Berlin -- QIVIKA will launch its Smart Scope on Kickstarter on September 15, 2026, a smartphone-connected optical device offering 24x optical magnification for both night sky and wildlife viewing.

The device delivers up to 3000mm equivalent focal length

QIVIKA's periscope-style optical system uses ED glass and multi-coated optics to bring distant subjects closer through a physical optical path, rather than relying on software-based digital zoom. The company says this approach helps maintain image clarity and contrast at long range.

A 300-gram body supports handheld and tripod use

Users can operate the Smart Scope handheld for quick, spontaneous shots or mount it on a tripod for extended observation sessions, such as stargazing or birdwatching.

Atlanta – September 16, 2026 -- Eleven Tennessee distilleries have joined forces to release The 2026 Tennessee Collective American Whiskey, a single bottle built from the craft of Big Machine Distillery, Gate 11 Distillery, Jack Daniel's Distillery, Leiper's Fork Distillery, Nelson's Green Brier Distillery, Old Dominick Distillery, Old Glory Distilling Co., Peg Leg Porker Distillery, Short Mountain Distillery, Sugarlands Distilling Co. and Tennessee Legend Distillery.

The whiskey is sold at each participating distillery's tasting room and available for pre-order online at the Tennessee Whiskey Trail's website, with release beginning September 1, 2026.

Escondido – September 16, 2026 -- Boo Bash, a seasonal pumpkin patch and family fall festival, opens its first California location on Friday, September 18 at Mershops North County Mall in Escondido, running through November 1.

The festival turns a mall parking lot into a six-week fall destination

Organizers will convert the mall's parking lot into a more than 100,000-square-foot event space divided into five distinct zones. Attractions include pumpkins for purchase, a 60-foot pumpkin bounce pad, a petting zoo, a children's racetrack, inflatable rides, zorb balls, gem panning, face painting, carnival games and local food and retail vendors.

Live music and movie nights fill the six-week calendar

Boo Bash will host live music every Friday and Saturday night, alongside select movie nights and rotating family entertainment through the run of the event.

Lake Stevens, Wash. – September 16, 2026 -- KB Home has opened Lakeside Bluffs, a new townhome community in Lake Stevens, Washington, with prices starting in the $490,000s.

The three-story townhomes offer up to four bedrooms and 3.5 baths

Located at the corner of South Lake Stevens Rd. and 15th St. Southeast, the community falls within the Lake Stevens School District. Homes feature modern kitchens overlooking great rooms, expansive bedroom suites with walk-in closets, two-car garages, and ground-floor bedrooms or dens.

Franklin, Tenn. – September 16, 2026 -- REAL Shows Network (RSN) has launched a new television series, The Big Picture, hosted by Cindy Garvey, Owner and Principal Broker of United Country Real Estate | Leipers Fork. Episodes are available to watch now at realshows.tv.

Produced by RSN's Emmy-nominated, Telly Award-winning production team, the series gives Garvey a full 30-minute format to showcase Middle Tennessee real estate alongside local businesses, community organizations, and personalities.

Garvey brings more than 35 years of local real estate experience to the show

Garvey has spent over three decades serving Williamson County and the broader Middle Tennessee region, specializing in luxury homes, farms, equestrian properties, and recreational land. Each episode of The Big Picture goes beyond property tours, exploring the stories behind featured homes and estates while introducing viewers to the people and businesses that shape the area.

Beverly Hills – September 16, 2026 -- Patients who once sought bigger breast implants or more dramatic Brazilian butt lifts are increasingly asking surgeons to scale things back, according to board-certified plastic surgeon David Sayah, MD, FACS, who practices in Beverly Hills, California.

Dr. Sayah says breast implant removal, breast revision surgery and buttock reduction have become a regular part of his practice as patients seek to restore more natural proportions after earlier augmentation.

National implant removal numbers stay flat even as consultations shift

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons' 2024 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report recorded 41,271 breast implant removal procedures in 2024, compared with 41,115 in 2023 -- a marginal change. Dr. Sayah says the raw totals don't reflect what he's hearing in his own consultation room, where conversations have moved from adding volume to reducing or revising it.

Moberly, Mo. – September 16, 2026 -- Patients starting therapy are being urged to check their insurance benefits before booking a first appointment, according to a new article from HelloNation featuring Vicky Martin, MS, MA, LPC, of Oak Hills Behavioral Health Solutions in Moberly, Missouri.

The article notes that plans which look similar on paper can differ sharply in deductibles, co-pays, referral requirements, and limits on behavioral health visits. Those gaps often surface only after treatment has already begun, leading to unexpected bills.

A mental health co-pay is only part of the cost equation

A co-pay is the amount owed per session after insurance pays its share, but the article explains some plans instead use coinsurance -- a percentage of the total session cost -- or require a separate therapy deductible to be met first. These structures can change out-of-pocket totals significantly over the course of treatment.

Anchorage, Alaska – September 16, 2026 -- A new HelloNation article argues that automated online home value tools often mislead sellers, and that a comparative market analysis (CMA) delivers a far more accurate price.

Automated estimates look official but rarely match real offers

Homeowners frequently see an instant valuation the moment they search their address online. The article notes this figure appears authoritative but typically does not reflect what a buyer would actually pay.

Agents build a CMA by comparing recent nearby sales

Real Estate Expert "King" Gary Cox of Alaska Real Estate King, featured in the article, explains that a CMA involves studying recent sales of similar homes and adjusting for differences in size, age, and condition. A comparable with an extra bedroom might be adjusted downward, while one lacking a garage might be adjusted upward.

Punta Gorda – September 16, 2026 -- Lennar has opened new waterpark-style amenities at Tuckers Cove, its master-planned community within Babcock Ranch near Punta Gorda, Florida.

A lazy river and water slide now anchor the community's amenity center.

The new attractions include a lazy river, a water slide experience, and on-site dining at the Shipwreck Tavern. They join existing offerings such as splash pads, pools, sport courts, a fitness center, a dog park, and the lakeside Luau Beach area.

Prospective buyers can tour the amenities at a pirate-themed showcase on September 19.

Lennar is hosting a Tuckers Cove Pirate Adventure Amenity Showcase from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. that Saturday. The event includes photo opportunities with live pirates, a scavenger hunt, kid-friendly activities, free refreshments, model home tours, and prize giveaways. RSVP is required through the community's event page.

Middletown, Delaware – September 16, 2026 -- Homebuilder Schell Brothers is opening four signature model homes at its Monarch community for a first-ever Parade of Homes, with all proceeds from ticketed events going to local charities.

Four floor plans open across three Saturdays in September

The Bridgeport, The Cassidy, The Chesapeake and The Shearwater will be open to guests on September 12, 19 and 26, each from 1 to 5 p.m. Visitors can tour all four homes at each event to see different interior designs and layouts.

Each Saturday pairs a theme with a different cause

The September 12 event, Dine & Design, features local food and benefits the Delaware Restaurant Foundation. Monarch Soundcheck on September 19 offers live music and supports the Gibby & Everett Foundation. The series closes September 26 with Pours for Nemours, featuring Schell Brothers' Tipsy Blokes beer and spirits, raising funds for Nemours Children's Hospital.