Podcasts about berks county

In this episode of the Journey of My Mother's Son podcast, I talk with Santo Marabella. I was honored to have the opportunity to have my old friend from Berks County, Santo, on my show.  We have been friends for over fifteen years now.  We first got to know each other when we both served on the board of the Berks County Visitors Bureau and through volunteering with the Reading Filmfest.  However, I never really knew Santo's story of how he arrived in the United States until recently.  It is an incredible story, and again, I feel honored to be able to give Santo a place at my table, and help tell a little bit of his story on my show. Santo D. Marabella, MBA, DSW, The Practical Prof® is an author, playwright, filmmaker, speaker and educator with writing, directing and producing credits for books, television pilots, a musical, short films and plays. He is the co-founder ReadingFilmFEST and the ReadingFilm Office, for which he served as ReadingFilm Commissioner (2006-2018). Recent projects include writer/director of the play Rocky Road Ain't Always Sweet, (2024). producer, AVA (2023); producer, FLASHLIGHT (2023); director/co-producer, workshop for Love Is Afoot!, an original musical (2023); writer/producer/director, THE CAREGIVER (2022). Marabella, Professor Emeritus of Management, Moravian University, is a member of The Lambs®, The Dramatists Guild of America and Theatre Communications Group. His newest film, Il Mio Posto a Tavola (My Place at the Table) is a first-person documentary which examines our universal need to belong, as seen through the heart of the filmmaker. Born in a Catholic orphanage in Aosta, Italy, and flown to the United States just one week shy of his first birthday, Santo D. Marabella was one of over 3700 Italian born children adopted by Italian American parents between 1951 and 1969. Known as the “Baby Scoop” era, tens of thousands of Italian unwed mothers were forced to give their children up for adoption, leaving behind generations of children devastated by their perceived abandonment. Though he was the treasured only child of his adoptive parents, Santo was bullied by his peers and struggled from an early age to fit in and connect with others. Growing up, the realization that he was gay further deepened this isolation, straining his relationship with the Church to which he was so dedicated and the parents he so loved. Despite self-doubt and fear, he refused to be stopped. He tried harder and achieved more, carving out a life as a caregiver, educator, writer and artist. But he was still on the outside. In this journey to belonging, Santo returns to Italy to find his place at the table (posto a tavola) To find out more about the film, check out its website at https://ilmiopostofilm.com/.

The Pennsylvania House is broadening and advancing a consumer data privacy bill. WITF’s Jordan Wilkie reports it would allow Pennsylvanians to ask companies to not collect certain data and have them delete other data already on-hand. A Johnstown-based mining company has gotten the go-ahead to expand an underground coal mine in Westmoreland County. LCT Energy operates the 2800-acre Rustic Ridge “Number One” coal mine in Donegal, just south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike exit there. The company recently got approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to expand the mine northward, underneath the Turnpike. Reid Frazier, from our friends at the Allegheny Front, reports opponents of the project worry about the potential for environmental damage. Dauphin County officials admit a 911 dispatcher did not appropriately escalate a call in accordance with county policy, early Sunday morning, April 13th, an hour after an arson attack on the Governor's Residence. Campgrounds, boat ramps, welcome centers and other recreational facilities run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in six states are being closed or seeing hours reduced due to funding cuts by the Trump administration. The cuts include Blue Marsh Lake located near Reading, in Berks County. Mike Sullivan’s nearly decade-long tenure running the Pittsburgh Penguins is over. The team announced Monday that it was parting ways with the two-time Stanley Cup winning coach just over a week after the Penguins missed out on the playoffs for a third straight season. And the Hershey Bears open their Calder Cup playoff run this week. Game one is Wednesday night in Hershey, versus the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in an Atlantic Division best-of-five semifinal series. Hershey is seeking its 14th AHL championship overall. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi This is Brad Weisman - Click Here to Send Me a Text MessageTim Daley of Habitat for Humanity and Steve Gieringer of Neighborhood Housing Services join forces to tackle Berks County's housing crisis by transforming affordable housing into workforce housing that benefits both employers and employees. Their innovative approach bridges the gap between business needs and worker stability, offering homeownership opportunities that strengthen communities while addressing critical employment challenges.• Housing has become an employment issue as businesses struggle to retain talent due to housing affordability challenges• Habitat for Humanity has evolved to focus on workforce housing for those making $23-33 per hour• Homeownership provides stability for families and benefits municipalities through increased tax revenue• Neighborhood Housing Services offers unique financing solutions including down payment assistance up to 105% of property value• Comprehensive education (50 hours) and seven years of post-purchase counseling ensures buyer success• Creative financing programs developed during COVID continue to have 100% performance rates• Both organizations are rebranding their work as "workforce housing" to accurately reflect who they serve• Home prices in Reading have increased from $39,900 in the 1990s to $160-200,000 today• Over 300 first-time homebuyers have been created through these programs in the last three yearsTo learn more, visit www.habitatberks.org and www.nhsgb.org.#habitatforhumanity #neighborhoodhousingservices #NHS #thebradweismanshow #tbws2025 ---Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show, where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman!

Hi This is Brad Weisman - Click Here to Send Me a Text MessageKathryn Lehman's path from social worker to judicial candidate reveals a professional journey shaped by genuine concern for community welfare and justice. After witnessing courtroom proceedings while advocating for troubled teens, Lehman realized her calling extended beyond social work into the legal realm—prompting her to attend law school at night while maintaining her full-time position.This unique foundation gives Lehman something increasingly rare in our judicial system: perspective from both sides of the courtroom. Having spent five years as a public defender before transitioning to nearly nine years in the district attorney's office, she brings balanced insight to her candidacy for Berks County Common Pleas Judge. As supervisor of the drug task force, she has prosecuted some of the county's most dangerous offenders, including securing convictions in the largest fentanyl seizure in county history.What distinguishes Lehman's candidacy is her unwavering commitment to applying the law fairly while understanding the human elements behind each case. "When you are doing the right thing, you can't worry about those things," she notes when discussing difficult decisions, emphasizing that integrity must guide judicial action even when decisions might be unpopular. This philosophy has earned her bipartisan endorsements from prominent figures across the political spectrum, including District Attorney John Adams and State Representative Eric Weaknecht.The primary election on May 20th presents Berks County voters with an opportunity to elect someone uniquely qualified for the bench—the only candidate with extensive trial experience for what is fundamentally a trial judge position. Consider supporting Kathryn Lehman, whose blend of legal expertise, practical courtroom experience, and compassionate understanding offers the balanced approach our judicial system needs. ---Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show, where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman!

In 1875, the Gring home would host the dead bodies of four members of the Bissinger family following a murder-suicide. A mother, Louisa Bissinger, took the lives of her children in retaliation for a wrong by the father. The tragic circumstances have left the ghosts of the family to haunt this area of Berks County in Pennsylvania. And then there was Ethel Major. Her husband was an angry man and their relationship had gone sour long ago. Rather than leave her husband, she decided to make the ultimate break. And for that, she paid with her life. It seems her spirit haunts the prison where she died. Join us as we share these tragic tales that have left revenants of two bad marriages. Intro and Outro music: Bad Players - Licensed under a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-assignable, single-site, worldwide, royalty-free license agreement with Muse Music c/o Groove Studios. The following music was also used: Title: "Typical Horror Intro" Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Licensed under Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0997280/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 Music: All The Lines (Instrumental) by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/4926-all-the-lines-instrumental

Jared sits down with our long-time friend, Joshua Prince. Josh is the principal of the Civil Rights Defense firm, P.C. and an associate at Prince Law Offices, P.C. in Berks County, PA.Josh is a native of the Commonwealth, dedicated to making life better for all liberty-loving Pennsylvanians. Josh is running for a seat on the commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. We support and endorse him. This episode of the the Lodestone Podcast needs to be shared to other Pennsylvanians interested in voting for a judge that will work to keep our freedoms intact.For more information on Josh and his campaign, you can visit his website HERE.Check out our website for more info and to register for classeswww.lodestonetac.comContact us at info@lodestonetac.comFollow us on FacebookLodestone Training and ConsultingInstagram@lodestonetrainingandconsultingYouTube@lodestonetrainingandconsultingFollow our instructors on InstagramJared - @ltac_zuluFlynn - @sek_ltac'Light' Chris - @ltac_whiskeyAbby - @ltac_sixKirk - @basil_fnfalOzz - @ltac_ozzMicah - @ltac_micahMike - @bluemountainbushcraft

This week's show has News with Carla from Chester County Ramblings, an in studio interview about the St Agnes Catholic Church meal program being shut down and an in studio guest to talk about plans for anaerobic biodigester to be installed next to Elverson/West Nantmeal Townships in Berks County.

Hi This is Brad Weisman - Click Here to Send Me a Text MessageIt's Pete Week Again!! The episode explores the local and national real estate market dynamics as they transition into 2025. Key topics include year-over-year comparisons, the significance of accurate home valuations, and diverse predictions for price trends. • Reflections on the Holiday Season and its impact • Analysis of Berks County and National Real Estate Statistics for 2024 • Comparison of Local Market trends to National Figures • Discussion on listing volume and pricing trends • The importance of professional home valuations • Predictions for the 2025 real estate market • Humorous commentary on resolutions and expectations for the new year."Pete and I talk about the many predictions that are being made for 2025... the reality is NO ONE knows what will happen.  Our advice is listen to your local real estate professional to get a feel for the market when you're ready to buy or sell real estate!" - Brad Weisman ---Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show (formerly known as Real Estate and YOU), where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman!

