Our weekday morning column, 5 Things You Need to Know, provides you with information that can help you plan your day and give you some fodder for water cooler conversations.

1. The Shrewsbury Fire Department is investigating a house fire that started in the back of a home on Crescent Street, just behind Sherwood Middle School. The fire was extinguished within two hours and no one was home at the time of the fire, but a dog was rescued from the fire.

2. Students at Spring Street School showed off their Snack Attack Lego Robotics Project. From cupcakes to oreos, parents and students enjoyed seeing the pilot program of this new club at the elementary school. The club is expected to start up again in the fall.

3. Don't miss out on Shrewsbury's Relay for Life event at the Oak Middle School on Friday starting at 6 p.m., 45 Oak St. You can still signup and help out a great cause—the American Cancer Society.

4. A pool, another Dunkin' Donuts and a vegan restaurant are all places that Shrewsbury Patch readers are asking for to go on Route 20. Now, a Dunkin' Donuts next to a Dunkin' Donuts seems redundant, but we'd like to know what you would put on the vacant property on Route 20. Click the link and let us know in the comments.

5. Shrewsbury Patch readers are also talking about the best staycations in the area. From Tower Hill Botanical Gardens to Tougas Farm, our readers are picking their local favorites. Click the link and add your comments and reviews of your favorite places to vacation locally.

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