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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and one of the few "silver linings" from the Coronavirus pandemic is a greater recognition in this country about mental health.  World class athletes and celebrities are speaking openly about their mental health issues and there's greater understanding in society that mental health needs to be seen as a priority in one's health.  Dr. Matthew Hurford, President & CEO of UPMC's Community Care Behavioral Health Organization discusses issues surrounding mental health.

Also in The Commonwealth Beat spotlight is Erin McClelland, the surprise victor of the April 23rd Democratic Party primary for PA Treasurer.  Although she was not the party-endorsed candidate and was massively outmatched in funding, advertising and clout, McClelland won that election by eight points.  She will discuss her victory and how she plans to face Republican incumbent Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who she will face in November's general election.   

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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

Nurses are the frontline of patient care in medicine, whether at your family physician's office, assisting surgeons in the operating room, or acting as visiting nurses helping our senior and homebound community members.  There are currently some four million nurses working in the U.S. , which equates to one in every 85 Americans.   Laura speaks with Stephen Ferrara, President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners about the state of nursing, as America embarks on National Nurses Week, May 6th through the 12th (Florence Nightingale's birthday).

In the PA-mazing segment, a trip back to "God's Country," Potter County for a discussion about Cherry Springs State Park, an international dark sky location.   

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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

On this episode, a conversation with Alexandra Shaykevich of The Environmental Integrity Project, a watchdog group that recently published a report concerning the billions of dollars in tax incentives offered to plastics manufacturers.  While the incentives are used as the carrot to dangle in front of these multi-national conglomerates, the report shows there's virtually no upside to the states.  Pennsylvania has learned that lesson the hard way, offering over a billion dollars to Royal Dutch Shell, only to have their Monaca plant belch tons of toxic air and water pollution into the environment.  

In the PA-mazing segment, as you start planning getaways in the Commonwealth, find out about the 1,000 Steps Hiking Trail in beautiful, rural Huntingdon County in South-Central PA.   

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Talk of the Town Host Laura LeBeau moderates an in-studio debate with the two Republican candidates on the ballot for the April 23rd Primary Election:  Incumbant Representative Russ Diamond and ELCO School Director Rachel Moyer.  

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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

On this episode, Laura brings another of the Democratic State Attorney General candidates forward to discuss his qualifications and stances on many of the issues confronting that office.  Bucks County attorney Joe Khan has an interesting back story that includes inspiration from a man who would go on to the U.S. Presidency.   Khan is one of five Democrats seeking the party nomination for the general election this fall. 

Also on this episode, a conversation with Pennsylvania's senior U.S. Senator Bob Casey.  While he is seeking a fourth term in the Senate and has no challenger in the Democratic primary, he's already in general election mode, gearing up for a strong challenge from his Trump-endorsed opponent, Dave McCormick. 

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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

On this episode, Laura continues her series of interviews with the candidates running for PA Attorney General in the April 23rd Primary Election, with PA GOP-endorsed candidate Dave Sunday.  He is the sitting District Attorney for York County and wants to take his focus on safe communities from one south-central Pennsylvania county to the entire Commonwealth.  He outlines other priorities, as well, during this interview.  

Also in this episode, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania has been doing its advocacy work, safeguarding elections for all citizens, for over 100 years.  However, like many community-based groups, the League has seen a drop-off in participation.  Dr.  Amy Widestrom, Executive Director of the League since January, discusses how the organization still plays a vital and prominent role for voters.   

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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

On this episode, Laura brings Part 2 of her interview with Dr. Kent Vrana, Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Director of the Medical Marijuana Research Group at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey.  As one of the foremost researchers of cannabis in Pennsylvania, Dr. Vrana shared his concerns about possible legalization of adult-use marijuana in Part 1, and how specific breeding of the plant has caused THC levels to rise to extreme levels .  In Part 2, we'll hear his concerns over a manmade derivative from cannabis, Delta 8 THC.  Because of a loophole in the US Farm Bill, it's being sold as a natural product, but it isn't and there's virtually no oversight to what could be a very dangerous substance. 

As the April 23rd Primary Election draws near, the Commonwealth Beat spotlight shines on another candidate running for his party's nomination in the PA Attorney General's race......... Republican Craig Williams.  He is not the GOP-endorsed candidate in the two-person race, but he maintains he's got the best chance of winning in November.  Hear his perspective on a variety of issues related to the office.   

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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

On this episode, Laura begins the first of the two-part interview with Dr. Kent Vrana, Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Director of the Medical Marijuana Research Group at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey.  He understands marijuana at the molecular level, and has great concerns about the THC levels that currently exist in medical marijuana, and would likely increase, once recreational marijuana is legalized.  He also discusses the side effects of high levels of THC, and the possible physical health and mental health consequences of long-term marijuana consumption.  

in the PA-mazing segment, we'll head off to Pymatuning State Park in Crawford County, in the northwestern part of the Commonwealth.  Come April 8th, it's going to be a beehive of activity, as the nation lapses into darkness during the total solar eclipse that will be taking place.  We'll hear from the park manager, who's planning a number of eclipse-related activities.  

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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

On this episode, Laura interviews PA Attorney General candidate Eugene DePasquale, one of five democrats seeking the party nomination in the April 23rd Primary election. 
DePasquale shares his thoughts on the issues of the day, including the war on drugs, the need for drug treatment for those who are arrested and have drug addictions, his belief on abortion rights, and many more topics.  He also shares his personal story, which includes a father who served time in prison, and a brother who suffered from muscular dystrophy.  

Also, in our PA-mazing segment, we hear about what's on tap this year at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire and Mount Hope Estate and Winery, in Manheim, Lancaster County.  

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The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. 

On this episode, Laura discusses the issue of Pennsylvania's declining rural population with Dr. Kyle Kopko, Executive Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.  Why is it taking place, and what can state lawmakers do to try and stem the tide?  Dr. Kopko discusses some of the findings from the latest population survey conducted, as well as testimony from a recently conducted public hearing. 

In the PA-mazing segment, with Spring on the horizon, it's time to start planning some getaways in the Commonwealth.  The spotlight shines on Falling Water, the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece that sits in a remote section of Fayette County.  The onetime summer home of a Pittsburgh department store magnate has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.