A debate over professional decorum on the dais was unsurprisingly among the top discussions during Wednesday night’s Lynchburg City Council candidate forum involving eight of the nine hopefuls vying for three at-large seats on the council. The Lynchburg Voters League, the Lynchburg branch of the NAACP, and the League of Women Voters of Central Virginia put on the event in hopes of equipping voters with the knowledge to make informed decisions at the polls this fall.

Candidates running for three open seats on the Lynchburg City Council answered a question about what civility means to them at a forum Wednesday, and many challengers agreed that it’s the council’s lack of professionalism that encouraged them to run in the first place. The question came after years of heated city council meetings, often filled with insults and interruptions that stem from a divide within the body’s 6-1 Republican majority. Just last week, council members called their meeting and each others’ actions “political theater” and “show,” as voices overlapped at the dais with claims to the floor and calls for order.

Candidates for Lynchburg City Council’s at-large seats took part in a forum at the Miller Center Wednesday evening. Among the topics discussed were education, economic development, Flock cameras, public safety, affordable housing, council decorum and professionalism as well as some audience questions.

Voters in Lynchburg will have nine candidates to choose from as they compete for three at-large seats on city council. Stream the event here.

Voters in Lynchburg will have nine candidates to choose from as they compete for three at-large seats on city council. On the Democratic side, three candidates will be on the ballot. Six independents are also running.

Lynchburg Better Together City Council candidates Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson, and Nat Marshall joined early childhood educators, service providers, business leaders, and community stakeholders on August 11 for a listening session focused on early childhood education in Central Virginia. The conversation highlighted several challenges facing families and providers, including the cost and availability of high-quality childcare and early learning, shortages in the early childhood workforce, limited capacity, and the need for more sustainable funding.

This Labor Day weekend, it is important to promote candidates who support the workers educating our children and laying the foundation for a successful community for generations to come. As such, the Lynchburg Education Association endorses the following candidates for the at-large seats on city council: Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson, and Nat Marshall.

The Community Access Network is expanding thanks to a new federal recognition. It was selected to become a Federally Qualified Health Center, which means it will now receive federal funding through the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. With the additional funding, the organization plans to open a satellite site at the Jubilee Family Development Center in November. The award “allows us to expand a model that has always been rooted in listening to our community, meeting people where they are, and ensuring that every person has the opportunity to live a healthier life,” said Christina Delzingaro, CEO of Community Access Network.

Lynchburg Better Together City Council candidates Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson, and Nat Marshall have released a new summary of feedback gathered during an August 12 listening session with renters and community members. The document, “What We Heard: Renters in Lynchburg,” reflects the challenges residents face finding housing that is not only affordable, but also safe, accessible, well-maintained, and suited to their families and circumstances.

Three Democratic candidates say the incident has prompted a larger conversation about hateful rhetoric in the community. While the candidates say the vandalism itself was upsetting, they say the community response has been a more important reflection of Lynchburg. “To me the biggest statement about Lynchburg is the community’s reaction to it,” Henderson said. “We had people immediately come out to report the sign, remove the sign, and offer their help. And again, that speaks so much more about what Lynchburg is versus a symbol of hate.” The candidates say their response is not about political parties.

The Lynchburg Better Together slate of City Council candidates released the following statement after the Lynchburg Police Department announced it would temporarily pause the city’s fifteen fixed Flock Automatic License Plate Recognition cameras while an independent third-party review is completed.

The Lynchburg Police Department has paused the operation of its 15 fixed Flock Safety license plate reader cameras located on city rights-of-way in response to concerns raised by elected officials and residents, the department said Wednesday. City Council candidates responded with a variety of statements. Lynchburg Better Together candidates said they support the pause, and offered some steps the city could take.

With a month left until early voting starts in the general election, a large campaign sign for three Democrats running for city council was vandalized. Lynchburg Better Together, a group that endorsed Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson, and Nat Marshall for city council, said it learned on Monday morning that one of its 4-feet-by-8-feet campaign signs at Vassar Street and Langhorne Road had been vandalized with swastikas, antisemetic imagery and other graffiti.

A hateful symbol now has Lynchburg candidates from both parties speaking out after someone vandalized a campaign sign with antisemitic graffiti. “To think that that could happen in our community is really hard for me to fathom,” said Dave Henderson, a Lynchburg City Council candidate. Someone vandalized a “Lynchburg Better Together” campaign sign Sunday night. It was covered with antisemitic imagery and other graffiti. “I'd say it's deeply painful for the city of Lynchburg to have an experience like this. That swastika that was on that sign is a symbol of hatred and violence,” Henderson said.

Lynchburg Better Together City Council candidates Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson, and Nat Marshall have released a new summary of feedback gathered during a listening session with community faith leaders. The document, “What We Heard From Community Faith Leaders,” reflects a call for city leadership that listens before making decisions, respects Lynchburg’s diversity, strengthens public schools, addresses poverty seriously, and protects the dignity of every resident.

Lynchburg Better Together City Council candidates Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson, and Nat Marshall have released a new summary of feedback gathered during a July 14 listening session with leaders from the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company. The document, “What We Heard From Public Transit Leaders,” emphasizes: public transit is essential city infrastructure. Reliable transit connects residents to jobs, schools, health care, shopping, housing, and community life while supporting employers, downtown activity, public events, and economic development.

Lynchburg Better Together City Council candidates Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson, and Nat Marshall have released a new summary of feedback gathered during a July 12 listening session with young people ages 14 to 20. The document, “What We Heard From Lynchburg’s Youth,” reflects a clear message: young people want to be seen, heard, respected, and included in decisions that shape Lynchburg’s future. Participants discussed public schools, downtown, arts and culture, outdoor spaces, inclusion, trust in local government, and what would give more young people a reason to build their futures in Lynchburg.

Lynchburg Better Together candidates Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson, and Nat Marshall today called on Lynchburg City Council to commit to funding the 4% teacher raise included in the Virginia state budget — and to move expeditiously to make that commitment a reality.

Dave Henderson, owner of The Water Dog and candidate for Lynchburg City Council, knows firsthand how local businesses help build community. As The News & Advance highlights, The Water Dog’s World Cup watch parties brought people together across Lynchburg — soccer fans, casual viewers, families, neighbors, and visitors — creating the kind of shared experience that makes a city feel alive. That is what Dave understands: strong local businesses do more than drive the economy. They create gathering places, strengthen downtown, and help people feel connected to the city they call home. From The Water Dog to City Council, Dave is ready to keep helping Lynchburg move forward.

Throughout the 20th century, Lynchburg was a complacent city, often averse to confrontation over social advances, panelists said at a Monday discussion on race relations in the city… Along with Martin, Monday’s discussion, titled “Race Relations in Lynchburg: Where We Were, Where We Are, Where We Need to Go,” featured Shaun Spencer-Hester, the granddaughter of poet and activist Anne Spencer, and Nat Marshall, a lifelong Lynchburg-area resident and city council candidate.