We interrupt our regularly scheduled sports talk for a bit of a tangent. Joe and Justin welcome in Alexa Freyman, operator of Berks Nostalgia, for a different episode focused on her work covering and preserving the history of Berks COunty, PA. Join The Joe Mays & J-Raff Show on JMNJR Radio Sunday's at 6:30pm ET on FACEBOOK, TWITTER/X, and YOUTUBE! Be sure to like/subscribe/follow the accounts mentioned below... Our next show will be at 6:30pm ET on Sunday, January 19th, 2025! ------------------------------------------------------------ JMNJR Radio: www.jmnjrradio.com/ The Joe Mays & J-Raff Show: www.joemaysandjraff.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoeMaysAndJRaff Twitter: @MaysMediaLLC | @JoeMaysAndJRaff Email: contact@joemaysandjraff.com Phone: (530) 563-6297 More @ www.joemaysandjraff.com/

Today I had the privilege to talk with Kevin Quinter a Berks County police officer. In this episode we dive into all the aspects of being a cop. From working undercover, making arrest, breaking up drug deals, infiltrating prostitution rings. All the way to the not so fun paper work, the mental strain being a officer has on someone, the stigma around cops, and so much more. As you listen to Kevin tell his story you can quickly see he has a passion for getting children out of sex trafficking and into a better life. This led him to start the Berks County Sex Trafficking Task Force and he begin fighting this evil locally, nationally, and internationally. He did this with the help of other like minded people and the organization ZOE International. After listening to the episode you will have a far greater appreciation for police officers and a better understanding of what they experience day to day.

In this episode of the Journey of My Mother's Son podcast, I talk with Heather Christie. Heather is a fellow Berks County native and author.  She is the author of three books, so far.  Additionally, she is the producer of the storytelling show, LoveNotes!, which is True stories of first love, last love, & all the love in between. LoveNotes! is a storytelling show, a book, and a podcast in which real people share real stories about romantic love in all its incarnations. So, tell the poets, lovers, dreamers and anybody else who's ever been in love that I'm looking for TRUE LOVE stories–from heartbreaking to heartwarming. Any story about romantic love in any of its incarnations fits the bill. A LoveNotes! story is the kind of yarn in which Cupid has shot someone in the heart and that person has lived to tell the tale. To find out more about Heather, you can check out her website at https://heatherchristiebooks.com/. Some other important notes from the conversation are listed below: ·        Links for tickets to the live LoveNotes! Show or livestream: ·        3 PM In-Person SHOW: https://tinyurl.com/3PMLoveNotes ·        8PM In-Person SHOW: https://tinyurl.com/8PMLoveNotes ·        8 PM LIVESTREAM: https://tinyurl.com/LoveNotesLivestream LoveNotes! Bus 2/15 - $40 Round Trip (departs 10 AM Joanne Fabrics' Parking Lot, Wyomissing PA to NYC, Leaves NYC 8 PM), Show ticket must be purchased separately. Email Sandy Barber at sbarber@epexinc.com to reserve a seat.  Submit your love story (1000 words or fewer) at 71StreetBooks.com  Instagram, Facebook, & TikTok are @heatherchristiebooks   LoveNotes! Real Stories. Real People. Real Love. THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/40VIiUv

A legal battle is underway to extradite Luigi Mangione from Pennsylvania to New York. With temperatures expected to drop later today many will be reaching to turn up their thermostats. We have some tips on how to keep your home comfortable this winter. The University of Pittsburgh has launched a new global health initiative to reduce health disparities for women. A state lawmaker from Lancaster County will soon be stepping down. A federal safety board says a corroded steam pipe and a defective natural gas fitting caused a powerful explosion at a Berks County chocolate factory, killing seven workers when the company failed to evacuate. An investigation is underway into a fire that destroyed a vacant building at the former Harrisburg State Hospital grounds. Penn State University police will not charge retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce after investigating an altercation with a fan over a cellphone before a November 2nd home game between the Nittany Lions and Ohio State. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Kutztown Folk Festival for 2025 has been cancelled due to dwindling attendance, increased costs, and continued net losses according to a statement by the Kutztown Folk Festival Board of Directors. The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center has been affiliated with the folk festival for years. According to Patrick Donmoyer, Director of the Pa German Cultural Heritage Center, brought thousands to Berks County during the nine-day festival. “During its heyday, there be 100,000 people there over the course of the nine-day festival, and we would have one of our largest opportunities to engage with not only the culture of the region, but then also visitors from all over the United States and international audiences as well, who came to see Pennsylvania folk culture at its finest.” During the pandemic, the festival was suspended, and it is believed that it had some impact on the attendance. There are also several other cultural events that are taking place yearly that could have contributed as well. “I think the Kutztown Folk Festival always did a wonderful job of meeting its mission to preserve Pennsylvania Dutch folk culture and to celebrate it throughout the region and really engage new audiences of people with educational programing to learn about what it meant to be, what it means, I should say, not what it meant, not in past tense, but presently what it means to be Pennsylvania Dutch and what it means to live in this region that we share.” According to Donmoyer, when the festival was first established in the 1950's, it was an opportunity for families in that area to go out and have a good time. “It was also ensured participation from a lot of the families who lived in this area, who worked in this area, who that was the largest amount of time that they had off. But it was also the time of the greatest amount of heat. And so that was one thing I think that the festival experienced as a challenge over the years. But it was also I think being rooted in July 4th was an opportunity for people of Pennsylvania Dutch descent to help people remember that this is a unique American culture.”    Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

– “I know what is coming.”The dying process is a crucible of tension.Thomas Gery, a common man with uncommon experiences lives in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Army with duty in Vietnam. As a social worker he helped children, youth, and adults in a variety of practice venues and situations throughout a work life of 40 years. Married with two adult children and two grandchildren, he is currently writing his life's story to provide answers to questions his kids will never ask. His earliest published stories have appeared in Personal Story Publishing Project—Lost & Found, Sooner or Later, and Now or Never.

In the midst of an automatic recount of the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Bob Casey has conceded to his Republican opponent Dave McCormick.  Amid the recount, Democratic commissioners in Bucks County have come under fire for voting to count undated and misdated mail ballots -- a move later struck down by the state Supreme Court.  A large-scale technology processing center in Luzerne County is on the way to breaking ground -- faster than ever before thanks to a new state program.  The effort to build a nearly 50-mile loop of trails in Rothrock State Forest in Centre and Huntingdon Counties has received a boost from the state.  Remains found 51 years ago have been identified as a missing 14-year-old girl from York.  A Philadelphia jury has awarded $11 million to a man whose holstered Sig Sauer pistol went off by itself while he was going down the stairs.  A Berks County-based supermarket chain is alleging the top frozen potato producers in the country have engaged in price gouging. Cleveland's Nick Chubb ran for a 2-yard touchdown in heavy snow with 57 seconds left, as the Browns stunned division rival Pittsburgh 24-19. Fighting cancer takes a lot out of patients and their families.  The charitable group "Sail Beyond Cancer" offers them a chance to relax and enjoy some quality time with pleasure cruises along a few of the East Coast's most scenic waters. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federal climate money is helping Pennsylvania communities transform their downtowns. Pennsylvania will receive about $245 million this year to clean up abandoned mine lands, significantly more than any other state.  Penn State graduate students are looking to unionize. Organizers say they have the needed signatures to move to the next step in the unionization process.   A wildfire in Berks County appears to be mostly under control this morning. Lycoming County could be the home of a juvenile justice center to help troubled youngsters.  Education advocates estimate Pennsylvania is short some 15-thousand teachers statewide. In the face of such a staggering shortfall, many school districts are opting to “grow their own” supply of educators. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this true crime story from Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide, Ky tells you the case of Chester Spayd, a man whose life spiraled into chaos fueled by drugs, family betrayal, and brutal violence. On August 5, 2000, in the community of Berks County, Pennsylvania, Chester's world collided with tragedy, resulting in the vicious murder of his mother's boyfriend, Kenneth Long. This case actually came from a Reddit post, and spiraled into a deep dive.This is one twisted and crazy case so strap in and let's get into it!Don't forget to share your thoughts on this case in the comments below and subscribe for more gripping episodes.Sources:https://casetext.com/case/spayd-v-wilsonhttps://www.readingeagle.com/2015/09/19/after-12-years-berks-detective-secures-confession-in-boys-killing/https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/contests/man-charged-in-cold-case-murder-of-3-year-old-reading-boy/521-3fadd638-60ff-4c8b-ac8f-ddf442077819https://apnews.com/51fcb3ee8d9e4486ad66c8effdfb9489/man-charged-2003-killing-ax-murderers-3-year-old-sonDon't forget to share this in text with your friends and on Reddit************************************************************************************************Support these businesses; support LaM:BJs - Save $35 on a yearly membership with my link: www.murderandlove.com/BJsNOVEMBER PATREON SALE - Save 50% all bonuses - Use the NOVEMBER SALE tier until 11-30-2024✨✨For a commercial-free episode, pictures, and more head to our exclusive group at www.patreon.com/loveandmurder✨✨Podcast Promo: Darkcast Network www.darkcastnetwork.com*************************************************************************************************

