5 Things You Need To know Today, Wednesday, April 17

Here are 5 pieces of information designed to get you over the hump on this Wednesday and to help make you the smartest person at your breakfast table.

1. Your Local 3-Day Weather Forecast:

• According to the NWS, today will be cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 65. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Tonight Clear, with a low around 36. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
• Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. East wind 8 to 11 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
• Thursday Night A chance of showers, mainly after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Friday A chance of showers. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 70. South wind 8 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Friday Night A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 51. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

2. It's Happening Today: The annual Aleppo Shriners' Circus begins today with shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Shriners Auditorium on Foster Road, Wilmington. Tickets are $10. The circus will be in town through Sunday, April 21. Click here for details.

3. Reader Comment of the Day: "Thank you Kim for your hard work and dedication!! I've volunteered in Tent A before and I know that is definitely not what you expect to see on Marathon Monday. This year I was on the course as a runner instead of a volunteer and I cant begin to describe the sadness I feel today." Reader and Boston Marathon runner Denise Illsley, commenting on the story,

4. It's Also Happening Today: A Prayer Vigil For The Boston Marathon Bombing Victims will take place tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Tewksbury Congregational Church.

5. By The Numbers: Has Tewksbury gone to the dogs? (OK, sometimes I just place it on the tee for you.) But seriously, according to the 2012 Town Report, 2,277 dog licenses were issued last year. That's up from 2,081 in 2011. The dog licenses generated $41,828 in revenue for the town.