Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.
Today is Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.
…and now for the rest of the stories…on today’s daily304.com!
#1 – From WV TOURISM – Fall is calling in Almost Heaven
Leaves are falling.
Country roads are calling.
And one of West Virginia’s most spectacular seasons is almost here.
As the third most forested state, West Virginia puts on quite a show each autumn, and the Department of Tourism’s fall travel hub can help you find the best of it.
Start with the 2026 Fall Foliage Forecast, then build an adventure around leaf peeping, hiking, waterfall hunting, whitewater rafting, fishing, ATV excursions or a ride aboard a scenic train.
You can also take on the Almost Heaven SWINGO Challenge, follow a fall road trip through the Greenbrier Valley or Potomac Highlands, or sign up for weekly foliage updates so you know when the colors are peaking in your favorite part of the state.
And if you want to make a weekend of it, cabins, resorts, festivals and fall getaways are waiting across the Mountain State.
Cool air. Colorful mountains. Country roads. Sounds like fall in Almost Heaven.
Read more:
https://wvtourism.com/seasons/fall/
#2 – From WEST VIRGINIA WATCH – Passing West Virginia traditions to the next generation
Some traditions aren’t learned from a book.
They’re learned from another person.
The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program pairs expert traditional artists with dedicated apprentices for a year of one-on-one learning in music, dance, crafts, foodways, storytelling and other traditions rooted in Mountain State communities.
Since 2017, apprenticeships have covered everything from clawhammer banjo and old-time fiddle to mushroom foraging, gardening, fiddle repair, Appalachian storytelling and soul food cooking.
Each mentor and apprentice pair creates its own work plan and participates in public presentations and a final showcase. Teaching artists receive a $3,000 stipend, apprentices receive $800, and pairs may request another $400 for eligible expenses. Applications for the 2026-27 program are due September 18, and mentors and their proposed apprentices must apply together.
It’s more than teaching a skill. It’s helping make sure the stories, knowledge and traditions of West Virginia communities keep moving forward.
#3 – From WV PRESS – Meet the very hungry tomato hornworm
West Virginia gardeners, check those tomato plants.
There’s a big green caterpillar out there with an even bigger appetite.
The tomato hornworm and its close relative, the tobacco hornworm, can grow up to four inches long and quickly strip the leaves from tomato plants. One hornworm can eat up to four times its weight in leaves and fruit every day, and just two mature caterpillars can defoliate an entire tomato or tobacco plant. They’re also pretty good at hiding.
Their green coloring blends into tomato foliage, so WVU Extension recommends checking plants at least twice a week. One giveaway is the dark, BB-sized droppings hornworms leave on leaves below where they’re feeding.
The simplest control? Pick them off by hand. But if you find a hornworm covered in tiny white cocoons, leave it alone. Those are from parasitic wasps, natural predators that eventually kill the hornworm and go looking for others. Sometimes Mother Nature brings her own pest control.
Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304.
The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty, and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.
That’s all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.
