Each week, the community will have an opportunity to vote on who they believe should receive the top game ball as Player of the Week. The results of each poll will be published in the following week’s game balls.

Last week’s results

Atholton cross country freshman Cameron Martinez was named the Howard County athlete of the week for Oct. 27-Nov. 2 with 25.37% of the vote, followed by Glenelg field hockey’s Cate Staley (22.91%) and Mt. Hebron girls soccer’s Sam Bucchioni (20.44%).

Martinez was initially selected after finishing as the runner-up in the Class 3A South Regional with a time of 16 minutes, 59.62 seconds.

This week’s 10 game balls

Here is the list for Nov. 3-9

Note: The poll to vote is located at the bottom of the story. Make sure to cast your vote ahead of next week’s new nominees.

Andrew Adams, Guilford Park, football

Adams displayed his big-play ability in the Panthers’ commanding 48-0 opening round playoff win over Chopticon. He finished with five receptions for a game-high 153 yards to ignite the explosive passing game. Through 10 games, Adams, a dynamic weapon averaging 25.5 yards per reception, has 24 catches, 613 yards and three touchdowns.

Anna Fiedler, Howard, volleyball

Fiedler played an important role in Howard’s wins over Centennial and Chesapeake-AA to advance to the state semifinals. She finished with five kills against the Eagles and elevated her play against the Cougars with a team-high 18 kills.

Avery Hubbard, Glenelg, volleyball

Hubbard is leading the Gladiators’ attack in her senior season and one of the key players guiding them to the state finals. Through 61 sets played this season, she is the team leader in kills (206), second in blocks (21), third in digs (126) and tied for fourth in aces (20).

Caroline Latchis, Glenelg, field hockey

Latchis stepped up when her team needed in it most in the state semifinals. She scored a team-high two goals in the 3-2 win over Kent Island, including the go-ahead goal with under three minutes remaining to send the Gladiators to the Class 2A state final.

Angela Lei, Reservoir, volleyball

Lei has been of the Gators’ leaders all season and continued her strong play in a five-set regional final win over Sherwood and a sweep of Northern-Calvert in the state semifinals. She finished with 12 kills and six digs against the Warriors and added six kills against Northern.

Maddie McShea, Mt. Hebron, girls soccer

McShea is playing some of her best soccer of the season deep in the playoffs. She scored a goal in the state quarterfinal win over Hereford and also netted the game-winning goal in double overtime of the Vikings’ 2-1 true road win in the state semifinals over Kent Island.

Ian Radtke, Centennial, boys soccer

Radtke was all over the field and creating opportunities for the Eagles in their 3-1 state semifinal win over Tuscarora. He scored the go-ahead goal in the 33rd minute on a header and is tied for second on the team in goals (seven) and assists (four).

Trinity Shackelford, Glenelg, field hockey

Shackelford was a brick wall in net for Glenelg in its 2-1 state championship win over Manchester Valley. The senior finished with double-digit saves, including several clutch saves down the stretch with the game tied in the fourth quarter. She concludes her career having started every game the last four years, highlighted by three state titles and a phenomenal 19-1 record in the postseason.

Tito Tokunboh-Salako, Glenelg, boys soccer

Last year’s Howard County leading scorer, Tokunboh-Salako is finding his stride once again. He netted a pair of goals in the opening seven minutes of Glenelg’s commanding 3-0 state semifinal win over Hereford. The senior has scored in eight straight games and will look to extend that trend as Glenelg faces Fallston in the 2A state final on Thursday night.

Drew Wilschke, Centennial, boys soccer

Wilschke netted the all-important insurance goal for Centennial in the 73rd minute of its state semifinal win. The senior is tied for the team’s second leading scorer with seven goals and four assists this season as the Eagles enter the 3A state final against Stephen Decatur on Saturday afternoon.

Note: All statistics and information included is submitted by coaches. Please send in statistics and scores information to mdscores@baltsun.com and jsteinberg@baltsun.com. Please also send game ball nominations to jsteinberg@baltsun.com with an athlete’s name and class year as well their total statistics for that week’s games.

