The Spark

Lancaster County is no stranger to ghost stories, strange legends, and tales of hidden treasures—and Adam Zurn, executive director of Uncharted Lancaster, has spent years chronicling them. Since 2019, Zurn has written nearly 700 articles exploring the area’s folklore, and now he’s compiled a full-length book capturing the county’s spookier side.

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Will and Jim Pattiz grew up just south of Atlanta, but a spontaneous road trip nearly 15 years ago changed the trajectory of their lives. Driving across the country to the Grand Canyon, they pulled off to visit Petrified Forest National Park and were immediately captivated.

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For many, an Achilles injury might mark the end of an athletic journey. For 68-year-old Duane “Mike” McHale, it was just the beginning. After his injury ended his running days, Mike turned to swimming, then cycling, and eventually triathlons. Over the years, he has completed more than 140 multisport events and now focuses on extreme endurance challenges around the globe.

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Flooding is the most common and costly natural hazard in Pennsylvania — and now the state is taking a high-tech step forward in predicting and preparing for it.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) has partnered with Penn State University and the National Weather Service to modernize the Integrated Flood Observation and Warning System, or iFLOWS, first launched in the 1970s and 80s.

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A major preservation project is underway at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania — one that museum leaders say will secure the future of some of the state’s most treasured locomotives.

The museum has broken ground on a brand-new, 16,000-square-foot roundhouse, a circular structure that will house six historic steam locomotives, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Patrick Morrison, Director of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, says the design centers around a fully restored 1928 turntable — a piece of equipment that was once essential in the age of steam.

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Lancaster-based nonprofit Servant Stage is on a mission to make live theater accessible to everyone — regardless of physical or financial limitations.

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For Kelly Smith, founder of Omega Horse Rescue, the journey began not with a business plan or a long-term strategy — but with what she calls “a divine intervention.”

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The deadliest U.S. passenger ship disaster since 1934 is the focus of a gripping new maritime history by two veteran seafarers who know the waters — and the dangers — all too well.

Yarmouth Castle Burning: The Deadliest Passenger Ship Disaster off the Coast of the United States Since 1934 by Eric Takakjian and Randall Peffer tells the harrowing story of the 1965 inferno aboard the SS Yarmouth Castle, which claimed 90 lives and forever changed maritime safety regulations.

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The Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) marked a major milestone with the grand opening of its newest location in Middletown — the third of six planned centers in Pennsylvania.

For Senate Alexander, Executive Director of CHS and a Milton Hershey School graduate, the opening is deeply personal.
"It’s a special moment for me personally as an MHS graduate… to now bring this program that’s needed to another community," Alexander said. "We’ll be able to serve almost 450 children next year."

The new CHS Middletown location will provide care and education for 150 children, adding to the 300 already served at CHS centers in Hershey and Harrisburg. Designed with a unique touch, the facility includes 25,000 square feet of outdoor play space. "This particular plot used to be a farm," Alexander explained. "Now we’re transforming it into high-quality early childhood education for a community that needs it."

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On today’s edition of The Spark, former host Scott LaMar returned to the show for a wide-ranging conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Atkinson. The discussion centered around Atkinson’s latest volume in his Revolutionary War trilogy, which explores not only national figures like George Washington but also the critical role Central Pennsylvania played during the war.

Atkinson, whose ties to the region run deep—his father once taught at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle—spoke about the strategic importance of towns like Lancaster, York, and Reading during the revolution. He noted that the Second Continental Congress even relocated to York for several months when threatened by advancing British forces, although not all delegates had kind words about the temporary capital.

The conversation also focused on how Atkinson brings familiar historical figures to life in nuanced ways. He described George Washington as “the indispensable man,” but not without flaws—highlighting his tactical missteps, limited early experience, and evolving leadership style. Atkinson also acknowledged Washington’s connection to slavery and how that legacy remains deeply intertwined with the nation’s founding.

The full interview offered both historical insight and personal reflection, bringing new perspective to the Revolutionary era through a local lens.

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