Atlanta

Columbia, Md. – September 30, 2026 -- A new survey from One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning finds Atlanta is the most punctual major U.S. market, while New York ranks last among 10 cities studied, with traffic cited as the top reason Americans fall behind schedule.

Respondents run late by an average of 10 minutes, with traffic the biggest culprit

Traffic or transportation delays account for 38% of lateness overall and 39% of late arrivals to work specifically. For flights and travel, 23% blame underestimating travel time, while 20% say distractions or losing track of time cause them to be late to family events.

United States – September 29, 2026 -- Celebrity barber VicBlends (Victor Fontanez) has launched BetterDays, a men's grooming brand selling two barber-grade hair products priced at $20 each.

The brand debuts with a leave-in conditioner and a texture powder

Rebound Cream, a lightweight leave-in conditioner, uses Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, and Pro-Vitamin B5 to hydrate dry hair and strengthen follicles. Grip Powder, a texture powder made with Arrowroot Powder and Silica, offers styling control without residue. Both products are made in the USA and feature a custom fragrance called "Scent No. 26."

Kansas City – September 20, 2026 -- America Haunts, the national trade association for haunted attractions, has named its Top 5 Fan Favorite Haunted Attractions for 2026, spotlighting venues in Texas, Georgia, Missouri, Utah and New York that draw repeat visitors year after year.

Five attractions made the 2026 list

The honorees are Cutting Edge Haunted House near Fort Worth, Texas, now in its 37th season; NETHERWORLD Haunted House in the Atlanta metro area, marking 30 years; Beast Haunted Attraction in Kansas City, Missouri, in its 36th season; Nightmare on 13th in Salt Lake City, Utah, also celebrating 37 years; and Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Attractions in Ulster Park, New York, now in its 34th season.

Atlanta – September 20, 2026 -- Parents deciding between private and group swim lessons for their kids now have a clearer roadmap, thanks to a new HelloNation article breaking down which format best builds water safety, skill, and confidence.

Small classes of two to four kids balance attention and peer learning

The article highlights that small group swim lessons in Atlanta typically run with two to four children per instructor. This size allows for individual feedback while letting kids watch peers attempt skills, hear instructions repeated, and stay engaged in a social setting.

Toddlers learn by watching classmates succeed

For toddler swim classes specifically, observation plays a major role in early skill-building. Seeing another child complete a skill often motivates a young swimmer to try it themselves, according to the article.

LAS VEGAS – September 19, 2026 -- WAN AICHEF ULTRA, an AI-powered cooking system, has been named a Professional Category Finalist in the 2026 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America.

The appliance lets users load food, pick a program and walk away

Ultra is built around what the company calls a "Load and Go" experience: users place food inside, select a cooking goal, confirm the suggested program, and the system handles adjustments as cooking proceeds. For supported ingredients, an AI vision system can identify the food and recommend a program before the user confirms it.

"We began by asking which decisions people repeat every night and which of those the appliance could responsibly take on," said Stanley Huo, CEO of WAN AICHEF. "The change is not simply what the appliance can do, but what the user no longer has to do."

Mount Airy, GA – September 17, 2026 -- The Lutzie 43 Foundation will hold a Safe Driving Summit at Habersham Central High School on Tuesday, September 22, running from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 2059 St. Hwy 197 S. in Mount Airy, GA. Sponsored by Bulldog Kia, the event targets distracted, impaired and unsafe driving among high school students.

Mike Lutzenkirchen opens with his son's story

Executive Director Mike Lutzenkirchen will deliver the keynote, recounting the death of his son Philip Lutzenkirchen, a former Auburn University football standout killed in a single-vehicle crash in 2014. Lutzenkirchen said the goal is to have students adopt the foundation's '43 Key Seconds' safe driving routine, calling the combination of Philip's story and firsthand accounts from law enforcement, trucking and healthcare partners 'an eye-opening experience.'

Atlanta – – September 15, 2026 -- OrderlyMeds and Veo Health have launched a partnership that lets weight-loss patients track biological changes happening beneath the scale, not just the number on it.

Two new membership tiers track more than 60 biomarkers

OrderlyMeds customers can now access Veo Core, which screens 60-plus biomarkers with AI-powered insights, or Veo Pro, which expands to 80-plus biomarkers and adds physician consultations, health-advisor sessions and a personalized action plan. Veo Health members, meanwhile, get discounted access to OrderlyMeds' prescribing and clinical network.

Atlanta – September 15, 2026 -- Bark Technologies has launched a new Bark Watch built on the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 (40mm LTE) platform, combining Samsung's hardware with Bark's AI-powered safety software for kids.

The device costs $10 a month for 24 months, plus a $15-a-month plan for cellular service and parental controls. Optional device protection covering accidental damage, loss, or theft is available for an additional $4 a month.

The watch replaces smartphone features with kid-focused safety tools

Built with Armor Aluminum construction and an IP68 durability rating, the watch supports standalone LTE calling, group texting, speech-to-text dictation, and text-to-speech playback for children who need reading support. It also includes built-in Emergency SOS and GPS location tracking, along with health tracking features like step count and fitness activity monitoring.

Atlanta – September 14, 2026 -- ILA, a clean energy bar brand, has officially launched with two flavors: ILA Chocolate and ILA Peanut, following six years of formulation work by two practicing herbalists.

Each bar delivers 9 grams of plant-based protein from pea and hemp, alongside what the brand calls Adaptive Energy+TM, a blend of Reishi and Ashwagandha, adaptogenic herbs traditionally used to support the body's response to everyday stress.

Two flavors pair whole foods with adaptogenic herbs

The Chocolate Bar combines real cocoa and chocolate pieces for a not-too-sweet profile, while the Peanut Bar uses real peanut butter and roasted peanuts for a nutty taste with earthy depth from the herbs. Both bars are naturally sweetened with dates and coconut nectar and contain nothing artificial.

The bars are non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

New York – September 13, 2026 -- Loews Hotels & Co has rolled out Active Stays by Loews Hotels, a new fitness and wellness program available at its properties nationwide starting September 9. The initiative, developed with fitness trainer Makena Rae, gives guests flexible ways to move during a stay, from ten-minute in-room routines to full-morning walking tours.

In-room TVs now stream equipment-free workouts

Guests can access a curated library of short, guided sessions through their guest room television, including mobility exercises, bodyweight strength routines, and recovery workouts designed for hotel rooms. The digital series was created in partnership with Makena Rae for travelers who don't have time to visit the gym.