San Diego – September 18, 2026 -- Hospitality consultant Robert A. Rauch, CHA, has released "The Hotel Guru's Journey: A Guide to Excellence in the Hotel Industry," a 20-chapter operational guide drawn from more than 50 years in hotel management and over $1 billion in developed and managed hotel assets.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – September 18, 2026 -- Omron Automation Americas has launched the NX-CT High-Speed Counter, a module capable of executing counter-match outputs within 1 microsecond, aiming to eliminate control delays tied to conventional PLC scan cycles.

Arlington, Va. – September 18, 2026 -- Organizations that hand strategic S/4HANA migration decisions to implementation partners face higher risks of cost overruns, project delays, and outcomes misaligned with business priorities, according to new research from Info-Tech Research Group. The warning comes as SAP's end of mainstream maintenance for ECC in 2027 forces enterprises to finalize migration plans.

Pittsburgh – September 18, 2026 -- An inventor from Highland Heights, Ohio, has filed a patent-pending design for BUNKER BUDDIES, a golf club grip accessory that combines character embellishments with built-in sound effects.

Charlotte, N.C. – September 18, 2026 -- The Carolina Panthers and Bank of America launched 3rd & Goal, a new community platform expected to reach 10,000 students across North and South Carolina in its first year.

San Francisco – September 18, 2026 -- Thatch, a health benefits platform enabling employers to replace group health plans with individual employee budgets, has raised $108 million in new funding at a $1 billion valuation. The round was led by The General Partnership, Index Ventures, General Catalyst, and Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from ADP Ventures, Paychex, Eli Lilly and Company, Scale Venture Partners, QuantumLight, SemperVirens, Quiet Capital, and Avid Ventures.

Lisle, Ill. – September 18, 2026 -- The Morton Arboretum's "Green City Rising: People and Trees Thriving Together" concept was named a co-winner of the Horizon Lines: Visions for Chicago 2050 competition, World Business Chicago announced Sept. 15 at the City Club of Chicago.

Pittsburgh – September 18, 2026 -- InventHelp has submitted a patent-pending invention called BOB, designed to restore worn landscape barrels with holes in the bottom to usable condition, eliminating the need to discard the containers.

Device conceals barrel holes to extend container life

The BOB design conceals holes in worn landscape barrels, allowing continued use of the container rather than replacement. The inventor, from Wantagh, N.Y., developed the product after identifying a need for a simple way to restore old barrels to like-new condition.

Chattanooga, Tenn. – September 18, 2026 -- Tennessee American Water will begin service line material verification work in parts of its Citico Service District the week of September 28, targeting lines currently listed as unknown in company records across Chattanooga, East Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Red Bank and Rossville, GA.

Los Angeles – September 18, 2026 -- Fotor, an AI Vibe Marketing Platform serving more than 800 million users worldwide, has launched Fotor Agent, an AI production system that converts prompts and raw assets into fully editable, production-ready videos and 4K motion graphics.