Main Street Windows Ready for Holidays: Today in Howard County

Main Street Window Decorating Contest Begins in Ellicott City - It's that time of year, when the windows of Main Street fill with holiday cheer. Visitors are asked to vote for their favorite window decorations using ballots available at businesses and the Howard County tourism office. The winners will receive free ads in local publications. Judges' winners will be announced the week of Dec. 9th, while the people's choice winner will be announced on Jan. 3.

2013 All-Howard County Football Selections - The county's football coaches selected their all-county team this week. The coaches named Reservoir senior running back Avian White as the offensive player of the year and Mt. Hebron senior defensive back Zach Nicholas as the defensive player of the year. Centennial's quarterback, Tyler Martin, and running back, Walter Fletcher, were named to the first team offense. Only one sophomore or freshman was named to the first team, Deandre House, a sophomore wide receiver from Hammond. For the full list, click here.

County Board of Education Preliminarily Approves Redistricting Plan - The board gave its preliminary approval to a plan that would shift a number students from a number of North Laurel, Savage, Fulton and Elkridge middle schools to reduce overcrowding and direct students to the new middle school opening at the Oxford Square development in Elkridge in 2014. Here's a breakdown of the schools and the number of students affected. No schools located in Ellicott City or Columbia are affected. The official approval of the plan is scheduled to take place tonight.

Howard Community College Partners with Local Schools to Repair Stream- A major stream on the college's Columbia campus will undergo a restoration project with the help of local middle school students thanks to a grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Students from Bonnie Branch and Patapsco Middle Schools will work with a local civil engineering firm, The Tech Group, Inc., to manage the stormwater and nutrients that enter the stream, according to an HCC release.

Sun TV Critic Calls Ray Lewis a "Hotdog" - David Zurawik, the TV critic for the Baltimore Sun, bashed Ray Lewis in a column this morning saying the former Raven needs to tone down his antics on ESPN. In particular, "Z" calls out Lewis for waving his American Express card in front of the camera and offering to pay a fine for San Francisco linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Brooks struck New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees in the neck, which earned him a personal foul and a $15,570 fine on Wednesday, according to ESPN. Zurawick wrote about Lewis' antics, "This is what blowhards in a bar do when they have had too much to drink—wave around their credit cards, act like big shots and say crazy, buster-butt stuff."