Sydney Roach at WPSU in State College recently reported on legislation approved by the Pennsylvania Senate to provide funding to create safe exchange zones for child custody and online marketplace sales. She was drawn to report on this story because she does a lot of shopping on Facebook Marketplace.

“I just thought it would be something that would be of interest to a lot of people and especially whenever I discovered some of the story behind it. There was a woman killed in Jonestown a few years ago. And so, after that, Johnstown police put up a safe exchange zone to prevent more tragedies like that. So basically, what it is, is it's just like a parking spot or some sort of spot in public view. In this bill, they define that as either 100ft away from like a law enforcement agency or some sort of like public park or some sort of public place. So, it's in the public eye. And then there also has to be surveillance cameras. And there also has to be a sign saying that it's a safe exchange zone. So, it's a pretty easy thing for municipalities to do. And this bill would just it's grant funding to help more places incorporate that, like the one in Johnstown, “said Roach.

Stehpanie Sigafoos is with LeighValleynews.com. She just reported on  a local family channeling grief to mission to change college and university culture around the safety of off campus housing after 20-year-old Carly Grozier passed away as a result of injuries suffered in a gas explosion at her off campus home in West Virginia.

“Carly had three roommates. They rented an off-campus home, as most juniors do. And when they go to college in four-year environment and unfortunately, it sounds like there were problems right off, you know, right off the bat in terms of dealing with the landlord. There were issues related to the plumbing. There were issues that were certainly brought to the landlord's attention that, you know, kind of sparked this entire thing because they're alleging that the landlord hired an unlicensed contractor to do work on the bathroom. And they're saying he opened a gas valve and then left that gas valve open. And it unfortunately caused a massive gas leak. It caused the home to fill with three times the amount of gas that would typically be servicing the home over a number of days. And so, the home, you know, there was an explosion that was always when Carly lit a candle and she lit a candle because they were told that, in fact, it was not gas leaking, but it was water. It was the sewer that they were smelling. And the contractor said, I'll be back to fix it. And, you know, obviously that never took place because the explosion occurred, “said Sigafoos.

Sydney Roach at WPSU in State College recently reported on legislation approved by the Pennsylvania Senate to provide funding to create safe exchange zones for child custody and online marketplace sales. She was drawn to report on this story because she does a lot of shopping on Facebook Marketplace.
“I just thought it would be something that would be of interest to a lot of people and especially whenever I discovered some of the story behind it. There was a woman killed in Jonestown a few years ago. And so, after that, Johnstown police put up a safe exchange zone to prevent more tragedies like that. So basically, what it is, is it's just like a parking spot or some sort of spot in public view. In this bill, they define that as either 100ft away from like a law enforcement agency or some sort of like public park or some sort of public place. So, it's in the public eye. And then there also has to be surveillance cameras. And there also has to be a sign saying that it's a safe exchange zone. So, it's a pretty easy thing for municipalities to do. And this bill would just it's grant funding to help more places incorporate that, like the one in Johnstown, “said Roach.
Stehpanie Sigafoos is with LeighValleynews.com. She just reported on  a local family channeling grief to mission to change college and university culture around the safety of off campus housing after 20-year-old Carly Grozier passed away as a result of injuries suffered in a gas explosion at her off campus home in West Virginia.
“Carly had three roommates. They rented an off-campus home, as most juniors do. And when they go to college in four-year environment and unfortunately, it sounds like there were problems right off, you know, right off the bat in terms of dealing with the landlord. There were issues related to the plumbing. There were issues that were certainly brought to the landlord's attention that, you know, kind of sparked this entire thing because they're alleging that the landlord hired an unlicensed contractor to do work on the bathroom. And they're saying he opened a gas valve and then left that gas valve open. And it unfortunately caused a massive gas leak. It caused the home to fill with three times the amount of gas that would typically be servicing the home over a number of days. And so, the home, you know, there was an explosion that was always when Carly lit a candle and she lit a candle because they were told that, in fact, it was not gas leaking, but it was water. It was the sewer that they were smelling. And the contractor said, I'll be back to fix it. And, you know, obviously that never took place because the explosion occurred, “said Sigafoos.

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, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/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 <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

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, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

Journalist Roundtable: funding for online marketplace sales and safety for off-campus college students

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Fallingwater's listing the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The State Museum of Pennsylvania has an exhibit honoring the place that held so much significance. According to Dr. Curt Miner, the Chief of Interpretation and Senior History Curator for the State Museum of Pennsylvania, says the exhibit will be on display until January 5, 2025.