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.”    Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi This is Brad Weisman - Click Here to Send Me a Text MessageFrom Actress to Realtor to Author, Heather Christie takes us on her transformative journey from commuting to New York City in high school to embracing her passion for writing.  Discover how her diverse experiences shaped her storytelling, leading to the creation of her debut novel, "What the Valley Knows." Heather's story is a beautiful testament to following one's true calling, revealing how her roots in Berks County became a wellspring of inspiration. Join us as she shares the pivotal moments that influenced her decision to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and ultimately publish her first book.As we venture into the enchanting world of "LoveNotes," Heather introduces us to this captivating project centered around stories and love.  Picture an annual off-Broadway event where America's best love stories come to life through memoirs and music, now expanding to cities like Chicago and Indianapolis. With an anthology releasing on November 11th, filled with enchanting tales and engaging activities, it promises to be the perfect holiday gift.  Dive into the strategic integration of storytelling across mediums, and learn how crafting a cohesive brand can be the key to a sustainable artistic livelihood, culminating in a special "LoveNotes" reading event in Berks County."Heather Christie's energy and passion for her craft of writing and producing is so evident when you watch this episode.  We were fortunate to have her in the studio to go over all that she's doing with her 2nd upcoming production of LoveNotes as an Off-Broadway show, a brand new book, and in 2025, a weekly LoveNote podcast.  Check out this episode to hear where, when and how she's doing it all!" - Brad Weisman Keller Williams Platinum RealtyBrad Weisman has been a Realtor since 1992 and proudly sponsors this podcast!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.---Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show (formerly known as Real Estate and YOU), where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman!

A federal judge in Pennsylvania is considering a Republican request to direct the state's election officials to take additional steps to verify the identification and eligibility of voters living overseas.  Thousands of supporters of Donald Trump have had a chance to hear from the former president at the county Convention Center.  One of the late golf legend Arnold Palmer's daughters calls Donald Trump's references to her father's genitalia "a poor choice of approaches” to honoring his memory.  Organizations in communities across Pennsylvania and the nation that suffered from the decline of coal have joined forces in a plea to the Trump and Harris campaigns.  More than $3.4 million is being awarded for projects in Pennsylvania, in an effort to protect agricultural runoff into rivers, lakes and streams. Elon Musk is pledging to give away $1 million a day to voters for signing his political action committee's petition backing the Constitution. The giveaway by the Donald Trump supporter is raising questions and alarms among some election experts who say it's a violation of the law. A Berks County woman has been sentenced to two life terms on murder convictions in the deaths of her two young children. Authorities say two people are facing charges following the release of about 200 minks from cages at a Northumberland County fur farm.            Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Snyder, the mother charged in the 2019 hanging deaths of her two young children in their northern Berks County home, has been found guilty. The verdict was delivered late Tuesday afternoon by Berks County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Theresa M. Johnson in a bench trial held in a seventh-floor courtroom. Snyder, 37, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, and evidence tampering. The charges stem from the deaths of her 8-year-old son Conner and 4-year-old daughter Brinley, whom Snyder hanged from a beam in the basement of their home in Albany Township on September 23, 2019. First responders found the children unresponsive, and they were flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital. After being taken off life support three days later, autopsies confirmed that both children died by hanging, and the deaths were ruled homicides by the Lehigh County coroner. Throughout the trial, Snyder maintained that her son Conner was suicidal due to bullying and that the incident occurred as a result of his desire to "build a fort" in the basement. However, the prosecution presented evidence contradicting this account, including surveillance footage of Conner appearing happy and untroubled when he arrived home from school on the day of the incident. Further investigation revealed that Snyder had ordered the dog lead used in the hangings the day before the children's deaths and picked it up the morning of the crime. Snyder's Google search history also included visits to a site offering instructions on how to hang oneself, further raising suspicion. Multiple witnesses, including school officials, testified that Conner had never exhibited signs of depression or suicidal thoughts, undermining Snyder's claims that bullying led to his death. Additionally, Snyder's adult son, Owen, testified during the trial, referring to his mother by her first name and stating he no longer considered her his mother—a moment that drew visible emotion from Snyder. Defense attorneys argued that Snyder's long history of mental health issues may have driven her to a psychotic state, but prosecution experts rejected this, stating that Snyder was fully aware of her actions. The trial concluded with a guilty verdict after seven days of testimony. After Berks County prosecutors rested their case on Friday morning, defense attorney Dennis Charles requested an immediate acquittal, arguing that the case was built on speculation, theory, and "all guesswork," according to The Reading Eagle. The request was ultimately denied. Charles argued that Lisa Snyder's internet searches on suicide, hangings, carbon monoxide poisoning, and drug overdoses reflected her own suicidal thoughts rather than an intent to kill her children. He further claimed that prosecutors lacked physical evidence to support their case, and that Snyder's 911 call and the reactions described by emergency responders were consistent with a mother finding her children hanging, not a perpetrator. With the conviction, Snyder faces an automatic life sentence without parole under Pennsylvania law for first-degree murder. She will be sentenced in October.    Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com 

Lisa Snyder, the mother charged in the 2019 hanging deaths of her two young children in their northern Berks County home, has been found guilty. The verdict was delivered late Tuesday afternoon by Berks County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Theresa M. Johnson in a bench trial held in a seventh-floor courtroom. Snyder, 37, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, and evidence tampering. The charges stem from the deaths of her 8-year-old son Conner and 4-year-old daughter Brinley, whom Snyder hanged from a beam in the basement of their home in Albany Township on September 23, 2019. First responders found the children unresponsive, and they were flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital. After being taken off life support three days later, autopsies confirmed that both children died by hanging, and the deaths were ruled homicides by the Lehigh County coroner. Throughout the trial, Snyder maintained that her son Conner was suicidal due to bullying and that the incident occurred as a result of his desire to "build a fort" in the basement. However, the prosecution presented evidence contradicting this account, including surveillance footage of Conner appearing happy and untroubled when he arrived home from school on the day of the incident. Further investigation revealed that Snyder had ordered the dog lead used in the hangings the day before the children's deaths and picked it up the morning of the crime. Snyder's Google search history also included visits to a site offering instructions on how to hang oneself, further raising suspicion. Multiple witnesses, including school officials, testified that Conner had never exhibited signs of depression or suicidal thoughts, undermining Snyder's claims that bullying led to his death. Additionally, Snyder's adult son, Owen, testified during the trial, referring to his mother by her first name and stating he no longer considered her his mother—a moment that drew visible emotion from Snyder. Defense attorneys argued that Snyder's long history of mental health issues may have driven her to a psychotic state, but prosecution experts rejected this, stating that Snyder was fully aware of her actions. The trial concluded with a guilty verdict after seven days of testimony. After Berks County prosecutors rested their case on Friday morning, defense attorney Dennis Charles requested an immediate acquittal, arguing that the case was built on speculation, theory, and "all guesswork," according to The Reading Eagle. The request was ultimately denied. Charles argued that Lisa Snyder's internet searches on suicide, hangings, carbon monoxide poisoning, and drug overdoses reflected her own suicidal thoughts rather than an intent to kill her children. He further claimed that prosecutors lacked physical evidence to support their case, and that Snyder's 911 call and the reactions described by emergency responders were consistent with a mother finding her children hanging, not a perpetrator. With the conviction, Snyder faces an automatic life sentence without parole under Pennsylvania law for first-degree murder. She will be sentenced in October.    Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com 

A panel of judges is requiring a Western Pennsylvania county to give voters a chance to fix problems with mail-in ballots and allow them to vote by provisional ballot if needed.  With a little more than a month before the election, Kamala Harris' presidential campaign is working to get Republicans to vote for Democrats in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh has effectively banned rodeos for more than 30 years. But a provision inserted in this year's state budget requires municipalities to allow those events.  A Berks County woman faces a life sentence for hanging her two children in the basement of their home in 2019.  Lebanon County voters should get their mail-in ballots early next month. Police are investigating a former Lancaster Country Day student for creating AI-generated nude images of female classmates.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Erin tells us about Christopher Ryan Tucker who was convicted of murdering Tara Marie Serino in 2017 in his home in Berks County, Pennsylvania.Sources:https://casetext.com/case/commonwealth-v-tucker-77https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/failed-proposal-murder-berks/https://www.newsweek.com/pennsylvania-crime-christopher-tucker-tara-serino-707907Support the show

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited the Lackawanna County ammunition factory that is producing one of the most critically needed munitions for his country's fight to fend off Russian ground forces.  Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance has campaigned at the Berks County Fairgrounds. Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has also campaigned in Pennsylvania. The owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Dauphin County plans to restart the reactor. In some places across Pennsylvania, distress calls to 211 or 988 link callers with support professionals - who in some cases, are too far away to act. Chester County has a solution. Central Pennsylvania is recovering from an intense storm that blasted parts of the region Saturday night.   Penn State has removed nearly three dozen racks containing its independent student-produced newspaper from on-campus this week because politics-related ads on the racks violated school policy.  A defense attorney is dismissing as “conjecture” the prosecution's case against a Berks County woman charged with killing her two young children.   Former president Donald Trump has baselessly called out Haitian migrants in the small town of Charleroi in western Pennsylvania. Oliver Morrison is with our friends at WESA in Pittsburgh and spent some time in the Washington County community.        Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ghost Furnace - Episode 96 "Hawk Mountain"   We only need to travel a few short miles west of the location of our last episode to get into this week's stories. Hawk Mountain is now a nature sanctuary and one of the best places around to watch migrating birds, hike, appreciate the outdoors, and if you're lucky, you'll see a hatchet wielding ghost of the former innkeeper. For a mountain that is so beautiful, it certainly has a history to make locals and visitors alike wonder if something sinister lives along the base of the ancient gathering spot.   If you have questions, feedback or a story you'd like to share, you can find us on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook and TheGhostFurnacePodcast@gmail.com

