Athletes from five of Virginia’s mental health facilities gathered in Lynchburg on Thursday for an Autumn Games competition that blended sports, spirit and, judging from the cheers, lots of enthusiasm.

RICHMOND — An alliance of advocacy groups for people with developmental disabilities told legislators Monday that funds designated for Central Virginia Training Center should stay there and be spent on group homes in the Madison Heights area.

Part of $43 million that the General Assembly approved for Central Virginia Training Center earlier this year should be used to provide smaller homes in the Amherst County area for some of the center’s residents, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said Wednesday.

The big picture will be the economy when the General Assembly convenes in Richmond in January, three Lynchburg-area legislators told the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

RICHMOND — About 200 mental-health activists and community-home residents rallied on Capitol Square on Wednesday to urge state officials to switch $43 million in state funds for upgrading Central Virginia Training Center and use the funds instead to help people with disabilities live in smaller homes.

Four advocacy groups for people with disabilities teamed up this week to demand that $43 million in new state funds for the Central Virginia Training Center be used instead to move the center’s 460 residents into new group homes.

A team of three consultants from a California company will shadow investigators from the Department of Justice when they come to the Central Virginia Training Center in Madison Heights next month.The hiring of H&W Independent Solutions of La Quinta is consistent with a national standard of practice during such investigations, said Teja Stokes, commissioner of special projects for the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services.

SWEET BRIAR — If you haven’t experienced disability from a family perspective, says Al Condeluci, wait awhile. You will.