🌱 LFD's Station 6 To Close Temporarily + Peacemakers Spread Mission

Hey, Lynchburg. I'm here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, today's weather:

Warmer with plenty of sun. High: 82 Low: 51.

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Here are the top three stories today in Lynchburg:

1. Down the road in Madison Heights, a man charged with first-degree murder for the October 2019 shooting death of his elderly father will receive another competency evaluation. It had been previously ruled that Chris Hamilton Austin, 52, was mentally sound enough to stand trial, but proceedings have been delayed several times because his attorneys believe he may have acted on an "uncontrollable impulse." They also state that Austin appeared to lack the capacity to comprehend proceedings against him and hasn’t been communicating verbally. (Subscription: Lynchburg News and Advance)
2. Lynchburg Fire Department's (LFD) Station 6 near Miller Park is set to be closed for an undetermined period of time while a broken water valve in the building is repaired. LFD said there will be no impact on response times because firefighters and their gear have been moved to nearby stations. A portion of concrete in front of Station 7 on Lakeside Drive will also be replaced sometime this week. (WSET)
3. Lynchburg’s Peacemakers were in nearby Timberlake earlier this week to set up patrols and support the community after a 15-year-old was shot on Apr. 10. "We don’t want to keep responding to shootings, we want to respond to neighborhoods, to the communities directly affected by this violence, and start to create circumstances that don’t lend themselves to this kind of thing happening,” said Peacemakers Captain Kenneth Hunter. He also said the community at The Vistas at Dreaming Creek seemed receptive to their mission and is ready to see change. (WFXR NEWS)

Today in Lynchburg:

• Mom's Playgroup At Grace Church (10:00 AM)
• Bar Bingo At 715 Lynchburg Moose Lodge (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Amherst County Sheriff's Office is asking for the community's help during a special Earth Day clean-up event on Apr. 21 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. If you want to take the "No Love for Litter" pledge, the event will take place on Route 29 Business and Possum Island Road, with a meeting point down the road at River Edge Park. (Amherst County Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
• If you need to get rid of private and confidential papers safely, the Lynchburg Public Library has you covered with its paper shredding event on Saturday, Apr. 22. The cost is $10 per large bag or box. The event will run at the same time as a library sidewalk sale. (Lynchburg Public Library)
• This Saturday will be the 12th annual Lynchburg Wine & Music Festival from 12-7 p.m. at Riverfront Festival Park! If you're looking for something to do, you can't go wrong with attending this event, which will have over 10 Virginia wineries, entertainment, local artisans, crafters, and delicious food. (Wine and Music Festival)

That's it for today! I'll see you soon.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.