5 Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday, July 17

Here are five pieces of information to get your Tuesday off to a spectacular start and to help make you the person smart enough to avoid this morning's traffic nightmare.

1. Traffic Advisory: A major accident involving a gasoline tanker truck on I-95 in Woburn last night shut down the highway for several hours. In fact, public safety officials are not expecting I-95 to re-open until roughly 7 a.m. No doubt, problems on 95 will create problems on I-93 as drivers seek alternative routes. Give yourself plenty of time and use the _Tewksbury Patch Commute tool for traffic updates every five minutes._

2. Your 3-day Local Weather Forecast:  According to the NWS, there is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 3pm. Partly sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Light west wind becoming southwest 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

• Tuesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Wednesday A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Wednesday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
• Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59.

3. It's Happening Today: The wake for Ed Sullivan is being held today in Tewksbury. Calling hours will be Tuesday, July, 17, from 4-8 p.m., His funeral will be held Wednesday, July 18, at 9 a.m., from the funeral home, followed by his Funeral Mass at 10 a.m., at St. Williams Church 1351 Main St.,

4. It's Happening Tonight: The Board of Selectmen is scheduled to meet tonight at 7 p.m. It's the first time the board has met in July.

5. Reader Comment of the Day: "I would not dispute that any welfare fraud is too much welfare fraud. However, in fiscal terms, EBT reform is nibbling around the edges. Healthcare payment reform will do much more to save money and unfortunately, Rep. Lyons voted against that unlike wiser Republicans like Bruce Tarr." Reader Bill Callahan, commenting on the