Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.
Today is Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.
…and now for the rest of the stories…on today’s daily304.com!
#1 – From WVDEP – Help keep Almost Heaven beautiful
A cleaner West Virginia starts with people willing to pitch in.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is accepting registrations for the annual Adopt-A-Highway Fall Statewide Cleanup, set for Saturday, Sept. 26.
Individuals, families, organizations and other groups can volunteer to pick up litter along most state-maintained roads.
WVDEP provides the garbage bags, work gloves and safety vests and takes care of disposing of the collected trash. Volunteers must be at least 12 years old, and even groups planning a one-time cleanup are encouraged to participate.
Last year, Adopt-A-Highway participants contributed more than 52,000 hours of work and removed more than 251,000 pounds of litter from West Virginia roads.
Want to help? Groups need to register by Sept. 17.
Learn more:
https://dep.wv.gov/news/Pages/2026-Fall-Adopt-A-Highway-Cleanup.aspx
#2 – From WV GAZETTE-MAIL – Fall festival season is here
The Charleston Gazette-Mail is highlighting fall festivals where visitors can experience Appalachian tradition, art and more across the Mountain State.
Fall festivals are a chance to get out and experience West Virginia communities while celebrating the music, craftsmanship, food, art and traditions passed from one generation to the next. Take in the sights and sounds of events like the Mothman Festival, FestivFALL and more.
Make a day trip out of it and enjoy a West Virginia tradition that’s even better when the mountains start changing colors.
#3 – From WV PRESS – 38,000 acres of West Virginia forest protected forever
The West Virginia Land Trust has completed what it calls the largest corporate land conservation project in state history, protecting 38,000 acres of forest across Monroe, Summers and Fayette counties, with portions extending into Nicholas and Greenbrier counties.
The land is owned by Aurora Sustainable Lands, which donated the easements. Aurora can continue sustainable forestry on the property under Forest Stewardship Council standards, but the protected land cannot be converted to real estate development, agriculture or other uses.
The protected properties include more than 81 miles of streams in the Greenbrier, Gauley and New River watersheds, high-elevation forest around Summers County’s 3,921-foot Keeney Knob and land bordering New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
The project also protects wildlife habitat and drinking water sources while supporting working forests. And it could eventually create new opportunities for hiking, climbing, hunting and fishing, although plans for public access are still being developed.
Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304.
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That’s all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.
