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PODCAST

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

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All Episodes

22:03

Retired York Principal publishes memoir about 2001...

The Spark ·

2024/08/24

February 2, 2001, is a day many won’t forget in York County. Norinia Bentzel was the Principal of the North Hopewell-Winterstown Elementary School when she was attacked twice by a man with a machete. Bentzel noticed someone unfamiliar trying to get in the school around 11:23 a.m. The intruder, William Stankewicz snuck in behind a parent dropping her child off for school. “To me, he just looked like a grandfather coming in. So that's kind of how I got started. In the event I, I did go looking for him

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22:40

A local music group advocates for mental health...

The Spark ·

2024/08/24

West & Ward a musical duo is working to incorporate advocating for mental health through their music. Their priority is galvanizing a local community into action that will change how mental health is discussed, and hopefully change how the mental health care system works here and beyond. West & Ward has recently dropped an EP, which includes “Battlefield” and “How Long”, songs that examine the feelings a person might have on their mental health journey. Elijah Cross and Macy Leonard of West

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22:24

Journalist Roundtable: Trump assassination attempt...

The Spark ·

2024/08/23

It was July 13 when shots rang out during a rally in Butler County featuring republican candidate Donald Trump. One person was killed, and three others were injured including Trump. Numerous investigations uncovered gaps in security leading to gunfire. Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA, Tracy Leturgy and Irina Bucur of The Butler Eagle reported extensively on the Trump assassination attempt. They all joined host Asia Tabb on The Spark for the Journalist roundtable.Support WITF:

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20:25

Little League World Series is back for 77th Year

The Spark ·

2024/08/23

The Little League World Series tournament is held from July 27 through August 25. Approximately 935 kids will participate in the tournament. Jason Fink, President and CEO of the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau says the first world series took place in Williamsport in 1947. “This year is the 77th Little League World Series.” With this event being a true global event that is broadcasted on major networks like ABC and ESPN, it brings a lot of business to the South Williamsport area. “This is something

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21:41

NWS Confirms tornado in Harrisburg neighborhood

The Spark ·

2024/08/22

An EF1 tornado hit a Dauphin County neighborhood on Friday August 9. The National Weather Service says the winds were up to 110 miles an hour in the Bellevue Park Neighborhood. Bellevue Park is located within the city limits of the City of Harrisburg. Dennis Kauffman, President of the Bellevue Park Association Board says his dog alarmed him of the severe weather. “My dog's afraid of thunder. So, he woke me up and we went down to the basement. So, you can't see or hear it as well. So, I didn't even

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11:14

Pa. Meteorologist predicts higher temperature ahead...

The Spark ·

2024/08/22

There has been a drastic change in weather over the week as students returned back to school. ABC 27 Meteorologist Dan Tomaso says Hurricane Debbie has changed the weather pattern. While the hurricane is long gone, it essentially disrupted our summer weather pattern to the point that we had somewhat of a cooler weekend temperature wise this past weekend. We had this deep dive of a broad area of low pressure that brought in some humidity from south, but also showers and thunderstorms. And for some

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12:28

NPR's White House Correspondent Franco Ordoñez on His...

The Spark ·

2024/08/22

Franco Ordoñez is a White House Correspondent for NPR’s Washington Desk. In the past, he’s reported on foreign policy, and immigration, and has been a correspondent in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and Haiti. Ordoñez joined the Spark to speak with host Asia Tabb about his work as a correspondent, and his experience covering the 2024 Presidential election.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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12:48

Pickleball and it's growing popularity in Central Pa

The Spark ·

2024/08/21

According to the 2024 Sports & Fitness Industry Association Topline Participation report, Pickleball grew in 2023 to 13.6 million players in the United States. Brandon Workotter the Owner of the Central Pa Pro Pickleball League says the sport grew since the pandemic. “It's on a much smaller court, so you're getting a little bit more of a workout than ping pong, but it's not quite as challenging, etc. so it's really inviting to a lot of older people, as well as the younger crowd who is coming

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23:26

Pa. Farm makes biodegrable coffins made from fungus

The Spark ·

2024/08/21

Setas Mushrooms was established in January 2020 growing hundreds of mushrooms. Max Justice, CEO of Setas Mushrooms has found a way to create a final resting place made from mushrooms. “I use fungus to grow alternatives. And in fact, I've been able to grow alternatives to concrete, plastic insulation as well as coffins and urns. Now, my installation, that's a whole different, topical, different industry. But let's just say that it's made from the exact same thing, the exact same process. There is no

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23:30

State of the Christmas tree industry in Pennsylvania

The Spark ·

2024/08/21

According to the Pennsylvania Tree Growers Association, Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for the number of Christmas tree farms. There are more than 1,400 Christmas trees in Pennsylvania. The winter holidays are months away, but for the tree farmers, it’s a year long process. Gerrit Strathmeyer Jr, President of the PA Christmas Tree Association says tree farms are a large investment. “So, from when we plant a tree in the field, when it is, four years old from seed, it takes another 6 to 8

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22:17

School Bus Laws you need to know

The Spark ·

2024/08/20

The Pennsylvania School Bus Association is made up of the independent school contractors that transport students every to and from school across Pennsylvania. Gerry Wosewick, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania School Bus Association says there are laws that motorist need to be aware of while buses are back on the roads. "The most important thing to remember, is that, it is illegal to pass a school bus, when they have either their amber or their yellow lights, engaged or their red lights,

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44:46

The Spark Weekly 8.18.2024: A.I. in PA Schools and...