"One of the things that we we did in the course of researching this project is come across what I think is an absolutely fascinating fact. I believe it would be, which is that falling water in surveys is often ranked as the most recognized private residence in the world. Let that sit in for a little bit in the world. This building, this house that was built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1938 for Edgar. Hoffman, who was, by the way, a department store magnate from Pittsburgh, was has been heralded as the most recognized and most famous private residence in the world. And where is it? It's in Pennsylvania. It's in the small town of Mill Run, which is in in Fayette County in southwestern Pennsylvania."

Dr. Curt also highlighted the "A Place for All Exhibit. This exhibition tells the history of three integration efforts in Pennsylvania after World War II. These stories testify to the courage of those who sought to end racial segregation in all of its forms.

"The subtitle of that exhibit is Three Stories of Integration in Pennsylvania. The the genesis of that exhibit was actually goes back two decades. We had a curator on staff. His name was Eric Ledell Smith. He was a specialist in African-American history. And he came up with an idea for us and it presented to the curatorial staff and to the museum eventually. And he said, I think we need to tell the story of the civil rights movement in Pennsylvania. And his premise was the civil rights. Movement is often thought to be the story that takes place in the American South. When you think of civil rights and the movement led by Martin Luther King and others, you think of places like Little Rock, Arkansas, Birmingham, Alabama, Greensboro, North Carolina. You don't think about places like Levittown, Pennsylvania, and Bucks County or Girard College in North Philadelphia, or the Highland Park swimming pool in Pittsburgh. And yet, Eric argued correctly, Those were all places where the struggle for racial equality in the north took place. It was not simply the idea of racial discrimination, and segregation did not stop at the Mason-Dixon Line. It went north. And there were even in places like Pennsylvania."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of <a href="https://statemuseumpa.org/fallingwater-gunther/">Fallingwater's</a> listing the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The State Museum of Pennsylvania has an exhibit honoring the place that held so much significance. According to Dr. Curt Miner, the Chief of Interpretation and Senior History Curator for the State Museum of Pennsylvania, says the exhibit will be on display until January 5, 2025.
"One of the things that we we did in the course of researching this project is come across what I think is an absolutely fascinating fact. I believe it would be, which is that falling water in surveys is often ranked as the most recognized private residence in the world. Let that sit in for a little bit in the world. This building, this house that was built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1938 for Edgar. Hoffman, who was, by the way, a department store magnate from Pittsburgh, was has been heralded as the most recognized and most famous private residence in the world. And where is it? It's in Pennsylvania. It's in the small town of Mill Run, which is in in Fayette County in southwestern Pennsylvania."
Dr. Curt also highlighted the "<a href="https://statemuseumpa.org/permanent-exhibits/">A Place for All Exhibit. </a>This exhibition tells the history of three integration efforts in Pennsylvania after World War II. These stories testify to the courage of those who sought to end racial segregation in all of its forms.
"The subtitle of that exhibit is Three Stories of Integration in Pennsylvania. The the genesis of that exhibit was actually goes back two decades. We had a curator on staff. His name was Eric Ledell Smith. He was a specialist in African-American history. And he came up with an idea for us and it presented to the curatorial staff and to the museum eventually. And he said, I think we need to tell the story of the civil rights movement in Pennsylvania. And his premise was the civil rights. Movement is often thought to be the story that takes place in the American South. When you think of civil rights and the movement led by Martin Luther King and others, you think of places like Little Rock, Arkansas, Birmingham, Alabama, Greensboro, North Carolina. You don't think about places like Levittown, Pennsylvania, and Bucks County or Girard College in North Philadelphia, or the Highland Park swimming pool in Pittsburgh. And yet, Eric argued correctly, Those were all places where the struggle for racial equality in the north took place. It was not simply the idea of racial discrimination, and segregation did not stop at the Mason-Dixon Line. It went north. And there were even in places like Pennsylvania."

Must see exhibits at the State Museum of Pennsylvania

According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early and is in the localized stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 99%. Dr. Mai Gandhi is a breast surgeon with UPMC. She agrees its important to get screened as early as possible.

“Treatment of breast cancer has come so far, and it's always amaze me every day how much things change by the month. The second reason that early detection of breast cancer is important is that it is less aggressive treatment potentially. So, if you have early detection sometimes can allow for less aggressive treatment options, meaning less expensive, less invasive surgery, fewer potential complications, fewer side effects from radiation or chemotherapy, or maybe skip chemotherapy altogether, “said Dr. Gandhi.

Sheri Murray is celebrating five years of being cancer free this October. She shared her story on how early detection saved her life.

“I had always been I was diagnosed at age 53, and I had always been receiving mammograms. And as Dr. Gandy had said about the changes and you guys had discussed the changes in alerting clients and patients to dense breast tissue. I was alerted early that I had a head or generously dense breast tissue. So, I knew that. And I stayed on the course far as doing my yearly mammograms because my grandmother on my mother's side, my mom's mom had breast cancer. My older sister Carlene was diagnosed with breast cancer. And then sure enough, I got it. And then a year after I received my diagnosis, my niece had also got it. And then my sister-in-law got it. So, breast cancer is prominent. And I. I think it's very important to know your body and know about changes, as Dr. Gandhi had suggested. You know, know, know when things are changing and speak to that.”

