Health & Wellness

Melbourne – September 15, 2026 -- Sandbox VR is opening a new virtual reality venue on Bourke Street in Melbourne's Central Business District, its second Australian location after the Gold Coast site. Guests can get 25% off through September 13 via presale booking on the company's website.

The Melbourne venue includes a bar, a party room and four private rooms where groups of up to six people wear headsets, haptic vests and motion sensors for full-body immersion. The system lets players see and physically interact with each other during sessions, and each group receives a personalized highlight video afterward to share the experience.

Minneapolis – September 15, 2026 -- A new study suggests one simple screen protector swap could ease digital eye strain for iPhone users, just as Apple's latest lineup hits shelves. Eyesafe, a screen-health technology company, published a white paper detailing survey results from 29 adult iPhone users conducted with Southwest Eye Care, an eye clinic.

Participants chose Eyesafe's filter nearly six times more often than a standard protector

In the two-period study, each participant used their phone at least two hours daily. They wore a standard clear screen protector for two weeks, then switched to one with Eyesafe CPF70 Technology for two weeks, completing identical surveys after each phase. Overall, 62% preferred the CPF70 protector, compared with 10% who preferred the standard one; 28% reported no preference.

Memphis – September 15, 2026 -- Trua MidSouth, a new senior living locator service, has launched in Memphis to offer families free guidance when finding care options for aging or disabled loved ones. The service is led by Memphis native Heather Barrow Bryant and operates under the Trua Senior Living Locators network.

A family crisis in 2017 sparked the idea for the service

Bryant's special needs brother sustained a spinal cord injury in November 2017, leaving her family to navigate rehabilitation and care decisions with little outside support. In January 2021, her father suffered a similar injury, forcing the family through the same difficult process a second time.

"Those experiences opened my eyes to just how overwhelming and isolating this process can be for a family," Bryant said. She described wanting to become the resource her own family lacked during those emotional decisions.

Austin, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- Early Bird registration is now open for the 2026 Austin Trail of Lights Fun Run, sponsored by Raising Cane's, with discounted tickets available for a limited time through Ticketbud.

The run returns to Zilker Park on Saturday, December 5

Participants of all ages can walk, jog, dash, or dance through the holiday light display before anyone else sees it. New this year, a rolling start lets runners pick any start time between 6 and 8 p.m., while faster racers can opt into the Runner's Start, launching at the 6 p.m. countdown alongside VIP registrants.

Morristown, N.J. – September 15, 2026 -- Notre Dame football fans who grind through touchdown push-ups all season can now win $1,000 for their effort, as Icy Hot launches a campaign rewarding the Fighting Irish faithful for one of college football's toughest fan traditions.

Fans at Notre Dame home games average between 147 and 189 push-ups per game, according to statistics provided by Notre Dame Athletics, as the crowd drops for every touchdown scored. Icy Hot, now in its second year as the Official Topical Pain Relief Partner of Notre Dame Athletics, is teaming up with former Fighting Irish captain and offensive lineman Zack Martin to recognize that effort.

Richmond – September 15, 2026 -- Families weighing senior care options now have a clearer breakdown of the differences between home care and assisted living, according to insights from Jay Mann of Amada Senior Care in Richmond, Virginia, featured in a HelloNation article.

Home care lets seniors stay in familiar surroundings

Home care delivers assistance directly in a senior's residence, helping preserve daily routines and community ties. Caregivers can help with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, medication reminders, transportation, and light housekeeping. Services can scale up or down as needs change, according to the article.

New York – September 15, 2026 -- Occupational therapist Dr. Jessica Mack has released a new book, "The Realignment: A Proven Method for Your Most Powerful Pivot," now available through Amazon, IngramSpark, and other retailers.

The book targets readers facing layoffs, burnout, or health setbacks

Dr. Mack wrote the book for people confronting disruptions they did not choose, including job loss, changing relationships, and economic or health challenges. Rather than offering a path back to who a person was before, she frames these moments as opportunities to redefine identity and purpose.

Boise, Idaho – September 15, 2026 -- Cobblestone Car Wash is donating $1 from every GrapheneX Express Exterior wash purchased at any of its Idaho locations throughout September to St. Luke's Children's Hospital's pediatric cancer research program.

The initiative coincides with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and applies to all 14 Cobblestone locations across Idaho.

Roughly 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer annually in the US

Cobblestone and St. Luke's Children's Hospital cite this figure as the basis for the campaign, which aims to fund improved treatment options, new therapy development, survivorship care, and reduced disparities in pediatric cancer outcomes.

Customers simply upgrade their wash to trigger the donation

Any driver who selects the GrapheneX Express Exterior wash at a participating Idaho location during September automatically generates the $1 donation, with no additional steps required.

Washington – September 15, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Ad Council are rolling out new public service announcements and expanded resources at VA.gov/REACH as part of Buddy Check Week, running Sept. 21-25, 2026, within the ongoing "Don't Wait. Reach Out." campaign.

Suicide remains a leading cause of death among young Veterans.

In 2023, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for Veterans under 45, with 6,398 Veterans losing their lives that year, according to the 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.

Refreshed PSAs target Veterans who question if they deserve support.

The updated "You Are a Veteran" PSAs, developed pro bono by creative agency GSD&M, use Veteran-to-Veteran messaging to reinforce that all Veterans, regardless of when, where or why they served, earned access to care and resources. The ads will run nationwide on donated media placements.

Minneapolis – September 15, 2026 -- A 15-minute shower was long enough for an Italian Mastiff puppy in Columbia, South Carolina, to pry open a drawer, chew through a bottle of naproxen, and go into kidney failure, according to Pet Poison Helpline.

One tablet of a common painkiller can be fatal to dogs and cats

Owner Jim Wren said his puppy, Phaedra, got into an old bottle of his grandmother's naproxen while he was out of the room. Naproxen, an over-the-counter NSAID used by humans for pain and inflammation, has a very narrow margin of safety in animals -- as little as one 220mg tablet can trigger severe symptoms or death, per Dr. Renee Schmid, senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline.