Author: julrich

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, May 7, 2018:

Pennsylvania has more than 900 rape kits that have not been tested.  That number is actually down in the last three years.  So how can a rape case go to trial or criminal proceedings continue without the important evidence a rape kit could provide if so many rape kits are not tested?  Often — they can’t and the rapist isn’t brought to justice or it takes a long period of time before they do. 

A new documentary film called I Am Evidence will be shown Tuesday night at 6 at the Forum in Harrisburg.  It describes the nationwide issue of rape kits that are not tested.  I Am Evidence is produced by Law and Order:Special Victim’s Unit Mariska Hargitay.

Watch the I Am Evidence Trailer.

An audit by Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale in 2015 brought attention to the number of untested rape kits.  He’ll appear on Monday’s Smart Talk along with Kristen Houser, Chief Public Affairs Officer with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Pennsylvania’s May 15th primary election is a week from Tuesday.  Smart Talk continues conversations with the candidates Monday with George Scott – A Democrat running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 10^th Congressional District.  The 10^th District includes Dauphin County, the northern half of York County and Eastern Cumberland County.  

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What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, May 4, 2018:

As the days wind down to the May 15th primary election, Friday’s Smart Talk features another candidate for Congress.  Appearing on the program is Doug Mastriano, a Republican running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 13^th Congressional District.  The 13^th District includes Adams, Franklin and western Cumberland County in the WITF listening area.*

Also, Give Local York is a 24-hour online giving spree that begins at midnight Friday to benefit hundreds of York County nonprofits. The goal is to inspire York Countians to support the work of local nonprofits.  There are prizes and a 100 thousand dollar stretch pool too.

Jenny Englerth, the chair of the York Fellows Alumni Association, the presenting organization for Give Local York joins us on Smart Talk to discuss the event.

Finally, with an outpouring of support from entertainers and athletes, Philadelphia rap music artist Meek Mill was released from prison last week amid calls for criminal justice reform.  Mill was serving a two-to-four year prison term for repeatedly violating terms of parole for earlier criminal violations.  Mill and others claim the sentence was too long and called into question the credibility of an arresting police office in 2007. 

Philadelphia District Attorney didn’t oppose Mill’s release and Gov. Tom Wolf also supports it.  The Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association is now weighing in.

Berks County District Attorney John Adams, who is President of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association is with us.

 

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What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, May 3, 2018:

In the days leading up to the May 15 primary election, Smart Talk has featured candidates running for governor, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. The purpose of the conversations is to let voters hear where the candidates stand on the issues.  All candidates who have primary opponents and are running in the WITF listening area were invited to participate.

Appearing on Thursday’s Smart Talk are two Republicans seeking separate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Doug McLinko is challenging incumbent Republican Congressman Tim Marino in the 12th Congressional District. The 12th District includes Perry, Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, Union Counties and parts of Northumberland and Montour Counties in the WITF listening area.

Art Halvorson is one of eight candidates in a crowded race in the 13th Congressional District.  The 13th District includes Adams and Franklin Counties and western Cumberland County in the WITF listening area.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, May 2, 2018:

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by social and communication impairments, combined with limited interests and repetitive behaviors. Early diagnosis and intervention are key to improving learning and skills.

In a new report, the Centers for Disease Control increased its estimates of children with autism.  The CDC now says one in 59 kids are on the Autism Spectrum.  That’s a 15% increase from two years ago.

Most believe autism isn’t affecting more children but is being recognized and diagnosed more often.

On Wednesday’s Smart Talk, we discuss the numbers found in the new CDC report, the important of early detection and the education and treatment for children with autism.  Our guests are Erin Edwards, Autism Clinical Care Coordinator in the Penn State Hershey’s Department of Psychiatry and Kirsten Yurich, CEO of The Vista School, The Vista Foundation and Vista Adult Services.

Also, we continue our profile conversations with the candidates before the May 15 primary election.  On Wednesday’s program, Smart Talk is joined by John Eichelberger, a current State Senator, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 13th Congressional District.  The 13th District includes Adams and Franklin Counties and western Cumberland County in the WITF listening area.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, May 1, 2018:

Pennsylvania’s primary election is scheduled for May 15.  A mid-term election is important because voters are deciding on candidates for the U.S House of Representatives and in Pennsylvania — a U.S. Senate seat.  Pennsylvanians are also voting for governor as well as state house and half the state senate.

Smart Talk has invited almost three dozen candidates to appear on the program so that voters can hear where they stand on the issues.  The candidates invited include those with opponents in the primary for governor, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

About two-thirds have accepted our invitation.

On Tuesday’s Smart Talk, we’re joined by two Republicans running for separate Congressional seats.

John Joyce is vying for the 13th district nomination.  The 13^th District includes Adams, Franklin and western Cumberland County in the WITF listening area.

George Halcovage is competing with two other candidates in the 9th district.