Listen to the podcast to hear more about early detection and Sheri's story with battling breast cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early and is in the localized stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 99%. Dr. Mai Gandhi is a breast surgeon with UPMC. She agrees its important to get screened as early as possible.
“Treatment of breast cancer has come so far, and it's always amaze me every day how much things change by the month. The second reason that early detection of breast cancer is important is that it is less aggressive treatment potentially. So, if you have early detection sometimes can allow for less aggressive treatment options, meaning less expensive, less invasive surgery, fewer potential complications, fewer side effects from radiation or chemotherapy, or maybe skip chemotherapy altogether, “said Dr. Gandhi.
Sheri Murray is celebrating five years of being cancer free this October. She shared her story on how early detection saved her life.
“I had always been I was diagnosed at age 53, and I had always been receiving mammograms. And as Dr. Gandy had said about the changes and you guys had discussed the changes in alerting clients and patients to dense breast tissue. I was alerted early that I had a head or generously dense breast tissue. So, I knew that. And I stayed on the course far as doing my yearly mammograms because my grandmother on my mother's side, my mom's mom had breast cancer. My older sister Carlene was diagnosed with breast cancer. And then sure enough, I got it. And then a year after I received my diagnosis, my niece had also got it. And then my sister-in-law got it. So, breast cancer is prominent. And I. I think it's very important to know your body and know about changes, as Dr. Gandhi had suggested. You know, know, know when things are changing and speak to that.”
Listen to the podcast to hear more about early detection and Sheri's story with battling breast cancer.

Breast surgeon shares the importance of early detection

A retired teacher donated $10,000 to the Gutherie Memorial Library after the Southwestern School Board decided to cut the $10,000 donation made to the library.

According to Lizzy Baldwin, former director of the Gutherie Memorial Library, it all happened after a decision to remove a book from a classroom library in a middle school.

“And so, you know, book banning, and censorship has been on the rise in the nation. You know, as a librarian, I'm well-tuned into that kind of news. And so, you know I, I saw that it started to happen in Hanover. And I, you know, as the public librarian who served that school district, they were in our service area. I decided that, you know, I should. You know, say something and, you know, advise against going down this road. Right. I'm so I sent a letter to the school board, and I basically said that. And I you know; censorship is an issue in my professional opinion. We need to be, you know, having viewpoints and books that show different experiences, from a, you know, a wide range of things to make good global citizens for our students. And so, you know, I want to be clear that, you know, I think you should keep these books, but if you don't, your students will be able to access them if they go through the Memorial Library, because that's what libraries are all about. They're about providing free and uncensored information. We're a neutral provider of free and uncensored information to the community. And so, I got a rather interesting response back from the school board president and I because I wasn't going to speak at the school board meeting, I just was going to send the letter and just kind of leave it as like where it was. And I said, you know, if you have any questions or whatever, please contact me. But then, like I said, I got the interesting response back. So, I went to the school board meeting, and I got up and I said, you know, I reiterated my point that, you know, libraries are about free and uncensored information. Much like Richard, I don't like bullies. And so, I also wanted to kind of stand up and say like, I'm not going to be bullied about this. This is the fundamental tenet of public librarianship. And I'll reiterate it for the community that any book that is removed from Southwest or School District per like a book ban issue, will be made available in the Gotham Memorial Library. And then, you know, the decision was made to discontinue our funding support. Over the years, school districts have given us a range between 5 and $15,000 every year, 2023. It was a so for an average of 10,020, 23 was 10,000 and they decided to discontinue their donation, “said Baldwin.

Richard Gallagher was upset by the decision. He did his student teaching in Southwestern High School and spent 32 years as a teacher in Maryland.

