5 Things You Need To Know Today: January 30

1. The City of Bradenton will honor Manatee High School's State Championship Football team during the football team's annual team banquet.

2. Registered Republicans can vote Tuesday in the presidential preference primaries. All voters should remember to double check their precinct locations, as some precincts were realigned this year.

3.The Manatee County Board of Commissioners will meet in a work session Tuesday at 9 a.m. to discuss a five year plan for $2 million in Community Development Block Grant funding.

4. The county and the chamber of commerce will join the Manatee County Agriculture and Extension Service staf and the Master Gardeners for ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday at 11 a.m. to open the new Agriculture & Extension Service Educational Gardens, 1303 17th Street West, Palmetto. The new gardens demonstrate different ways for Manatee County residents to be more successful gardeners and to make their yards more Florida Friendly. The various gardens feature growing vegetables in small spaces, herbs in a repurposed fountain, salad tables, bird and butterfly attractors, dwarf fruit trees, water conservation with native plants and the careful use of irrigation and rain barrels. A sensory garden is next to a maze for small children. Recycled bricks and construction waste bricks make pleasant wheelchair friendly walkways and decrease landfill usage.

 5. The Manatee Tiger Bay Club will present a "Diagnosis of the Health Status of Manatee County" at its next meeting on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Judith Sedgeman, club president, will lead the program. The guest panel includes professionals and leaders from Manatee County: Jennifer Bencie, MD, director Manatee County Department of Health; Mary Ruiz, president/CEO Manatee Glens and director of Manatee Healthcare Allianc; and Jonathan Fleece, health care attorney, Blalock Walters and co-author of The New Health Age. They will answer questions like: How does Manatee County stack up to neighboring counties and the State of Florida for significant health indicators, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and teen pregnancy?  How are we organizing to improve the health profile of the county? What will it take, in the turbulent health care climate we now face, for Manatee County to become healthy? Cost is $20 for members, $25 for guests. Make your reservations by emailing manateetigerbay@aol.comor calling 941.746.1151.