5 Things You Need to Know Today: September 13

1. Former City Councilman Paul Ridgdill has died. He was 94. Ridgdill was a Bradenton City Council member for most of the 1970s through 1981. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday at on Manatee Avenue.  Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at .

2. The family of one of the homicide victims at the is holding a press conference today to try to get answers about the night club shooting. The family of Trayon Goff, along with their attorneys, will hold the press conference at 10 a.m. today.

3. The groundbreaking ceremony for construction of the has been set for Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The project is considered one of the city's most important projects in revitalizing and bringing traffic downtown. The groundbreaking ceremony will reflect the project's importance. NDC Construction will provide refreshments. There will also be a live entertainment and, of course, plenty of dignitaries.

4. is hosting an open house at 7 p.m. tonight to give parents and students an opportunity to meet teachers and staff and to learn what is needed to get the new school year off to a great start.

5. The Tampa Bay Business Journal has named the a finalist in its 2011 Healthiest Employers Awards. Kristi Dickerson, wellness program coordinator, and Lesli Strickland, employee benefits manager for the school district will attend a luncheon on Thursday where the finalists for the Healthiest Employers Awards will be recognized and rankings announced. Manatee schools submitted a detailed questionnaire about its wellness programs, which the Business Journal used to select finalists. HealthVantage, the district’s wellness program, offers a variety of services including group exercise and weight management programs, an employee fitness center, preventative screenings, wellness consultations, flu shots, tobacco cessation programs, and fitness and nutrition challenges.