CENTRAL VIRGINIA

Inflation seems to be affecting everything from gas to the cost of groceries, but it’s also affecting local area food banks like Feeding Southwest Virginia and the United Way of Central Virginia.

They raised 14,000 pounds of donated food, surpassing their 2019 record of 10,000 pounds.

Executive director, Shawne Farmer, says they’re currently supporting 127 families in the Hill City and surrounding counties -- and it’s not due to unemployment.

The current facility was built in 1956. No word yet on when renovations are expected to be complete.

LCS hosted its first hiring event this fall to fill some big gaps.

Frontline healthcare workers have faced unprecedented challenges over the last year and a half.

Christopher Kavanaugh is no stranger to the courtrooms in Southwest and Central Virginia.

Slim pickin’s at the pumpkin patch?

With a deadline to draw lines fast approaching, Virginia's new bipartisan redistricting commission is struggling to break a partisan divide on how to divide the state's voters into new legislative districts.

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

United Way of Central Virginia’s (UWCV) annual October Food Drive started today and local food pantries need help to re-stock their supplies with the holiday season approaching.

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

The State Fair is back in central Virginia, as hundreds of families made their way to Meadow Event Park to enjoy the festivities. It’s the first State Fair in over a year because the pandemic forced organizers to close back in 2020.

Two Hollywood stars are coming to Virginia to shoot their latest project.

We have the chance to spot the rocket's vapor trails in our sky Wednesday

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

Agencies including Virginia State Police, the Lynchburg police and fire departments, and the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office were on hand, to interact with families, pass out free giveaways, and allow children to climb into their emergency vehicles.

Football talk with Bridget and Lindsey

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for multiple counties and cities in Southwest and Central Virginia.

If you're looking for soaking rain or cooler temperatures, you'll have to wait a few more days

In response to the increasing COVID-19 cases in Central Virginia, Liberty University announced it is enacting a temporary mitigation period.

As COVID-19 continues to spread, Amherst County High School closed its doors Tuesday for contact tracing but will be back open Wednesday.

Virginia Senator Mark Warner promoted a one-trillion-dollar infrastructure bill in Campbell County Tuesday.

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

Thousands of people in Southwest and Central Virginia are waking up in the dark as Fred moves east.

Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's administration issued a universal mask mandate for K-12 schools Thursday.

Days before classes start, the Roanoke County School Board will now require masks for everyone this fall - vaccinated or not.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced new coronavirus guidance for the Commonwealth as cases begin to increase.

The pandemic is leading to more kids in need with less help to turn to in Central Virginia

The Return to Earn program allows companies to sweeten their deal when offering incentives to eligible workers, thanks to matching bonuses up to $500 per new employee.

As summer starts to wind down, families are counting down the days until students return to classrooms across Southwest and Central Virginia.

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

There were 275 news cases of the virus in the Commonwealth Monday, and new cases have been rising in Virginia for about a month.

The more active storm track should eventually lead to cooler temperatures

Along with providing information and giveaways, they unveiled their latest initiative, Gus the Learning Bus.

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

There are <a href="https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2021/06/28/32-places-to-watch-fireworks-across-southwest-central-virginia-this-4th-of-july-weekend/" target="_blank">dozens of fireworks shows</a> all across Southwest and Central Virginia this 4th of July weekend.

The first full weekend of summer will certainly feel like it!

While August may seem far away, there’s not much time left for students to get vaccinated.

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of Beyond The Forecast!

Thousands of people are in the dark after severe weather made its way into Southwest and Central Virginia over the weekend

More than a dozen National Guard soldiers have been injured after a military transport bus overturned in central Virginia.

Happy Monday and welcome to another edition of the Beyond The Forecast!

There's an online survey where you can talk about how you use the river and surrounding area.

Folks looking for jobs in Roanoke, Christiansburg and Lynchburg are in luck because Texas Roadhouse is looking for “Roadies” to join its team.

During a City Council meeting on Tuesday, Wynter Benda was appointed as city manager.

Some have been missing for days, others, decades, on this National Missing Children’s Day, we want to show you the faces of those missing from Southwest and Central Virginia.

Health leaders across Southwest and Central Virginia are seeing a drop in demand of those interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Job hunters and employers are finding their own ways keep up with competition and standout.

Two lawmakers from opposite coasts and different parties want to ease the burden on local governments and small businesses of operating during the pandemic by helping them purchase personal protective equipment and rapid testing equipment. A quarter of the funds, $250 million, would be set aside to help small business like restaurants fully reopen. "In conversations with Central Virginia small businesses, restaurants, and local governments, a major concern remains the continued cost of PPE and COVID-19 testing supplies," Spanberger said. These costs have largely been borne by local businesses, who often see those safety measures as necessary to get customers back in the door. State and local governments around the country are also facing major budget shortfalls because of the declining tax revenues and the costs they have incurred to fight the pandemic.

But technologists don't spend as much time talking about how AI can help small towns. Kevin Scott, Microsoft's chief technology officer, is an exception. Scott grew up in Gladys, Virginia, a farming community in Campbell County. With the pandemic foremost on everybody's mind, Scott discussed with CNBC some ways that AI could come in handy for rural people in a future outbreak:Smart delivery vehicles. Systems that count on AI to diagnose patients and refer them to specialists could help fill the gap, Scott said.