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Warmer temperatures have finally arrived and many folks in Massachusetts are starting to plan their summer vacations. The majority of those are to the beach. According to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, over 26 million people visit the sandy shores annually. Domestic tourism spending alone brings in $1.37 billion into the Barnstable County economy. Even folks who are just making a day trip to Cape Cod spend $200 per travel party, per day.

According to Masslottery.com, the Commonwealth's lottery broke records in 2019 hitting an all-time $5.509 billion in revenue, yielding a net profit of $1.104 billion. Between nine games (The Numbers Game, Keno, Jackpot Poker, All or Nothing, Mass Cash, Megabucks Doubler, Lucky for Life, Mega Millions, Powerball) and countless ever-changing scratch tickets, the Bay State's lottery is thriving.

Animal lovers and pet owners in Massachusetts, get ready to CRINGE. A recent data analysis shows that out of all of the bigger cities in the country, the Commonwealth is home to the city that's the very LEAST pet-friendly in the continental US. WalletHub, the personal-finance experts, once again conducted an interesting and compelling study on the 100 largest cities in America to find out which ones are the most and least pet-friendly.

The first-ever official Black Sabbath book is scheduled to hit shelves later this year. Created by renowned rock photographer Ross Halfin, The Masters of Reality - Why Black Sabbath Matter will chronicle the heavy metal pioneers' storied career, from their late-'60s origins to their final bow at last year's Back to the Beginning concert.

Not to get too melodramatic, but it amazes me that something that contributes to several thousand deaths every year is still so common in many of our homes and schools in Massachusetts. Believe it or not, folks, approximately 35% of homes in the United States contain lead paint! With well over 400,000 deaths every year in this country linked to lead contamination, Paint Gnome decided to look into which American cities are at the most risk of lead paint exposure.

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band have announced new tour dates for fall 2026. The new dates follow a late-spring run for the band, which wrapped up in late June. The shows are in support of the former Beatle's most recent album, the country LP Long Long Road, which came out in April. READ MORE: The Top 100 Rock Songs of All Time "We just finished a spring tour which ended at the Greek," Starr said in a press release announcing the new tour.

Berkshire County has undergone some ups and downs with the weather lately, but that's nothing new. Rain, heat advisories, and cooler temperatures all inside of one week is something Berkshire residents have come to expect. A combination of rain and extremely hot weather has been known to cancel events in the Berkshires, especially ones that are held outdoors.

2026 has seen the passing of several pillars of the musical community. In January, founding member of the Grateful Dead Bob Weir passed away. Unbeknownst to most everyone but those closest to him, Weir had been diagnosed with cancer in July of 2025. A month after that, he appeared at the Dead's 60th anniversary concert series in their hometown of San Francisco. "I look forward to dying," he told Rolling Stone that same year. "I tend to think of death as the last and best reward for a life well lived.

Metallica concluded their three-year long M72 world tour with a show at the 80,000 seat London Stadium that included a special tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Metallica's show took place exactly one year after Metallica helped pay tribute to Osbourne by performing at the "Crazy Train" singer's Back to the Beginning farewell concert. Osbourne died just 17 days after the show.

Many families throughout Berkshire County and beyond continue to rely on food pantries to make ends meet. One of those pantries is the People's Pantry in Great Barrington. Each month, I check in with Laura Gratz (People's Pantry President) for updates.