Justin Faulconer

The unforgettable images and news footage of the devastation in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, Lynchburg police officer Brian Smith lived, breathed and survived -- because he was there. Smith, who grew up in New York City and was a firefighter there when the 9/11 terrorist attacks took place 25 years ago this week, was injured responding directly to the attacks on the World Trade Center but kept helping people. His father, also a firefighter, died in the North Tower collapse.

The unforgettable images and news footage of the devastation in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, Lynchburg police officer Brian Smith lived, breathed and survived — because he was there.

Ceremonies at Monument Terrace in Lynchburg and the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford honored those who died in the terrorist attacks and the heroes who put their lives on the line on Sept. 11, 2001.

A crowd gathered Friday morning at the Overlord Arch of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, former Gov. Glenn Youngkin among them, to remember the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and pay tribute to the victims and fallen heroes. Another large crowd showed up at Monument Terrace in Lynchburg around the same time to remember the historic event that changed the course of history.

The Court of Appeals of Virginia on Thursday heard an appeal in the case of a Bedford County official’s lawsuit challenging the state’s proposed pro-abortion amendment. Liberty Counsel, a conservative nonprofit, filed a motion to bypass appellate review and go directly to the Virginia Supreme Court for the sake of expediency as the amendment is slated for the ballot in the Nov. 3 election. The appeals court denied the motion, according to a news release Thursday from Liberty Counsel.

The Town of Amherst utility recently used an interconnection with the Amherst County Service Authority (ACSA) to build back up its tanks and water capacity as drought has affected its withdrawal from the Buffalo River, Town Manager Sara McGuffin reported to town council Sept. 9. McGuffin said rainfall the week prior to the meeting elevated the river, the town utility’s source of water, for a few days but it is still running lower than usual for withdrawal.

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution this week authorizing the appropriation of opioid abatement funds to support implementing a community health coordinator position. The job was identified as one of the priority recommendations through the development of the Bedford County Opioid Settlement Strategic Plan.

An adaptive swing apparatus, a need for accessible playground access, is coming to Falling Creek Park in Bedford County. The Bedford County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the addition of the swing apparatus by accepting a $12,500 grant contribution from the Bedford Rotary Club and authorizing $14,352 to complete the project.

A presentation to the Bedford County School Board on Thursday showed four options to address uneven school capacity across the county, including potential consolidations – or closures – and redistricting of the three attendance zone boundary maps. The school board partnered with Demographic Analytics Advisors (DAA) to evaluate division-wide enrollment trends and determine whether redistricting in the Forest, Staunton River and Liberty zones is necessary. DAA's CEO gave a report to the board Thursday that looks into four possible scenarios to alleviate pressures.

Firefly Fiber Broadband is celebrating eight years of business and 48,000 connections made in Central Virginia.