Good morning, Lynchburg.

The newly restored Academy Theater will reopen in December as part of the annual gala by the Academy Center of the Arts.

Local officials showcased the updated venue (a first look before the full reopening) during a preview event.

Lynchburg’s CTE Center is easing the labor shortage by launching new job training programs to equip locals with in-demand skills.

The center will start its courses next month to help workers meet local industry needs.

Campbell County Technical Center has marked 50 years of offering career classes and is drawing more students to fill local workforce gaps.

Student Ahmya Elam is taking culinary classes to open her own bakery + cafe, meeting growing demand for skilled workers.

Tanner Smith, the star from Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, visited Liberty University yesterday — sharing his message of joy, gratitude, and the importance of faith and family with students.

The Smith Mountain Lake Association completed its summer water testing during the drought and confirmed that water clarity stayed near its 20-year average.

Fifty-two volunteers monitored sections including Gills Creek and parts of the Blackwater channel (SMLA director Tom Hardy said testing will resume next season twice weekly).

Virginia officials declared a state of emergency today to support commonwealth farmers battling a severe drought.

The move aims to mobilize resources + provide critical relief to help affected farms across the state.

The Central Virginia Health District is holding a community baby shower today from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Randolph Memorial Baptist Church in Madison Heights (for pregnant women and mothers with children under age 2) to offer health information and resources.

The Central Virginia Health District said a stray kitten near Willowridge Drive in Thaxton tested positive for rabies, prompting three people to get postexposure treatment and warning locals to avoid stray animals and seek care if bitten or scratched.