With about seven weeks until the election, the Trump and Harris campaigns are scrambling to get as many voters on their side as possible. The slim margins of victory in recent presidential elections has the candidates taking nothing for granted.  Vice president Kamala Harris has joined a panel discussion in Philadelphia -- hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists. Part of the discussion focused on Gaza. The state Senate is trying again to overturn a regulation that would make power plants pay for pollution. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is still tied up in court cases.  Pennsylvania is set to honor an iconic artist from the 1980s in his Berks County hometown. Election leaders in Luzerne County are spending about 40 percent  of their time on security and working with law enforcement on election plans.    A new parent company is being formed to solidify the partnerships of WITF, LNP | Lancaster Online and the Steinman Institute for Civic Engagement. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A drug-trafficking ring has been busted by cops in Berks County. A U.S. representative from Pennsylvania helped introduce a bill that would fund the cost of benefits for services members sent to war. 2024's shaping up to be a good one for fall foliage. And a superload is making its way through Pennsylvania today.

彩绘大箱子（Chest），为十八世纪美国文物，长72.7厘米、宽133.4厘米、高58.4厘米，是由瑞士、普法尔茨州和德国上莱茵河谷移民制造的所制造的艺术品。在箱子上描绘的独角兽和骑马的男人图案是伯克郡（Berks County）经常描绘的图案。现收藏于大都会艺术博物馆。

Anti-nuclear activists are calling for the state legislature to halt any plans to restart Three Mile Island.  In vitro fertilization, or IVF, has become a hot-button issue in the 2024 presidential race. Pennsylvanians are reacting to recent comments by Republican candidate Donald Trump. Whether it's for hiking, swimming or tubing, summer-lovers are sneaking in a final few days of playing in their favorite waterways. But researchers say they might be floating in a soup of chemicals.  A program to bring remote workers to Pennsylvania is wrapping up. Hear the experiences of participants in St. Marys, Elk County.  The body of a man found frozen in a small Berks County cave nearly a half century ago has finally been identified.  Police say a man arrested last week at a Johnstown rally for presidential candidate Donald Trump does not believe in Trump's policies and hoped to hang a banner in protest. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi This is Brad Weisman - Click Here to Send Me a Text MessageCan you guess the most common mistake home sellers make in today's market? It's overpricing their homes based on outdated expectations of perpetually rising prices. In our latest episode, we dismantle these misconceptions and highlight the importance of setting realistic pricing strategies grounded in recent comparable sales. As the real estate market begins to balance out, we offer practical tips to help sellers avoid the pitfalls of overpricing. Plus, we celebrate our upcoming 200th LIVE episode with special guests, drinks, and food!Negotiations are evolving, with fewer offers necessitating more calculated discussions between buyers and sellers. We share insights from Berks County, where a slight uptick in available homes is giving buyers more choices. We'll also delve into the unpredictable nature of Federal Reserve rate changes, especially with election year dynamics at play. On top of that, we explore the rising trend of multi-generational living, driven by housing and healthcare needs, and its myriad of benefits. Join us for a conversation on these pressing topics and more!"We see inventory ever so slowly on the rise (faster in other areas)... in this episode Pete and I caution sellers to keep a close eye on the market and be sure not to overprice their homes.  It's time to start thinking more about the condition of the home when you are ready to put it on the market.  If rates go down we could be back to a strong seller's market, if not, adjustments will be coming for sellers" - Brad Weisman ---Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show (formerly known as Real Estate and YOU), where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman!

More than two dozen education groups cite Josh Shapiro's record on school choice vouchers as a reason they're asking Vice President Kamala Harris not to choose him as her running mate. Harley-Davidson's electric motorcycle business, LiveWire,  is getting 89 million dollars to support a five-year project to increase production of zero emissions bikes. Stan Rebert (REE-burt), who was York County's first full-time district attorney and who served six terms, has died. He was district attorney from 1986-2010. A man who was accidentally released from a midstate prison last week is back in custody after turning himself in Friday. A renowned midstate archer who made it to Paris is coming home without a medal.  A Berks County swimmer is sporting a gold medal after the men's U.S. four-by-one-hundred freestyle relay team finished first in the Paris Olympics.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elected leaders across the state are reacting to President Joe Biden's decision to exit the presidential race. President Biden's decision keeps the administrative steps of getting a new Democratic candidate on the ballot in Pennsylvania relatively simple.  Governor Josh Shapiro's name has been raised as a strong contender to be Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate -- if she is the Democratic nominee for president. It came up even before President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign. Philanthropist Ann B. Barshinger, known for multimillion-dollar donations to several landmark projects and initiatives in Lancaster County, including the cancer center that bears her name, has died of natural causes  at the age of 100. A Berks County borough is temporarily closing its office as complaints flow in about what the mayor said after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.     Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the Friday News Roundup! Today's topics include how Philly may have improperly spent federal opioid settlement money in Kensington, and the "extended-day, extended-year" school pilot program. Plus, two bold porch pirates fight over a package in Berks County. Host Trenae Nuri is joined by Larry Platt, co-founder at The Philadelphia Citizen, and Sammy Caiola, special projects reporter at Kensington Voice.  Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journalism:  Video captures dueling porch pirates race to steal package outside Berks County home Philly's use of some opioid dollars for Kensington is “non-compliant,” per state trust. Future funding is in question.  Get arrested for drugs in Kensington? Here's a chart that explains the process. ‘Don't fall on a needle': When you're a kid in Kensington, it's not safe to play outside Mayor Cherelle Parker unveils details of Philadelphia schools' ‘extended-day, extended-year' pilot The Philadelphia mayor's plan for year-round school is taking shape. What will it look like?  Catch Sammy at the Improvised Tony Awards at the SideQuest Theater this weekend! Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Philly. We're also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us @citycastphilly. Have a question or just want to share some thoughts with the team? Leave us a voicemail at 215-259-8170.  Learn more about the sponsors of this June 28th episode: Tecovas Babbel Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Berks County school district will keep a new board member who had “Heil Hitler” and a swastika in faded paint on her garage door for several years. It's the latest in a string of controversies for Oley Valley School District.  A new lawsuit alleges Pennsylvania doesn't adequately fund its public defender system. Getting on and off the Turnpike is going to look a little different in a few years. America's first superhighway is switching to open road tolling -  meaning cars will be scanned without needing to slow down. Harrisburg plans to boost its police presence downtown, in the wake of two high-profile shootings in recent weeks.  The Board of Trustees at Harrisburg Area Community College has announced that the school will begin following the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act as part of a settlement deal with HACC's faculty union.    Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two school boards in Berks County are dealing with separate controversies over hateful symbolism.  Close to 400 faculty and staff at Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses -- including facilities in Harrisburg, York, Mont Alto, and Reading --have accepted buyouts. Voters can now request mail-in ballots for the fall. The Department of State streamlined the application process and opened the request portal two months earlier than in 2020.  This summer is expected to be hotter than normal across the state. Some Pennsylvanians can get free window air conditioning units and central A/C repairs through the state.  LGBTQ people face particular health challenges. A statewide survey aims to find solutions.   Another three people from Central Pennsylvania have been arrested in connection to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. A retired midstate police chief has been sentenced to nine months of house arrest after being convicted of stealing nearly seven-thousand dollars from a Northumberland County fire company.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the American Dream fading as fast as people say it is? How are current real estate trends and the overall market contributing to the degradation of the U.S. economy? Brad Weisman, a Keller Williams Platinum Realty agent, joins the podcast to share his thoughts… Brad has been a realtor since 1992. With more than 30 years of experience selling residential real estate in the surrounding Berks County, Pennsylvania area, he understands the magic of buying and selling homes better than most. On top of facilitating life-changing experiences for others, Brad is on a mission to provide exceptional, personalized service for all of his clients – and in this conversation, he gives us a glimpse of his unique approach to navigating today's challenging market conditions. Tune in to explore: How Brad got his start in real estate.  The main issue in real estate right now.  What would happen if interest rates drop.  How the 2008 economic crisis is still impacting the current real estate market.  Whether you're looking to buy your first home, invest in rental properties, or simply stay informed about the latest market trends, this episode is packed with practical advice and expert perspectives. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from an experienced professional in the industry! To learn more about Brad and his work, visit his website here. You can also hear him hosting his own podcast here! Take advantage of a 5% discount on Ekster accessories by using the code FINDINGGENIUS. Enhance your style and functionality with premium accessories. Visit bit.ly/3uiVX9R to explore latest collection. Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C

