Our weekday morning column, 5 Things You Need to Know, provides you with information that can help you plan your day and give you some fodder for water cooler conversations.

1. The winter parking ban will end on Friday.

2. The Milford Boys Basketball team won the Central Division 1 championship Sunday night in Worcester, defeating St. John's. The next stop: semi-finals against Putnam, the Western Division champions, at the DCU Center in Worcester Tuesday night.

3. A state championship involving Pokemon Trading Cards will be held in Milford this month, at TJ Collectibles on Main Street. See the announcement for more details about the tournament.

4. A soccer jamboree featuring three teams with girls in the 14-year-old age group wil compete Sunday at Milford High School. A local team, John Smith Soccer Academy's Magic Republic, is one of the contenders.

5. Do you believe in communicating with people who have died? A medium, Gary McKinstry, will have gallery-style readings in April in an event that is designed as a fundraiser for the Special Community afterschool programs. See the announcement for more detail.