Special Edition

December 23 24  Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 95!   A program will be held at the Luzerne County Courthouse January 12th at 3pm.   David Yonki first Vice President of the The Wilkes Barre Chapter of the NAACP  Branch #2306 has your invitation. Then on Monday January 15th Blankets and Broth:A Martin Luther King Junior Day of Service at will be held at the Jewish Community Center in Kingston. Board member Attorney Catherine O’Donnell explains the event will benefit the Keystone Mission, Ruth’s Place and Sarah’s table. Volunteers are being recruited to assemble fringe blankets and bring a can of soup or broth to the event.   The PA Farm Show is back for 2024. Gale Ferranto Committee Member of the Mushroom Farmers of PA  and David Smith  PA Dairymen’s Association Executive Director have your invitation. Saint Patrick’s Church in White Haven will be celebrating 150 years as a parish in 2024. Father Mike Kloton and Ed Gower who along with his wife Joan are co chairs of the events marking the milestone are here with details and invite everyone to help them celebrate. 

December 16 17    Saint Patrick’s Church in White Haven will be celebrating 150 years as a parish in 2024. Father Mike Kloton and Ed Gower who along with his wife Joan are co chairs of the events marking the milestone are here with details and invite everyone to help them celebrate. Now two national spokespersons with local ties are joining me on Special Edition. First we talk about solar energy. It’s growing across the nation and Pennsylvania ranks 26th in the country for total solar energy capacity. Abigail Ross Hopper, Solar Energy Industries Association President and CEO with ties to Scranton, has what you need to know if you are considering going solar. And Jon Miller Steiger, the director of the East Central Region of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who’s Dad is from Wilkes Barre, is here with great tips on what to watch out for so you don’t get scammed.   Ross Borden is CEO and founder of Matador Network. He launched Guide Geek and is here to tell us how AI  is making travel easier. 

December 9 10  Luzerne Merchant’s Association Alyssa Fusaro with details on the 2nd Annual Hometown Christmas Stocking Stuffer event taking place along Main Street.   Kathleen Smith is the Regent of the Shawnee Fort DAR Chapter based in Plymouth. She joins us today to tell us about the upcoming ceremony for Wreaths Across America and how going forward the program in our area will be changing.  Dr. Nancie Fitch, an emergency physician with MedExpress in Wilkes Barre shares the important tips to keep you and your guests safe this holiday season.  You don’t want to miss out on holiday time by getting sick..Is it COVID, RSV,  the Flu or a cold?   Dr. David H. Persing, Chief Medical and Technology Officer, Cepheid has details on Molecular Diagnostic Testing to give you the answer before you leave the doctors office.  Schizophrenia is a chronic, progressive and severely debilitating mental health condition that affects approximately 3.5 million adults in the United States.  Dr. Christoph Correll, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Zucker School of Medicine is here with details on not only a new treatment but also information to help you or a loved one. 

December 2 3 Denise Kumor is here with details on an upcoming fundraiser for Tracey’s Hope Hospice Care and Rescue for Domestic Animals.  This time, it’s Photos with Santa and of course your pet is the star! Stephen Perillo is here with details of an evening full of great music, fellowship and a chance to help local children in need happening at Moving River Ministries in Wilkes Barre.   Tori Thomas, Promotions Director of 985 KRZ FM has the details of the KRZ Cares for Kids program and there’s still time for you to help. There’s a new adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”  coming to Little Theatre of  Wilkes Barre. General Manager David Parmelee joins us with the details. What are the  “I wanna” have toys this holiday season? Chris Byrne is The “Toy Guy®”.  He is also the author of Toy Time, and a toy historian and he shares them with us.  And if it’s the latest and greatest Tech Toys and gadgets you need..Jim Fellinger, Director of Communications for CTA; Consumer Technology Association has those. You may have heard of palliative care but what does it mean for the patient and family? Dr. William Logan, is National Medical Director for palliative care services with Carelon Health here to explain. . 

