Author: julrich

Attending college is a big commitment. A commitment of time, resources, and juggling personal obligations, like work and family. For many people, the obstacles to a higher education may seem insurmountable.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is promoting a program aimed at helping people break down some of those barriers.

The Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS) program is a collaborative initiative between the Department of Human Services and the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. Resources are directed to students enrolled in state community colleges who also receive public assistance, through programs that help with food, housing, and other bills.

Appearing on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the KEYS initiative and its benefits are Secretary Teresa Miller, Department of Human Services, Cynthia Doherty, Harrisburg Area Community College provost and vice president of academic affairs, and Melissa Addis, student at HACC participating in KEYS program.

Melissa Addis (front), Secretary Teresa Miller (middle) and Cynthia Doherty (back)

Also, several years ago Lancaster city was dubbed “America’s refugee capital” in a BBC article because of the number of refugees settling there. The report indicated that since 2013 Lancaster received 20 times more refugees per capita than the rest of the US.

But more recently, those numbers have been cut in half. What accounts for the recent change?

Joining us on Smart Talk to talk about resettling refugees and what the changing numbers mean is Sheila Mastropietro, office director with Church World Services of Lancaster and Stephanie Gromek, development and communications coordinator at CWS.

Stephanie Gromek (left) and Sheila Mastropietro (right)

Governor Tom Wolf proposed a $4.5 billion “Restore Pennsylvania” infrastructure plan in January. The plan includes money for natural disasters like floods, expansion of broadband internet service, clean-up of blighted properties and brownfields, decominate structures and waterways with lead and help maintain local roadways. To gain approval, he has taken the case directly to the communities that would benefit from the deal.

It isn’t surprising that here is plenty of support for the projects and outcomes, but funding the plan remains contentious.

“Restore Pennsylvania” relies on a state-wide severance tax on natural gas drillers. This tax proposal has been met with opposition by the Republican-controlled legislature since Wolf took office in 2015 and began proposing the tax.

Governor Wolf joins us on Friday’s Smart Talk to discuss “Restore Pennsylvania,” what it will mean for the state’s infrastructure and how he’ll move the plan forward.

Also, if you are one of the nearly forty million people in the U.S. who experience migraine headaches you know how debilitating they are.

Migraine is much more than just a bad headache, treated with over the counter pain medicine. For many people, migraine is a chronic disease that significantly diminishes their quality of life.

June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month and the 2019 theme is “Sowing the Seeds for a Cure.”

Dr. Stephen Ross

How much progress has been made to, if not cure, improve the quality of life for people living with migraine?

Appearing on Friday’s Smart Talk to discuss treatment progress and advocacy are Dr. Stephen Ross, MD, Professor of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine and Nim Lalvani, Director of the American Migraine Foundation.

In 2013 the Pennsylvania legislature passed Act 89 which was designed to generate transportation infrastructure funding to repair and upgrade the state’s roads and highways. The law increased the state’s tax on gasoline — giving Pennsylvania the highest gas tax in the country.

More than five years and a few billion dollars later, that promise appears to have not been fulfilled. A significant portion of the gas tax revenue is now diverted to pay for operations of the Pennsylvania State Police.

Part of the issue is two-thirds of Pennsylvania municipalities rely on state police for part- or full-time patrol services because they don’t have a full-time local police force. The diverted revenue is helping cover their service.

Should municipalities pay for their own state police coverage?

Joining us on Thursday’s Smart Talk to discuss legislation that would impose a fee for police service is Pennsylvania state Rep. Mike Sturla, a Democrat serving part of Lancaster County.

Rep. Mike Sturla

Also, today’s marketplace encourages entrepreneurs to develop new ideas. But once you have an idea, where do you go? Who can help you take the idea to the next level?

Universities across Pennsylvania offer campus space where students and community members connect with fellow entrepreneurs, experienced business people and interested financiers.

Appearing on Smart Talk to share stories of how entrepreneurs and academic incubators collaborate to bring new ideas to life are James Delattre, Penn State’s Director of the Office of Entrepreneurship & Commercialization, Jim Hoehn, Regional President for PNC in Central PA, and Joseph Kitonga, Penn State alumnus and founder of Vitable Health.

