Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.
Today is Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.
#1 – From WV PRESS – NRGRDA searches for its next leader
The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority has launched a nationwide search for a new executive director to guide economic and community development across Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh and Summers counties.
The position will oversee strategic planning, business development, infrastructure, workforce readiness and projects involving industrial sites, tourism, downtown revitalization and entrepreneurship.
NRGRDA leaders say the region’s growing reputation for quality of life, natural beauty and affordability creates an opportunity for the next executive director to make a lasting impact.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with preference given to candidates who apply by August 31. The board hopes to fill the position by September 30.
Read more:
https://wvpress.org/wvpa-sharing/nrgrda-board-of-directors-seeks-applicants-for-executive-director
#2 – From WV EXPLORER – Take a ‘coolcation’ in the Greenbrier Valley
“Coolcations,” vacations chosen partly to escape extreme summer temperatures, are becoming a growing travel trend. And West Virginia’s Greenbrier Valley has been offering that kind of getaway for generations.
Lewisburg sits at roughly 2,000 feet above sea level, while the surrounding Allegheny Mountains climb above 4,000 feet. Visitors can cool off by paddling the Greenbrier River, swimming at Blue Bend or Lake Sherwood, hiking through the Monongahela National Forest or heading underground at Lost World Caverns.
The 78-mile Greenbrier River Trail offers another way to slow down and explore before returning to Lewisburg or White Sulphur Springs for restaurants, shopping and entertainment.
And here’s the fun part: escaping the summer heat isn’t new here. Visitors began traveling to the Greenbrier Valley’s mineral springs in the late 1700s.
Read more:
https://wvexplorer.com/greenbrier-valley-west-virginia-coolcation/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
#3 – From METRO NEWS – Pierpont aviation facility cleared for takeoff
Pierpont Community and Technical College has cleared a major hurdle for its new Aviation Maintenance Technology Educational Facility.
The project will give students a dedicated space to train for careers maintaining and repairing aircraft, supporting an industry that continues to grow in north-central West Virginia.
The new facility represents more than a building. It’s an investment in workforce development and a pipeline of skilled technicians for West Virginia’s expanding aerospace and aviation sector.
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.
