In our PA-mazing segment, a chat with Gary Cee, Program Director and Morning Host on Seven Mountains Media's POCO 103 in Stroudsburg.  He's been published over 40 times in the New York Times and other prestigious publications, not on the front page, but on the puzzle page!  

Now, as we approach July 4th, 2026, Pennsylvania is preparing to take center stage once again, as the nation marks its Semiquincentennial.  Years of statewide coordination have already gone into this historic milestone, spearheaded by the statewide planning organization, America250PA.  Executive Director Cassandra Coleman provides an update to all the Semiquincentennial planning.

And in the PA-mazing Segment, we're off to the Susquehanna River Valley of Central PA, where each year since 1989, the oldest, authentic outdoor Christmas market in the U.S. has been held.  It's the Mifflinburg Christkindl Market in Union County.  Market president Matt Wagner will give us the lowdown on this year's market, just a couple of weeks away.  

In the PA-mazing segment, suggested by a Commonwealth Beat listener, we head to Delaware Water Gap, PA to hear about the quaint little town that boasts a big and impressive musical history, emanating from one grand hotel there, called the Castle Inn.

This summer has been one of the worst on record for ticks, the sometimes speck-like creatures that latch onto warm-blooded hosts, be it a rodent, a dog, a cat, or even you and me.  And if they do, there's about even odds that they may be carrying one of four common diseases found in the ticks in Pennsylvania.  

That's where the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University comes in.  They're on a mission to test the ticks that latch onto us humans, because knowing whether the tick that bit you is carrying a disease is the key to your speedy recovery, and avoidance of many long-lasting negative effects.  We're talking ticks with Dr. Nicole Chinnici from the PA Tick Research Lab on this edition of The Commonwealth Beat!  

Will a lawsuit filed July 15th by a group of plaintiffs pry open Pennsylvania's closed primary election system?  On July 15th, four Pennsylvania voters filed a petition  asking the PA Supreme Court to exert their King's Bench jurisdiction and take the case immediately.  They hope the justices will rule in their favor, invalidating the Commonwealth’s closed primary election system, in which only party-affiliated voters can participate.  David Thornburgh, a co-plaintiff in the case and head of Ballot PA, the advocacy group pushing this issue for years, will discuss the lawsuit and its ramifications. 

In the PA-mazing segment, did you know there was such a thing as a Confetti Disbursement Team that works on New Year's Eve in Times Square?  There is, and Jody Potter, a Juniata county dental hygienist  made this year's team.  She talks about what the team does and  it on the team.   We'll hear all about what must be done to ring in the new year with a confetti shower.  
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A movement that grew out of outrage over a legislative pay raise passed in the dead of night with almost no one around, had its 20th anniversary on July 7th.  The PA Cleansweep movement was the brainchild of then-Lebanon County businessman, Russ Diamond.  Its mission was to not only repeal the pay raise, but also oust every sitting state lawmaker who voted for it, in the first place.  
          What ensued over the next year was nothing short of a political nuclear bomb going off, with many legislators and one state supreme court justice leaving office, either of their own volition, or thrown out at the ballot box.  
          Now a six term State House member, Diamond reflects on the PA Cleansweep movement, two decades later.

PA recently opened a brick and mortar veterans outreach center for vets and their family members to receive information about the services they're entitled to, face-to-face.  it was a long time coming, but for the department of military and veterans affairs, there's no turning back now.  Retired Army Colonel Keith Graham, who oversees veterans' programs at the center, talks about its mission.   

That Shakespeare quote certainly fits the Knoebel family of Elysburg, Northumberland County.  For 99 years, through five generations of family members, the Knoebels have operated an amusement park that has thrilled millions of people, mostly from Pennsylvania and surrounding states, but also visitors from every state in the union and many foreign lands.  They've done so while bucking many of the norms in the amusement industry, such as refusing to go to a "one price admission," refusing to charge for parking, and allowing patrons to bring their own food into the park.  

