Good morning, Lynchburg.

A pumpkin patch is selling pumpkins now to raise funds for local veterans, and proceeds will support veteran services; it runs through the fall at a nearby farm (hours vary).

Feeding Southwest Virginia announced a new CEO on Oct.

29 who will lead the regional hunger-relief nonprofit and oversee operations and food distribution across its service area.

U.S. News & World Report lists Lynchburg ninth on its 2027 Best Places to Retire list, joining Staunton and Harrisonburg among six Virginia cities named to the rankings.

Woods Farm in Boones Mill will close Saturday, Oct.

31, after operating since the late 1940s as the family says rising costs and fewer customers made the business unsustainable; neighbors visited this week to buy produce and say goodbye.

Marissa’s Missions supports children and adults with special needs in Lynchburg by offering programs and resources, and the nonprofit says it will continue serving the community.

Claude Owen, a Concord Volunteer Fire Department member for more than 35 years and a two-time chief, died Oct.

28 at home after battling cancer. A funeral is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2 at Rustburg Baptist Church with visitation at 10 a.m. and a procession starting at 8:55 a.m.

AVAIO Digital's Project Hercules will build a seven-site hyperscale data center campus in Appomattox County (452 acres), with construction expected by the end of the year and the first center set to open in 2029; full buildout could take about a decade.

Data center growth is raising questions about power, water, and local control as projects like Project Hercules (Appomattox), Google's Botetourt and Roanoke sites, and the $100 billion STACK proposal in Danville-Pittsylvania move forward or are proposed; Halifax, Amherst, and Campbell are updating rules so residents can weigh in.

LewisGale HCA announced local hospitals earned Healthgrades' 2027 Specialty Excellence Awards, with LewisGale Medical Center ranked No. 3 in Virginia for orthopedic surgery and LewisGale Montgomery and Alleghany receiving multiple five star and specialty recognitions.