The Spark

This primary will be unique in Pennsylvania, considering how much money several candidates for governor and the U.S. Senate have spent to represent their parties in the November general election and we’ve been seeing those TV commercial since January.

In several ways, primaries are different than general elections anyway. Voter turnout usually isn't high, the counties where the candidates hail from may influence voters as can the ballot position of candidates.

Appearing on the program is Berwood A. Yost, Director, Floyd Institute for Public Policy, Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College.

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Tuesday is the long-awaited primary election in Pennsylvania. Long awaited because the campaigns seemed to have been in full force since the New Year. Also, Pennsylvania is such an important state in the nation’s political landscape that what voters decide may have ramifications nationally.

It also is the first big election since former President Donald Trump and allies sowed doubt and a lack of confidence in the 2020 election.

Is Pennsylvania ready for tomorrow’s primary and what should voters know at the last minute?

Joining us on Monday's Smart Talk is Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman.

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It was a sad day for many central Pennsylvanians when the West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland closed it's doors in 2017. The theatre was one of the region's small-town entertainment meccas since it opened in 1940.

The West Shore Theatre was such an icon that many people wouldn't give up on it and accept that the theatre was a thing of the past. A non-profit group calling itself Friends of the West Shore Theatre formed a year after the theatre closed to raise money to reopen it.

The Friends fundraising campaign was successful and the theatre reopened last weekend and will have a Grand Opening starting Thursday night and through the rest of this weekend.

The theatre looks the same outside but has a lot of changes inside.

There are plans to show movies, hold concerts, host comedians and more.

The West Shore Theatre's managing director Dustin LeBlanc is on Thursday's Smart Talk to describe the new theatre and plans going forward.

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More than three quarters of Americans say that the temperatures on Earth have risen over the past four decades and almost 60 percent believe its due to human activity. That’s according to the latest National Surveys on Energy and Environment conducted by the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.

The survey also shows that a majority of those polled think climate change is a public health emergency and mitigation should be prioritized as a climate policy.

Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) will discuss the survey and more of its findings on Thursday's Smart Talk.

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Keystone Human Services, which was born in Central Pennsylvania 50 years ago, has worked to support people living with disabilities, autism and mental health conditions. Now the organization is helping Ukrainian refugees with disabilities.

Keystone Human Services has a branch office in Moldova -- just across the border from Ukraine, where its employees heard bombs exploding in Ukraine. More than 420,000 Ukrainians have fled to Moldova since the war started in late February. Many of them are living with a disability.

Keystone says "We’re looking to people’s immediate needs today, tomorrow, next week—food, shelter, other supplies. We’re also looking at what people will need in the years to come as they rebuild their lives."

Keystone Human Services President/CEO, Charles J. Hooker is in our studios for Smart Talk Wednesday to discuss what the organization is doing to support Ukrainian refugees living with disabilities.

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Pennsylvania’s counties provide mental health services such as crisis intervention, treatment, day services and prevention. This comes at a time when mental health and mental illness are getting more attention. The COVID-19 pandemic increased anxiety and more mental health challenges over the past two plus years and today there is additional focus on mental health in the criminal justice system.

In many cases, counties will be involved in any kind of treatment or intervention.

However, while there may be more recognition of the role of mental health, Pennsylvania counties say the state is not providing enough money to maintain or increase these services.

Lisa Schaffer, the Executive Director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania appears on Wednesday's Smart Talk to explain.

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many Pennsylvanians were either in the process of obtaining a REAL ID or asking whether they should or needed one. It actually was a hot topic.

More than two years later, REAL ID is back and the state has set a deadline to get one. May 3, 2023 is that date.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to improve national security standards for state-issued identification.

Next May, REAL IDs will be required to board domestic and foreign flights and enter a military base or federal facility. A driver's license will no longer suffice.

On Tuesday's Smart Talk, we answer your questions about REAL ID. What documents do you need, how much do they cost and do you need a REAL ID?

Diego Sandino, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Press Officer for Driver and Vehicle Services is with us.

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