Between firing aces and diving all over the floor for critical digs that kept rallies alive, Ball powered a 12-point stretch that flipped the Lions’ eight-point deficit into a four-point lead.

“I actually told one of my teammates, ‘Wow, I’m really tired from serving that much,'” Ball said. “She said, ‘Just serve five more and then we’ll be good.’ So, I think seeing the finish line and seeing my team feed off my serves made me feel like I just had to keep pushing. If I missed my serve, that energy was just going to crash down. So, I wanted to keep that energy up.”

Howard’s extended run quieted a capacity Arundel crowd and powered the second-seeded Lions to a 25-21, 25-23, 25-22 sweep of the sixth-seeded Wildcats. The Lions (19-0) advance to the state finals for the first since 1980 when they claimed the program’s only state championship. A tough challenge awaits as they’ll face top-seed and undefeated North Hagerstown at APG Federal Credit Union Arena at 2 p.m. Saturday.

“Practically unbelievable. Being down that big to a quality team like Arundel and to believe in ourselves in the way that the whole team did,” Howard coach Grant Scott said of Ball’s service run. “She’s the heart of this team, so for her to go back on the line and push 10-plus points in Game 3 of a state semifinal against a quality opponent, I couldn’t be prouder of her and my team.”

Despite having swept the Wildcats during the regular season, Howard knew taking down Arundel in its home gym would be no easy task. The Wildcats (14-5) buzzed with energy from the support of passionate fans and gave the Lions everything they could handle. Junior setter Imagine Peltier closed out an all-important first set with an ace, which briefly quelled the excitement of the electric crowd.

“We really tried to focus on ignoring the crowd,” Peltier said. “We knew that there was going to be a giant crowd. We did our best to try and block it out, just focus on ourselves, on our energy, keeping us together and not focusing on the external stuff.”

The second set was also neck-and-neck with each side mounting an answer whenever one built slight separation. Down the stretch, Howard and Arundel exchanged three-point spurts, which tied the score at 23.

Yet again, the Lions elevated their level in a defining moment. Peltier capped off the second set with another ace, placing it on the floor in front of several diving Wildcats.

In a win or go home moment, Arundel burst out of the gates in the third. The Wildcats stymied Howard’s attack and jumped out to a 7-1 lead and built the advantage to eight late in the set.

However, Howard displayed its championship DNA and roared back to officially move one step closer to its ultimate goal.

Scott first identified this could be a special group and championship caliber team two years ago. He saw the potential of the now veterans as underclassmen, which began coming to the forefront last year with the Lions reaching the state semifinals. Now, the Lions are taking that potential to new heights and doing so in dominant fashion. Including the Bel Air Tournament where it played five best-of-three matches, Howard has dropped just one of its 68 sets this season.

The Lions can beat you in a variety of ways with a diverse attack, stout defense and consistent serve-and-receive.

Each of those elements will be tested in the state final on Saturday with Howard wholeheartedly embracing its toughest challenge yet. Howard and North Hagerstown are familiar with one another having faced in a tournament last season.

One team will leave that contest with a banner hanging in their gym and the unique distinction of closing out a perfect season. Howard is hoping to be that group and accomplish something no Lions team has done in 45 years.

“It means so much,” Ball said. “All the years that I’ve been playing here, we’ve had a good team, we just haven’t been able to execute when it really matters. I think this team really learned from those past mistakes. We kept our energy up, because we see the banners at our school and we see how there hasn’t been a state championship one. Our saying is that we want to put a banner on the wall. That’s what we’re going to try and do on Saturday.”

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.

She was swarmed by teammates as the Gladiators finished off a 20-25, 25-21, 27-25, 25-22 Class 2A state semifinal win over Calvert.

Glenelg advances to the 2A final for the first time since the program’s last state championship in 2021 and will face Williamsport on Saturday at APG Federal Credit Union Arena.

“I didn’t even have any thoughts in that moment, I was just like, ‘We’re going to states,'” Hubbard said, holding back tears. “I love these girls so much. To be able to do it with them, means so much to me. That’s all that was going through my head. ‘This is my family and we’re going to states.’ I was so proud of everyone.”

