5 Things You Need to Know Today: Aug. 31

Today is Friday, Aug. 31, and here are the five things you need to know:

1. Be sure to stay hydrated today and stay indoors whenever possible. The National Weather Service is predicting that local residents can expect it to be mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Tonight should be partly cloudy, with a low around 67. (sunrise, 6:07 a.m.; high tide, 11:40 a.m.; low tide, 5:39 p.m.; sunset, 7:18 p.m.)

2. The local librarian who was severely injured when he fell from a second-floor porch in Swampscott Thursday afternoon was still listed in critical condition at Mass General Hospital this morning, a hospital spokeswoman said. for our full story.

3. Here at Marblehead Patch, we love our small business stories and we try to cover every local opening. But we aren't the only ones covering business news - to check out a round-up of small business stories published here and on our other North Shore Patch sites.

4. Looking to move to Marblehead area or looking for a new home in town? Every Friday, we provide a list of local homes holding open houses on Sunday - to view this week's installment of Open Houses Set for Sunday.

5. Today in History: On Aug. 31, 1864, Union forces led by General William T. Sherman launched an assault on Atlanta, Ga.

For more things going on in Marblehead today, check out our events calendar.