Coming up on The Spark Weekly;

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center is an open-air folklife museum and research center dedicated to preserving and celebrating Pennsylvania German folk culture, history, and language in a unique educational setting at Kutztown University.

Also, on the Program

Ambassadors for Hope is the only organization in Lancaster County with the sole function of supporting children as soon as the parent of a child is incarcerated.

Coming up on The Spark Weekly;
<a href="https://www.kutztown.edu/about-ku/administrative-offices/pennsylvania-german-cultural-heritage-center.html">The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center</a> is an open-air folklife museum and research center dedicated to preserving and celebrating Pennsylvania German folk culture, history, and language in a unique educational setting at Kutztown University.
Also, on the Program
<a href="http://ambassadorsforhope.com/">Ambassadors for Hope</a> is the only organization in Lancaster County with the sole function of supporting children as soon as the parent of a child is incarcerated.

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>.

The Spark Weekly 12.01.2024: The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center and Ambassadors for Hope

Our Braver Angels segment for the Month of December was about maintaining relationships with those who have voted differently than you. Melissa Gizzi, Red Co-Chair of the Lower Susquehanna Alliance, and Bill Doherty, Co-founder of the national Braver Angels organization spoke about the Alliance’s “temperature” taking of everyone after the election. Bill, who has designed all Braver Angels workshops shares the Braver Angels efforts to minimize any fall out after the election.

Our <a href="https://braverangels.org/">Braver Angels</a> segment for the Month of December was about maintaining relationships with those who have voted differently than you. Melissa Gizzi, Red Co-Chair of the Lower Susquehanna Alliance, and Bill Doherty, Co-founder of the national Braver Angels organization spoke about the Alliance’s “temperature” taking of everyone after the election. Bill, who has designed all Braver Angels workshops shares the Braver Angels efforts to minimize any fall out after the election.

Braver Angels:  Maintaining relationships with those who may have voted differently than you

This interview was recorded on November 19 at 3 p.m. 

For our journalist roundtable segment, we spoke with Pennlive reporters Joshua Vaughn and Juliette Rihl about their report on Former Dauphin County Commissioner Jeff Haste accepting $350,000 from the founder of the county jail’s healthcare provider when he was in office and making decisions about the jail’s operations.

Juliette realized a pattern during a report of Haste getting paid $60,000 a year to be a consultant to the county’s National Rifle Associations Outdoor show.

“It turns out that that was actually the reason his position was created was based on a false rumor that the NRA was going to relocate the show unless the county, like, really closely maintained that relationship. Turns out the NRA has come out saying that was not the case. They were not planning on relocating the show. So we really don't know why this position needed to exist, given that the reason for its existence was proven to not be legitimate, “said Rihl.

Haste resigned from office in 2021, and Juliette and Joshua began following the funds while Haste was in office. They discovered he was involved in giving millions of county dollars to the county’s tourism bureau, approving and funneling money to a county agency solar farm while he was living on the same friend the solar farm was being built on.

“And his high school friend, it appears, had no former experience working on solar farms, was made the project manager and wound up getting $2 million worth of contracts to work on it over the last ten, 15 years, “said Rihl.

As Joshua dug into this developing story, he learned that Haste received some form of income from PrimeCare, the medical company that provides healthcare services to the Dauphin County Prison.

“Which is the local jail he had listed on his financial disclosures, his annual financial disclosure that he had received some income. So, about a month ago, we started asking about that. And it turns out he had a contract with Prime Care to be a consultant, generally working in other states. But he was getting paid again, 60,000 a year to be this consultant for this medical company while he was a commissioner and while he was on the prison board, ostensibly supposed to be oversight of how the medical care was being provided at the jail, “said Vaughn.

Listen to the podcast to hear more about this in-depth report.

_________

Since this conversation we received this update from Juliette and Joshua:

The county has announced it will put out an RFP for medical care at the jail. This is the first time in nearly 40 years. PrimeCare has also provided notice to terminate it's contract early. The contract will now end at the end of May. PrimeCare intends to bid on the new contract.

DA Fran Chardo has asked the AG to look into the payments Hoffman made to Haste.

