5 Things You Need To know Today, Friday, April 12

Here are 5 pieces of information designed to get your weekend off to an early start and to help make you the smartest person at the table.

1. Your Local 3-Day Weekend Weather Forecast:

• According to the NWS, today we can expect rain and sleet, becoming all rain after 5pm. Patchy fog after 1pm. High near 40. East wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
• Friday Night Rain, mainly before 2am. Patchy fog. Low around 36. North wind 9 to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Saturday A chance of showers, mainly before 10am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. West wind 3 to 7 mph.
• Sunday Partly sunny, with a high near 53.
• Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.

2. Reader Comment of the Day: "The EU's GDP is US$17,070,011 (2012), making it the largest economy in the world, with the USA in second position with US$15,653,366. The present EU deficit is 4.5% of its GDP, whereas the US's is 6.7% of its GDP! So, who's in a better shape? Ans., none of the above: they are BOTH equally in trouble. But you guys forecasting the demise of the EU should be worrying about home first." Reader Quasimodo, commenting on the story, "Friday the State House Celebrates Greece's Independence."

3. It's Happening Today: The Tewksbury High varsity baseball team is in action this afternoon at home against Haverhill High. The first pitch will be thrown out at 4 p.m.

4. It's Happening This Weekend: Free Karate Lessons on Saturday, April 13, at The Self Defense Institute (TSDI), 1721 Main St, Tewksbury. New Students - Preschool to High School students and Adults train for FREE in April on Saturdays. Self-Defense, Anti-Bullying, Stranger/Danger, and Safety Kempo Karate/Ju-Jitsu/KungFu Classes are energetic and exciting. Call to reserve your space in one of the FREE classes, 978-863-1460.

5. By The Numbers: 2,277. According to the Town Report, Tewksbury issued 2,277 dog licenses in 2012. That's up from 2,081 in 2011. The dog licenses generated $41,828 in revenue for the town.