The Spark

Pennsylvania certified 20 thousand teachers 10 years ago. Last year, just 6,000 were certified.

There is a teacher shortage in Pennsylvania and it’s being felt in many ways.

Why are fewer young people entering the teaching profession? Why have so many left or retired? The last two years of remote and hybrid learning certainly hasn’t helped. And what is the state’s plan to recruit new teachers – especially teachers of color?

Pennsylvania’s Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagerty is on Thursday’s Smart Talk with details.

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Lucy Winn of Carlisle is the American Honey Queen. In that role she is the national spokesperson for educating Americans on honey, it’s uses and the importance of the honey bee.

It’s an important lesson considering the millions of honey bees that have died in the past decade and their essential role in food production.

Lucy Winn is on Wednesday’s Smart Talk with honey bee and honey information that we all can use.

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Last May, Samantha Fullam’s car was stolen in downtown York. It was involved in a hit and run crash and one of her credit cards used in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, cars are stolen often. What makes this incident different is Samantha’s dog Wilder was in a back seat and has since not turned up – even with extensive searches. In this case, the car may have been what the thief was after but two million dogs are stolen across the country each year. 15 states have specific laws addressing the theft of dogs. Pennsylvania isn’t one of them.

Samantha Fullam is on Wednesday’s Smart Talk.

Also with us is Corporal Michael J. Spada, Animal Cruelty Officer, Investigative Services Section, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police.

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The Hempfield School Board in Lancaster County adopted a policy last week that limits a student athlete’s participation to sports teams that align with their sex at birth.

Supporters say those born as males have an unfair advantage over females – even after they transition to female.

Opponents indicate such policies are discriminate against transgender students or athletes.

We hear from both sides of the debate on Wednesday’s Smart Talk.

Appearing on the program are Naiymah Sanchez, Trans Justice Coordinator, American Civil Liberties Union — Pennsylvania and Republican State Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill of York County, one of the co-sponsors of legislati8on that would have restricted athletes to teams that matched their assigned sex at birth. That bill was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf.

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Many musicians have quit and returned to music after overcoming discouragement, financial hardships, and times of little opportunity; but not many can say they’ve returned after suffering from a traumatic injury that took them over a decade to recover from.

Kelly Buchanan, lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for local band, Dimestore Dolls, injured her brain during a street hockey game, in her hometown, New York City.

The injury took place in 2008 right before Buchanan released an album.

More than ten years later, after she recovered, Buchanan retuned to music and formed the six-person local band, Dimestore Dolls.

On Tuesday’s Smart Talk we’ll talk with Buchanan and discuss how she returned to music after the injury and Dimestore Dolls’ new record “Wooly Mamas”.

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The longest and hottest heat wave of the summer this week could put many of us at risk for heat exhaustion or even heat stroke.

Both can come on quickly when the body’s temperature rises.

Signs to look out for and possibly seek medical treatment include heavy sweating, nausea or vomiting and dizziness.\

Dr. Ananya Daggubati, an emergency medicine physician at Penn State Health’s Hampden Medical Center and Holy Spirit Medical Center is on Tuesday’s Smart Talk with tips to keep you safe during the heat wave.

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The weather forecast for this week is for high temperatures in the mid-90s each day through at least Sunday. There’s a slight chance of a few thunderstorms, but not enough to cool things down.

Compared to the rest of the nation, and especially Europe where there’s been record-shattering temperatures, the summer of 2022 has been fairly moderate and rainfall has been about average for a few spots here and there.

ABC27 meteorologist Adis Juklo is on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss this week’s heat wave and what to expect long-term this summer.

WITF recently entered into a partnership with ABC27 for the TV station to provide weather forecasts and information.

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Jim Thorpe, whose athletic career and fame began at the Carlisle Indian School, has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon in Stockholm — nearly 110 years after being stripped of those gold medals for violations of strict amateurism rules of the time.

The International Olympic Committee announced the change Friday on the 110th anniversary of Thorpe winning the decathlon and later being proclaimed by King Gustav V of Sweden as “the greatest athlete in the world.”

Robert Wheeler is author of the book Jim Thorpe: World Greatest Athlete and Co-Founder with his wife Dr. Florence Ridlon of the Jim Thorpe Foundation has been credited with getting Thorpe's medals restored, appears on Monday's Smart Talk to discuss Thorpe, the Olympics and his time in Carlisle.

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College athletes -- especially college football players -- have been the main focus in the conversation about NIL -- being compensated for the use of their name, image or likeness. Bryce Young, the first-year quarterback at the University of Alabama had $1 million lined up in NIL money before he even played a game last year. Another freshman -- quarterback Jaden Rashada -- has reportedly signed a NIL deal worth $9.5 million before he has played a snap at the University of Miami.

Obviously the money won't be the same, but high school athletes in Pennsylvania may be able to profit from the use of the name, image and likeness.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, that governs high school sports, is working on a policy for NIL and young athletes.

The P.I.A.A.'s Associate Executive Director Melissa Mertz is on Monday's Smart Talk with details.

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