Five Things to Know Today, Sept. 8

Welcome to Thursday, Sept. 7. Don't you love these short work weeks? Here are some things to know about the day.

The weather: Fall is tapping its foot impatiently and can't wait its turn, apparently. Or is that just me, not wanting to say goodbye to summer? The high today will be about 79 degrees, and it'll be mostly sunny, according to the National Weather Service. The low tonight will be about 58 degrees.

Gas prices are just a tiny titch lower than yesterday nationwide, with a gallon of regular gas going for $3.657. In Georgia, the average is $3.570. For Lilburn, prices reported to www.georgiagasprices.com ranged from $3.48 (at Kroger, 3050 Five Forks Trickum Road near Oak Road) to $3.59 at Citgo (1218 Turner Road at Five Forks Trickum).

Today on Patch: Check back later for today's Lilburn Remembers 9/11 story, the weekend planner, news from the board of commissioners budget meeting, Scott Bernarde's Berkmar-Central Gwinnett football prediction, Gwinnett Patchs' SEC predictions, and more. Have we got it going on, or what?

A, B, C, it's easy as 1, 2, 3: It's International Literacy Day. And if you're looking for a good read to celebrate the day, the fourth of the Chet and Bernie series, The Dog Who Knew Too Much, was published this week. Coincidence? Probably. But still, the Chet and Bernie books - about a private investigator and his dog partner, written from the dog's perspective - are fun.

Today in history: 111 years ago today, more people lost their lives than in any U.S. natural disaster when a Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Galveston, Texas. The number of fatalities ranges widely from source to source, but the most cited number by official sources is 8,000.