Hubbard and fellow senior Isard Bernades spearheaded the attack throughout. Junior setter Jessica Li keyed the offense with 47 assists and put the ball in advantageous positions for the Gladiators hitters time and time again. Bernades and Hubbard were vocal throughout the match, particularly in the first set when the Gladiators struggled.

However, the Gladiators are no stranger to overcoming adversity entering the state semifinals with back-to-back five-set road wins over No. 9 River Hill and Kent Island.

“I’m always telling the players to stay focused, don’t get distracted,” said Glenelg coach Nick Sharp, who took over for Christopher Fox at the end of the regular season. “One play at a time, don’t get discouraged. Trust your teammates, never give up. Play the play. What can you say about a win like tonight. I couldn’t be prouder. They’re tough, they’ve got good mental fortitude and good discipline.”

All even at one set apiece, the Gladiators appeared destined for an easy third set win with a 23-18 lead. However, the Cavaliers roared back with six consecutive points to take a one-point lead and were serving for the set.

Despite making some errors on the prior points, the Gladiators reset and Bernades delivered a clutch kill to even the score at 24. Shortly after, Hubbard sealed the pivotal third set win with another kill.

“I just try to keep my cool,” Bernades said. “I was telling everyone to, ‘Calm down and not get too frantic. Don’t be too comfortable.’ Just try and get the ball up as best as you can, so that we can make it better.”

The deciding set was back-and-forth with the noise in the gym increasing to deafening levels. The Gladiators fed into that energy, often playing their best when the energy in the gym is at its highest.

Glenelg wanted to be diving all over the floor, emphatically encouraging one another to raise their level and strive to reach a stage they’ve never reached before. Bernades trusted her teammates more as the match wore on, which empowered everyone to play their best.

For Hubbard and Bernades, Arundel’s gym was a house of horrors of sorts. Their last deep postseason run as sophomores ended in that gym, a loss in the state semifinals to Arundel. Neither standout senior had won a match in that gym, but they picked an ideal time to secure a victory in what could have been their final high school match.

“I wanted to change that pattern of never having won on this court,” Hubbard said. “That’s what was going through my head. Don’t think, ‘Oh, it’s going to be another loss on this court, that sucks. No, change the momentum. Don’t think of this gym as a haunted area, think of it as something where you change the pattern.'”

Heading to the season’s pinnacle, Glenelg hasn’t done so without its fair share of adversity. The Gladiators’ coaching change at the conclusion of the regular season only further fueled their fire.

Glenelg knew many outside the program didn’t expect them to reach this portion of the season with many figuring their season would end in the regional final to River Hill. However, the Gladiators were committed to proving those doubters wrong and rallying around one another.

“I’m just looking forward to playing with my teammates one last time,” Bernades said. “I’m really excited that we’re going to be playing in states for our last game. It makes me really emotional to think about because a lot of people doubted us. We went through hell and back.”

While the belief from those around them may have faded, Glenelg’s confidence never wavered. The Gladiators displayed championship resolve and resilience and are looking to continue the theme of firsts by culminating the 2025 season with this group’s first state title and the program’s sixth state championship.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23. 

Born in Baltimore and raised in Glenelg and Ellicott City, he was the son of Hazel Martin and Robert H. Helsley. A graduate at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and Howard High School, Bob received a scholarship to the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he later taught.

After leaving MICA he went into on-air television design, initially at Pittsburgh’s WQED, where “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” was being produced. He then worked at MPT in Owings Mills and subsequently became art director at Baltimore’s WMAR-TV, where he worked with afternoon host Sylvia Scott and others. Mr. Helsley later joined WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. He won three Emmy Awards — for TV graphics, set design and animation.

“Bob was very well liked. He was kind but had high standards because of his years of work in television visuals,” said Norberto Gomez Jr., visual and performing arts chair at Montgomery College. “He was a fantastic illustrator and typographer. He had the perspective of someone trained in visual design before it was computer based. He was a master of [Adobe] PhotoShop and Illustrator and helped and encouraged students from very diverse backgrounds to continue their education at four- year schools.

“Bob was patient with his students and was a consistent donor to the college for scholarships,” Mr. Gomez said.

The college’s board awarded Mr. Helsley its bronze medallion for his “enthusiasm and dedication” at his retirement.