This interview was recorded on November 19 at 3 p.m. 
For our journalist roundtable segment, we spoke with Pennlive reporters Joshua Vaughn and Juliette Rihl about their report on Former <a href="https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/11/blatant-betrayal-ex-dauphin-county-commissioner-got-325k-from-owner-of-jail-medical-company.html">Dauphin County Commissioner Jeff Haste accepting $350,000</a> from the founder of the county jail’s healthcare provider when he was in office and making decisions about the jail’s operations.
Juliette realized a pattern during a <a href="https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/11/dauphin-county-agency-to-end-ex-officials-questionable-60k-nra-show-contract.html">report</a> of Haste getting paid $60,000 a year to be a consultant to the county’s National Rifle Associations Outdoor show.
“It turns out that that was actually the reason his position was created was based on a false rumor that the NRA was going to relocate the show unless the county, like, really closely maintained that relationship. Turns out the NRA has come out saying that was not the case. They were not planning on relocating the show. So we really don't know why this position needed to exist, given that the reason for its existence was proven to not be legitimate, “said Rihl.
Haste resigned from office in 2021, and Juliette and Joshua began following the funds while Haste was in office. They discovered he was involved in giving millions of county dollars to the county’s tourism bureau, approving and funneling money to a county agency solar farm while he was living on the same friend the solar farm was being built on.
“And his high school friend, it appears, had no former experience working on solar farms, was made the project manager and wound up getting $2 million worth of contracts to work on it over the last ten, 15 years, “said Rihl.
As Joshua dug into this developing story, he learned that Haste received some form of income from PrimeCare, the medical company that provides healthcare services to the Dauphin County Prison.
“Which is the local jail he had listed on his financial disclosures, his annual financial disclosure that he had received some income. So, about a month ago, we started asking about that. And it turns out he had a contract with Prime Care to be a consultant, generally working in other states. But he was getting paid again, 60,000 a year to be this consultant for this medical company while he was a commissioner and while he was on the prison board, ostensibly supposed to be oversight of how the medical care was being provided at the jail, “said Vaughn.
Listen to the podcast to hear more about this in-depth report.
_________
Since this conversation we received this <a href="https://www.pennlive.com/news/2024/12/da-asks-ag-to-look-at-questionable-payments-to-dauphin-county-commissioner.html">update</a> from Juliette and Joshua:
The county has announced it will put out an RFP for medical care at the jail. This is the first time in nearly 40 years. PrimeCare has also provided notice to terminate it's contract early. The contract will now end at the end of May. PrimeCare intends to bid on the new contract.
DA Fran Chardo has asked the AG to look into the payments Hoffman made to Haste.

Journalist Roundtable:  Pennlive reporters break story on Former Dauphin Co. Commissioner receiving over $300k from owner of jail medical company

This week Central Pennsylvanians experienced bitterly cold temperatures and according to ABC 27 Meteorologist Dan Tomaso, the cold weather is a sign of more cold air outbreaks to come this season.

“So, we dropped a couple of degrees this morning as that snow pushed through some of the snow squalls. And there were some areas of ice. And we cautioned everyone, you know, leading up to this that there could be some isolated trouble spots, especially in the higher elevations. Now, thankfully, again, in the valleys, it was above freezing leading into this. So, we avoided any major problems this morning.”

Erie received over 50 inches of snow this week from a four-day period.

“And this is the time of the year for that because the lakes are still relatively warm. And when I say relatively warm, 40s and 50s, but the air coming over top of them is very cold. So that air could be ten, 20 degrees coming in from Canada. And so that temperature difference, just the way a summertime thunderstorm works, is really a driver for nonstop snow. And that's why you may say to yourself, how do you get 40 to 50in of snow if you get stuck underneath one of these snow bands and 20 to 30 miles makes a difference. It really becomes a nonstop snow at 2 to 3 in per hour.”

This week Central Pennsylvanians experienced bitterly cold temperatures and according to ABC 27 Meteorologist Dan Tomaso, the cold weather is a sign of more cold air outbreaks to come this season.
“So, we dropped a couple of degrees this morning as that snow pushed through some of the snow squalls. And there were some areas of ice. And we cautioned everyone, you know, leading up to this that there could be some isolated trouble spots, especially in the higher elevations. Now, thankfully, again, in the valleys, it was above freezing leading into this. So, we avoided any major problems this morning.”
Erie received over 50 inches of snow this week from a four-day period.
“And this is the time of the year for that because the lakes are still relatively warm. And when I say relatively warm, 40s and 50s, but the air coming over top of them is very cold. So that air could be ten, 20 degrees coming in from Canada. And so that temperature difference, just the way a summertime thunderstorm works, is really a driver for nonstop snow. And that's why you may say to yourself, how do you get 40 to 50in of snow if you get stuck underneath one of these snow bands and 20 to 30 miles makes a difference. It really becomes a nonstop snow at 2 to 3 in per hour.”

The Spark Weekly 12.01.2024: The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center and Ambassadors for Hope

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