5 Things You Need To Know Today, Friday, Dec. 7

Here are five pieces of information designed to get your weekend off to an early start and to help make you the smartest overachiever who already has all their gifts bought, wrapped and tucked neatly under a perfectly decorated tree.

1. Your 3-Day Local Weather Forecast: According to the NWS, rain is likely, mainly after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. Southwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

• Friday Night Rain. Patchy fog after 9pm. Low around 35. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Saturday Showers, mainly before 1pm. High near 49. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Saturday Night A slight chance of showers before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 8 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Sunday A slight chance of showers after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 44. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Sunday Night A chance of showers after 8pm. Cloudy, with a low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

2. Veterans Come Through Again: Paul McNaught, Commander of the Tewksbury American Legion Post was at the Board of Selectmen's meeting Tuesday and announced that the Legion would be donating $200 to the Tewksbury Community Food Pantry. It's a busy time of the year for the pantry and the donation will help many Tewksbury residents, including veterans in need..

3. It's Happening Tonight: This event is not happening in Tewksbury but Im guessing we have some horror and thriller fans among our readership. The Tsongas Center in Lowell is hosting A conversation with Stephen King at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $52. Click here for more details.

4. A New Fiscal Face: The Tewksbury Finance Committee has a new member and her name is Kelly Brooks. She was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the Board of Selectmen on Dec. 4.

5. Reader Comment of the Day: "Got enough money to help out Illegals to get into collage, and medical support for them. Big time money for the lab scandal that this guy doesn't know what happened under his watch." Reader Dan, commenting on the story, "Tewksbury Officials Gearing Up For Local Aid Cut."

And Don't Forget -- EVER: 71 Years ago today, Dec. 7, 1941, 350 Japanese aircraft launched an attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. When it was over, 2,403 Americans had been killed and another 1,178 were wounded. Nine ships were sunk or otherwise destroyed, another 14 sustained varying degrees of damage. In addition, 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed.

The attack, which prompted President Franklin Roosevelt to declare Dec. 7, 1941 "a date which will live in infamy," propelled the United States into full participation in World War II.