A poster designer, he created a 1982 poster for the opening of the Joseph Meyerhoff Hall that was exhibited in the prints and maps department of the Library of Congress. He also created posters for the 1983 Inner Harbor U.S. Pro Cycling event and for numerous productions of the Baltimore Opera Co.

Mr. Helsley was a collector of antique posters.

“Bob had impeccable taste,” said James R. Pierce, a friend and gallery owner. “He could come up with original ideas for the framing and he knew how to find things. He could also do paper restoration well.”

A member of the Golden Glow of Christmas Past, he collected early games, decorations, and miniature Santas associated with the holiday.

Mr. Helsley also was among those who restored dollar houses in the early 1980s. He refurbished a Victorian rowhouse in Southwest Baltimore that he used as a backdrop for his many collections.

Friends said he spent weekends combing antique shops. He participated in the old Columbia Flea Market and other venues. He was a regular shopper along Baltimore’s Howard Street Antique Row.

Survivors include a sister, Jewell Novak, of Monson, Massachusetts, and a brother, Michael Helsley, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and cousins, nieces and nephews.

Graveside services were held Oct. 20 at Loudon Park Cemetery.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com. 

Here are some of the biggest games and contests throughout Howard County fall sports for the week of Nov. 10-15.

Football

No. 3 Atholton at No. 2 Westminster, Class 3A North, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6:30

The Raiders (6-3) hit the road to take on one of Carroll County’s top teams. Atholton will look to advance to the state quarterfinals and sustain its high-powered offense, averaging 31.6 points per game.

No. 4 Glenelg at No. 1 Oakland Mills, 2A West, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6

The Scorpions (9-1) are hosting Glenelg in a rematch from Week 5 of the regular season. Oakland Mills dominated in that contest with a 50-6 win, leaning on its explosive rushing attack. Meanwhile, Glenelg (6-4) looks to bounce back from that lopsided defeat and extend its season into the state quarterfinals.

No. 3 Stephen Decatur at No. 2 Guilford Park, 3A South, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6

The Panthers (10-0) are coming off the program’s first playoff win and facing one of their most difficult tests of the season. Guilford Park welcomes in a talented Stephen Decatur team that is two-time defending 2A state champions and on an eight-game winning streak.

No. 3 Frederick at No. 2 Marriotts Ridge, 4A/3A West, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6:30

The Mustangs (6-4) are coming off consecutive 41-point games in the regular-season finale over Hammond and the opening-round playoff win over Governor Thomas Johnson. Marriotts Ridge will need to keep up that offensive momentum against a tough Frederick team.

No. 3 River Hill at No. 2 Howard, 2A West, Regional Second Round, Friday at 6:30

The Lions (7-3) ended their three-game losing streak with a dominant opening round playoff win over Long Reach. River Hill (7-3) enters playing terrific football on a seven-game winning streak, averaging 44 points per game over that stretch.

Boys Soccer

No. 3 Fallston vs No. 1 Glenelg, 2A State Final, Thursday at 5 p.m. at UMBC Stadium

Glenelg (16-0) is one win away from perfection and back in the state title game for the first time since 2022. The Gladiators dominated in the state semifinals and face a Fallston team that is also returning to the state final for the first time since 2022. Fallston won a thrilling state semifinal over county rival C. Milton Wright in penalty kicks.

No. 2 Centennial vs No. 1 Stephen Decatur, 3A State Final, Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at UMBC Stadium

Centennial (14-1-1) is rolling right now and showcased its resilience in a 3-1 state semifinal win over Tuscarora. The Eagles are vying for the program’s first state title since 1995. Meanwhile, Stephen Decatur is coming off a dramatic 3-2 double overtime win over Sherwood in the state semifinals.

Girls soccer

No. 4 Mt. Hebron vs. No. 6 Century, 2A State Final, Friday at 7:30 p.m. at UMBC Stadium

The Vikings (11-2-2) are making their fourth appearance in the state final in the past five years and aiming for the program’s second state title. Mt. Hebron has a stout defense and is coming off an impressive true road win in the state semifinals over Kent Island.

