Good morning, Lynchburg.

Verizon plans to retire its copper home phone service starting Oct.

23 (pending FCC approval) as it upgrades to fiber alternatives; rural users such as 91-year-old Casimerette Meyer in Salem fear losing essential emergency access amid the network shift.

The Virginia Department of Education announced that five Lynchburg-area school divisions have received $836,822 in state grants — funds they will use to purchase security equipment and add safety features to school buildings.

Local environmental officials are investigating a fish kill in the Banister River after residents reported numerous dead fish yesterday, and they will collect water samples to determine if water quality issues are to blame (more updates expected).

Amherst County supervisors declared a local water supply emergency to allow drawing water from the James River if drought strains reservoirs.

The measure is precautionary and water service remains stable while equipment installation is scheduled for next week (officials confirmed no impact on families).

Centra will close its neurology unit in Farmville on Sept.

29 due to staffing and financial challenges; patients will need to travel further, including to Lynchburg General, for specialized care.

Centra Lynchburg General Hospital now offers a new cardiac PET/CT scanner that uses advanced imaging to capture heart muscle details in 27 minutes (after six years of planning and a $4.2 million investment).

The technology enables doctors to provide local heart care that once required travel to UVA or Roanoke.

Community paramedicine programs in rural Virginia are connecting frequent 911 callers with vital services such as doctor visits, medication pickups, and home repairs (like fixing air conditioning) to ease EMS strain.

In Danville and Pulaski, local grants and county funds support these free services while agencies search for long-term funding.