“I went to the board meeting and confronted them directly and, you know, just told them that this was pure intimidation on their part. They have an $83 million budget that they couldn't find $10,000 for the library, which is ludicrous. I stood up and confronted them directly because. They need you to hear it face to face. And of course, since the school board meetings are on YouTube. After the meeting. My wife posted the actual speech that I had written on her Facebook page, and I have many contacts and linked them to YouTube. And the response was overwhelmingly positive. As Lizzy said, you know, there are just so many people who are just upset by this. And one of the groups that I heard from several people were the Hanover for Progress Facebook group and the. The circumstances were. I didn't like what they were doing. They were trying to bully the library. And I hadn't met Lizzie yet. Quite frankly, I was surprised. I expected to see someone about 70 years old, but she's not quite there yet. So, I was very surprised to see a young woman like that stand up. But I happen to have the resources to be able to help. And I was more than willing to do that, to let the board know that censorship just doesn't work. You have to give exchange of ideas. The kids. Nobody forced these kids to read any of these books. It's not like it was on a course curriculum. These were library books. Kids signed up. Our schools have librarians who guide them. People to the appropriate section. For example, if you go into the Guthrie Library, they have the children's section, the teenage section and you know, everything else. So, it was purely voluntary on the student's part if you wanted to read the book. Parents should be supervising or at least checking on what their kids are reading anyhow. And the parents and the students agree to that. The student should read the book. Well, it's nobody else's business and I hate people who are trying to control. As I call them, the book 1984, if you remember from high school, the thought police and I hate I have no tolerance for the by police. So, I was able to do it and glad to help out. But listen, he's really the hero of the story here, “said Gallagher.

A retired teacher donated $10,000 to the Gutherie Memorial Library after the Southwestern School Board decided to cut the $10,000 donation made to the library.
According to Lizzy Baldwin, former director of the Gutherie Memorial Library, it all happened after a decision to remove a book from a classroom library in a middle school.
“And so, you know, book banning, and censorship has been on the rise in the nation. You know, as a librarian, I'm well-tuned into that kind of news. And so, you know I, I saw that it started to happen in Hanover. And I, you know, as the public librarian who served that school district, they were in our service area. I decided that, you know, I should. You know, say something and, you know, advise against going down this road. Right. I'm so I sent a letter to the school board, and I basically said that. And I you know; censorship is an issue in my professional opinion. We need to be, you know, having viewpoints and books that show different experiences, from a, you know, a wide range of things to make good global citizens for our students. And so, you know, I want to be clear that, you know, I think you should keep these books, but if you don't, your students will be able to access them if they go through the Memorial Library, because that's what libraries are all about. They're about providing free and uncensored information. We're a neutral provider of free and uncensored information to the community. And so, I got a rather interesting response back from the school board president and I because I wasn't going to speak at the school board meeting, I just was going to send the letter and just kind of leave it as like where it was. And I said, you know, if you have any questions or whatever, please contact me. But then, like I said, I got the interesting response back. So, I went to the school board meeting, and I got up and I said, you know, I reiterated my point that, you know, libraries are about free and uncensored information. Much like Richard, I don't like bullies. And so, I also wanted to kind of stand up and say like, I'm not going to be bullied about this. This is the fundamental tenet of public librarianship. And I'll reiterate it for the community that any book that is removed from Southwest or School District per like a book ban issue, will be made available in the Gotham Memorial Library. And then, you know, the decision was made to discontinue our funding support. Over the years, school districts have given us a range between 5 and $15,000 every year, 2023. It was a so for an average of 10,020, 23 was 10,000 and they decided to discontinue their donation, “said Baldwin.
Richard Gallagher was upset by the decision. He did his student teaching in Southwestern High School and spent 32 years as a teacher in Maryland.
“I went to the board meeting and confronted them directly and, you know, just told them that this was pure intimidation on their part. They have an $83 million budget that they couldn't find $10,000 for the library, which is ludicrous. I stood up and confronted them directly because. They need you to hear it face to face. And of course, since the school board meetings are on YouTube. After the meeting. My wife posted the actual speech that I had written on her Facebook page, and I have many contacts and linked them to YouTube. And the response was overwhelmingly positive. As Lizzy said, you know, there are just so many people who are just upset by this. And one of the groups that I heard from several people were the Hanover for Progress Facebook group and the. The circumstances were. I didn't like what they were doing. They were trying to bully the library. And I hadn't met Lizzie yet. Quite frankly, I was surprised. I expected to see someone about 70 years old, but she's not quite there yet. So, I was very surprised to see a young woman like that stand up. But I happen to have the resources to be able to help. And I was more than willing to do that, to let the board know that censorship just doesn't work. You have to give exchange of ideas. The kids. Nobody forced these kids to read any of these books. It's not like it was on a course curriculum. These were library books. Kids signed up. Our schools have librarians who guide them. People to the appropriate section. For example, if you go into the Guthrie Library, they have the children's section, the teenage section and you know, everything else. So, it was purely voluntary on the student's part if you wanted to read the book. Parents should be supervising or at least checking on what their kids are reading anyhow. And the parents and the students agree to that. The student should read the book. Well, it's nobody else's business and I hate people who are trying to control. As I call them, the book 1984, if you remember from high school, the thought police and I hate I have no tolerance for the by police. So, I was able to do it and glad to help out. But listen, he's really the hero of the story here, “said Gallagher.

Journalist Roundtable: funding for online marketplace sales and safety for off-campus college students

In 1 playlist(s)

The Spark

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips