Nov 30, 2023
Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.
Today is Thursday, Nov. 30
The WV Housing Development Fund helps hundreds of West Virginians become first-time homeowners. WV’s own NASA whiz Katherine Johnson will be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. And WV’s aviation industry continues to expand… on today’s daily304.
#1 – From WVHDF – Becoming a first-time homeowner is made easier thanks to the West Virginia Housing Development Fund.
The organization has financed nearly $90 million in new mortgage loans since July, thanks in large part to its competitive interest rates. The WVHDF’s flagship Homeownership Program loaned just over $80 million, including $28 million in October alone, to 411 first-time West Virginia home buyers, helping them achieve the dream of homeownership.
As a state housing finance agency, the WVHDF can sell tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds and offer below-market rates to qualified first-time home buyers. Borrowers may qualify for rates as low as 5.83 percent.
Prospective homeowners can contact the Fund at 800-933-8511 or visit www.wvhdf.com/home-buyers for more information on home loan programs. The organization also partners with more than 60 banks, credit unions, and independent mortgage companies across the state to offer our products.
Learn more:
https://www.wvhdf.com/news-release-hundreds-become-homeowners-through-wvhdf-loan-programs
#2 – From WCHS-TV – A West Virginia State University alumna that made her mark on the space industry will be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame next fall.
Mathematician Katherine Johnson played a vital role in helping NASA launch flights into space, and eventually to the moon in the 1960s. Her story was featured in the book “Hidden Figures,” which was also made into a movie.
It’s the latest in a long list of honors for Johnson. She also was the recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal and a presidential Medal of Freedom.
Fairmont’s NASA facility has been renamed to honor Johnson and a statue of her stands on WVSU’s campus.
Read more:
#3 – From TIMES WV – The holiday season means a lot of things — seeing loved ones, eating delicious food, decorating the house — the list goes on. It also often means traveling.
A large portion of the angst that comes with travel can be entirely eradicated by using our local airports. North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB), however, offers more than just flights.
Aircraft manufacturing is a major industry on CKB property. Both Aurora Flight Sciences – a Boeing Company – and Lockheed Martin, two of the largest players in the industry, have a presence here. Between the two, there are pieces of aircraft being welded, painted, and assembled in Bridgeport every day.
Maintenance is another key aspect of the industry. Pratt & Whitney houses a Center of Excellence for corporate turbofan and turboprop engine maintenance, and Engine & Airframe Solutions Worldwide offers a full-service repair facility.
But all these businesses can’t operate without people. Pierpont Community and Technical College hosts their Aviation Maintenance Technology program, and future pilots are trained through the Fairmont State University Aviation Center of Excellence, with a hangar connected to the CKB runway.
These all serve as an example of a rapidly expanding aviation industry in #YesWV.
Read more:
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.