Maryland Cities Rank Among Most Culturally Diverse| Patch PM

Stories to share this evening:

4 Montgomery County Cities Dubbed Most Culturally Diverse In U.S.
Several cities in Montgomery County placed in the top ten "Most Culturally Diverse Cities" 2017 list created by the personal-finance website Wallethub: Germantown placed second, Gaithersburg placed third, Silver Spring placed fourth and Rockville placed ninth. Wallethub started investigating cultural diversity in the U.S. after President Donald Trump signed executive orders targeting immigration-policy reform.

Taser Ban Lifted in Howard County
The Howard County Council voted Tuesday night to repeal a ban on Tasers. The emergency legislation came after a lawsuit was filed against Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County that claimed the electronic weapons bans in those jurisdictions violated Second Amendment rights.

Annapolis Rapper Young Dylan On 'Ellen' Show Wednesday
Young Dylan, a pint-sized 7-year-old Annapolis rapper who's appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" multiple times in 2016, is showcasing his skills again on Wednesday's broadcast. When Ellen sends him to New Orleans, he gets to meet legendary basketball players like Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Carmelo Anthony as the show's correspondent during the NBA All-Star Weekend.

La Cakerie Grand Opening Slated for Saturday
The third location for La Cakerie, which has shops in Towson and Mount Vernon, will open on Saturday in Bel Air. Given its timing three days before Fat Tuesday, the celebration will have a Mardi Gras twist.

Maryland Ties For Worst Commute Time in U.S.
Californians talk about gridlock on their freeways, New Yorkers complain about backed-up commuter rails and roads. But recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau confirms that Maryland is tops in terrible traffic.

Building Fire Draws 100-Plus Firefighters To Rosedale Blaze: Officials
A two-alarm building fire on US 40 may impact traffic through the evening rush hour, Baltimore County public safety officials say.

Bethesda Native's Oscar-Nominated Film Touches Denzel Washington
The poignant documentary of a Holocaust survivor who donated the violin he played in memory of his mother and brother, who were killed in the Nazi concentration camps, could bring an Academy Award to a Bethesda native. “Joe’s Violin,” directed by Walt Whitman High School grad Kahane Cooperman, is nominated for an Oscar in the documentary short film category.

Lucky Strike Set To Open At Westfield Montgomery Mall
The Bethesda attraction will feature 12 lanes of bowling and gastropub cuisine when it opens in March in Westfield Montgomery Mall.

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.