Candidates for Governor are scheduled to take part in a two-hour debate in Athens: it starts at 6 o'clock this evening in the Chapel on the University of Georgia's north campus. The debate will be moderated by UGa political scientist Charles Bullock.

A Clarke County jury is expected to resume deliberations this morning: the jury is attempting to decide whether Stephen Eberhard is mentally competent to stand trial for the December 2007 attack on Courtney Gale. The Athens-Clarke County Police sergeant was stabbed and nearly killed while working an off-duty security detail at the Kroger on Alps Road in Athens.

A Democratic candidate for Secretary of State is due in Watkinsville this evening: Michael Mills is scheduled to speak in a 7:30 session meeting of Oconee County Democrats, a session that takes place in the Oconee County Government Annex Building.

The Georgia House gives unanimous approval to the so-called Meredith Emerson law: the bill passed Tuesday would block the release of explicit crime scene photographs. Hustler magazine is looking to obtain the law enforcement photos of Emerson's nude and decapitated body. The 24 year-old University of Georgia graduate was kidnapped and killed in January of 2008, murdered while hiking in Dawson County.

The funeral for Cameron Fincher is scheduled for today: burial for the former director of the University of Georgia's Institute of Higher Education is set for noon in Evergreen Memorial Park, with a memorial service to follow in UGa's north campus chapel. Cameron Fincher was 83 years old.

Three Athens schools are recipients of this year's Odum Environmental grants. Howard Stroud and Whit Davis elementary schools and the Athens Montessori School each get $200 for environmental projects. The Eugene Odom Environmental grants are named in honor of the late University of Georgia ecologist and are awarded as part of the annual Athens Greenfest festivities.

They met with House Speaker David Ralston and left a 36,000-signature petition with Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle: students from the University of Georgia and other schools around the state staged a Monday protest at the state capitol, letting legislative leaders know how they feel about proposed higher education budget cuts.

Athens-Clarke County Police host this evening another public forum on a proposed change to the ordinance that regulates pawn shops and other merchants who deal in gems and jewelry: the session is set for 6:30 at Police Department headquarters on Lexington Road. Athens-Clarke County Commissioners are expected to vote next month on an ordinance that would require pawn shops to electronically track jewelry items that are brought into their stores, adding those items to an internet data-base.

The University of Georgia's Community Emergency Response Team kicks off today an 8-week training course on disaster preparedness. University staff, students, and faculty who are taking part are learning basic disaster response skills.

Police have identified the victim of a fatal stabbing in Statham: Oscar Melendez was 51 years old, from Athens. He was killed last Friday in Barrow County, allegedly by 53 year-old Adalberto Sanchez of Madison County. The Colbert man was arrested over the weekend.