5 Things to Know Today: Feb. 17, 2012

1. The weather

The National Weather Service says we can expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 39. Friday night there will be a 50 percent chance of snow. Skies will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.

2. Gas prices

According to DetroitGasPrices.com, the lowest reported gasoline price in the White Lake area as of Thursday night was $3.34 per gallon at the BP gas station at M-59 and Pontiac Lake.

3. On this day in history

According to History.com, in 1904, Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly premieres at the La Scala theatre in Milan, Italy. Set in Nagasaki, Japan, Madame Butterfly told the story of an American sailor, B.F. Pinkerton, who marries and abandons a young Japanese geisha, Cio-Cio-San, or Madame Butterfly. In addition to the rich, colorful orchestration and powerful arias that Puccini was known for, the opera reflected his common theme of living and dying for love.

4. In the news

The school zone signs on Bogie Lake Road have made national headlines. On Thursday, the signs were changed – see what they now say.

5. Movie Night at the Library

Movie night at the Library takes place from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at the White Lake Township Library. Watch The Help, the 2011 movie based on the bestselling book set in the South in the 1960s. Popcorn will be provided. Registration required. Contact 248-698-4942, ext. 2 to register.