Our weekday column, 5 Things You Need to Know Today, is a quick list of news, helpful reminders, and other information that may interest Shrewsbury and Grafton residents. Have something you'd like to see highlighted in this space? Email danielle.horn@patch.com.

1. Last year at this time, Hurricane Irene (later downgraded to Tropical Storm Irene) caused quite a mess in the area and left thousands without power in Shrewsbury, Grafton and beyond. Mother Nature is scheduled to remind us today of last year's rain, but not as ferociously: the forecast calls for rainful between a quarter and half inch.

2. AT&T recently announced it has turned on its 4G LTE service, which, according to the phone company, provides faster speeds. Has anyone noticed a difference?

3. School is in session for most districts in the area. Patch Blogger Gary Kelley has provided some tips to parents as the school year begins. If you have any suggestions of your own, add them to Gary's blog!

4. Do you go boating at Lake Quinsigamond? If so, you may be interested in this news release on the town of Shrewsbury's website: it notes some changes that have been made to boating rules to accommodate bridge work on Route 9.

5. Have you been busy this summer? If so, you, like many of us, may have completely forgotten to either 1) get your car inspected, 2) renew your license, or 3) renew your car registration. So, let this fifth "thing" in our column serve as a friendly reminder to make sure you're up-to-date in these areas. The state no longer provides notifications of license and registration renewal.