Jim Hoehn

What to look for on Smart Talk, Wednesday, June 19, 2019:

Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that causes red blood cells to take on an abnormal sickle shape, which can result in a range of health challenges including severe pain, clogged arteries and a heightened risk of stroke. The disease affects approximately 100,000 Americans and is particularly common among those with African, Arab, Asian, Black, Caucasian, Greek, Indian, Italian, or Latino ancestry.

June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day. The South Central Pennsylvania Sickle Cell Council will host an open house celebration Wednesday at its Harrisburg office in recognition of the anniversary.

Appearing on Smart Talk to help raise awareness about the disease and to discuss ongoing work to learn more about the disease is Joseph Robinson, executive director of the South-Central PA Sickle Cell Council, Dr. Gwendolyn Poles, president of the Board of the South-Central Sickle Cell Council and a retired physician and who lives with sickle cell disease, Dr. Gayle Smink, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at Penn State Hershey and director of the children’s Sickle Cell Anemia program at Penn State Hershey.

Read more about Sickle Cell Disease in an article written by Dr. Gwendolyn Poles here.

Joseph Robinson (L) and Dr. Gwendolyn Poles (R)

Dr. Gayle M. Smink, Penn State Health

Also, Wilson College is celebrating 150 years this year. On March 24, 1869, Wilson College was granted its original charter and became the first United States college for women to be endowed by a woman, Sarah Wilson. Over the ensuing 150 years, Wilson College has strived to deliver high-quality education to women, including a focus on single mothers that has led to national recognition from the National Center for Single Mothers in Higher Education.

In 2014, the institution became fully coed, a move that sparked controversy but that college leaders viewed as a necessity for an institution facing enrollment challenges and significant financial debt.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss Wilson’s sesquicentennial celebration and some of the institution’s current challenges and opportunities is Barbara Mistick, president of Wilson College.

Wilson College President Dr. Barbara Mistick

Wilson College Commencement 2019. Photo courtesy of Wilson College/Facebook

What to look for on Smart Talk, Friday, June 14, 2019:

What to look for on Smart Talk, June 13, 2019:

The Pennsylvania Game Commission was established in 1895 to manage, protect, and preserve PA wildlife. The Commission also regulates the hunting and trapping of game, operates game farms, and employs state game wardens.

On May 30, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale released a 136-page report on his office’s audit of the Game Commission, which covered the period from July 1, 2014, until June 30, 2017.

The audit identified several escrow accounts outside the purview of the Pennsylvania Treasury, a high number of pool vehicles beyond what the Commission’s management estimates is necessary, and a failure to audit royalty checks from organizations that drill on State Game Lands as potential concerns. The report also made 43 recommendations to address its findings.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss the results of the audit and the Game Commission’s response are Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and Game Commission Spokesperson Travis Lau.

Also, the federal government has managed Pennsylvania’s online health insurance exchange for those who buy individual insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act since 2014. Last week, House party leaders Bryan Cutler (R) and Frank Dermody (D) introduced legislation directing the state to take over operating the exchange, which they estimate will save the Commonwealth tens of millions of dollars each year. Gov. Tom Wolf supports the proposal.

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the legislation are House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler, House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, and WITF Transforming Health reporter Brett Sholtis.

What to look for on Smart Talk, Tuesday, June 11, 2019:

When you or a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness, taking time off from work for treatment can be costly, or even impossible. Families can risk financial hardship when faced with long-term treatments or even for routine medical events like the birth of a baby.

To help mitigate this problem there is proposed legislation that would allow workers access to paid family and medical leave. Called the Family Care Act, the legislation would establish a statewide family and medical leave insurance program.

All working individuals would make small contributions from their weekly earnings to the leave program, which would be administered by the Department of Labor & Industry. Leave benefits would be calculated on a graduated scale to make the program accessible to all workers, regardless of income.

Joining us on Smart Talk to discuss the Family Care Act legislation are sponsors Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sen. Maria Collett, D-Bucks and Motgomery, along with Karen Showalter, senior campaign director for MomsRising.com’s Food Justice Team and the Pennsylvania State Moms Task Force.

From left to right: Sen. Maria Collett, Karen Showalter, and Sen. Dan Laughlin.