5 Things You Need To Know Today, Thursday, Dec. 20

Here are 5 pieces of information designed to get your Thursday started with a song in your heart and to help make you the smartest person caught in rush-hour traffic on 495.

1. Your 3-day Local Weather Forecast:

• According to the NWS, today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Light and variable wind becoming north around 6 mph.
• Tonight A chance of rain and sleet before 1am, then rain likely. Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 9 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
• Friday Rain, mainly before 5pm. Patchy fog. High near 46. Breezy, with a east wind 13 to 21 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
• Friday Night A chance of rain showers before 11pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 33. Southwest wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Saturday A chance of snow showers before 10am, then a chance of rain showers. Cloudy, with a high near 40. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Saturday Night A slight chance of snow showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

2. Reader Comment of the Day: "I think it's wonderful that this is being addressed. Hopefully we can see some changes come in the days and years ahead. These officers need counseling. They deal with a lot of crazy people and events. God bless them." Reader Stephanie, commenting on the story, "Koutoujian Hopes Conference Can Shine Light On Corrections Officer Mental Health Issues."

3. It's Happening Today: Need a smile? Or maybe just a place to take your small child this morning? It's Wiggle Time at the Tewksbury Public Library today. This program is offered at 10:15 a.m. and again at 11 a.m. This program is for 2 year olds but children 18 to 23 months are also welcome, as our siblings of any age. Come learn what story times are all about. We read, sing, dance and more! Get those early literacy skills under your belt! No registration required.

4. Are You Ready To Serve Your Town?: It's that time of year again. Nomination papers for the 2013 Tewksbury Municipal Election will be available at the Town Clerk's office starting on Jan. 2.

5. Are You Unemployed?: This is a lousy time of year to be unemployed (as if there is ever a good time). For those who are searching, the best Christmas present they could get this year would be a new job. We can help. Tewksbury Patch has thousands of job listings within easy driving distance of Tewksbury. Click here to visit the Tewksbury Patch Jobs Page to take your first step toward having a new job for the new year.