In an extended interview, Knoebels Public Relations Director, Stacy Yutko discusses all things Knoebels, as they embark upon the celebration of their 100th Anniversary next year.

 As state lawmakers work feverishly to come up with a cohesive budget plan for the commonwealth by the June 30th deadline, one of the biggest fights going on  concerns the development of a framework for the taxation of skill games.  There are two competing pieces of  legislation, Senate Bill 756 with a taxation rate of 35%, and Senate Bill 626 with a 16% tax rate.  That's the bill which Skill Games operators like Bill and Willie Shay favor.  They are among the most successful Skill Games operators in PA. 

In our PA-mazing segment, we're heading to the Brandywine Battlefield in Chester County, to hear about the largest land battle in the Revolutionary War, and how General George Washington dealt with some 18,000 British forces sent to fight his Continental Army in September, 1777.

While an ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure, there's debate in Washington, DC about the weight of proposed cuts to medicaid, the nation's federal health insurance program that covers millions of Americans, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.  
           But as President Donald Trump works to transform the federal government into a more business-oriented model with his Big Beautiful Bill for the federal budget, Democrats are running counterpoint, criticizing the impact the cuts could have on the people covered by Medicaid. 
          We discuss those cuts with Leslie Dach, Chairman and CEO of the advocacy group, "Protect Our Care."   

An in-depth conversation with the 2025 Teacher of the Year, Ashlie Crosson of Mifflin County, PA.  

The Geisinger School of Nursing in Lewistown, Mifflin County, is basking in the glow of a major accomplishment, a national accreditation.  But it comes amid a continuing nursing shortage that doesn't appear to be easing.  We discuss what it took for the school to achieve the accreditation with its director, Beth Finkbiner, and what may be causing the shortage of nurses, both in PA and nationwide.  

Then we discuss the growing measles outbreak in the US.  While it started in rural Texas, cases of the once-eradicated disease have spread to many other states, Including Pennsylvania.  This comes as a new bipartisan poll reveals that nearly 70% of Americans are concerned about the declining vaccination rates among children.  Candace DeMatties of the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease will discuss.

For the past two years, the Keystone State has had an ally on the powerful House Agriculture Committee, 15th District Republican Congressman Glenn "GT" Thompson, who serves as the committee chairman.   He's a staunch supporter of President Trump, and along with the 28 other Republicans on the committee, helped to pass a bill that would will fundamentally change the way this country pays for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.  The goal is to help advance Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Budget Bill," keeping tax cuts in place and beefing up border security by slashing many government programs across the board.   

But former Biden administration Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Xochitl Torres Small says the bill will take a wrecking ball to the supplemental nutrition assistance program, known by many as food stamps, and negatively impact Pennsylvania farmers, seniors, children, and millions who rely on "food stamps" to help them buy food each month.  We speak with her about the implications of these potential cuts.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the latest numbers from the CDC do not paint a rosy picture of Americans' mental health.  About 20% of all adults in this country live with some form of mental illness, while 1 in 6 youth have a mental health condition, and less that half of them are receiving any treatment.  Dr. Matthew Hurford, President and CEO of UPMC's Community Care Behavioral Health Organization believes talking openly about mental health issues is the best way to de-stigmatize this illness and provide dignity to those who are dealing with it.  

Pennsylvanians are having a moment, with last Thursday's announcement that the successor to Pope Francis would be an American-born Cardinal from the south side of Chicago, who loves the White Sox, and traces his higher education to become a priest to the Keystone State.  In an exclusive interview, Harrisburg Diocese Bishop, Reverend Timothy Senior discusses the election of Robert Cardinal Prevost to become Pope Leo XIV.   

The week of May 17-23 National Safe Boating Week.  Hear why PA Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director, Tim Schaeffer says one of the safest things you can do as a boater, kayaker, canoeist, or paddle boarder is to wear your life jacket, whenever you're on the water.  

