WXTU-FM (Philadelphia, PA)

It was quite an honor that the House of Representatives renamed a building in Bakersfield, California, after the legendary Merle Haggard on July 11. Other highlights for this day in country music history include the birth of the singer Jewel's baby and honors received by iconic musical artists like Kris Kristofferson and Charley Pride.

Just before Shinedown launches the next leg of its massive world tour, Eric Bass shared an emotional update with fans, revealing that he will not be joining the band for the opening shows as he focuses on his mental health. "I don't really know any other way to do this, than to just do it off the cuff," he said, opening his video message posted on Instagram on Friday, July 10. "I'm not going to be joining the band on the beginning of this tour that starts in a few days.

Alan Jackson brought his decades-long touring career to a close on June 27, 2026, with a sold-out finale concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. More than 50,000 fans packed the venue for Last Call: One More for the Road — The Finale, a show delayed roughly an hour by a passing thunderstorm before Jackson finally took the stage. The finale capped a farewell that had been announced more than a year earlier.

Randy Travis is preparing his first album of original material in more than 18 years, unveiling the news during a visit to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 7. The Country Music Hall of Fame member and seven-time GRAMMY winner previewed unreleased recordings for patients and families before the project's lead single, "Fish On," arrives today.

Beasley Media Group has announced that longtime Philadelphia broadcaster Jen Scordo has been named the new Midday Host at 92.5 WXTU-FM, one of the region’s leading country radio stations. The news was officially revealed at 9 a.m. on Friday, July 10, during The Andie Summers Show, and Scordo will begin her new role immediately. For many listeners, Scordo is already a familiar voice on WXTU.

Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia has launched a free, six-week Table Games Dealer School, with the first session beginning the week of July 6. The program requires no college degree or prior gaming experience and is open to applicants 18 and older, according to Kevin O'Sullivan, vice president of gaming operations at Live! Casino Philadelphia.

Philadelphia's brunch scene is undergoing a renaissance as chefs who once focused on dinner shift to brunch. These culinary innovators are treating the meal as a serious, boundary-pushing platform. “I love that we're making Spam,” said Anies in a statement shared with The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It's ironically the first food I got made fun of for eating at school because my dad would make me Spam and rice for lunch as a kid.

The 45th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will take place between Sept. 4 and Oct. 4. This festival will feature a hybrid program with in-person screenings at Rutgers University and 24-hour virtual screenings via Video on Demand on each show date. According to a New Jersey Stage report, 19 films will debut in New Jersey or Middlesex County, including Your Lips Never Left Mine, Clan of the Painted Lady, Love New York, The Fright Stuff, Imprinted, and The Bond That Broke.

If you like shopping at Trader Joe's, you soon won't have to look far beyond Philadelphia to find a new one. As the Philadelphia Business Journal first reported, popular grocery chain Trader Joe's, known for its selection of creative food items, has signed a lease for a new location in South Philadelphia. The retailer is reported to be coming to the 1500 block of South Columbus Boulevard, near other grocery and retail stores like Target, GIANT, Walmart, and ACME, a USA TODAY Network report noted.

National leaders of the PGA Tour First Tee Foundation have named the PGA Tour First Tee Foundation's Greater Philadelphia chapter No. 1 in the nation for the third time in the past four years. The First Tee Greater Philadelphia positions itself as a youth development organization that uses golf as a platform for teaching life skills and fostering personal growth.