The Spark

“There’s a lot of memories here, some good, some bad,” says Smith, while reflecting on his years working at the now defunct Solid Energy mine in Pike County. (photo: Rich-Joseph Facun, NPR) What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, December 20, 2018: The symptoms appear gradually, and don’t go away. Shortness of breath. A … Continue reading "An epidemic killing coal miners / ER’s and mental illness treatment"

Polish teenagers stage a protest in the U.N. climate conference venue on the last days of talks to urge negotiators from almost 200 countries to reach an agreement on ways of keeping global warming in check in Katowice, Poland, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, December 19, … Continue reading "Poland climate conference / The Middle America Project"

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, December 18, 2018: The year 2018 will go down as one of the wettest on record in South Central Pennsylvania. The region received between 10-to-15 inches of rainfall above the average for the last 12 months. More rain and several significant rain events resulted in more homes … Continue reading "What to know about flood insurance/While Reason Slept"

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, December 17, 2018: During the holiday season, many of us reminisce about our past. Often, a favorite gift we received will be part of those memories. For a lot of us, that favorite gift was a toy. That same toy may be in the attic as a … Continue reading "How much is that antique worth?"

Exelon’s Three Mile Island plant is scheduled to prematurely close in September 2019. The company has been lobbying for help from the state to keep it open. Photo courtesy: Exelon What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, December 14, 2018: Pennsylvania could avoid a “devastating and permanent blow” to its economy and environment if … Continue reading "Pennsylvania’s nuclear dilemma: should the state bail out plants?"

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, December 13, 2018: California is the clear winner. Or perhaps we should say the “clean” winner. The Golden State tops unofficial lists of best states for solar growth, producing enough to power 5.4 million homes. No other state comes close. Pennsylvania is listed in the top ten … Continue reading "Pennsylvania’s Solar Future / NPR’s Melissa Block"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, December 12, 2018: Turn on a computer or connect a phone to Wi-Fi and most of us expect immediate, and fast, connectivity. In this digital age, we’ve come to take internet access for granted. The Federal Communications Commission estimates about 800,000 Pennsylvanians lack access to Broadband. However, … Continue reading "Broadband access not available everywhere in PA"

CCA students, Gabe Longenecker (Susquehanna Twp., PA, left) and Nathaniel Saxe (Springettsbury Twp., PA, right), examine the progress herbs have made in an aquaponic media bed at AgWorks at CCA. What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, December 11, 2018: A state-of-the-art horticultural growing and learning facility is open for business for charter school … Continue reading "Cutting edge horticulture for charter school / Stop Overdoses PA"

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, December 10, 2018: Report cards are out and Pennsylvania is on notice. The American Society of Civil Engineers released the Pennsylvania 2018 Infrastructure Report Card and gave the state an overall GPA of C-. Seven of the state’s 18 critical infrastructure categories earned below average marks. … Continue reading "Pennsylvania infrastructure not making the grade"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, December 7, 2018: The last Smart Talk Road Trip of the year takes us to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. Inside the Front Street home, we’ll discuss Governor Tom Wolf’s recent re-election and his plans and priorities for the next four years. Will Wolf push for more … Continue reading "Smart Talk Road Trip visits the Governor’s Residence"