Volleyball

No. 6 Glenelg vs No. 4 Williamsport, 2A State Final, Saturday at noon at APG Federal Credit Union Arena

The Gladiators (14-4) took down second seed Calvert in four sets on Tuesday night. They’re facing Williamsport, the defending 2A state champs on Saturday and are vying for the program’s first state title since 2021.

No. 2 Howard vs No. 1 North Hagerstown, 3A State Final, Saturday at 2 p.m. at APG Federal Credit Union Arena

The Lions (19-0) swept sixth seed Arundel in a close contest in a true road state semifinal on Tuesday night. Howard aims to close out an undefeated season and capture just the program’s second state title and first since 1980.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23. 

A community fridge is a public refrigerator that provides free food, from fresh produce to packaged goods, to anyone in the community who needs it. People can anonymously take what they need and donate what they can.

On Monday, County Executive Calvin Ball announced the Pocket Food Pantry, a county and nonprofit partnership bringing three community fridges across the region. This mirrors nearby Baltimore, which has had success with its network of community fridges combating citywide food scarcity.

“Our residents need help now more than ever,” Ball said at the Monday news conference. “Government cannot do it alone.”

More than 21,000 county residents have been impacted by a suspension of federal SNAP benefits, according to Safa Hira, a county spokesperson.

The pocket food pantries will be located at the Rachell L. Gray Community Foundation in Elkridge, the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia and Heritage Realty Services in Lisbon, each sponsored by a local organization.

The county food bank and Roving Radish, a county program meant to promote healthy eating through meal kits with local produce, will provide oversight and support of the program, “providing food as requested,” Ball said.

The fridges will be stocked by local community groups and organizations and will be available at all times.

Columbia Community Care will be in charge of sponsoring the Columbia location. The Glenelg United Methodist Church will do the same for the pantry in Lisbon. The Rachell L. Gray Community Foundation is sponsoring the location at its facility.

Tracy Broccolino, president of the Community Action Council, said food insecurity is a growing crisis in Howard County.

“This project is a powerful symbol of what happens when everyone comes together,” Broccolino said. “By creating a space where neighbors can both give and take food, we are building a bridge of compassion, dignity and shared responsibility. These pocket pantries are a physical manifestation of the “no questions asked” approach that Community Action and our partners are famous for.”

In addition to the pantries, the county has taken other measures to support residents struggling due to a federal shutdown and economic uncertainty. With about 11% of the county impacted by the shutdown, Howard County and its businesses have stepped up to provide relief, through a series of shutdown specials and relief services.

On Nov. 1, there was a countywide food drive, where nearly 1,600 community members donated over 5,000 pounds of food and nonperishable items.

In September, the county announced a new resource center slated for Route 1, which will hold a 12,000-square-foot food pantry. This will be double the size of the current Howard County Food Bank in Columbia. The $8 million project is expected to be complete by late 2026 or early 2027.

The micro-food pantries will allow residents to receive food with dignity, Ball said.

“I sincerely hope that this program provides much need relief for those who need it most,” he added.

Have a news tip? Contact April Santana at asantana@baltsun.com or at 443-834-7525.

The state Motor Vehicle Administration will work with the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families to steer donations to the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund. The nonprofit group helps veterans and their families who are facing temporary financial hardships with expenses such as rent, mortgage payments and utilities.

“The Maryland Veterans Trust Fund exists to meet veterans where they are — often in moments of crisis — and provide timely, meaningful assistance,” said Heather Geraldes, the fund’s executive director, in an announcement.

The donation option, along with expanded veterans services offices, will help make support for veterans more accessible across the state year-round, MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer said in an announcement.

The MVA has opened veteran service program offices in nine MVA branches across the state, including new locations in Annapolis and Waldorf. The offices, open by appointment from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, are staffed by professionals who help veterans apply for benefits.

These offices have helped more than 6,000 veterans, dependents and survivors secure more than $54 million in federal benefits.

The MVA also offers services specifically for veterans and military personnel. Some include waivers to skip the skills test when applying for a commercial driver’s license; an exemption from state emissions testing for active-duty personnel stationed out-of-state or overseas and “veteran” labels on driver’s licenses for easier access to benefits.