November 25 26  Get to know, Dr. Guillermo De LA Vega, ob/gyn at Healthy Beginnings. He introduces us to the program available at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Hazleton. Coming up, Friday December 1 is World Aids Day.  Michelle Sandoval-Rosario, with the   U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy explains this year's theme, World Aids Day 35: Remember and Commit.   Audacy’s I'm Listening this time is focused on Veterans. Audacy’s David O'Leary is joined by Brigadier General Jack Hammond. They talk about the national non profit  “Home Base Program”.  Time is running out. The open enrollment period for Medicare sign up is December 7th.  Shannon Hills, Regional Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)  has what you need to know if you haven’t begun to sign up or renew what you have.  There's still time to help some local organizations help children have a happy holiday. Tori Thomas, Promotions Director of 985 KRZ FM has the details of the KRZ Cares for Kids program and there’s still time for you to help. 

November 18 19 They are getting ready for the Friends of the Poor annual Thanksgiving Dinner and Family to Family Program. Meghan Loftus and  Linda Robeson have  all the details for the Community Dinner for Adults and Elderly on November 21 and the Family to Family food distribution Wednesday November 22.  How will grocery prices impact your holiday celebrating?   Leslie G. Sarasin, President & CEO of FMI – The Food Industry Association says there are things you can do to save money.  Planning on making a donation this holiday season? Thomas Tighe, CEO of Direct Relief has some suggestions. Online shopping safety tips from Scott Knapp, Director, Worldwide Buyer Risk Prevention, Amazon

November 4 5  It’s the 45th year for the Hazleton Area Chapter American Cancer Society Telethon.  Mark the calendar for November 18th. Jane Dougherty is here with all the details.  While you have your calendar out, mark November 11th as Faith and Family Night. There will be great music at Mohegan Sun Arena when the Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins host Syracuse. Stephen Perillo tells us part of ticket sales will go to Children Hunger Outreach Partners. The Medicare enrollment period is now underway. Two health care concerns: Alzheimer's and dementia are getting more focus.  Dr. Kenneth E. Thorpe, a Professor and Chair of Emory University tells us why some Medicare requirements are keeping patients away from needed drugs. Sims Corbett is a Silver Sneakers instructor, here to tell us how you can lower your risk for dementia by 30 percent by getting regular exercise. One of Santa’s favorite helpers Tom Fritz is here with details on the Santa Parade coming to downtown Scranton. They are still looking for some elves to help out get ready for the day and when Santa arrives.

October 28 29 Getting ready for Halloween. Dr. Nancie Fitch, an emergency physician with MedExpress in Wilkes Barre starts us off with great safety reminders for a fun filled time!   It’s the 12th year for FARE’s (Food Allergy Research Education) Teal Pumpkin Project. It’s designed to make trick or treating more inclusive for those with food allergies or food intolerance.  Tiffany Leon is FARE's Assistant Director of Training and Professional Programs. She joins us with the details. The Wyoming Valley Art League presents “Fine Taste, Fine Art” this coming Thursday evening. Enjoy the wonderful art on display while enjoying delicious food, desserts, local brews, wines and coffee. Colleen Logan and Kyle Stratton have your invitation. Audacy’s Lissa from 98.5KRZ has your reminder of the big corn hole tournament to benefit the American Cancer Society happening next weekend. One of Santa’s favorite helpers Tom Fritz is here with details on the Santa Parade coming to downtown Scranton.  October is Children’s Mental Health Month. As part of Audacy’s I’m Listening series, Victor Armstrong from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention joins Audacy's David O'Leary to shine a light on Children's Mental Health. 

October 21 22  Coming up this Tuesday October 24 is World Polio Day. In a world now where the focus is on COVID-19 or RSV, you may think, why are we still talking about Polio?  Joseph Riccardo Jr is Foundation Chair of the Rotary Club of Scranton. He’s here to tell us why and invite you to a panel discussion that will focus on eradicating polio, as well as pandemic preparedness and making the world a healthier place.  October is Children’s Mental Health Month. As part of Audacy’s I’m Listening series, Dr. Christine Moutier Chief Medical Officer from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention joins Audacy's David O'Leary to shine a light on Children's Mental Health.  This past week marked World Sight Day.  KT Overbee  is CEO of HCP Cureblindness. Their mission is to help the 80% of these people who have a treatable or avoidable form of blindness. World Sight Day is to encourage people to be proactive in retaining sight with vision checks.  It’s a big event when kids lose a tooth..but what happens when you get older? Most people think it only happens if you are involved in sports but accidents do happen. Dr. Craig Hirschberg is President of the American Association of Endodontists. He tells us there’s a very specific set of steps you can take if you knock out a tooth, to ensure maximum chance of saving the tooth.