Remembering Ryan Massie: Benefit Concert Draws Hundreds for Skatepark Funds

After the death of her son, Selena Blankenship is trying to raise money for a memorial half-pipe. A crowd gathered in the Lynchburg Armory the night of Dec. 1 for the Ryan Massie Memorial Concert, where family and friends of the late Ryan Massie honored his life together. Red, blue and green lights flashed rapidly as local bands played music ranging from folk to rock … Continue reading Remembering Ryan Massie: Benefit Concert Draws Hundreds for Skatepark Funds

Special Report: How the Opioid Epidemic is Affecting Local Counties

Virginians have been heavily affected by the opioid crisis. How can the community rally around this problem? How long can someone watch an epidemic before they feel compelled to take action? For Don Holman, the breaking point was when his son was found dead. Garrett Holman died Feb. 9, 2017, after he overdosed on heroin laced with the super-drug fentanyl, which according to the Drug … Continue reading Special Report: How the Opioid Epidemic is Affecting Local Counties

Awareness Garden: A Memorial to Loved Ones

Bells, bricks and flowers help locals remember those who have battled cancer. Jessica Barger and her mother Ramona talked together openly about death. With Ramona battling breast cancer, it was not a topic they could avoid. “My mom was like, ‘I don’t want a grave, I don’t want that, but I want somewhere that you can go and sit and talk to me,’” Jessica Barger … Continue reading Awareness Garden: A Memorial to Loved Ones

Small Business Saturday: Why Should You Support Local?

Shopping local benefits the community in a variety of ways. The holidays are approaching like a freight train, closing in at full speed, a terrifying reminder that you’ve procrastinated on your Christmas shopping (again). You want to find something unique to wrap for your mom this year, but the malls are crowded, their brand-name stores selling out of all your ideas and you’re running out … Continue reading Small Business Saturday: Why Should You Support Local?

A Friend in Need: Co-Workers Coordinate Love Heals Benefit Concert for Sick Colleague

Co-workers organize concert to support friend’s cancer treatment. Nearly 100 people attended the Love Heals benefit concert at Gospel Community Church Nov. 11, raising $1,200 in financial support for Liberty University alumna Jessie Fabling’s breast cancer treatment. Courtney Green and Ezra Valencia came up with the idea for the Love Heals benefit concert a few days before Halloween while working a closing wait shift together … Continue reading A Friend in Need: Co-Workers Coordinate Love Heals Benefit Concert for Sick Colleague

For the Lynchburg Goth Scene, it’s Halloween Every Day.

The Lynchburg Gothic League celebrates its one-year anniversary. Saturday night in the back room of Rivermont Pizza, a DJ blasted synth-heavy dance music while Type Trauma, an electro-industrial band based out of Roanoke, prepared for their set. In one corner of the restaurant, the Addams Family played silently on a boxy, retro television. The crowd dancing in the back room was diverse: college-aged students, middle-aged … Continue reading For the Lynchburg Goth Scene, it’s Halloween Every Day.

Central Virginia Fashion Week Rolls Out

River Ridge Mall hosts the second annual local fashion show. Victoria Watts has a passion for fashion. That is why she is heading up the second annual Central Virginia Fashion Week, a local artist exhibition the River Ridge Mall is hosting through Sunday. The show brings together local designers, models, makeup and hair artists, business owners and writers together to display their talents and promote … Continue reading Central Virginia Fashion Week Rolls Out

Lynchburg’s “Human Libraries” Unite Pages and People

University of Lynchburg brings together storytellers from the area to share, learn and innovate. Libraries are known as places of silence, solitude and literature, but on Sept. 5, the University of Lynchburg’s library gave its patrons a different kind of reading experience. The library held an event called Human Library, where, instead of paper books, students and staff at University of Lynchburg could “check out” … Continue reading Lynchburg’s “Human Libraries” Unite Pages and People