Have a news tip? Contact Lorraine Mirabella at lmirabella@baltsun.com and (410) 332-6672.

The opinion came in response to a July 31 statement from the college’s board of trustees expressing that body’s full confidence in Willis and her leadership, according to a letter sent by the faculty forum’s constituency committee to the board.

Trustees appointed Willis, 41, as fifth president of the college in November 2021. She is the first Black president to lead the college, based in Columbia.

“In 2025, the Faculty Forum Constituency Committee sadly expresses no confidence that Dr. Willis’ leadership of Howard Community College positions the College to match its recently attained levels of performance excellence, or to fulfill its mission of ‘providing pathways for success’ to residents of Howard County,” the letter states.

The letter alleges that there has been “extraordinary turnover at every level of administration” since Willis took the helm of the college, as well as retaliation against dissent and general uncertainty about the security of faculty members’ positions. The letter also called Willis’ oversight of human resources and financial operations “troubling.”

Mismanagement has become common, the letter alleges, with errors in IT and human resources, issues with the bookstore system and faculty not receiving teaching assignments or other documents. Financial mismanagement has also occurred under Willis, while the “will and wishes of the faculty have been repeatedly undermined” and the decision-making process has become “opaque,” the letter states.

Jeffrey Moore, a professor at HCC and member of the subcommittee that organized the vote, said that some members of the faculty had been discussing a vote of no confidence for around 18 months. As time passed, it grew clearer that senior leadership didn’t want to work with faculty on salary or benefit negotiations and improved working conditions, he said. Leadership was hostile, and with so much overturn, he said, many faculty didn’t know who their supervisors were.

“We have attempted multiple times in multiple ways to get the administration to speak with us, and we either get silence, or we get incorrect information, or we just get a run around, you know, pass the buck to the next person. So we’ve attempted to reach out to the Board of Trustees in the past, they have not been willing to talk to us,” Moore said.

In October, the faculty forum formed a subcommittee to collect faculty grievances and draft a letter to the board of trustees, Moore said. When presented with different options of who to hold a vote of no confidence against, including the board, senior leadership, the president and other options, faculty voted to hold the vote against Willis, Moore said. The subcommittee spent a significant amount of time crafting the letter, he said.

Moore loves his students and teaching at HCC, but in the past few years he hasn’t had resources or support, he said.

“You know, these things have a direct impact on the students, which means that they have an impact on my ability to teach. And it doesn’t have to be this way. It wasn’t this way until Daria Willis came to campus,” Moore said.

A vote of no confidence is a symbolic statement that a group no longer supports a leader. The vote by the faculty forum comes after the college saw labor disputes ahead of the newly formed faculty union ratifying its first contract. In August, the college admitted that it might have “inadvertently” broken a rule when removing pro-union signage and posters from faculty offices.

Howard Community College didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a post on the Howard Community College Pathways Substack page, Jarrett Carter, vice president of external affairs, communications, and advancement, wrote that the college is aware of the vote from “an undisclosed number of faculty members” against the administration. With votes of no confidence occurring at institutions across the country, Carter said it reflects the challenges facing institutions of higher education. HCC remains committed to fostering dialogue with faculty about their concerns, Carter wrote.

“This is evident in our regular communications and open public Board of Trustees meetings, where we address issues and welcome constituent feedback. We also recognize the remarkable work our community has accomplished together,” the post stated.

Anna Lee, an HCC professor and a member of the subcommittee that organized the vote, said faculty resent that statement because it was an organized group, the faculty forum, that voted, and the votes of no confidence aren’t a trend.

Many were “frozen in fear” of retaliation to speak out about the issues, until recently with safeguards in place under the union contract, Lee said. Lee said the faculty is optimistic that the board will listen to their concerns because they’ve used the proper channels of communication.

“We hope that the Board of Trustees will listen to what the entire faculty, full-time and adjuncts, have laid out for them to deem a vote of no confidence,” Lee said.

Have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at khacker@baltsun.com or @KierstenHacker on X.

Prosecutors characterized Jennifer Tinker’s crimes as an “embezzlement spree” that funded ritzy hotel stays in Las Vegas, floor tickets to Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan performances, a vacation at Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort, five vehicles and $167,000 in Amazon purchases.

