"Five Things you Need to Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the new feature in the comments section.

1. The new month begins with a mixed bag of weather in Wilmington. According to Weather.com, temperatures will settle in at 84^° to open August as a mix of sun and clouds is expected. There is also a 30 percent chance of rain on the day with a slight chance of thunderstorms.

2. One local board is in action on Wednesday. The Conservation is slated to meet beginning at 7 p.m. The session is scheduled to take place inside Town Hall, Room 9.

3. Young Wilmington residents can take a trip to space without even leaving town tonight. Participants can learn about the International Space Station Spacecraft, planetary and satellite orbits, microgravity and weightlessness, space travel to the Moon and Mars, the Space Shuttle Orbiter, rockets and much more at Wilmington Memorial Library on Wednesday at 7 p.m..  Some volunteers will get to dress in astronaut flight suits

4. Have you voted yet, Wilmington? The first few days were successful, and now voting continues to be open in our 25 polls in Patch's Readers' Choice. Head over to our launching page and follow the links to make your choice in each of our categories. Voting is open through August 17.

5. Our next social media milestone is within reach. We now have 1,494 Facebook fans as our total continues to rise closer to 1,500. All you have to do to join our fan base is log on to the Wilmington Patch Facebook page and click "Like." It's an easy and fun way to keep up on everything local. Already a fan? Help spread the word as we continue on our way to 2,000 and beyond. Thanks for your support, Wilmington! We're also up to 904 Twitter followers, so join us and help push Patch past 1,000!