5 Things (And Council Vote Round 2) Jan. 8

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 8, and here are the five things you need to know:

1. It will be an unseasonably warm winter day in Salem. The National Weather Service is predicting that local residents can expect it to be sunny, with a high near 44. Tonight should be mostly clear, with a low around 31. (sunrise, 7:12 a.m.; high tide, 7:17 a.m.; low tide, 1:44 p.m.; sunset, 4:28 p.m.) 

2. Let's give this another shot. Members of Salem City Council will meet tonight at City Hall in the hopes of selecting a replacement for Joan Lovely. On Thursday, councilors spent seven hours voting 300 times and failed to select a replacement. We'll let you know what happens.

3. At their meeting Monday night, councilors elected Jerry Ryan as the new council president and in Mayor Kimberley Driscoll delivered her State of Salem speech. Click Here for our full story.

4. For those of you who chimed in on our mysterious loud explosion post - we have some video evidence that proves you're not crazy. Click Here to view video footage sent in by  who was able to capture a bright flash and subsequent "boom" from surveillance cameras at his home in Salem.

5. Today in History: On Jan. 8, 1790, George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address in New York city.

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