In addition to sentencing her to five years and 10 months behind bars, a federal judge ordered Tinker, 42, to pay back nearly $1.2 million in restitution.

Prosecutors said she stole from the real estate firm between 2020 and 2023 while working as its market center administrator. Investigators also discovered that, after the firm uncovered the fraud and fired Tinker, she was hired as an office manager and bookkeeper at a nonprofit and embezzled an additional $100,000.

Investigators did not name the real estate agency or the nonprofit in court records. However, archives of the Keller Williams Realty Centre in Columbia website and its social media pages refer to Tinker as its market center administrator in the years leading up to her firing.

Tinker did not inform the nonprofit that she had been fired from her job at the real estate firm for embezzling funds, according to a revised plea agreement she signed earlier this year.

Tinker pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud for embezzling funds from the real estate company’s escrow, commission and operating accounts. But in February, a judge ordered Tinker to be detained after prosecutors said that she continued to steal funds from her new employer while awaiting trial, including a wire transfer on the same day as her guilty plea. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud for a second time in June.

Tinker’s defense attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Anjali Biala, did not return requests for comment on Monday and Tuesday.

Have a news tip? Contact Dan Belson at dbelson@baltsun.com, on X as @DanBelson_ or on Signal as @danbels.62.

Another Broken Egg Cafe

The Elkridge outpost of this national breakfast chain will serve a free “Patriot French Toast” combo meal with coffee to veterans, active-duty and retired service members all day. 7700 Hearthside Way, Elkridge; 443-733-3752; anotherbrokenegg.com

BIBIBOP Asian Grill

This regional, Korean-inspired build-your-own-bowl chain will offer free bowls for veterans and active-duty military with proof of service. 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia; 410-310-3853; bibibop.com

Bubbakoo’s Burritos

With proof of service, both veterans and active-duty military can receive a free taco trio at national Mexican restaurant chain. Multiple locations across Maryland; bubbakoos.com.

Bubba’s 33

Veterans get a free lunch or a voucher to use at national bar bite restaurant chain Bubba’s 33 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Veterans Day. 7305 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie; 410-760-7427; bubbas33.com

Chicken Salad Chick

Maryland’s only location of this chicken salad chain, in Westminster, will offer all veterans and active-duty military a free meal, complete with one side and a regular-sized fountain drink, on Veterans Day. 255 Baltimore Blvd., Westminster; 410-861-6401; chickensaladchick.com

Golden Corral

Tuesday is the 25th anniversary of Golden Corral’s Military Appreciation Night, during which military retirees, veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard members or reservers receive a free dinner from 4 p.m. until close. Multiple locations across Maryland; goldencorral.com

Harris Teeter in Locust Point

Harris Teeter

Holders of both military ID and a VIC store savings card will receive 11% off their grocery carts on Veterans Day. Multiple locations across Maryland; harristeeter.com

Maryland National Parks

All visitors can see 18 Maryland National Park Service sites, including Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and Fort McHenry, free of charge on Veterans Day. A complete list of sites is available on the National Park Service website. Multiple locations across Maryland; nps.gov

Maryland Transit Administration

The MTA will offer free rides for all U.S. military veterans, active-duty military and members of the National Guard and Reserves across all models of Maryland public transit. 410-539-5000; mta.maryland.gov

Sport Clips Haircuts

Service members and veterans can receive a free haircut at any participating Sport Clips locations. Multiple locations across Maryland; sportclips.com

Starbucks

All day Tuesday, Starbucks will pour military service members and their spouses free tall-sized brewed coffee, hot or iced, free of charge. Multiple locations across Maryland; starbucks.com

Wendy’s

With proof of U.S. Military service, veterans and active-duty military can get a free breakfast combo — featuring any breakfast sandwich, seasoned potatoes and a beverage. This offer is only available at locations operated by hospitality company Flynn Group — a complete list is available on the Flynn website. Multiple locations across Maryland flynn.com/wendys

Have a news tip? Contact Jane Godiner at jgodiner@baltsun.com or on Instagram as @Jane.Craves.