Five Things for Wednesday: Shop Local, Help the Homeless & More

Check in with your daily dose of Johnston area information, including news, weather and celebrity birthdays!

  Johnston Weather:  Shop Local: Thinking of shopping locally this Saturday? Catch a bus at Pocasset Bay Manor, visit three greal local shops, and have a bite to eat — all for $10 — with the North Central Chamber of Commerce "Shopping Shuttle." Click here for more information. Help the Homeless: If you're heading out to Smithfield Crossing to shop this weekend, your lunch stop at UNO Chicago Grill will do more than fill your stomach — it'lll help the homeless in Rhode Island. UNO is donating 20 percent of each bill to the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless. Thanksgiving Football: Johnston High School isn't playing a Thanksgiving game this year — the nearest game is the  Smithfield/North Providence rivalry at NP High School tomorrow. …

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

Aug. 28: Johnston School Schedules

JohnstonPatch is your source for school bus routes in Johnston — and the opening and closing times. Here are your 5 Things to Know Today for Aug. 28.

  1. School Schedules: Looking for the opening and dismissal times for Johnston public schools? JohnstonPatch has that. Keep an eye out later today for the last-minute changes to the bus routes. 2. Beware: Mayor Joseph Polisena held a press conference yesterday and issued a warning to Johnston homeowners who let out-of-town families use their addresses for school enrollment. Put briefly: 'You will pay.' 3. Flashback?: Okay, so it's not on the order of last year's visit by Tropical Storm Irene, but the forecast is for rain with potential for flooding and highs in the low 80s. Sorry kids — tomorrow is supposed to be sunny with temps in the 70s for the first day of school. 4. Stay Informed: With school on the immediate horizon — and all the …

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

Aug. 22: We Heard You

Bus routes for Johnston elementary schools top the list of 5 Things to Know Today for Aug, 22, 2012.

  1. We Heard You: And responded — yesterday, we began posting school bus routes for the Johnston School Department and private schools attended by Johnston kids. In case you missed them, click here for the Johnston High School and Ferri Middle School bus routes. Today, we've got the schedules for the elementary and preschools in town. 2. Feel the Need to Shop?: Blogger Melynda S recently wrote that she'll never be too old for back to school shopping, one of the more interesting posts from our ever-growing roster of bloggers. Want to be one? It's crazy easy to sign up. 3. Another Nice Day: Shh... no one say anything that could jinx it. We're in for another party cloudy day with temps in the 80s. The pattern looks to stay in place through …

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

Aug. 16: Summer Reading Wraps Up

Today's 5 Things to Know Today includes a celebration of the Mohr Library summer reading program — and info on the upcoming school year.

  1. Summer Reading: Marian J. Mohr Library is scheduled to host its annual summer reading program award ceremony tonight at 6:30. Mohr is also your source for the books listed in the Johnston School Department's summer packets, which you can find at these links: 2. Cool Camp: Another annual summer tradition is The Autism Project's two-week camp experience, which this year set up shop in Pascoag. Check out this video from our recent visit. 3. School Prep: Be sure to check our Back to School guide for all the info you need about the upcoming school year in Johnston, which begins Aug. 29. Stay tuned for the district's bus routes, which will be run by First Student, a change from the previous contract with Durham. 4. Clearing: After a mostly …

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

July 19: Brass Ones, Better Weather

The recent heat wave is over — for now. It's July 18, and here are your 5 Things to Know Today.

  Brass Ones: It's a lot of trouble to go through — and potentially get into — for a couple of dollars: Johnston Police reported the arrest of a second Johnston man for trying to sell brass vases from Highland Memorial Cemetery for scrap. Better Weather: Looks as though the H-H-H is over [or, as I call it, "H.A.F." — Hot As Florida, though you can substitute another f-word. — Ed.] for the next few days. Sunny with temps in the more manageable 80s today with overnight lows in the upper 50s. Next chance of rain looks like Monday. Bloggers Blogging: We've had some great contributions from Patch bloggers lately, including Jackie Hennessey's post on what to do with the kids over the summer and Sharon Siedliski and her ideas for Simple Science …

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

July 9: More Nice Weather

It's July 9, 2012, and here are your 5 Things to Know Today.

