Wet Today, Barbecue in the Forecast

1. Weather: It's cold this morning, in the mid-20s with a 5-mph north wind, and the cold will give way through the day to an increasing chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service. The high will approach 45 degrees, and the chance of rain during the day is about 30 percent in the afternoon. But the National Weather Service says rain is a near-certainty overnight as the low drops frighteningly close to the freezing mark.

2. In case you missed it: One of our Acworth Moms, Kelly Kimbro, reminded us Wednesday that poor people have taste buds too, so you should go beyond the dusty can of beets when donating to MUST Ministries or any other food bank. Less important, perhaps, but more fun: varsity basketball teams swept a doubleheader in Cartersville on Tuesday night, 57-47 for the girls and 53-52 for the boys.

3. On the agenda: The Acworth Board of Aldermen will meet tonight at . After a briefing of the mayor and the aldermen in Conference Room 1 at 6:30, the regular meeting will start at 7 in the council chambers. Check out the attached agenda, which includes the good news that the North Cobb Rotary Club's Smoke on the Lake Backyard BBQ Festival will return to on May 6 and 7. Look for a report on the meeting tonight.

4. Ahead on Acworth Patch: We're always trying to make Patch more useful for you, so today you can look forward to some new weekly features, including a weekend planner at 10 a.m., a preview of open houses at noon in case your weekend plans include real estate, a rundown of the best places to watch the Super Bowl at 3 p.m. and a suggestion of a great place to eat out at 5 p.m.

5. What about Feb. 3: This day 52 years ago was the day the music died. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper were killed when their small plane crashed in Iowa on the way to Minnesota. Thanks to Don McLean's American Pie, even those of us who weren't alive in 1959 will never forget that day.