5 Things You Need to Know Today: Dec. 27

"Five Things You Need to Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance.

1. Bulldogs Take a Fast Break to Kentucky. It may be school vacation week, but there's no rest for some of Bedford High School's top athletes who are competing in holiday tournaments. Today's BHS sports schedule includes the following games:

• 9:00AM B V Wrestling @ Hollis Nor'Easter Invitational
• 4:30PM B V Basketball @ Republic Bank Holiday Classic - Lexington, Kentucky
• 4:30PM G V Basketball @ Nashua High School South (Nashua North Holiday Tournament)
• 8:00PM B V Ice Hockey @ Christmas Hockey Classic

2. The Weather Man Says ... Temperatures warm up into the mid-40s today, and though the rain and snow should stay away (20% chance of precipitation), the sun is likely to hide behind cloudy skies throughout the day.

3. Local Achievement of the Day. Saint Michael's College student Julia Heald, daughter of Elizabeth and Samuel Heald of Bedford, is studying abroad for the spring 2012 semester. Heald, a junior biology major, is studying at Institute for Study Abroad, Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia. Heald graduated from Bishop Brady High School before enrolling to Saint Michael's.

4. Light's Out. Though no Bedford residents submitted a photo of their decorated home to Patch's Deck the House contest, the Patch-wide network received hundreds of entries. Feel free to browse through some of winners, including this musical marvel in Merrimack. Be neighborly and vote local to pay for the winning homeowner's December electric bill and help Merrimack or another NH school district win $100,000.

5. Traffic and Gas Prices with one easy click. Have you seen Bedford Patch's new traffic and gas price feature? It's quick and easy. Simply click the "Traffic & Gas" tab at the top of the page and get all the up-to-the-minute traffic, accident and gas price details you need for your commute.