The Spark

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, August 22, 2018: Former President Barack Obama once called the Clean Power Plan enacted during his administration “the single-most important step America has ever taken to fight climate change.”  Under Clean Power, each state was assigned emission reduction targets.  Pennsylvania would have been required to reduce carbon … Continue reading "Trump EPA rolls back Obama Clean Power Plan"

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, August 21, 2018:   Area colleges and universities are welcoming students back to class and new students are arriving to begin their first year. At the same time, portals have opened for rising high school seniors to make their school application choices. According to the Pennsylvania Department of … Continue reading "College admissions; trends, issues and initiatives"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, August 17, 2018: Last weekend a 22-foot-deep sinkhole opened up on the Cumberland Parkway. It was the latest in a series of sinkholes that have formed recently in Pennsylvania. Last Friday, one swallowed several cars in the parking lot of the Lancaster Tanger Outlets. At the end of … Continue reading "Sinkholes and Columbia’s lock box ordinance"

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, August 20, 2018:?  Each day, newspaper headlines recount conflicts happening in countries around the globe. The civil wars in Syria and Yemen, the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, and the never-ending sectarian violence in Iraq.   What newspapers rarely say, though, is that these modern-day conflicts are, in many ways, connected. An Associated … Continue reading "Dangerous conflicts – all connected?/Land Conservation funding in jeopardy?"

Photo by LEAF   What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, August 16, 2018:  On a picturesque, three-acre farm along the banks of Sherman’s Creek, youth from diverse walks of life arrive most summer mornings for their jobs. Their drive to work takes them over north mountain and into a more peaceful part of Central PA; rural Perry … Continue reading "Leadership through farming and ag worker shortage"

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro holds hands with Judy Deaven who says her son was a victim of sexual abuse by a priest as a boy, during a news conference at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)   What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, August 8, … Continue reading "Grand Jury on Catholic Church child sex abuse"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, August 8, 2018: Youth sports is big business and it’s getting bigger. Children as young as pre-school are joining competitive sports programs and specializing at younger ages. Boston NPR affiliate WBUR reported that in the past, American kids went out for Little League and school sports … Continue reading "Specialization injuries in young athletes"

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, August 13, 2018:  At one point in the last decade, the city of Harrisburg considered bankruptcy as a way out of a downward spiraling financial situation. The city was millions of dollars in debt due to a now-sold, and often maligned, incinerator project.   Harrisburg sought protection through a state … Continue reading "Harrisburg’s taxing authority and limiting kid’s screen time"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, August 10, 2018:  On a hot, August day in 1955, Lulu and Percy Haines met in a Cumberland County courtroom to receive the judge’s order finalizing their domestic case.   Percy Haines responded violently when Judge Mark E. Garber ordered him to pay Lulu $50 month in support and,  according to press reports, he … Continue reading "Murder in the courtroom and Esports"

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, August 9, 2018:  What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago, housing values plummeted, and homes were repossessed in unprecedented numbers because of the economic recession. Today, a new housing crisis has developed with home buyers shut out of the market because of low inventory and sky-high prices. NPR reports that new home construction nationwide is at its slowest pace … Continue reading "Shut out of the housing market"