[00:00:00] Karen Marsdale: I might be a little bit averse to risks, but because I learned so early on by being really naive and thinking that my husband and I could run a business that really needed a lot more cash flow and ready cash that we just didn't have. [00:00:13] Karen Marsdale: But because I failed and from that failure, we created success. And when I say success, we were able to get back on track and work hard and buy a house and send our kids to college. And, that early failure made me feel that if I could do that and come back from it, I'm not really afraid to fail. [00:00:38] Tommy Thomas: This week, we're resuming the conversation we started last week with Karen Marsdale, the co-director of Hannah's Hope in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Hannah's Hope is dedicated to helping women with children who are facing homelessness in Berks County. The primary focus is on women, who despite their current situation, sheltered potential and determination to rebuild their lives. Karen will also explain how she and her co-director have split senior leadership duties to play to their individual strengths. While this sometimes leads to complications, it's working wonderfully at Hannah's Hope. Let's pick up where we left off last week. [00:01:25] Tommy Thomas: Give us a thumbnail sketch of Hannah's Hope and the trust that y'all have there in Berks County. [00:01:31] Karen Marsdale: Okay, so I'm just going to give a little bit of an educational piece here for about two minutes in the world of homelessness. And we see it of course now. It's front and center everywhere we go in terms of, media or, in seeing people on the street. There's a continuum of homelessness. [00:01:51] Karen Marsdale: And we teach people all the time that when you see one homeless person, there are people in the continuum that are chronically homeless. Those might be people who are addicted and they don't want to give up their addiction. They're going to be on the street. They're going to be in tent camps. [00:02:06] Karen Marsdale: They're not going to be moved into the next .They're not somebody who has had one thing happen. And now they have become homeless. Then you have people who are homeless because of an incident or something that's happened in their life and they need a certain amount of care. [00:02:23] Karen Marsdale: What we do at Hannah's is very focused on women with children who are in that place where they have abilities. And we have a very robust application process, three interviews. One of the interviews usually encompasses our trauma therapist, because she's getting from the where is this person in their mental health? [00:02:48] Karen Marsdale: How do we check their mental health? We look at where they've been in terms of, have they ever had a job? So women that come to us and I say this, and it might sound a bit on feeling, but we're looking for women who you would say would be the advanced placement or the A+ women who find themselves in a homeless situation who really have the ability, the grit. [00:03:12] Karen Marsdale: And again, when I say ability, it's not just the want to, but do they have the ability to learn skills that can help them to get a a job or go to classes that they can get training, some sort of basic training so that they can get a living wage job. So our goal is to take women for 12 to 18 months, teach them life skills. [00:03:35] Karen Marsdale: Business skills, all the skills that they need. It can be things like even how to clean, how to cook. Essentially they might not have some of these skills, but they have some of them and they've not learned all of them. But we want to get them to a place ultimately where they can live independently for the rest of their lives with their children without necessarily having a mate. And one of the biggest problems that we see, particularly with women with children, and this is why there's domestic violence and abuse, is the fact that they've never had the background, or they've never had the family environment where they've been loved, nurtured, and cared for. [00:04:24] Karen Marsdale: So they're always looking for love, as the saying goes, in all the wrong places. And it really, in the world of trauma, is called a trauma bond. So when people say, why does she keep going back to a domestic issue? It's because that's a bond she has, and to some degree, a woman feels comfortable there. [00:04:42] Karen Marsdale: And she very well could have seen her mother, her grandmother. It is now generational, probably three generations of homelessness. And when I say homelessness, it's, it could be, I'm living with an aunt. I'm living with somebody who acts as a relative in the Hispanic community, especially which we deal with a great deal of, there's always these extended family people who are not really relatives. [00:05:07] Karen Marsdale: So I'm living on my aunt's couch. I'm living with my cousin. That is homelessness. So they may have been living that way, all their lives with a parent. So we're very selective. If a woman has an addiction issue, we are not a facility to be able to help them with that. [00:05:28] Karen Marsdale: We try to guide them to the right places in our community, but we have a very narrow band of what we're looking for in Hannah's Hope, because we really want you to be a success, and we're looking for those who can be successful. So it's vetting. It's a vetting process. I like to say, and when I talk briefly about this, I'll say, three women in the past 12 months have bought their own homes. [00:05:52] Karen Marsdale: And these are women who would say, I never thought I could even own a car. Or even get a license. Our program is, like I said, it's very robust. They have to be in programming four nights a week, in other words, classes, budgeting, parenting, trauma therapy, Bible study, and spiritual growth. [00:06:16] Karen Marsdale: And then there's always things going on beyond that. They have responsibilities like cooking for the house. So that could be up to 18 to 20 people that they're cooking for a couple times a month. Taking turns, they have to clean, they have to clean the entire home, which is two levels. [00:06:32] Karen Marsdale: It's not easy. And then they have to go to work and then they have to be in class and their children are in classes. We feel that one of the problems in the whole shelter movement that has happened is sometimes it's been more about the women than the children. [00:06:50] Karen Marsdale: So children are just drug along and they're in as much trauma as the parent. So we help the children if they need extra services through school or through some of the resources in the community. We just had a little guy who came in who was nonverbal. He is now getting extra help. [00:07:07] Karen Marsdale: We found out he was actually tongue tied, literally. So he has to have the tongue snipped to be able to really speak. And he's doing fabulously. But I would say in most shelters, he would just be sitting in the room, maybe going to get daycare or whatever, but he wouldn't have a case manager, at his age. [00:07:27] Karen Marsdale: So we try to, because every child that comes to us is always below what they should be in terms of their age range. So they're navigating and learning at a much lower level than they should be. And that's just because they've been homeless and drugged from one couch to another for their lifetime. [00:07:46] Tommy Thomas: In your current work and probably back at the chamber you had some experience in developing the next generation of leaders. Give me, from your perspective, give me some keys to bringing this next generation along. [00:07:59] Karen Marsdale: That's a good question. And, again there's I think I, this was just intuitively who I was. [00:08:08] Karen Marsdale: I want to give opportunity to folks, and particularly in the work I've done, it's been primarily women, although I've had men who've worked under me. I want people to grow and to learn how to lead themselves, meaning I want to give them responsibility, according to what their skills are right now, and give them the opportunity to feel like they can make some of those decisions that they need to make to become a leader that I know they could be. [00:08:45] Karen Marsdale: And if I hired somebody that wasn't up to that kind of skill level, maybe they were great at doing another type of job. And I was always looking for those who probably didn't know within themselves that they had the ability to do much more than they thought they could. [00:09:02] Karen Marsdale: So I'm looking at what I always said. I don't want you to come to me with a problem. I want you to identify a problem and then come to me with a solution. And then you will then exercise on that. And that problem will be solved because you solved it. [00:09:22] Karen Marsdale: And then you could execute according to what you've uncovered and discovered. [00:09:28] Karen Marsdale: Even if somebody fails, a few times of doing this and they come back and say I thought that this was the answer. You say let's go back and relook at what went wrong in the process. And I just, I'm going to have to do this right. [00:09:40] Karen Marsdale: Currently with a situation that I just found out about this morning. And I'm thinking in my mind of how I'm going to go to this individual and say, you jumped the gun on this and this is the outcome. And I had to step in and take care of it. But how could we have, how could you have done it differently next time? [00:09:59] Karen Marsdale: And I always felt, and years later, people will say, to do it. You are such a mentor to me and I take that so that's such a compliment. I take that with a lot of humility because, you have an expectation as a leader from whomever you're reporting to. And so those behind you, you really have an expectation for them and if they don't deliver, it's on you, it's not on them. [00:10:23] Karen Marsdale: But I just think like that, that confidence that they have, that you have their back. You are loyal and especially, they've earned it, so you have to earn it, but it's that loyalty, it's that humility, it's leading from behind, making sure they have the opportunity. I've had women go on to do much more complicated things and in larger companies than I did. [00:10:49] Karen Marsdale: But they said, you were the one that gave me this feeling of confidence that I could do it. [00:10:56] Karen Marsdale: Does that make sense? [00:10:58] Tommy Thomas: It does. And it reminds me of an article I read on team building. And the writer said, identify your evangelist, those people in your obsession who love to work, work for them is not a job, but a source of excitement, reward them, give them a platform. [00:11:13] Tommy Thomas: So you would resonate with that? [00:11:16] Karen Marsdale: Absolutely. And you know what, is a leader born or do you make a leader? And I think it's a bit of both. But someone has to come with an innate desire that work is a passion and they don't watch the clock. And it's not that you ever take advantage of people, but you'll sense them. [00:11:38] Karen Marsdale: You'll sense who they are. You're evangelists. And then you work with them. There's nothing, there's no greater reward or feeling to see those evangelists do really well. [00:11:50] Tommy Thomas: Do you have a favorite interview question or an interview question that's really worked to help you get below the surface? [00:11:59] Karen Marsdale: When I get below the surface, I will ask somebody, why would you want to come to work here? [00:12:04] Karen Marsdale: Is there something about this place? When we get into ministry work, I think it's a little bit different because there is absolutely no denying that people have to come. Because this is a calling. It's not a job, but they also have to have the skills. If you're a case manager, you have to have those skills, but then you come because there's something here. [00:12:31] Karen Marsdale: And I've had people say that there is something here that is different from where I've worked in the secular world and at the chamber. I think, again, because we were so much part of the community and people knew us, saw us. Were involved with us, whether it be my company's involved and I bond and they people I'd love to work at the chamber and I think oftentimes they would think it's just, oh, you could just go to meetings and you meet with people and your network is let me tell you about the work that happens behind the screen. [00:13:03] Karen Marsdale: There again, I would ask somebody, why would you, why do you really want to come here to work. And that answer is very important. Very important. [00:13:14] Tommy Thomas: Let's go to employee turnover for a minute. What have you done over time to reduce or mitigate employee turnover? [00:13:23] Karen Marsdale: I'm going to say, and I feel very how can I say, I didn't have a lot of employee turnover, either at the chamber. [00:13:33] Karen Marsdale: We're now at Hannah's Hope and I've been at Hannah's for about five to six years in this position of first interim director and now co-director. And I think it's because I feel I have a pretty good ability to hire well. And when I've not, when I've had a, okay, we really have to have someone in this position. [00:13:54] Karen Marsdale: I've not found my evangelist. I have not found my A player, but I'm going to hire B. It typically, down the road, it's, we have to have a parting of the ways. And the turnover primarily, I will tell you in the chamber for me was because we were such a unique organization that people got so much exposure in the community, in the business, and even the nonprofit community that when someone came in and they started to develop and people would see who they were and what they were doing, people just picked them off. [00:14:34] Karen Marsdale: And I had more, there were more times that I'd have somebody come into my office, particularly women, close the door and start to cry and say, Karen, I got this great offer from, and I'm like, that is wonderful. That is great. That's what I want for you. Make sure they pay you what you're worth, so that I think and at Hannah's we've had very little turnover. [00:14:54] Karen Marsdale: I've had to say goodbye to one individual, but I gave this person a lot of, I wanted to coach and mentor, and she didn't want that. And we came to a place that just, it wasn't going to work. [00:15:08] Tommy Thomas: It's been said that we learn a lot when we fail. And if that's the case, why are most of us so afraid to fail? [00:15:16] Karen Marsdale: I think it's ego. I think it's fear. I think it's what will I ever do if I fail? And so that, therefore I think people don't take risks. And I might be a little bit averse to risks, but because I learned so early on by being really naive and thinking that, my husband and I could run a business that really needed a lot more cash flow and ready cash that we just didn't have. [00:15:40] Karen Marsdale: But because I failed and from that failure, we created success. And when I say success, we were able to get back on track and work hard and buy a house and send our kids to college. And, that early failure made me feel that if I could do that and come back from it, I'm not really afraid to fail. [00:16:04] Karen Marsdale: I really have really very little ego. The biggest challenge I will tell you, in my years of both in chamber work a little bit in corporate work, small business. And now in the world that I'm living in at Hannah's is my almost fear of failure. [00:16:23] Karen Marsdale: