehanna Flats Field Trip
• Metro Subway Offers Swift Service to Baltimore Running Festival

Image via Shutterstock