Five Useful Things To Know Today: July 31

1. High temperatures won't be so high on Tuesday, topping out around 84 degrees in Gaithersburg. A little rain might help keep temperatures down, as there is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms during the day, increasing to 40 percent at night.

2. . The first 20 families will be assigned a host buddy from the sorority.

3. Calling all college-aged actors and actresses! .

4. In case you missed it:  night. Damage is estimated at around $250,000.

5. On this day in history: The first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont for a process of making fertilizer in 1790. Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, died in Tennessee in 1875. The U.S. space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the Moon’s surface in 1964.