The 9th district is made up of Lebanon, Schuylkill, Columbia and parts of Berks, Carbon, Northumberland, Luzerne, and Montour Counties.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Monday April 30, 2018:

Pennsylvania’s primary election is scheduled for May 15.  A mid-term election is important because voters are deciding on candidates for the U.S House of Representatives and in Pennsylvania — a U.S. Senate seat.  Pennsylvanians are also voting for governor as well as state house and half the state senate.

Smart Talk has invited almost three dozen candidates to appear on the program so that voters can hear where they stand on the issues.  The candidates invited include those with opponents in the primary for governor, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

About two-thirds have accepted our invitation.

Two Congressional candidates appear on Monday’s Smart Talk.

Marc Friedenberg, is a Democrat, running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 12^th Congressional District.  The 12^th District includes Perry, Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties and parts of Northumberland and Montour Counties in the WITF listening area.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, April 27, 2018:

Smart Talk is questioning the candidates in contested races before the May 15 primary election.  That includes those running for governor of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.  There are about 30 of those candidates in the WITF listening area.  More than two-thirds have been or will be interviewed on Smart Talk.

Our goal is to provide voters with information on where the candidates stand on the issues most important to them.

Appearing on Friday’s program is Laura Ellsworth, a Republican running for governor.  Ms. Ellsworth is vying for votes with two other Republicans — Scott Wagner and Paul Mango.  Wagner and Mango have gotten most of the attention due to a series of TV commercials attacking one another.  Ellsworth thinks the negative campaigns being run by her opponents will help her with voters.

Also, we’re joined by Stephen Bloom, a Republican running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 13th Congressional District.  The 13th district includes Adams and Franklin Counties and the western portion of Cumberland County.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, April 26, 2018:

Pennsylvania’s primary election is scheduled for May 15.  A mid-term election is important because voters are deciding on candidates for the U.S House of Representatives and in Pennsylvania — a U.S. Senate seat.  Pennsylvanians are also voting for governor as well as state house and half the state senate.

Smart Talk has invited almost three dozen candidates to appear on the program so that voters can hear where they stand on the issues.  The candidates invited include those with opponents in the primary for governor, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

About two-thirds have accepted our invitation.

On Thursday’s Smart Talk, we’re joined by two Democrats running for seperate Congressional seats.

Judy Herschel is vying for the 12th district nomination.  The 12th district includes Perry, Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, Union Counties and parts of Northumberland and Montour Counties in the WITF listening area.

Laura Quick is competing with one other candidate in the 9th district.

The 9th district is made up of Lebanon, Schuylkill, Columbia and parts of Berks, Carbon, Northumberland, Luzerne, and Montour Counties.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, April 25, 2018:

More than 42,000 people died of opioid overdoses in 2016 — the last year statistics are available.  That’s five times more than in 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  The opioid crisis or epidemic was fueled by prescribed painkillers that often led to heroin addictions.  Even the most high-income idyllic neighborhoods have been touched by opioids.

Awarding winning journalist and author Sam Quinones detailed a seminal history of the opioid crisis in his 2015 book Dream Land: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic.  The book is WITF’s Summer Read for 2018.

In the book, Quinones describes how a doctor in Boston wrote a letter in 1979 to the New England Journal of Health that said of 12,000 hospital patients he treated with opiates, only four became addicted.  Even though the one-paragraph letter didn’t say what dosage the patients got and for how long, that letter was cited for decades by the medical profession and a drug manufacturer that opioids weren’t addictive.

Quinones also writes about black tar heroin that flooded the United States from a small county in Mexico that helped hook thousands of white Americans in smaller cities and rural areas of the country.

Quinones appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk

Quinones also will speak at the Pullo Center in York Monday, April 30^th at 5:30pm and will feature a Keynote presentation by Quinones followed by a Local Leader Panel Discussion.  Learn more at the Pullo Center’s website.

Also, Smart Talk discusses issues with another candidate before the May 15th primary on Wednesday’s program.  Alan Howe is a Democrat, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 10th Congressional District.  The 10th District encompasses Dauphin County, northern York County and eastern Cumberland County.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, April 24, 2018:

With the exception of Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, Reading and Lebanon, South Central Pennsylvania is mostly rural.  In most of the region, one is more likely to see farmland and woods than a building over four stories tall.  That’s why many are astonished to learn the area has some of the worst air pollution in the country.

That’s according to the American Lung Association’s 2018 “State-of-the-Air” report

The report found that Lancaster County is tied with Pittsburgh for the worst air particle pollution east of California and eighth worst in the entire country.

The Harrisburg-York-Lebanon metropolitan area has the 15th worst particle air pollution nationally.  More than 170 other metros have better air when measured for particles.

According to the Lung Association, the health of people with asthma or other respiratory conditions can be impacted by the air they breathe.

Kevin Stewart, Director of Environmental Health, American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the report’s findings and what can be done about it.

Smart Talk continues our conversations with candidates before the May 15^th primary Tuesday.  We’re joined by Gary Wegman, a Democrat running for U.S. House of Representatives in the 9th Congressional District.

The new 9th Congressional District is made up of Lebanon, Schuylkill, Columbia and parts of Berks, Carbon, Northumberland, Luzerne, and Montour Counties.

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