Howard County police arrested an 83-year-old Hickory Ridge man May 5 for allegedly trying to kill his wife by striking her in the head with a hammer, police said.

Police have charged Calvin Ralph Payne, 83, of the 6200 block of Satinwood Drive, in Columbia, with attempted murder and assault for striking his wife, Alma Payne, 81, in the head with a hammer, police said.

According to police, Alma Payne called 911 May 5 at 7:50 p.m. to report that she had been assaulted.

At the couple's house, patrol and tactical officers found Alma Payne with a severe head injury, police said in a press release.

Alma Payne was transported to The University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where she was listed in serious but stable condition May 6.

Calvin Ralph Payne remains held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center, a District Court spokeswoman said.

-- Mike Santa Rita

Columbia driver in police fatality pays fines

The Columbia woman who was driving a car that police said struck and killed a Howard County police officer last year paid fines for speeding and negligent driving May 2, according to a spokesman for the county's state's attorney's office.

Stephanie LaToya Grissom, 25, of Columbia, paid a speeding fine of $130 and was given three points on her driver's license for exceeding the speed limit on Route 32, according to Wayne Kirwan, a spokesman for State's Attorney Dario Broccolino.

Grissom also paid a $280 fine for negligent driving from the same event, Kirwan said.

Grissom could have appeared in Howard County District Court April 7 to face a trial on the traffic citations, Kirwan said.

On June 16, 2007, police said Grissom's car was traveling on Route 32 near Savage when Cpl. Scott Wheeler stepped out into the road to attempt to pull over her car. Grissom's car then struck Wheeler, police said.

Wheeler, of Millersville, died two days later of injuries he received in the accident.

On March 5, police served Grissom with citations for negligent driving and speeding after the grand jury declined to indict her. Grissom had been cited for speeding for driving 71 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone, police said.

A Howard County grand jury declined to indict Grissom on a single count of manslaughter by automobile on March 5, according to Kirwan.

Police and prosecutors had sought the indictment.

Grissom could not be reached for comment.

-- Mike Santa Rita

'Choose Civility' event scheduled for May 14

The Howard County Library will hold a symposium promoting civility next week.

The symposium, sponsored by the library and 40 partner organizations in the countywide "Choose Civility" campaign, will take place Wednesday, May 14 at Grace Community Church, in Fulton.

The symposium will feature U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings and Joe Ehrmann, former Baltimore Colts defensive lineman and co-founder of Building Men and Women for Others, an organization dedicated to helping people better themselves.

The free symposium will be held May 14 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. at Grace Community Church, at 8200 Old Columbia Road, in Fulton. Attendees are asked to register by Monday, May 12 by calling 410-313-7762 or by e-mailing carol.murray@hclibrary.org.

For more information, go to www.hclibrary.org/choosecivility.

-- Sarah Daniels

Woman ordered to stand trial in cat cruelty case

A Howard County Circuit Court judge ordered May 6 that an Owen Brown woman charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty for allegedly hoarding dead and dying cats in her townhouse stand trial July 29.

Judge Louis Becker ordered Ayten Icgoren, 80, of the 7300 block of Swan Point Way, to stand trial in Howard County Circuit Court July 29 on 20 counts of animal cruelty, according to Wayne Kirwan, a spokesman for Howard County State's Attorney Dario Broccolino.

The charges relate to an August 2006 raid by Howard County Animal Control officers on the home Icgoren shares with her daughter Nese Icgoren. Animal control officials seized 75 cats -- 17 that were dead and 50 so sick they had to be euthanized -- from the Owen Brown townhouse at that time.

In March 2007, Ayten Icgoren entered an Alford plea to 20 counts of animal cruelty stemming from the same case, according to Kirwan. An Alford plea occurs when a defendant pleads guilty without admitting responsibility.

Following the plea, District Court Judge Neil Axel convicted Ayten Icgoren of animal cruelty and sentenced her to 360 days in jail, suspending the entire sentence.

Axel also sentenced Ayten Icgoren to three years of probation and to pay $10,564 in restitution to Howard County Animal Control, a division of the police department, for veterinary expenses the office incurred in paying for the sick cats, Kirwan said.

Ayten Icgoren appealed the conviction and a trial was scheduled May 6. But Icgoren only retained an attorney Arthur Reynolds Jr. that morning so Becker rescheduled the trial, Kirwan said.

-- Mike Santa Rita

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