A new attraction in Southside is revving up to open, bringing along new, and some controversial, changes.The Danville City Council voted to expand the sale of alcohol to 24/7 inside Caesar’s Casino on April 5.

Mayor Alonzo Jones and Danville City Council broke ground on the Riverfront Park Friday.

Here's a look at some of the stories we'll be following today as they make headlines across the country and Southwest Virginia.

Danville Community College is teaming up with Tyson Foods to help those in need this holiday season.

Six candidates for Danville City Council are vying for four seats, including Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones.

A vote was expected at Tuesday night's council meeting, but the ordinance vote was unanimously postponed for a later date.

Danville City Council voted to remove the dam because of public safety concerns and for economic development.

Folks in the River City can soon drink in certain areas of the town.

In a meeting Tuesday night, Danville City Council gave final approval to a retail sales tax of up to 1%.

On Tuesday night, Danville City Council approved a 1% sales tax increase that will aid in constructing and renovating schools in Danville.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Danville, both the mayor and city council are urging residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Plans for the construction of a casino in Danville are one step closer to a reality.

DANVILLE, VA. – Danville City Council is moving forward with its plans to bring a Caesars resort and casino to the River City. This comes following an overwhelming “yes” vote to a casino referendum on Election Day. A committee is already working on deciding how to spend the first $15 million from Caesars, which is expected to be paid upfront to the city sometime soon. “We’re going to work closely with them through the permitting process, through the development process, all that kind of stuff. So we’re all kind of working together to make sure things happen as smoothly and quickly as possible," Larking said.

The Virginia Department of Health will hold a drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic today. The Central Virginia Planning District Commission holds a public meeting about improvements to the intersection of Longwood Avenue and Independence Boulevard in Bedford. Changes are meant to reduce congestion, improve travel conditions and improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. The Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program is performing a virtual on-site visit of the Roanoke E-911 Center, verifying its professional standards as it works toward reaccreditation. The Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation kicks off its Dine Small promotion today.

DANVILLE, Va. – It took until Monday’s vote certification, but we now know who the newest member of the Danville City Council will be. Bryant Hood received 145 more votes than Fred Shanks to claim the seat. That 145-vote difference breaks down to just 0.78% of the 18,366 votes cast for the three candidates in the race. Once the absentee ballots were finalized on Friday, Hoods’ 89-vote lead grew toto 106 votes over Fred Shanks.

DANVILLE, Va. – The picture of who will be Danville City Council’s newest member is getting a bit clearer. On Friday afternoon, the city added its remaining absentee votes that arrived by the state deadline of Friday at noon. The next step in the process is to verify and count the provisional ballots cast in the election. Danville voters cast 160 provisional ballots, according to the city’s general registrar, Peggy Petty. Those provisional ballots will be added to the city’s vote count by Monday at 5 p.m.

There’s a ribbon cutting for a new restaurant in downtown Roanoke. The restaurant, which was featured in Takeout Tuesday in April, serves breakfast and brunch. Carilion Clinic holds a drive-up flu vaccine clinic today. The Bedford Child Advocacy Center is holding an open house today. The open house runs from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

DANVILLE, Va. – The stage is now set in Danville for citizens to make the final vote on whether or not they’ll allow a casino in their city. Tuesday night, Danville City Council approved a performance agreement with Caesars Entertainment, which promises to bring millions of dollars and quality jobs to the region. This is the latest step in helping shape the Danville of the future - one that could include a casino. City Council agreed to what the city stands to gain from Caesars Entertainment in exchange for allowing a casino resort at the old schoolfield site. Some corporate Caesars employees will be in town Thursday to provide information and celebrate this milestone with Danville city leaders.

ROANOKE, Va. Danville City Council hold meet in closed session today. New Roanoke City Schools Superintendent, Verletta White, will hold a series of meet and greets throughout the city. The Virginia Department of Health will hold a news conference today. It will discuss the proposed student schedule for re-opening schools in the fall. Grades three through 12 will get in-person instruction twice a week with remote instruction the rest of the week.

ROANOKE, Va. DMV Select services return to the Roanoke Municipal Building today. Today is the first day on the job for Roanokes new superintendent of schools. Danville City Council will hold its inaugural meeting today. Salem City Council will hold an organizational meeting today. The YWCA hopes this will help participants discover how racial inequity and social injustice impact our community.

DANVILLE, Va. During its first meeting, the newly-elected Danville City Council voted on a new mayor. The council voted that Alonzo Jones should remain the citys mayor. Jones was first elected to city council in 2010 and has remained on since. Gary Miller will serve the city as vice mayor. Lee Vogler, who won his reelection bid in May, previously served in that position.

The New River Valley Public Health Task Force will hold ongoing drive-thru COVID-19 testing at Giles High School from noon to 2 p.m. The Salem School Board meets today at South Salem Elementary School. On the agenda is a Salem High School Construction update and budget adjustments for the school system. The Pulaski County School Board meets at 6 p.m. in the Little Theater at Pulaski County High School. On the agenda is a public hearing to get the names of people interested in serving on the Martinsville City School Board.

DANVILLE, Va. – We could know soon who will build a casino in Danville if a referendum passes in November. Danville City Manager Ken Larking said Thursday that city council members will likely decide on a company in the next few weeks. Studies suggest a casino could bring millions of people and hundreds of millions of dollars a year to Danville and create thousands of jobs. But the city Council will likely vote to have a resolution to have it put on the ballot in November. We are getting guidance right now from the state and our city attorney to help us decide when that should happen," Larking said.

DANVILLE, Va. - With talk of a recession after Wall Street's rough week last week, some Danville City Council members say their city is better prepared compared to the last time recession hit. Danville City Council members who were on city council when the recession hit in 2008 say the city's economy has diversified and a lot of effort has been made to revitalize the river district. so we feel that if another recession was to hit this area, we're in a better position, much better position, to survive that and to move forward," Councilman Sherman Saunders said. "In 2008, we were in a bad position when that recession hit," Miller said. "In 2004, Dan River closed...so we were in a recession here and then the big recession hit in 2008.

Here's a look at some of the stories we'll be following today as they make headlines across the country and Southwest Virginia. Danville schools start August 9th. The United Way of Central Virginia will provide an update today on its actions to solve hunger in the region. It's for female high school students, encouraging them to explore careers in STEM fields. Moormans Road in Lynchburg will be closed today and tomorrow to all traffic.