  More Nice Weather: A return to nice summer weather — sunny today with highs in the low 80s, cooler at the coast. Movies: At 6 pm, Marian J. Mohr Library, One Memorial Ave., hosts a movie night for all ages. Tonight's selection is Big Miracle (2012), the story of a news reporter and his girlfriend, a Greenpeace volunteer, and their work to rescue a family of gray whales. Announce: ... And if you've got your own event to promote, whether it's a sale at your business or an event like the one at the library, you can post your listing on JohnstonPatch for FREE. Save: It's back to work today — do you know where to find the cheapest gas nearby? We make it easy to locate the best prices with our Commute page. Rollers: The folks up at the …

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

June 14: Flag Day, Panthers Near 2nd Title

It's June 14, 2012 — Flag Day in the U.S. — and here are your 5 Things to Know Today.

Panthers: The Johnston High School varsity baseball squad defeated The Prout School, 11-1, yesterday afternoon to take game one of the best-of-three state championship series. Game 2 is today at 3:30 pm. Flag Day: Today is Flag Day in the United States, a chance to honor and celebrate the Stars & Stripes. Read more about the history of Flag Day on the National Flag Day Foundation website. Clearing: Expect early clouds to give way to mostly sunny skies and temps in the low 70s during the day. Overnight lows in the 50s; the pattern continues through at least the weekend. Grads: In case you missed it, we posted a photo gallery and the list of graduates from St. Rocco School's eighth grade yesterday. Upgrades: On this date in 2011, we reported…

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

June 11: Sunny Monday Greets New Grads

Welcome to Monday, June 11, 2012. Here are the 5 Things to Know Today.

Grads: Johnston High School cemebrated its 50th commencement exercises on Friday night — and we're looking for your best photos and video. Stay tuned for our video of the night later this morning. Sunny: All those freshly-minted high school graduates can wake up — or not — to a sunny day with highs in the 70s. Next chance of rain looks like Wednesday. Cash Mob: The North Central Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a cash mob for today at 5 pm, to meet at the Johnston Senior Center. Bring $20 and help a local business. Blog: Opinions are like belly buttons — everybody's got one. What's yours? (Opinion, that is.) JohnstonPatch makes it easy to start a blog and speak your mind to our readers. Health: On this date last year, we reported on …

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

June 7: Gray Day, Promote Your Business

It's your June 7, 2012 edition of 5 Things To Know Today.

Gray Day: Another day of clouds and possibility of precipitation is on tap for today, though some clearing is expected amidst the chance of rain through — sorry — Friday night. Highs in the low 70s; Weekend looks better with temps in the 80s on Saturday. Promote Your Biz: Looking to establish a presence on the web where people will actually see your business? Learn how to claim your FREE listing on JohnstonPatch. Recycle: No more two-bin recycling for Johnston; with the opening of the new "single-stream" system up at the Central Landfill yesterday, now you'll only need one bin. Upload: Did you get a good photo of Venus in transit the other day? How about a more Earth-bound event or location? Share your pics and clips on JohnstonPatch. …

• Photos (1)

5 Things To Know Today

June 6: Bleak Weather, Maybe No Baseball

It's 6.6.12 — there has to be some numerological significance to that one — and here are your 5 Things To Know Today.

Bleak: Continued cloudy today with chance of thunderstorms and hail in the afternoon with highs near 70. Chance of rain lingers through Thursday night. Baseball?: The Johnston High School Panthers are scheduled to host Central High School after the Knights defeated Mt. Pleasant, 4-1, in a consolation round game in the Division II playoffs last night, according to the Providence Journal. Given the forecast, though, the game could be delayed. Big Deal: Friday night marks the 50th Johnston High School graduating class — and we're planning to be there. Watch for coverage and the chance to upload your memories from the commencement. Blog: You are — or know — someone in Johnston who's always got something to say, so why not start (or encourage …

• Photos (1)