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In this technology-based world, the news can sometimes move so fast that it’s hard to keep pace — even for people who actually work in news.

On both Thursday and Friday nights, we had to scrap the front page of The Valley Times-News as more and more information came together on the coronavirus, or COVID-19. Major sports events, including the Masters, added to the cancellation list on Friday.

The Troup County School System announced it was closing for two weeks, sending ripples throughout the community as parents tried to rework their schedules to determine how they are going to adjust to kids being at home. Churches in Troup County reworked their schedules, and major events, such as Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day event in LaGrange, were canceled. (St. Patrick’s Day on the River is still on in West Point, according to the Great Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.)

On Friday night, as we were getting ready to finish the newspaper, Gov. Kay Ivey made the decision to close public schools for two and a half weeks. That decision had ripple effects too, as it meant public sports seasons would come to a halt in the next few days.

Alabama also had its first two confirmed cases of coronavirus on Friday, likely sparking those decisions.

Most people who contract this virus are going to be fine, other than a few sniffles, a cough and a couple of days of fever. But these protections are being put in place to protect the elderly, who are most susceptible to this illness.

If closing schools or canceling sports can save a life — or hundreds of lives — then it’s worth disrupting our lives a little bit. We will keep our community up to date as other disruptions are announced.