5 Things You Need To Know Today. Thursday, Jan. 10

Here are 5 pieces of information designed to start your Thursday with a smile and to help make you the smartest person in your family.

1. Your Local 3-Day Weather Forecast:

• According to the NWS, today will be sunny, with a high near 46. West wind 11 to 15 mph.
• Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm after midnight.
• Friday A slight chance of rain after 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Friday Night A chance of showers, mainly after 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 40. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 48.
• Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.

2. It's Happening Today: the Tewksbury High gymnastics team is in action today. The Redmen take on Dracut High in a  meet at Lakeview Junior High in Dracut. It begins at 7 p.m.

3. Reader Comment of the Day: "Wow, I better get to Oscar's soon!!!" reader Dan, commenting on the story, "Selectmen's Notebook: Tax Deliquents To Be Called In For Hearings."

4. It's Also Happening Today: The High School Building Committee meets tonight at 6 p.m. at Tewksbury High in a first floor classroom.

5. By The Numbers: 700 and 18. The Boston Health Department says there have been 700 confirmed cases of the flu in Boston this season, compared to just 70 last season. To date, 18 people have died from flu-related illnesses this season. This has prompted Mayor Tom Menino to declare a public health emergency in the city. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said flu outbreaks are high for this time of the season, with "widespread activity" in Massachusetts