🌱 Local Family Killed In Snowplow Crash + Omicron Variant Rises

Good day, neighbors! It's me again, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Catonsville Daily.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy. High: 37 Low: 27.

Here are the top stories today in Catonsville:

1. A Catonsville High School alumnae and her family died after crashing into a snowplow during Monday's storm. Shawde Ajee Nayonta Wicks, 27, her mother, Natasha Ann Hunter, and Hunter's fiance Gary Eugene Early, were killed on Jan. 3 when their SUV hit the back of a plow on Columbia Pike in Montgomery County. Prior to their deaths, the family had been planning to open a soul food restaurant in their hometown of Baltimore called Mama Glo’s Kitchen. Surviving relatives are reportedly moving forward with the grand opening plans to honor their lost loved ones. (The Washington Post)

2. Omicron is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the state of Maryland. Officials announced on Wednesday that 88.5 percent of all recently analyzed samples by Maryland's lab partners have tested positive for the omicron variant, including 91.4 percent of all samples from hospitalized patients. The announcement comes as cases in Baltimore County have risen over 400 percent over the last month. (WBAL-TV)

3. As at-home test kits get harder to find, Catonsville residents may be wondering where they can get a COVID-19 test. According to Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, the County will open a large-scale testing site at White Marsh Mall in Baltimore on Monday, Jan. 10. Until then, local residents can visit the Liberty Family Resource Center in Randallstown, Drumcastle Government Center in Baltimore, or Dundalk Health Center in Dundalk to get tested during certain days of the week. (Catonsville Patch)

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Today in Catonsville:

• Food Trucks At BricknFire Pizza At The Breadery (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Many Catonsville-area hospitals are nearing capacity limits as COVID-19 cases skyrocket. Some Baltimore facilities have reported over 100 percent of inpatient and ICU beds full. (Catonsville Patch)

• Award-winning author and poet Ann Bracken will be at The Catonsville Clubhouse on Sunday, Jan. 9 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.for this month's "Let's (Book) Talk" series. (Instagram)

• Want to go back in time this weekend? Head to the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. for Story Time, which will feature stories, poems, and riddles that young Benjamin Banneker may have heard growing up in Colonial America. (Patch)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.

This article originally appeared on the Catonsville Patch