5 Things You Need to Know Thursday, July 18

1. Your 3-day Local Forecast: 

• According to the National Weather Service, Thursday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 96. The heat index values as high as 103. There is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain.
• Thursday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. There is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain.
• Friday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 96. There is a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms and showers. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain.
• Friday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 73. There is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
• Saturday will be partly sunny, with a high near 91. There is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some storms could be severe, with hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain.
• There is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday night with a low 66 expected. Some storms could be severe, with hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain. 

2. Reader Comment of the Day: "As a North Tewksbury resident, this would be definitely in my back yard. I am not opposed to seeing development within the community. I was pro mall back in the day ... why can't we get a better opportunity to come calling -- a mall on that site would be much more palatable than a 24/7 gambling set up. Does the BOS have any sense of civic pride? Not worth selling the reputation of the town. Shame on them!" reader Paul commenting on the article, Penn National Make Initial Pitch For Slots Parlor to Selectmen.

3. Tell Us: CVS and other businesses have decided against selling the August edition of the Rolling Stone magazine featuring Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Do you agree with this decision?

4. It's Happening Today: Ever wonder what your stuffed animal gets up to when you're not around? If so, check out the stuffed animal sleepover at the Tewksbury Public Library. Drop off your stuffed animal at the library between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Miss Noelle will  catch any antics on video for you to see later.

5. ICYMI: In case you missed it, State Rep. James Miceli spoke against bringing a slots parlor to Tewksbury at Tuesday night's Selectmen meeting. You can watch our video of Miceli speaking at the meeting here.