Because Hannah's Hope, about six and a half, seven years ago was not in a good place financially. We knew what we were doing in terms of what our mission was, but we relied too much and this is so non profit, this can be the case. [00:16:46] Karen Marsdale: Leaning on a few people financially and not worrying or not doing the work that you always have to do, which is knock on a thousand doors and ask a thousand people to help you do this work together, and so we weren't very well known. We didn't have a lot of income coming in on a routine basis, like monthly donors, etc. [00:17:06] Karen Marsdale: And we had to start from scratch with that, and, my name is behind it, and I know a lot of people, so I will not fail. We cannot fail at this. And it's a little bit challenging for me right now. I think I have a little bit of PTSD, and we're doing very well and  we've got great outcomes. [00:17:27] Karen Marsdale: We'd like to have a hundred percent, but we're dealing with people and people in very critical places in life. So you're not going to, not every woman is going to want to stick with this program and become and they want independence, but they don't want to work hard enough for it. [00:17:42] Karen Marsdale: But fear of failure is, I think the thing that has, it has led some people to not have, not do the things that they really, that God has given them the gifts to do. Because they're just too comfortable. [00:18:01] Tommy Thomas: If you were writing a book on the burdens of leadership that only the CEO can bear, what would be some of the chapters in your book? [00:18:15] Karen Marsdale: I think the first would be and you've heard this, but it's lonely at the top or how, what does it mean when the buck stops with you? What does that really mean? Do you want that? Or, like a whole chapter on when things happen, it rolls downhill and you're going to have it. [00:18:40] Karen Marsdale: I think another, and I, my mother always said to me, and it's scriptural, like there's nothing new under the sun. So when you look at things, you need to understand that a leader is one who can, how can you find your evangelist? And then how do you know when to get out of the way and let them lead? [00:19:05] Karen Marsdale: I have seen more people because of ego and self importance. So this is really a lesson for a leader and a CEO. How do I make sure that I'm hiring people that could be smarter than me and be secure with that, be secure to hire better people than yourself. So those are a couple chapters that I would have. [00:19:33] Tommy Thomas: You have the current role of current director at Hannah's and I've seen that work before and and I've seen it not work. Sure. How are y'all doing it? [00:19:44] Karen Marsdale: We just incorporated this model as of January. And I will tell you really, again a young woman was, everyone's young to me. [00:19:53] Karen Marsdale: So she's in her forties. She's primed to want, this is a passion of hers. She's got a lot of skills that she probably didn't even realize she had. And so really what I'm doing, Tommy, is we've fallen into this where she works. She works really in the clinical, I might say, like managing the case manager. [00:20:15] Karen Marsdale: And again, we're small. The org chart isn't very deep. So I try to find myself being her mentor. And she'll make a decision or she'll make a suggestion or, and she'll be, and it'll be more in the clinical sort of the mom's suggestion, like how are we managing this individual? [00:20:36] Karen Marsdale: And every day, because we're so deep with these families in every aspect of their lives, that things will come up that we have to discuss and make a decision on but I will let Mary, even if we disagree slightly, I'll let her make that decision. And I'm trying to stay in the world of development, making connections. [00:20:59] Karen Marsdale: Doing what I naturally did at the chamber. I just did all of that, but staying away from her area of having made decisions about them. When I say clinical, that's talking about case management and what the area that is not my wheelhouse. Some of it you become to know, you come to know pieces because it's just logical and intuitive with an application but we work very well together because ultimately, and this is where I think there's a little bit of a difference between, in there's another nonprofit in our area, which is quite large. [00:21:34] Karen Marsdale: And they have co directors, and I actually met with the one gal, the one co director, a couple of months ago, and I was actually on some things that we were, I wanted to get clarity on what they were doing, because they sent a woman to us, and it was not a good ending. And so I said, Peggy, how does it work with you and your co director? [00:21:53] Karen Marsdale: And she said they had an executive director for years, she and this other woman were doing parts of the in parts of the organization, which were very different parts. And she said when the executive director retired, the executive director came and said, I think you two would make great co directors because you work well together. [00:22:12] Karen Marsdale: You both have your own areas of expertise and it's worked well. And the one is most definitely the face of that organization. And that often happens too. And particularly in nonprofit work, and I've said this to our board when they would say your interim now, isn't about time we get a director. [00:22:31] Karen Marsdale: And I said, first of all, we're faith based. I believe that God brings the fruit. God will bring the right person. I may not be able to find them. It's not like that, I'm looking for an accountant and I'm in an accounting firm. When Mary came, it was a, God, this is the next executive director, or the next director, when I really can move into, or, again, I want her to be the director, and I think that, that is what we're doing, we're very open. [00:23:00] Karen Marsdale: Mary, you'll need to take the helm and run this organization. Whether I'm behind you doing some work for you or whether the Lord takes me home or whatever, it's our plan. And this is our succession plan really. [00:23:21] Karen Marsdale: And boy, you know what, it's like when people don't have a succession plan in a business, particularly small to midsize family owned businesses. So that's why I look at the co director and we keep saying we've got to sit down. We're running with scissors. But we've got to sit down and say, okay, this is really my area. [00:23:39] Karen Marsdale: Karen's area. This is Mary's area, but we just intertwined so well. And she really feels and says, because people will come up and say, you're very fortunate to have Karen as your, you know, mentor. And she knows it. And I'm not saying that. Please know I'm not bragging. [00:23:56] Karen Marsdale: So does that make sense to you? It's really a succession plan. But in order to have her seen in the community as my equal, I felt we needed co directorship titles. [00:24:14] Tommy Thomas: It sounds like you got, yeah, your example and your friend's example, you got two of them in the area that seemed to be working. [00:24:21] Tommy Thomas: So that's good news. [00:24:24] Karen Marsdale: Yes, it doesn't always work. And because honestly, and truly, I, very rarely would I ever say that I've seen the only time I've seen businesses where they won't make a decision, particularly in family owned businesses where succession planning, and nobody wants to say, where my husband worked for a company like this, and actually our last governor of the state was, it was his family owned business, they could not make a decision on who would be president so they rotated two brothers and a brother in law. [00:24:54] Karen Marsdale: That was a disaster and of course it would be. And so I would be more leery of that than I am. You know when it's right. But most times it's not up to say that. [00:25:06] Tommy Thomas: Yeah. So you serve obviously at the chamber, you work with boards. You report to a board. Now you serve on several boards. How did your first nonprofit board come to pass?  [00:25:15] Karen Marsdale: The first nonprofit board and because the chamber is nonprofit, I did a stint for about a year and a half as the interim president of the chamber because we had a CEO that left through marriage and a move and nobody was in place when this all happened. So the search committee took about a little over a year to find some of them. [00:25:45] Karen Marsdale: So that was my first board, the chamber board. [00:25:49] Karen Marsdale: It was pretty overwhelming. It was a good board. And the reality was the chamber was very well run. And the role of the board versus the role of the staff was very defined. So there was not an issue there. [00:26:02] Karen Marsdale: So I think I sailed into a place where it was just, I needed to make sure that everything was being kept very much in alignment with what had been done well for so long. And I think it was really the first CEO that I worked for who really made that happen. [00:26:24] Karen Marsdale: And working at the chamber, we also did a lot of work with nonprofits. We partnered on a lot of things with others like universities in the area who do nonprofit courses and our community foundation that does a lot with, how do you create a good board? [00:26:38] Karen Marsdale: How do you manage? What's the role of a board? So I had seen terrible situations. And seeing nonprofits dissolve, that's probably the biggest issue. And especially today because people don't want to volunteer. Going to paid boards is a whole different ball game, but too many nonprofits are not training their board of directors to know this is what you do. And this is what you don't do. And the two should not be confused. With the chamber board, I was a little, I just was always just hyper vigilant when it came to, okay, what needs to be done, get that agenda and all the notes out on time, make sure that everything is everybody's ready to report. [00:27:35] Karen Marsdale: It was a couple million dollars in operating budget and so it was not complicated, but for me, I just stepped into the role. I wasn't mentored into the role. [00:27:51] Tommy Thomas: Yeah, give me, maybe give me some words and phrases that would describe a good board chair. [00:27:57] Karen Marsdale: First of all they know that they are the major advocate for this organization. [00:28:03] Karen Marsdale: They represent the organization to the public. They're also in the role of being a board chair, you want every one of your board members to understand and make sure that they clearly understand. Their position, their role. And this is very hard. [00:28:20] Karen Marsdale: It's volunteers. Don't like to tell other volunteers, when you pay somebody, you can tell them they're not doing a good job and they better do it or else, there's going to be consequences. It's hard for a volunteer to tell another volunteer, but I think they have to have the ability to say, you know what, Joe, you've missed three meetings, do you feel like perhaps you don't have enough time for this board? [00:28:39] Karen Marsdale: Because this is not acceptable. So a good board, a good chairman of the board makes sure that the board is doing what a board does. You don't do the job of the staff. You never call a staff person directly. You talk to the executive director or the director. [00:29:02] Karen Marsdale: And a good board chair person always protects. And this is when things are running well and everybody's really doing their job. You always protect your executive director, president whatever the lead person is in your organization. Now, I will tell you, Tommy, this is where we have not, the thing that we're doing, and again, we're a young organization, Hannah's Hope. [00:29:26] Karen Marsdale: We are constantly looking for, I would say, more qualified people on our board. And I actually act as the board president too, which really is not the best scenario. So I'm always cognizant of making sure that our board, which is only seven people, is very much aware of everything that I'm doing. [00:30:10] Karen Marsdale: I want to make sure that they're aware of everything that we're doing and so that they can feel very comfortable that they don't have to get involved. And it's really, it's an art and a skill to create a really good working board. [00:30:29] Karen Marsdale: And there's a difference between the working board and an advisory board. And some of our folks think they're just advising. And so I've had to very diplomatically say we're going to expect some action on your part when it comes to, say an event or something of that nature, or fundraising, and every board member should be able to make an ask for your organization and not say I don't know anybody. [00:30:58] Tommy Thomas: So let's bring this thing to a close. I got 2, 3, 4, shorter questions. Maybe. What's the best compliment anybody's ever paid you? [00:31:10] Karen Marsdale: I think the compliment I've been paid from an individual was I am just so grateful that you stepped in to Hannah's Hope and turned the ship around. [00:31:29] Tommy Thomas: What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given? [00:31:34] Karen Marsdale: There was a man who ran a steel company here. They had probably about 5,000 employees. And one time, this is just so simple, but it's so true. And he said, you get in trouble for what you say. Not for what you don't say. And that might just sound very basic. But when you think about people will say things, and if you move that down the path, sometimes it can be very, you don't mean to do it, but you're gossiping, you're throwing someone under the bus. [00:32:09] Karen Marsdale: This man happened to be a believer and he was just so well respected in our community. But he was speaking at the chamber. He said, I learned a long time ago, you get in trouble for what you say and not for what you don't say. [00:32:21] Karen Marsdale: So if you think it's not worth saying, if you think I shouldn't say this, don't say it. And that's easy, it can be a big part of life. [00:32:33] Tommy Thomas: If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you say? [00:32:40] Karen Marsdale: I guess I would say have confidence in yourself. [00:32:44] Karen Marsdale: You're going to be something that you never thought you were going to be, or could be. And, so there again, it goes back to the fear of failure. And never giving up. [00:32:58] Tommy Thomas: Thank you for joining us today. If you are a first-time listener, I hope you will subscribe and become a regular. You can find links to all the episodes at our website www.jobfitmatters.com/podcast. If there are topics you'd like for me to explore, my email address is tthomas@jobfitmatters.com.  Word of mouth has been identified as the most valuable form of marketing. Surveys tell us that consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising. If you've heard something today that's worth passing on, please share it with others. You're already helping me make something special for the next generation of nonprofit leaders. I'll be back next week with a new episode. Until then, stay the course on our journey to help make the nonprofit sector more effective and sustainable. Links and Resources JobfitMatters Website Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas The Perfect Search – What every board needs to know about hiring their next CEO Connect tthomas@jobfitmatters.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn Listen to Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify 

