Kaira Willis

HENRY COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Monday, Henry County leaders got together for a full-scale active shooter drill at Magna Vista High School. Officials said it's not about expecting the worst—it's about being ready to move faster, communicate better, and get students back to their families if the unthinkable ever happens.

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley is kicking off its annual Women Build—bringing volunteers to a Southeast Roanoke jobsite to help tackle the region's affordable housing shortage. Today, women are building for women—because Habitat says about 75% of its homebuyers are single mothers. Volunteers said this week matters well beyond the walls going up.

The machines are installed in the division's office and all nine elementary schools. Students earn tokens for good citizenship and attendance to choose a free book to take home. The superintendent said the state-funded project removes barriers to early reading.

Lawmakers, educators, and police gathered at Bedford Hills Elementary School in Lynchburg on Friday to stress the importance of paying attention to what your child is doing online as part of a new state awareness day.

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - As local schools prepare to welcome students back, two area divisions facing the nationwide bus driver shortage are taking very different paths. Franklin County is racing to fill gaping transportation holes before Thursday's start, while Roanoke City said a private transit partnership has them fully staffed for next week. School leaders said securing drivers is about much more than just geography.

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - A major revitalization project in Roanoke's Norwich neighborhood is taking a massive leap forward. It's been a year since city leaders announced plans to transform the former Walker Foundry site. The historical landmark has been vacant for years and now, heavy machinery is on the ground, carving out a new future for this community.

RADFORD, Va. (WDBJ) - Classes in Radford City Schools start on August 12, but when students walk back through those doors, they are going to notice a major shift in how they use technology. The school board is implementing an updated, division-wide procedure focusing on how screens are used in classrooms. Division leadership said this isn't about getting rid of devices altogether but using them more intentionally.

The school board is implementing an updated, division-wide procedure focusing on how screens are used in classrooms.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - As Roanoke County Public School students prepare to head back to the classroom, the division is preparing to lay down new ground rules for emerging technology. On Thursday, the Roanoke County school board met to discuss key updates to its artificial intelligence policy. School leaders said it's about being proactive.

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - As students and teachers prepare to head back to school next week, school districts are doubling down on cybersecurity. It follows a nationwide cyberattack on the learning platform of Canvas at the end of the last school year that left local school districts scrambling. WDBJ7 spoke with local IT leaders and an educational technology expert about what they've learned and how they're working to move forward.