The Spark

On November 15, the South Central Pennsylvania Sickle Cell Council will welcome former Penn State All-American, NFL football player and current NFL assistant coach Bobby Engram to their annual fundraising event.   Engram’s oldest daughter Bobbi died in 2018 from complications related to Sickle Cell Disease. Bobby Engram and his wife Deanna lead the Bobbi Engram … Continue reading "Sickle cell disease; understanding the inherited disorder"

When the United States officially entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, military mobilization began across the nation. Some men who were not medically qualified for military service joined the Merchant Marine, instead of the armed forces. Others found their way to the waterfront through recruiting efforts and posters seeking mariners. In … Continue reading "Merchant Marines; still fighting for recognition"

The first real blast of cold air this season might come as a shock when you walk out the door today. Temperatures in central Pennsylvania took a tumble over the past 24 hours as a cold front brought rain, wind and colder temps to the Midstate area. Is this a taste of what we can … Continue reading "Forecasting the weather; what’s in store this winter"

The United States is preparing for a potentially dangerous flu season this winter. This is based on data from Australia, as they have experienced one of their deadliest flu seasons on record. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention uses Australia as a predictor for our flu season. The last severe outbreak that followed an … Continue reading "Caution: Flu season is here, are you prepared?"

Even with a booming economy and low jobless rate, many Pennsylvanians are food insecure. A recent report found that even a large percentage of those working full-time have trouble paying for essentials, like food. WITF is partnering with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, the United Way of Pennsylvania and Giant Food Stores to focus on … Continue reading "Hunger in the midstate"

November 5 is Election Day, and in Pennsylvania that means along with the slates of judicial and local candidates, there’s a constitutional amendment on the ballot. We’ll kick off Tuesday’s Smart Talk with the latest news on Marsy’s Law, which is intended to help crime victims and is now facing a tumultuous court challenge. In … Continue reading "Everything you should know about elections"

Bucknell University researchers have spent the past three years testing two common vaping products. Their research has found that electronic cigarettes release potentially harmful levels of carbon monoxide – the same common, toxic gas that is found in a car’s tailpipe emissions, and which is also found in cigarette smoke. Their findings are in sharp … Continue reading "New study points to more bad news for vaping"

The latest Franklin and Marshall College poll released this week indicates most Pennsylvanians favor an impeachment inquiry into President Trump and don’t believe Trump should be re-elected. Not surprisingly, the poll results fall along political party lines. On the Democratic side, former Vice President Joe Biden leads Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the race to take … Continue reading "What Pa. voters are saying in latest F&M poll"

Segment: Tracking paranormal activities Thru the Veil Investigations Services It’s Halloween and Smart Talk is getting into the spirit of the season. There are people who claim to have experienced or seen what they describe as supernatural events; things that can’t be easily explained by laws of nature. Perhaps what they’ve seen should be called … Continue reading "Do spirits exist among us?"

Lyme is a bacterial infection that is passed to humans through the bite of a deer tick; a common parasite in Pennsylvania. In fact, Lyme disease is so common here that the state has ranked first in the U.S. for reported cases over the last five years. It is known as the “great imitator,” because … Continue reading "Legislation requiring insurance companies to pay for long-term Lyme disease treament"