For Mental Health Awareness Month, this episode of Cow-Side Conversations showcases how a unique friendship started years ago helps a small group of farm women located across the state balance the highs and lows of farming and family life. Katie Sattazahn and her family farm in Womelsdorf, Berks County, while Jessica Slaymaker and her husband farm in Columbia Crossroads, Tioga County. They share their perspective on why making space and grace for your mental wellness matters on the farm. 

Thomas Gery, a common man with uncommon experiences lives in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Army with duty in Vietnam. As a social worker he helped children, youth, and adults in a variety of practice venues and situations throughout a work life of 40 years. Married with two adult children and two grandchildren, he is currently writing his life's story to provide answers to questions his kids will never ask. His first two published stories appeared in Personal Story Publishing Project—Lost & Found, spring 2023 and Sooner or Later, fall 2023.

Devin joins on the podcast today to talk about his Crosstrek, his vinyl business, Berks County Subaru Enthusiasts, and the people he enjoys spending time with.Links from the show, links to sponsors and discount partners, and ways to support the podcast:Crosstrek Jedihttps://www.instagram.com/crosstrek_jedi/ B-rad Vinyl Industrieshttps://www.instagram.com/brad_vinyl_industries/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Subie & YOU! Podcast Website!!https://subieandyoupodcast.com/ Rep your favorite podcast with some Subie & YOU! Podcast gear!!  Also on the website you will find all the episodes, reviews from Apple Podcast, the About page, and a place to purchase car decals to show your love for the podcast by adding a decal, which we know adds 5 HP to your Subaru!!- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Sponsors of the Podcast:Subaru GearUse code subieandyou24 to get 20% off your purchase!Get FREE shipping for orders over $50 after 20% discount!Website:https://subarugear.com/ REIKA VSUse code SubieYou10 for 10% off purchases!Subie & YOU! on Reika VS Website:reikavs.com/subieandyou/  Accentrek DesignsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/accentrek.designs/ Website:https://www.accentrekdesigns.com/ Mele Design FirmUse code Subie+You on select Rally Spec products and Subaru products to get 5% off your purchase!Website:https://meledesignfirm.com/ New Crosstrek Battery Mount:https://meledesignfirm.com/products/subaru-crosstrek-group-35-mount - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Other Brands Offering DiscountsOrbis Overlanding10% discount off Orbis Overlanding and partnering car products(excludes apparel)Discount code: subieandyou Website:www.orbisoverlanding.com/  Spider No Drill Roof RackUse code subieandyou to get 10% off a rack for your Subie!!https://www.spiderroofrack.com/ YescomUSA10% off awning with LED light bar.Discount code: SUBIE&YOU10Website:www.yescomusa.com/  

