News
New Law Sets Guidelines for Protecting Young Athletes
Governor Tom Corbett traveled to Visitation BVM Elementary in Norristown Wednesday to sign House Bill 1610 into law. It’s designed to protect young athletes from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Darren Sudman lost his 3 month old son Simon to Sudden Cardiac Arrest and set out to find ways to protect other children. He says the new […]
House Mulls Payday Loan Bill
Pennsylvania’s consumer protection laws effectively bar payday lenders from operating in the state, but they can’t stop unlicensed companies from targeting Pennsylvania consumers with their ads. By locating out-of-state and doing business online, State Rep. Chris Ross (R-Chester) says these unregulated businesses can trap Pennsylvanians in a cycle of debt with their high charges. Ross […]
State Reviews Electronic Benefit Card Transactions, Cuts Off Benefits to Non-residents
The state Department of Public Welfare has completed its initial review of out-of-state transactions for electronic benefit cards. 653 individuals have been cut off from benefits, most because they were no longer living in Pennsylvania. Most were using the food stamp program; some were collecting other types of assistance. Department of Public Welfare spokeswoman Ann […]
13 Die in Memorial Day Weekend Accidents Investigated by State Police
Thirteen people died in crashes investigated by Pennsylvania State Police over the four day Memorial Day weekend. The statistics are about the same as last year; 13 deaths in just over 800 crashes. One thing that is frustrating to police is that 9 of those who died were not wearing seatbelts. State Police Commissioner Frank […]
Report: More Kids Living with Extended Family
Family structures are shifting. A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation details the unique challenges of 2.7-million children being raised by relatives other than their parents at some point in their lives. The number has increased more than 18% in the past decade. It’s called kinship care, and officials say up to 101,000 […]
Swimming Season is Here and Drowning is a Leading Cause of Death for Children
According to the CDC, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children 14 and under and the sixth leading cause of unintentional death for all ages. For children under age 5, swimming pools are the danger zone. For teens and young adults, open water such as lakes, rivers and the ocean present the […]
Radio PA Roundtable 05.25.12
Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week. Professionally produced and delivered every Friday, Roundtable includes commercial breaks for local sale and quarterly reports for affiliate files. Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast: [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable05-25-12.mp3]
S.E.S.A.M.E. Act Seeks to End Educator Sexual Misconduct
The acronym stands for Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation. “It’s an absolute real, significant and predominant problem in all of our states,” says S.E.S.A.M.E. board member John Seryak. A retired teacher from Ohio, Seryak traveled to Harrisburg this week to urge action on SB 1381. The group is fighting for new laws across […]
Farmers would Reap Benefits of Vehicle Code Bills
Numerous vehicle code bills, designed to make it easier for farmers to use their equipment on Pennsylvania roads, have cleared the House Agriculture Committee with unanimous votes. “The discussion on this multitude of transportation subjects has been ongoing for years,” says committee chairman John Maher (R-Allegheny). “This is an important day of moving forward.” Farm […]
Bill Would Defund Planned Parenthood, other Abortion Providers
Pro-life lawmakers are trying to cut off state funding for Planned Parenthood and other abortion on demand providers. The Whole Women’s Health Funding Priority Act would direct the state’s family planning funding to facilities that provide comprehensive health care to women. It would defund those that offer abortion on demand. State and federal laws already […]