Main Street in downtown Lynchburg is finally reopening after nearly two years of major construction — a long-awaited fix for century-old water and sewer lines that were at risk of failure. The project, which began in September 2024, has been a tough slog for local businesses forced to adapt amid detours and traffic chaos, but the payoff is huge: a revitalized downtown with smoother traffic flow and renewed foot traffic. Officials say the upgrades were essential to avoid bigger disasters, and while the work was disruptive, it’s paving the way for a stronger, more resilient Main Street — with utility work on Court Street still planned for spring 2027.

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A five-year-old child is set to return to Turkey after a tense custody battle, as a judge rules in favor of the mother under the Hague Convention. The father, once imprisoned in Iran for his beliefs and now facing travel restrictions, took the child to Istanbul before relocating to Virginia. He claims he feared for the child’s safety, but the mother insists Turkey is safe and never consented to the move. Her legal team argues his erratic travel with the child shows instability, while Turkish law grants custody to the mother. The mother, accompanied by her sister, will reunite with her child after 18 months apart — a painful but legally mandated separation.

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Pete Eshelman, the visionary behind Roanoke’s booming outdoor tourism economy, has been tapped by Governor Spanberger to lead Virginia’s tourism strategy — and he’s bringing his proven mountain-to-metro playbook statewide. For 15 years, he’s turned Virginia’s natural beauty into a powerful economic engine, attracting businesses and residents by redefining quality of life. Now, with his second term on the Virginia Tourism Authority, Eshelman’s mission is clear: scale Roanoke’s success across the Commonwealth, turning every community into a destination worth living, working, and visiting — one trail, river, and mountain at a time.

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