The Spark ·

2024/08/18

Coming Up on This Week's Edition of The Spark Weekly: We speak with Richard McGarvey with the PA Gaming Control Board about sports betting. We also speak with Dr. Carrie Sipes from Shippensburg University and Jeff Ritchie from Lebanon Valley College about A.I. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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21:45

August is Minority Donor Awareness Month

The Spark ·

2024/08/17

August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month (NMDAM). The Gift of Life Donor Program helps to heal lives by coordinating the recovery and distribution of organs and tissues used in lifesaving and life- enhancing transplants. The Gift of Life donor program has been serving the community for 50 years, and it’s the vital link between patients who wants to donate with over 100,000 patients who are awaiting transplantation according to Rick Hasz, President and CEO of the Gift of Life Program. This

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23:11

Journalist Roundtable: York Dispatch

The Spark ·

2024/08/17

Managing Editor from the York Dispatch Wallace McKelvey, and reporter Meredith Willse joined the Journalist Roundtable segment. Both spoke about Meredith’s reporting on education in the Central Pennsylvania region. Meredith has ben writing a series of columns about the influence of a conservative organization in Central Pennsylvania School District’s. Listen to the podcast to hear Meredith's findings. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

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21:25

Pa. Gaming Control Board on legal wagers

The Spark ·

2024/08/16

Professional and college football is preparing for the season, and that means legal wagers for those games. In May 2018, after a six-year-battle, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey in Murphey v. NCAA and struck down a decades-old deferral law that prohibited the state from legalizing sports betting. Richard McGarvey, Deputy Director of Communications for the PA Gaming Control Board says in November 2018, Pennsylvania began offering sports wagering. “Sports wagering has evolved to

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21:53

History of Old City Hall Apartments

The Spark ·

2024/08/16

Since the early 1900's the Walnut Street property has housed schools and now apartments. Jeb Stuart the President of the Board of Directors of the Historic Harrisburg Association says the building means so much to so many people. "Well, it was a landmark, and, and had a lot of history. There are a lot of alumni from old tech, as it was called, and there was the Tech Golden Legion, which resolved the alumni association of a lot of folks and met in Harrisburg. They had gone there. So there was kind

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24:52

Pa. professors weigh in on how college professors...

The Spark ·

2024/08/15

Artificial Intelligence also known as A.I. for short is a set of technologies that enable computers to perform a variety of advanced functions, including the ability to see, understand and translate spoke and written language, analyze data, and make recommendations and more according to google cloud. Many professions are utilizing this tool, and colleges are integrating it into their courseloads this fall. Professor Carrie Sipes is the Department Chair and Professor of the Communications,

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12:09

Pa. Meteorologist predicts another hurricane is...

The Spark ·

2024/08/15

Heading into the month of September, we are heading into the peak of hurricane season. The Central Pennsylvania region just experienced remnants of Hurricane Debbie in the past week. ABC 27’s Meteorologist Dan Tomaso, says hurricane season is roughly between August though September. “Most of our impacts from any hurricane or tropical storm will be from heavy rain. And really, if you think about it, where these storms come from, thousands of miles away, it's the tropics. So that tropical air moves

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22:48

Gender vs. Sex: Pa. professor weighs in on...

The Spark ·

2024/08/14

During the Paris Olympics, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif faced difficulty when she tested higher for testosterone in her system. Khelif was assigned female at birth, and it says so on her birth certificate. Dr. Frederika Schmitt Associate Professor of Sociology at Millersville university says the word sex is a noun. “ Well, first, when we talk about sex, the noun is and we're talking about sex assigned at birth. That is, a term that we use to refer to one's, physiological makeup, one's physical

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21:21

Pa. Community College President announces retirement

The Spark ·

2024/08/13

Dr. John Sygielski, seventh president of Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) announced he will be retiring in July 2025. He’s held the position since 2011 and holds the title of HACC’s longest running president. HACC’s reputation is what lead Sygielski to Central Pennsylvania, and how valuable this institution is to the community. “I have come to realize how generous our communities are to support our mission, especially our students. I like to say that we are the on ramp to higher education,

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