What can be done about out-of-control spending in America's political campaigns?  In the 2024 election, between the presidential race and the US Senate race, nearly a billion dollars in political ads were purchased in Pennsylvania.  it didn't all come from the Ttrump or Harris campaigns, or the McCormick or Casey campaign war chests.  That's the amount that all groups who wanted input into those races spent on advertising.  But what can be done about this?  For the national advocacy group, American Promise, they're working to set reasonable limits on campaign spending, by pushing for an amendment to the US Constitution.  General Counsel Brian Boyle discusses the group's efforts.  

In the PA-mazing segment, we head to the beautiful grounds of the Hotel Hershey in Derry Township, Dauphin County.  that's where a new restaurant, the 1933 Restaurant and tavern  has taken shape, celebrating the cuisine and atmosphere from an important era in the life and times of chocolate titan, Milton S. Hershey.  Executive Chef Bart Umidi discusses the menu and how they dreamt up this latest eatery at "the Sweetest Place on Earth!"

Fishing is big business in Pennsylvania, and for the PA Fish and Boat Commission, one of their main duties is overseeing the Commonwealth's rivers, lakes and streams.  So whether you're aiming to catch a rainbow, golden or brown trout, you can feel confident that the fish is healthy and swimming in water that is clean, well managed, and free of dangerous aquatic predators or diseases.   Hear about the Fish & Boat Commission's work, from Executive Director Tim Schaeffer.  

 Then, we'll stay on dry land and speak with Pennsylvania hobby beekeeper, Ray Dampman of Selinsgrove, Snyder County.  From the time he was a young boy, Dampman was fascinated with bees, but it wasn't until much later in life that he took the plunge and started his own hives.  Now, he's sounding the call about the need for more people to explore beekeeping.

Every month of the year has a designation, and in fact, most months have several.  Such is the case for the month of April.  In  addition to being Alcohol Awareness Month, National Financial Literacy Month, National Garden Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, International Guitar Month and Distracted Driving Awareness Month, it's also World Autism Awareness Month.   In an expanded conversation, two parents of adult autistic children speak out.  Patty Ericson's daughter is 34, and Tom Flynn's son is 33.  They talk about their journey they've been on for the past 30 years, and how the diagnosis, outlook and services for autistic people have changed, and how they've changed too. 

The Pennsylvania National Guard traces its roots back to 1747, when it was founded by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia as "The Associators," to  provide for a common defense against raiders and privateers. Since then, Pennsylvanians from all walks have life have answered the call to serve their community, their Commonwealth and their country when needed.  Fast forward to present day, and the PA National Guard comprises nearly 18,000 airmen and soldiers, making it the second-largest state national guard in the nation, divided into the PA Air National Guard and the PA Army National Guard.  Leading that dual mission today is Major General John R. Pippy, who says he's living the dream as Pennsylvania's 55th Adjutant General. 

102nd District PA House Representative Russ Diamond has introduced bipartisan-supported legislation to end the death penalty in PA, once and for all.  He has a number of reasons for his position, not the least of which is that if an innocent person is executed, there's no take-backs.  Hear his rationale for introducing this bill. 

March is National Colo-Rectal Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the third-most deadly form of cancer in the US.  What are the symptoms, how prevalent is it, what kind of screening mechanisms exist, what are the current treatment protocols?  Get important information from Dr. Ibrahim Sahin of UPMC's Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh. 

In the PA-mazing segment, we venture to Scranton, in Lackawanna County to hear about how the NBC TV show, "The Office" has infused tens of millions of dollars into the local economy, and spurred creation of The Office Self-Guided Walking Tour, which will take fans to many of the places mentioned on the long-running sitcom.  Curt Camoni, with the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau helped created the walking tour, and has lots of insight into how important the show has been for Scranton.  

If it feels like the world is awash in gambling and you don't need to look any further than the cell phone in the palm of your hand to place a bet, you're right.  Gambling is big business, and it's everywhere!   But while most folks rarely gamble, maybe only where there's a huge Powerball jackpot, there are others whose every thought is gambling.  They place bets on anything and everything, playing online casino games, causing great harm to their finances, their relationships, their careers and their families.  

That's why during a time of NCAA March Madness, March has also been declared National Problem Gambling Awareness Month.  On this edition of The Commonwealth Beat, we'll explore this very important issue, often referred to as "the hidden addiction,"  with Josh Ercole, Executive Director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania.  

How does a woman who was in and out of jail, and on and off probation for more than 20 years turn her life around, using nothing more than a her sheer determination to make it happen?  That's the situation LeRoya Ryan faced, as she left the Lebanon County Correctional Facility at age 35 in 2013.  What followed was years of struggle, but never a relapse into the life of crime that dogged her from the time she was a teenager.  And what followed was a homegrown, out-of-the-box reentry program that has started helping others to turn their lives around.  The plan, Becoming You Mentoring, has caught the attention and support of the Lebanon County District Attorney and is now a go-to program for low level, non-violent offenders to undertake as a condition of probation, so they can take back their lives, too.  Hear about LeRoya Ryan's amazing journey from criminal to mentor and life-changer.  

in the PA-mazing segment, we journey to Lancaster County in South Central Pennsylvania............ for a visit to the Ephrata Cloister, an 18th century monastic community that preached celebacy and strict religious discipline, before the American colonies ever thought about becoming independent from Great Britain.  

Since its inception nine years ago, the non-partisan grass roots advocacy group Fair Districts PA has focused on one simple belief, that Pennsylvania's legislative districts get drawn fairly, respecting city and county subdivisions, natural geographic features and communities of interest.  But that's a tall order to fill, especially when politicians control the system and they routinely engage in gerrymandering.  Carol Kuniholm from Chester County will explain what the group, and the commonwealth are up against, as they work to pass a constitutional amendment that will solve the redistricting dilemma, once and for all.  

There's another feather in the cap for the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Dauphin County.  It has become just the third National Guard training center in the nation, and the only program on the east coast offering specialized trauma and deployment skills and real-world, hands-on training for medics and nurses serving in the National Guard.  We'll hear from the Med Center's Trauma Services manager, plus a Senior Master Sergeant about the program. 

Avian influenza has been top of mind across Pennsylvania and the nation, and continues to wreak havoc on the nation's poultry producers.  It's being felt, most prominently as the supply of eggs dwindles, and the price of them skyrockets.  Right now, avian influenza has been detected in all 50 states, forcing poultry and egg producers to destroy millions of birds in order to eradicate the highly contagious disease from their farms.  Within the past month, Pennsylvania has seen small outbreaks bird flu in five of its 67 counties, impacting both large and small commercial poultry flocks, plus a group of migratory geese found dead near a pond on the campus of Gettysburg College in Adams County.  So how are state officials dealing with bird flu?  PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding will discuss, in an exclusive interview for The Commonwealth Beat.

Then we'll turn our attention to human influenza, which is being seen at high levels across the commonwealth in both pediatric and adult patients.  Doctors Emily Link and Jessica Ericson, physicians at the Penn State Health Children's Hospital held a media briefing about the flu, and discuss what Pennsylvanians need to know, if the flu rears its ugly head in your household.  

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development is tasked with spearheading the Commonwealth's efforts to grow its economy and build a better future for all Pennsylvanians.  That's a lofty set of goals, but under the direction of Secretary Rick Siger for the past year, there's been a specific blueprint to help PA excel in five key sectors:  Agriculture, Energy, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, and Robotics and Technology.  Secretary Siger delves into the plan, and how the Shapiro administration is getting it done.

Also today, a conversation about food allergies.  Legislation has been introduced requiring restaurant staff at all Pennsylvania food establishments to be trained about food allergies, so that when told a customer has one, they can alert kitchen staff and take extra precautions to avoid potentially deadly, cross-contamination.  Prime sponsor, Representative Natalie Mihalek of Allegheny County discusses the bill.