5 Things to Know Today: Jan. 10, 2012

1. The weather

The National Weather Service says we can expect sunny skies, with a high near 43. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

2. Gas prices

According to DetroitGasPrices.com, the lowest reported gasoline price in the White Lake area as of Monday night was $3.45 per gallon at the gas station.

3. On this day in history

According to History.com, on this day in 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas, produced an enormous gusher of crude oil, coating the landscape for hundreds of feet and signaling the advent of the American oil industry. The geyser was discovered at a depth of over 1,000 feet, flowed at an initial rate of approximately 100,000 barrels a day and took nine days to cap. Following the discovery, petroleum, which until that time had been used in the U.S. primarily as a lubricant and in kerosene for lamps, would become the main fuel source for new inventions such as cars and airplanes; coal-powered forms of transportation including ships and trains would also convert to the liquid fuel.

4. In the news

The trial continues in the case of Dominick Calhoun, a young boy who was beaten to death in Argentine Township.

5.

The Read & Discuss Book Group meets from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month with former Oakland Community College Professor Sandra Sutherland. Space is limited, so please register by calling 248-698-4942, ext. 2.

Books and meeting dates include:

• Jan. 10: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
• Feb. 14: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
• March 13: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
• April 10: Unbroken: a World war II Airman's Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
• May 8: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford