The Spark

(00:00:00) This episode explores two stories of protection—one for Pennsylvania’s landscapes, and one for women’s health. Conservation leaders Karen Lutz and Cameron Weiser break down the Scott Farm–Peters Mountain land swap, a partnership that preserves trail access, safeguards the Kittatinny Ridge, and strengthens stewardship of the Appalachian Trail.  (00:36:43) In our second segment, Dr. Sharon Fitzgerald sheds light on fallopian tube cancer, why awareness is low, and how prevention strategies like opportunistic salpingectomy and genetic counseling can save lives.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Encore! Home School Productions—along with its Theatre Academy—provides homeschooled and cyber‑schooled students across Central Pennsylvania with rich, hands‑on theatre education through fall plays, spring musicals, camps, and workshops. This season, the team is preparing for their upcoming production of Seussical, guided by a powerhouse group of educators and artists. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) Jonathan Bergmueller and Tirzah Christopher of Pennlive discuss their reporting on the rift between Mayor Williams and City Council.  (00:12:14) Historic Harrisburg Association Has announced its 2026 Preservation Priority List. Broad Street Market at the top of the list.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rise in the everyday use of electronic items has also contributed to an increase of electronic waste, filling already crowded landfills and increasing risks to the environment. How can electronic items be safely disposed of, and how can the public play a part in cutting down on e-waste?  also on the program: The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) formally released its State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The report examines current housing conditions, patterns of discrimination, and structural challenges impacting access and affordability. It also advances key policy and enforcement recommendations, including strengthening protections against source-of-income discrimination, addressing disparate impact and segregation, improving code enforcement and habitability standards, and increasing accountability for affirmatively furthering fair housing.  The report brought together state leaders, civil rights advocates, and housing experts to address ongoing disparities and outline a path forward to ensure equal housing opportunity for all Pennsylvanians.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) formally released its State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The report examines current housing conditions, patterns of discrimination, and structural challenges impacting access and affordability. It also advances key policy and enforcement recommendations, including strengthening protections against source-of-income discrimination, addressing disparate impact and segregation, improving code enforcement and habitability standards, and increasing accountability for affirmatively furthering fair housing.  The report brought together state leaders, civil rights advocates, and housing experts to address ongoing disparities and outline a path forward to ensure equal housing opportunity for all Pennsylvanians. (00:22:22)Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor of the prostate gland. The prostate is a walnut-sized organ located in front of a man's rectum and below the bladder. Prostate cancer usually grows slowly, so chances for successful treatment increase if doctors catch the disease early. Your age and the stage of the cancer will help determine your treatment. For some men, doctors recommend active surveillance — closely monitoring the tumor — instead of treatment.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) The rise in the everyday use of electronic items has alco contributed in an increase of electronic waste, filling already crowded landfills and increasing risks to the environment. How can electronic items be safely disposed of, and how can the public play a part in cutting down on e-waste?  (00:23:53) Historian Chrissie Senecal going to go through the stories of several of Medieval Europe’s most famous couples. As usual, all these stories are bizarre and/or tragic or have some unusual twist. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) Men are often celebrated for passionately supporting sports teams—spending money, getting emotional, and “fangirling” over players—while women are frequently mocked for showing the same level of enthusiasm for musicians, makeup, athletes, or concerts. The double standard treats identical behaviors differently depending on gender, even though both are simply forms of fandom and joy. We take a deep dive into this idea and stigma with Professor Mary Zaborskis from Penn State Harrisburg. (00:21:03) Born in 1947 as a “blue baby” with undiagnosed Tetralogy of Fallot, he was initially given little chance of surviving childhood. After moving to Carlisle, it took seven years before a cardiologist in Philadelphia agreed to treat him. Over the decades, he underwent multiple major heart surgeries: a Blalock‑Taussig‑Thomas shunt in 1958, a Waterston shunt in 1967, and finally a full TOF repair in 1980 by Dr. John Kirklin—an operation that transformed his stamina and daily life.His long-term care continued through several cardiologists, most notably Dr. William Davidson at Penn State Hershey, who guided him through a pulmonary valve replacement in 2005 and later the implantation of an ICD to manage arrhythmias and ventricular tachycardia. After Dr. Davidson’s passing in 2022, he transitioned to the care of Dr. Elizabeth Adams.Following Dr. Davidson’s advice, he became active in the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), finding community, education, and purpose as a peer mentor for others with CHD—especially those with TOF. He emphasizes that people with congenital heart disease are never “fixed,” only “repaired,” and often require ongoing interventions throughout life.Despite the challenges, he has lived a full, rich life, with a family he’s deeply proud of, and a personal mission to support and reassure others navigating CHD.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) Gwendolyn Ruth Dickinson talks about her grandfather William Chester Ruth (1882–1971) who was an African American machinist, inventor, and business owner from Pennsylvania. Born in Ercildoun to parents who overcame slavery, Ruth developed a passion for machinery early on, leading him to establish Ruth's Ironworks Shop in Gap, PA, in 1922. Over his career, he secured more than 50 patents for agricultural innovations, including the Combination Baler Feeder and a self-lifting farm elevator, significantly enhancing farming efficiency. Beyond his mechanical contributions, Ruth was a respected community leader and lay minister, dedicating his life to both technological advancement and spiritual guidance. (00:22:29) Donegal Performings Arts is the premier high school theater program in the Donegal School District. Each year, the program produces spectacular fall plays and spring musicals for our Central Pennsylvania community. A multidimensional theater education is the goal of the program; we hope to train students in all elements of theater: lights, sound, wardrobe, makeup, acting, singing, dancing, paint technique, set building, backstage management, and prop design. Through the training of all these skills, the theater program fosters skills of collaboration, critical thinking, communication, creativity, and empathy, making Donegal students both theater ready and life ready. This year's show is AnastasiaSupport WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) Gabriel Martinez and Manada Fries of Spotlight PA, discuss an Ice detention facility planned for Berks County. (00:23:14) When Perry County musician Zachariah King wanted to record a cover of the 1844 song “Blue Juniata”, it led him down a rabbit hole of discovery about the song’s writer, Marion Dix Sullivan. Sullivan was from a town near Boston but had once travelled through Perry County around the time of its founding. She was inspired to write Blue Juniata while there. WITF Music’s Joe Ulrich sat down with King to hear about his research on the song and his trip up to find Sullivan’s gravestone. (00:34:17) And Erica Jo Shaffer is back to tell us how to prep for the spring season.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A standing-room-only crowd filled the room at Gettysburg College as businessman, philanthropist, and historian David Rubenstein took the stage for this year’s Blavatt Lecture, an annual event hosted by the Eisenhower Institute that brings in speakers with distinctive perspectives on American democracy. and Veteran journalist David Greene and Pennon interim President and CEO Tom Baldrige discussed Greene’s new nonprofit, Always Lancaster, which will assume ownership of LNP | LancasterOnline and transition the historic newspaper into an independent nonprofit newsroom. Greene, who moved to Lancaster as a teenager and began his journalism career at McCaskey High School before going on to the Baltimore Sun and NPR, described the effort as “almost like a calling,” outlining a three-part revenue model built on subscriptions, advertising, and philanthropy to sustain local journalism.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) We begin with the remarkable history of the League of Women Voters, born in 1920 from the women’s suffrage movement and led by NAWSA president Carrie Chapman Catt. Created six months before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the League set out to help newly enfranchised women learn how to register, how to vote, and how their government worked. In Pennsylvania, LWV chapters in cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia mobilized quickly, registering thousands of women and building a culture of informed civic participation. More than a century later, the League’s mission has expanded across every state — and even to the US Virgin Islands and Hong Kong — continuing its work to strengthen democracy through education and engagement. (00:22:19) Then we turn to another essential form of empowerment: colorectal cancer prevention. Experts explain why colorectal cancer is both common and highly preventable, how routine screening beginning at age 45 can detect cancer early or remove precancerous polyps, and why understanding personal and family risk is critical. We also explore the lifestyle choices — from diet to physical activity — that significantly reduce risk and help people take control of their long‑term health. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Leamor Kahanov, higher‑education leader with 25+ years of experience as a provost, dean, and academic strategist. She joins us to discuss the same topic originally planned for Dr. Gaetan Giannini: how colleges can responsibly integrate AI into existing majors—and why an AI major isn’t always the smartest path. Drawing on comparisons to the early internet era, we explore why AI works best when embedded across disciplines, enhancing—rather than replacing—students’ core areas of study. (00:22:09) We also break down one of the region’s biggest media developments: the transfer of LNP/LancasterOnline from Pennon to Always Lancaster. Interim President & CEO Tom Baldridge and Journalist David Greene share what this change means for local journalism, community trust, and the future of independent news in Central Pennsylvania.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) A farmer’s accidental 1930 discovery beneath U.S. Route 22 became Lincoln Caverns, a destination that has fascinated visitors for nearly a century.  (00:22:28) This episode also honors VisionCorps’ 100 years of impact, spotlighting its mission and its call for the public to help preserve and uplift its history.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) First, we look at the work of Dr. Louis S. Hopkins, whose forty years of research into Lancaster’s African American past blends rigorous scholarship with lived experience. Growing up in segregated southeast Lancaster City, Dr. Hopkins developed a deep awareness of how geography, access, and memory inform the historical record. His ongoing efforts to recover stories long pushed to the margins challenge us to reconsider how communities understand their own past. (00:22:24) We then shift to a post‑lecture conversation with Tracie Potts, Executive Director of the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College, following David M. Rubenstein’s recent Blavatt Lecture: “The Declaration of Independence at 250: Its Origins and Importance.” Potts reflects on the event, Rubenstein’s insights, and why examining the nation’s founding document matters as the U.S. approaches its semi quincentennial.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve walked through Harrisburg, you’ve likely encountered the bold, vibrant work of artist Dionn Reneé — murals that don’t just brighten walls but tell stories, honor neighborhoods, and reflect the city’s spirit. A painter, photographer, designer, and community builder, Reneé is shaping the capital city’s visual identity while expanding her reach far beyond it. and A rare and disturbing story from Cumberland County’s past is reaching a global audience through new historical research and a BBC podcast, shedding light on the life of Cloe, an enslaved teenage girl whose words survive in court and newspaper records. “For enslaved women in the United States, there’s only a handful of women whose words were actually recorded and preserved in the historical record, and Cloe’s was one of them,” said local historian Merri Lou Schaumann. Born in 1782, Cloe was enslaved by multiple people before being purchased at age 14 by the Carruthers family in what was then East Pennsboro Township.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) WITF’s Jaxon White breaks down Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2026 budget address, delivered to the Pennsylvania legislature on Tuesday, Feb. 3. He explains the administration’s key priorities, proposed spending, and what the plan could mean for communities across the Commonwealth. WITF reporter Jordan Wilkie also joins us to discuss his recent reporting on efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to reinterpret or narrow long‑standing constitutional protections. He outlines what these actions look like on the ground, their potential legal implications, and how affected families are responding. (00:22:37) Later in the episode, Dr. Mary Theresa “Terry” Webb of Braver Angels shares why she believes the country is facing a dangerous moment of toxic politics and weakened leadership, and why courageous citizenship is more essential than ever. Listeners interested in Braver Angels can visit braverangels.org, use the “Find My Alliance” tool to locate the Lower Susquehanna Alliance, or join for $12/year to receive national and local updates and access free virtual events.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) Author Linda Gottfried joins us to share insights from her new book How to Live Your Life Like You’ve Already Won the Lottery, a guide to shifting perspective, embracing abundance, and finding purpose beyond financial luck. She invites readers to rethink what it means to “win” and to cultivate joy in everyday life. (00:16:00) Then, with a grateful heart, Dan Tomaso returns to walk us through last week’s powerful winter storm — what drove its intensity, how it compares to past systems, and what Pennsylvanians can expect for the rest of the season. (00:27:29) Finally, Dr. Josh Kesterson helps us mark Cervical Cancer Awareness Month with essential, empowering information. We discuss what cervical cancer is, the symptoms women should watch for, why HPV vaccination and regular screening remain the strongest tools for prevention, and how advances in imaging, treatment, and mobile health services are expanding access. Dr. Kesterson also outlines the resources available through UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and UPMC Magee‑Women for women who may face barriers to care. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) We begin with Renate Wildermuth, author of Gone Before You Knew Me, a debut novel already earning international attention. Named a “Most Anticipated Book” by Indigo, reviewed by Booklist, and soon to be featured in Teach Magazine and on North Country Public Radio, the novel blends emotional depth with a gripping sense of mystery. It will even appear in the shop of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Wildermuth joins us to talk about the book’s themes, the craft behind its creation, and why stories about disappearance, identity, and the traces people leave behind resonate so widely. (00:22:26) Then we turn to a very different kind of narrative recovery. Dr. Lindsay Varner, Executive Director of the Cumberland County Historical Society, and Merri Lou Schaumann, an expert on 18th‑century Cumberland County, share their work on the BBC podcast Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley. The episode examines the life of Cloe, an enslaved woman executed in 1801 for the deaths of her enslavers’ children — a case explored in Dr. Nikki M. Taylor’s groundbreaking book Brooding Over Bloody Revenge. Varner and Schaumann helped the BBC team trace Cloe’s world, identify the landscape she would have known, and locate the site of the crime using historic maps and modern tools. Their research brings new clarity to a painful, often overlooked chapter of local history. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) We begin with Dr. Brett McLaurin, Professor of Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences at Commonwealth University, who helps us understand why certain rocks can sing. Using the famous ringing rocks of Bucks County as a starting point, Dr. McLaurin explains how mineral composition, cooling rates, and internal stress create boulders that chime like bells when struck. From Pennsylvania to sites around the world, these “lithophonic” rocks reveal surprising truths about Earth’s processes — and why some landscapes literally hold their own music. (00:23:17) Then we shift from geological resonance to human resilience with international fine artist Dionn Reneé, a Harrisburg native whose original artwork was selected for the global marketing campaign of Sony’s The Woman King, starring Viola Davis. Dionn shares how her lifelong battle with lupus, her commitment to fitness and MMA training, and her deep connection to the film’s themes shaped her artistic approach. Her work — celebrated across the entertainment industry — reflects the same warrior spirit that defines the story on screen Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) First, we speak with Elizabeth Zucker of the Dauphin County Historical Society and Noah Lewis, the living historian who portrays Edward “Ned” Hector, a Black Revolutionary War soldier whose bravery at the Battle of Brandywine challenges the incomplete narratives many Americans learned in school. We explore why the John Harris–Simon Cameron Mansion is an essential site for telling stories of underrepresented patriots, how living history deepens public understanding, and what audiences can expect at the February 22 event Forgotten Patriot: The Story of Ned Hector. (00:26:00) Then, we shift to Punxsutawney, where **Butch Philliber—better known as Iceman—**offers a rare look inside the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle. As caretakers of Punxsutawney Phil and stewards of a tradition dating back to 1886, the Inner Circle keeps alive a ritual that blends folklore, community pride, and a moment of national anticipation each February 2. We explore why Groundhog Day remains such a powerful cultural touchstone and how it continues to evolve as the country approaches its 250th year. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.