5 Things You Need to Know Today: Dec. 23

Here is a list of 5 things you need to know today:

1. Relatively Warm: According to the National Weather Service, there is a chance of rain this morning. The afternoon will be mostly cloudy with a high near 50 degrees and a north wind between 10 and 16 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 32 degrees and a north wind between 10 and 13 mph. Christmas weekend will be sunshine and highs in the 40's.

2. Congrats Grads! For the past 40 years, the Monmouth County Fire Academy has been training firefighters to protect all of Monmouth County. Earlier this week the members of the 92nd and 93rd Firefighter class were recognized in front of a packed room of family and friends for their training accomplishment. Click to check out who graduated from and Sea Bright.

3. Parking Made Easier: Ever try to go spend sometime in Red Bank and get so frustrated with the parking situation? Good news! There are some changes coming. While the borough isn’t doing away with metered parking or any one of those thousands of rage-inducing $38 tickets that seem to pop up almost instantaneously when a meter runs out, they are trying to make the proposition of paying for parking a bit easier. Click to read how.

4. Capturing Moments: Each season provides opportunities for anyone with a camera to take fantastic photos that become family heirlooms, hilarious reminders of wonderful gatherings and touching mementos of milestone moments. But celebrating the winter holidays provides a number of challenges — whether you're shooting inside in candlelight, by the fire, around the Christmas tree, or outside in bitter cold, wind, or snow. Click for some easy tips on how to get the best holiday photos.

5. Holiday Pick-ups: The garbage pick-up schedule in both Rumson and Fair Haven will be affected by the holidays this year. In Rumson, there will be no garbage pick-up on Monday, December 26 or January 2 due to the federal holidays. All residents will have to wait to put out their trash until Thursday of those weeks. In Fair Haven, there will be no pick-up the day after Christmas as well, but all zones will be picked up on Tuesday, December 27.