Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.
Today is Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.
…and now for the rest of the stories…on today’s daily304.com!
#1 – From WEST VIRGINIAVILLE – Homer Hickam: More than a Rocket Boy
Mention Homer Hickam, and chances are you think rockets. Coalwood. “Rocket Boys.” And the movie it inspired, “October Sky.” But Hickam would like to add another word to the list: Author.
A WestVirginiaVille podcast and profile explores Hickam’s life as a writer, a career that stretches far beyond the story that made him famous.
Hickam has published 19 books, ranging from memoir and military history to science fiction, thrillers and romance. His first book, “Torpedo Junction,” explored German U-boat attacks along America’s Atlantic Coast during World War II.
Then came “Rocket Boys.” The story of Hickam and his fellow McDowell County teenagers building rockets in Coalwood became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, was translated into multiple languages and inspired October Sky.
Hickam was also a NASA engineer, whose career included training the first Japanese astronauts sent to the European Space Agency’s Spacelab and helping train the crew that repaired the Hubble Space Telescope.
But through all of it, Hickam says writing is what he loves to do.
Listen now:
https://westvirginiaville.substack.com/p/homer-hickam-a-writer-from-the-hills?es_id=9c4f4a7d81
#2 – From METRO NEWS – Charleston’s LIFT Center gets ready for what’s next
The LIFT Center, a new $20 million manufacturing facility, is scheduled for completion in November on the former Kanawha Manufacturing Company property. The 55,000-square-foot building sits on eight acres with both rail and truck access.
Kanawha Manufacturing occupied the property for more than a century, providing jobs largely connected to the coal industry.
The new chapter is focused on advanced manufacturing or energy.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito recently toured the project as the Charleston Area Alliance continues searching for the facility’s first manufacturer. Alliance President and CEO Mara Boggs says several potential businesses have already visited the site.
The building itself is designed as a shell, allowing its eventual tenant to configure the space around its manufacturing needs.
Construction has already supported about 50 jobs.
#3 – From WV TECH PARK – Need a wet lab? West Virginia has room
What exactly is a wet lab?
A wet lab is designed for hands-on work involving chemicals, liquids, biological materials and other physical substances. That means it requires specialized infrastructure and safety systems you won’t find in ordinary commercial space.
And the West Virginia Regional Technology Park has some ready to go.
Building 740 in South Charleston offers 132,000 square feet of flexible space, including approximately 25,000 square feet of available wet laboratory space, plus nearby offices for laboratory and administrative teams.
That’s important for a growing science or technology company.
Building specialized laboratory space from scratch takes time and capital. Moving into existing wet-lab space can help a company get its operation running faster and put more of its investment toward the actual research and business.
Read more:
https://www.wvtechpark.com/post/what-is-a-wet-lab-a-guide-to-wet-laboratory-space
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.
