The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has been examining substance abuse and the opioid crisis for 10 years, holding a total of 20 public hearings. Dr. Kyle C. Kopko, Executive Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania says in rural areas, there’s less infrastructure, less healthcare providers, and transportation issues.

“We've seen that rural Pennsylvania for a period of time actually had higher overdose rates once you standardize for populations relative to urban areas. Now, it's hard to pinpoint why that is, but our best hunch is due to those access types of issues having fewer providers, it's harder to get to treatment centers. There are just fewer doctors, fewer nurses, and health care professionals in general in our rural communities versus our urban communities. So, we have to be really mindful of that, “said Kopko.

The last public hearing was at Kutztown University in Berks County. Senator Gene Yaw, Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania says there’s a lot of misconceptions about substance abuse disorder.

“And I think in simple terms, we need to make the point that a person that becomes addicted to heroin or opioids, that's not a moral short. I mean, for that person, as he said, it changes your body makeup. And those drugs do. For some people, it's just like diabetes. I mean, some of us processed sugar with no problem. Others don't. And you need to take medication in order to survive every day.”

The <a href="https://www.rural.pa.gov/home">Center for Rural Pennsylvania</a> has been examining substance abuse and the opioid crisis for <a href="https://www.rural.pa.gov/latest-news/news">10 years</a>, holding a total of 20 public hearings. Dr. Kyle C. Kopko, Executive Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania says in rural areas, there’s less infrastructure, less healthcare providers, and transportation issues.
“We've seen that rural Pennsylvania for a period of time actually had higher overdose rates once you standardize for populations relative to urban areas. Now, it's hard to pinpoint why that is, but our best hunch is due to those access types of issues having fewer providers, it's harder to get to treatment centers. There are just fewer doctors, fewer nurses, and health care professionals in general in our rural communities versus our urban communities. So, we have to be really mindful of that, “said Kopko.
The last public hearing was at Kutztown University in Berks County. Senator Gene Yaw, Chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania says there’s a lot of misconceptions about substance abuse disorder.
“And I think in simple terms, we need to make the point that a person that becomes addicted to heroin or opioids, that's not a moral short. I mean, for that person, as he said, it changes your body makeup. And those drugs do. For some people, it's just like diabetes. I mean, some of us processed sugar with no problem. Others don't. And you need to take medication in order to survive every day.”

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>.

Center for Rural Pennsylvania reflect on 10 years addressing substance abuse and opioid crisis

Johlene “Spooky” Riley has been managing the Gettysburg Ghost Tours for over 15 years. She has always been fascinated by ghosts and was drawn to the job description. She went from being the premier tour guide to the manager of operations.

“I have always had an interest in things I didn't. I didn't quite understand or couldn't explain.”

The Gettysburg Ghost Tours has a connection to Gettysburg and the Civil War. There’s a few Civil war soldiers that can be sensed on the tours.

“Well, you're not going to have the same experience in any place that they're all different, obviously, due to the different landmarks that you're taking the guests to, the different types of spirits. You might go to a town that didn't have a civil war impact. So, you're going to get altogether different kind of activity.”

The ghost’s tours are endorsed by the Gettysburg Paranormal Association. It hosts professional run ghost hunts at private haunted locations.

“We have about 15 indoor and outdoor exclusive locations now that we can take our guests where they don't have to be outside with public investigations, where you don't know how many people are going to be out there or the weather conditions or the intent of the people out there as well. So, we provide them with ghost hunting equipment. We teach them how to use it, and we're pretty proud about it. We're very proud of our organization and we're having a membership.”

The Gettysburg Ghost tours cannot ensure that you will see a ghost while on tour, however they say you have a good chance of a ghostly encounter or photo along the routes.

“The ghosts, I always say, are not on their payroll, so we don't know what they're going to do. And unlike people, because they were people at one point and they're just now in spirit form. They're drawn to some people more over than others. And that's just a fact. So, and sometimes they're grumpy just like people are, or they may just not they just may not be active at one particular location at that particular time. It comes down to being at the right place at the right time more than anything else.”

Johlene “Spooky” Riley has been managing the <a href="https://gettysburgghosttours.com/">Gettysburg Ghost Tours</a> for over 15 years. She has always been fascinated by ghosts and was drawn to the job description. She went from being the premier tour guide to the manager of operations.
“I have always had an interest in things I didn't. I didn't quite understand or couldn't explain.”
The Gettysburg Ghost Tours has a connection to Gettysburg and the Civil War. There’s a few Civil war soldiers that can be sensed on the tours.
“Well, you're not going to have the same experience in any place that they're all different, obviously, due to the different landmarks that you're taking the guests to, the different types of spirits. You might go to a town that didn't have a civil war impact. So, you're going to get altogether different kind of activity.”
The ghost’s tours are endorsed by the Gettysburg Paranormal Association. It hosts professional run ghost hunts at private haunted locations.
“We have about 15 indoor and outdoor exclusive locations now that we can take our guests where they don't have to be outside with public investigations, where you don't know how many people are going to be out there or the weather conditions or the intent of the people out there as well. So, we provide them with ghost hunting equipment. We teach them how to use it, and we're pretty proud about it. We're very proud of our organization and we're having a membership.”
The Gettysburg Ghost tours cannot ensure that you will see a ghost while on tour, however they say you have a good chance of a ghostly encounter or photo along the routes.
“The ghosts, I always say, are not on their payroll, so we don't know what they're going to do. And unlike people, because they were people at one point and they're just now in spirit form. They're drawn to some people more over than others. And that's just a fact. So, and sometimes they're grumpy just like people are, or they may just not they just may not be active at one particular location at that particular time. It comes down to being at the right place at the right time more than anything else.”