The Maryland Air National Guard will no long fly low-level training flights over the PA Wilds.  Legislation passed by the state Senate would let energy companies bypass state agencies when securing a permit to build. Governor Josh Shapiro's proposed budget includes a significant increase in funding to reduce gun violence in communities. Ethnic intimidation charges have been filed against a Carlisle man for posting an anti-Semitic note at the door of the Asbell Center for Jewish Life at Dickinson College. Berks County is investigating an allegation of voter fraud that came to light during a choir practice. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's podcast takes us to a hempcrete workshop in Barto, Pennsylvania. That's where Cameron McIntosh of Americhanvre Cast-Hemp hosted a four-day hands-on training session to teach the basics of the spray-applied method of hempcrete installation using the Ereasy system. Training began Saturday morning at McIntosh's shop at a farm in Berks County. With a total of 14 participants and four assistant instructors, he said, “this is our single biggest training.” Attendees traveled from around the country and the world, including Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, California, and British Columbia. Damien Baumer, who developed the Ereasy Spray-Applied system in 2014, traveled from his village in France to help McIntosh with the training. Baumer said his system is not in wide use in France, but is used in many other European countries, and now has a strong footprint in America, thanks to McIntosh. McIntosh's company, Americhanvre (a mash-up of America and the French word for hemp, chanvre), is the authorized North America distributor of the Ereasy system, and there are now more Ereasy systems in use in America than in the inventor's home country. Baumer is happy to see the growth in America, and said through a translator, “Cameron's a warrior who's been fighting for the last three years to make this happen.” Earlier this year, Americhanvre was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Army for $1.9 million. While the training isn't directly related to the grant, McIntosh sees the connection. The purpose of the SBIR program, he said, “is to commercialize your technology and your company, not only in the private sector, but also publicly.” Attendees get more than basic instruction on how to run the spray machine. “We also teach estimating and bidding. We teach accounting, we give the participants tools that they would need not only to run the system, but also to run a successful business around it,” McIntosh said. The Ereasy system is simple in its design and function. Hemp hurds are mixed with lime and water in a hopper. That slurry is then pushed through tubes by a large air compressor while the lance operator sprays the wet hempcrete mixture at a wall or, in this case, an SIP panel, which can then be used in construction. Attendees sprayed over 30 panels during the course of the workshop. Denzel Sutherland Wilson traveled from Gitxsan Nation in north British Columbia. “I came to learn how to spray hempcrete and just see if this would be something that could help us back where I come (from),” he said. Wilson is from the community of Kispiox, which sits at the confluence of the Skeena and Kispiox rivers. It's surrounded by mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. “We have a lot of poorly insulated and overcrowded houses and mold issues,” he said. “And this hemp seems like it could address a lot of issues in the housing realm.” He also said he finds great inspiration from the work the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota is doing with hempcrete, where the tribe is building houses for community members in need. Danny Desjarlais is the head builder at Lower Sioux and was on hand at the workshop to assist in the training. Desjarlais and his team have built three hempcrete houses in the past year and they are gearing up to build more. He sees hemp construction as a way to rebuild rural communities around the country. “For any community that wants to give their community members jobs and even better homes or whatever product you're going to make with it,” he said, “the potential for the jobs is there and the potential to take back your community.” On this week's podcast, we meet the people at the workshop. Why did they sign up? What did they learn? All that, plus a tour of a hempcrete house in Pottstown. On this episode we talk to the following people: Cameron McIntosh Damien Baumer Navid Hatfield Danny Desjarlais Tim Callahan Henry Valles Dani Baker Denzel Sutherland Wilson Cliff the Gardener Tina Jones John Price Learn More about Hempcrete: US Hemp Builders Association https://ushba.org/ Hemp Building Institute https://www.hempbuildinginstitute.org/ Americhanvre Cast-Hemp https://americhanvre.com/ Lower Sioux Indian Community https://lowersioux.com/ New Nuggets US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it'll remain controlled substance https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-biden-dea-criminal-justice-pot-f833a8dae6ceb31a8658a5d65832a3b8 21st EIHA Conference in Prague https://eiha-conference.org/ Hempwood, the coolest thing made in Kentucky https://hempwood.com/ Thanks to Our Sponsors! IND HEMP https://indhemp.com/ King's Agriseeds https://kingsagriseeds.com/ Forever Green https://www.hempcutter.com/ Music courtesy of Tin Bird Shadow https://tinbirdshadow.bandcamp.com/album/dot-dot-dot

State House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler is facing a strong GOP primary challenge from Lancaster County business owner Dave Nissley. Democracy is front in center in the race for the 10th Congressional seat, held by Republican Scott Perry.   My colleague Jordan Wilkie has asked each candidate - including Perry who is unopposed in the primary - what their messaging on democracy is. Today, he reports on Democrat Mike O'Brien. The deaths of three highway construction workers on Interstate 83 in York County is offering a reminder for drivers to use extra care in work zones.  An arrest warrant is out for Democratic state Representative Kevin Boyle of Philadelphia for allegedly violating a restraining order. A federal judge is giving state utility regulators seven days to turn over inspection records in the investigation into a fatal explosion at a chocolate factory in Berks County.  Governor Josh Shapiro and his top human services official say the administration has a plan to end a waiting list of thousands of families who are considered to be in dire need of help for an intellectually disabled adult relative.  President Joe Biden has told an audience of cheering unionized steelworkers in Pittsburgh his administration will block the acquisition of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company.   Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voters are casting ballots in narrowly divided Pennsylvania for next week's primary..  Democracy is a key theme in the 2024 election, from state House to president.   The issue is front in center in the race for the 10th Congressional seat, held by Republican Scott Perry. Democratic state lawmakers are trying to boost the state's minimum wage. Several child care programs have recently closed or will close soon in Centre County.  Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen hit his 300th home run -- becoming the became the 13th player in Major League history with 2,000 hits, 400 doubles, 45 triples, 300 homers and 200 stolen bases. The oldest living conjoined twins, who were born in Berks County, have died in Pennsylvania at age 62.  Federal investigators say the pilot of an experimental aircraft fell out of the plane and hit the tail before it went down in Luzene County in 2022. Now last week, you heard a series of stories from my colleague Rachel McDevitt -- about Centralia, Washington, and how it's taking a unique approach to the upcoming shut down of a coal plant next year. The goal was to find out if there are any lessons Pennsylvania can learn from the effort. Rachel discusses what she learned.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For fifty years, Gift of Life Donor Program has helped organ and tissue recipients off the transplant wait list with their growing donation network. Five years after North Philly rapper and hip-hop recording artist Freeway received a kidney, he's raising awareness about routine physicals and organ donation with his music and Freedom Thinkers Academy. Then, Shara Dae Howard takes a ride-along at Berks County's Maple Grove Raceway, which hosts national races, monster trucks, car shows and more. (Gift of Life Organ Donor Program is the sponsor of Bridging Philly.)  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Centre County commissioners plan to buy a $19,500 columbarium to house unclaimed urns. New federal regulations take effect today to make treatment for opioid use disorder more patient-centered. Black and Latino Americans are up to two times as likely as whites to develop Alzheimer's and related dementias. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 5-0 for the first time since 1983. The superintendent of a Berks County school district plans to resign.  A central Pennsylvania community's tribute to veterans who served in the Second World War will get a facelift.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state House is sending another piece of firearms legislation to the Senate -- this time to ban the purchase, sale and production of untraceable gun parts. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt has toured two election bureaus in Northeastern Pennsylvania to learn how the state can support the offices. More than 280,000 Pennsylvanians are living with Alzheimer's disease -- according to a new report for the Alzheimer's Association. Investigators say mailed bomb threats that resulted in the evacuation of parts of downtown Lancaster on Saturday likely originated outside the United States. More than $2 million  in state grants will be used to reduce gun violence in Berks County.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of “The Journey of My Mother's Son” podcast, I sit down to talk with Freddy X. Vásquez. Freddy is the owner of FXV Digital Design, host of the Fred Talks podcast, but most importantly a great friend. He has had me as a guest on his show twice and getting him onto my show has been a ling time coming, but we finally got it done. Our conversation covers a broad range of topics from building out a team in business, changing and growing as a human, our mutual love of the game of baseball, and just about everything in between. I always love having friends on my show.  The connection always shines through the conversation and this one was certainly no different. Freddy is an amazing guy who loves giving back and making a difference in his community. To find out more about Freddy and his business, check out his website at https://fxvdigital.com/. To learn more about some the amazing philanthropic work that he and his team are doing back in Berks County, check out, https://www.awesometoydrive.com/.

Timothy reads a broadside ballad from 1809 which tells the sad story of Susanna Cox, a poor young woman from Berks County, Pennsylvania, who may or may not have killed her infant and was hanged for the crime. Alison adds commentary, telling us which parts of the ballad are true, and tries to put together the details of the short life of Susanna Cox.If you would prefer a one-time payment to help us out, here is a PayPal.me link - you can change the number 25 in the URL to any amount: https://www.paypal.me/timothyrenner/25Our Strange Familiars / Lost Grave etsy shop has art, books, patches, t-shirts, and more ... including original art done for Strange Familiars: https://lostgrave.etsy.comEpisode 419 notes and links:Episode artwork by Timothy. Here is the original:You can purchase the original illustration at etsy: https://lostgrave.etsy.com/listing/1571375935Strange Familiars Curiosity of the Week #99: Medical Model/IUDYou can purchase this item in our etsy shop: https://lostgrave.etsy.com/listing/1557192768Riverbend Comics: https://www.riverbendcomics.comDepartment of Truth #15 variant with Timothy's artwork on sale at Riverbend: https://www.riverbendcomics.com/products/dot15?_pos=3&_sid=220198f8e&_ss=rRiverbend Comics Instagram: @riverbendcomicsTimothy's books: https://www.amazon.com/Timothy-Renner/e/B072X44SD5Strange Familiars ‘Awoken Tree' t-shirts are available in our Etsy shop: https://lostgrave.etsy.com/listing/739690857/strange-familiars-podcast-awoken-tree?utm_source=Copy&utm_medium=ListingManager&utm_campaign=Share&utm_term=so.lmsm&share_time=1694065883291Chad's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNB7MSJ2F1SRBPcQsEFLnvg (make sure to subscribe to Chad's channel, Ruck Rabbit Outdoors.)Chad's etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RuckRabbitOutdoorsTo help with the Capuchin Day Center's work with the homeless you can donate here: https://www.capuchindaycentre.ieand here: https://www.cskdetroit.orgContact us via email at: strangefamiliarspodcast@gmail.comhttp://www.facebook.com/strangefamiliarsJoin the Strange Familiars Gathering group on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/strangefamiliars/instagram: @strangefamiliarshttp://www.strangefamiliars.comIntro and background music by Stone Breath. You can find more at http://stonebreath.bandcamp.comThe closing song is In the Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier by Stone Breath from the album, Twist of Thorn: https://stonebreath.bandcamp.com/album/twist-of-thornSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/strange-familiars/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy