News
PA Supreme Court Rules on Special Elections
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that special elections for six vacant state House seats must be held in conjunction with the April 24th primary election. State House Speaker Sam Smith had been delaying the decision on the elections based on the uncertainty surrounding the Legislative Reapportionment Commission and the high court’s previous rejection of its […]
New App Helps Find the “Caffeine Zone”
Craving another cup of coffee to get you through the day? Not sure if it’s the right move? Thanks to Penn State researchers, there’s an app for that. The “Caffeine Zone 2” iPhone app helps people monitor their caffeine consumption relative to adjustable thresholds. Those thresholds include a minimum level for optimal cognitive performance, a […]
Santorum Falls Short in Arizona & Michigan
The roller coaster ride that is the 2012 Republican presidential primary season continued Tuesday with votes in Arizona and Michigan. The Michigan primary was of particular interest as it is Mitt Romney’s home state, where his father served as governor. On Tuesday, Romney got exactly what he needed: a double victory over the surging Rick […]
Pennsylvania Corrections Secretary Says SB 100 is Essential
In budget hearings before the state senate this week, Pennsylvania’s corrections secretary called a bill pending before the house an essential piece of the budget. Senate Bill 100 provides prison reforms aimed at non violent offenders, including risk assessment and alternative sentencing. Corrections Commissioner John Wetzel says a piece of their budget involves getting smarter […]
PUC Ready to Implement its Responsibilities Under Act 13- The Impact fee Law
The state Public Utility Commission plays an important role in the new natural gas impact fee law. Chairman Robert Powelson told the house appropriations committee the commission is ideally positioned to take on these new responsibilities outline in Act 13. It’s up to counties to decide whether to impose the fee, but the PUC will […]
Agriculture Budget Hearing Dissects Fund Transfer
$72-million may not seem like much in relation to a $27.1-billion dollar budget. But plans to transfer $72-million out of the Race Horse Development Fund dominated the discussion when Agriculture Secretary George Greig appeared before the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. The Race Horse Development Fund receives 12% of gross slot machine revenues. That money […]
Key Higher Ed. Budget Hearings set for Tuesday, Wednesday
For the second straight year, proposed budget cuts in higher education are creating a stir under the capitol dome. Senate Appropriations Chairman Jake Corman (R-Centre) referred to the state-related universities as the “state barely related universities,” as he lamented planned 30% cuts to Penn State, Pitt and Temple’s state support. Corman’s Centre County district includes […]
New PHC4 Report Shows Hospital Acquired Infections Continue to Decline
A new report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council shows the number of hospital acquired infections and deaths continued to decline in 2010. The infection rate declined by nearly 6% and the death rate was down over 3 percent in 2010. People with hospital acquired infections are still readmitted at a higher rate […]
Radio PA Roundtable 02.24.12
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/Roundtable02-24-12.mp3]
New Franklin and Marshall College Poll Shows Santorum with Large Lead in Pennsylvania
The latest Franklin and Marshall College poll shows Senator Rick Santorum with a large lead over Mitt Romney in Pennsylvania. Poll Director Terry Madonna says the 45% to 16% advantage is evidence the Santorum surge has hit the former Senator’s state. But Madonna says the race in Pennsylvania is still volatile. When they asked Santorum […]