Gettysburg Ghost tours to provide ghost encounters ahead of Halloween

The 51st edition of Historic Harrisburg Association’s Candlelight House Tour will be presented on Sunday, December 8. The tour includes more than 17 properties in Bellevue Park, Breeze Hill, and many historic homes in the Capitol View District. David Morrison, Executive Director of the Historic Harrisburg Association, says research plays a huge role about the stories of the historic homes.

“Very often we've got we've got a library at historic Harrisburg and a lot of books that the talk about what these houses were. We have old city directories which cross-reference the prior owners and so forth. People can research who builds it and when they build it and when it changed hands, that kind of thing, or the many other ways that you can research that you can research the architecture. Who was the architect that designed this, this particular house or this group of houses or whatever? A lot of that information does exist. And we love to help people find it.”

Each year, visitors have a chance to see different historic homes on the tour. The only two that is the same each year is the Governors residence and the John Harris Simon Cameron Mansion.

“Since 1980, the governor's residence has been on every year. And every first family has agreed that they would participate with our house tours and have their open house concurrent to that. So, it's a great way that they collaborate with us. But all the other properties are different every year, and it's a combination of, as I described, big houses, little houses, apartments in some cases. This year we must have two historic churches and occasionally there'll be a business in a historic building. That’s kind of interesting. So, you never know what you're going to see, but it's always a different array of great ideas of here's what's happening in the world of historic preservation.”

More information may be sought at info@historicharrisburg.org .

The 51st edition of Historic Harrisburg Association’s <a href="https://historicharrisburg.org/candlelight-house-tour/">Candlelight House Tour</a> will be presented on Sunday, December 8. The tour includes more than 17 properties in Bellevue Park, Breeze Hill, and many historic homes in the Capitol View District. David Morrison, Executive Director of the Historic Harrisburg Association, says research plays a huge role about the stories of the historic homes.
“Very often we've got we've got a library at historic Harrisburg and a lot of books that the talk about what these houses were. We have old city directories which cross-reference the prior owners and so forth. People can research who builds it and when they build it and when it changed hands, that kind of thing, or the many other ways that you can research that you can research the architecture. Who was the architect that designed this, this particular house or this group of houses or whatever? A lot of that information does exist. And we love to help people find it.”
Each year, visitors have a chance to see different historic homes on the tour. The only two that is the same each year is the Governors residence and the John Harris Simon Cameron Mansion.
“Since 1980, the governor's residence has been on every year. And every first family has agreed that they would participate with our house tours and have their open house concurrent to that. So, it's a great way that they collaborate with us. But all the other properties are different every year, and it's a combination of, as I described, big houses, little houses, apartments in some cases. This year we must have two historic churches and occasionally there'll be a business in a historic building. That’s kind of interesting. So, you never know what you're going to see, but it's always a different array of great ideas of here's what's happening in the world of historic preservation.”
More information may be sought at info@historicharrisburg.org .

Historic Harrisburg Association Candlelight House Tour takes place December 8

The Christmas show will include 78 performances from November 5 through December 30. Brandon Martin, President and CEO of the American Music Theatre says the show is written, built, and produced entirely in house with a team of artists and creatives.

“This is a special show, and I think they all are, quite honestly. But we're so excited for this one. You know, each year is very different and is kind of redesigned and rebuilt and created from the ground up. This year is really kind of a nod to the nostalgia of Christmas and a lot of the traditions that so many families hold dear. It takes place in a town square, which is just cynically stunning with a lot of hustle and bustle, some last-minute shopping, some festivities, tree lighting transitions into a grand cathedral for some of the sacred aspects of our show. Of course, there's quite a bit of merriment with some elves and Santa as well for the for the kids of all ages, church choir. But a real kind of family. And community vibe around this one that focuses a lot on that tradition.”

The show features 55 singers, dancers, musicians, and youth performances from across the country. Auditions occur throughout the year with on-site rehearsals that begins as early as September.

“In fact, we've been working in earnest on this particular show since January of this year. So, yeah, and even a little bit before then really in terms of the design aspects of it. Casting begins typically in the spring with a cast finalized and selected going into the summer. Rehearsals begin in September. And yes, we've been well underway for the past month or so with our cast all here in Lancaster rehearsing together. And yeah, we're coming up on it. We've got about a week to go.”

The <a href="https://amtshows.com/shows/category/2024-christmas-show/photo/">Christmas show</a> will include 78 performances from November 5 through December 30. Brandon Martin, President and CEO of the American Music Theatre says the show is written, built, and produced entirely in house with a team of artists and creatives.
“This is a special show, and I think they all are, quite honestly. But we're so excited for this one. You know, each year is very different and is kind of redesigned and rebuilt and created from the ground up. This year is really kind of a nod to the nostalgia of Christmas and a lot of the traditions that so many families hold dear. It takes place in a town square, which is just cynically stunning with a lot of hustle and bustle, some last-minute shopping, some festivities, tree lighting transitions into a grand cathedral for some of the sacred aspects of our show. Of course, there's quite a bit of merriment with some elves and Santa as well for the for the kids of all ages, church choir. But a real kind of family. And community vibe around this one that focuses a lot on that tradition.”
The show features 55 singers, dancers, musicians, and youth performances from across the country. Auditions occur throughout the year with on-site rehearsals that begins as early as September.
“In fact, we've been working in earnest on this particular show since January of this year. So, yeah, and even a little bit before then really in terms of the design aspects of it. Casting begins typically in the spring with a cast finalized and selected going into the summer. Rehearsals begin in September. And yes, we've been well underway for the past month or so with our cast all here in Lancaster rehearsing together. And yeah, we're coming up on it. We've got about a week to go.”

Center for Rural Pennsylvania reflect on 10 years addressing substance abuse and opioid crisis

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