Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Congressman Glenn "GT" Thompson spoke with RadioPA's Brad Christman the day before the Congressional Natural Gas Caucus hearing in Williamsport Friday. You can listen here Read about the hearing here . Note: NY Congressman is also a chair of the caucus. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

While discussing the state’s 7.9% unemployment rate on Radio PA’s “Ask the Governor” program, Governor Tom Corbett expressed concern that many employers can’t find qualified employees who can pass a drug test. The comments went viral in a matter of hours, with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party asserting that it’s just the latest example of Corbett blaming Pennsylvanians for the state of the economy. Read more at PAMatters.com . You can hear "Ask the Governor" at 10 a.m. Saturday on 1490 WESB. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

PAMatters.com has in-depth coverage on the life of the late US Senator Arlen Specter. It includes reaction from President Obama and others, as well as a story from RadioPA's Brad Christman about a moment that did not get on the air. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

There was no precedent for the Appalachian Trail in 1921, when Benton MacKaye dreamed it up as a wilderness refuge for people in the big cities of the eastern United States. The first section was constructed in 1922, and the entire trail was completed on August 14th, 1937. Read more at PA Matters.com . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Governor Tom Corbett has made his most extensive comments yet about a scathing ESPN The Magazine article that criticized his role in the firing of Joe Paterno. Radio PA's Brad Christman has the exclusive details at PAMatters.com . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A police officer is dead and another wounded in a shooting overnight in a small southwestern Pennsylvania town. The suspect was later killed when police tried to arrest him. Read the story at PA Matters.com . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

After a series of public meetings around the state, a citizens group formed by several environmental groups and other organizations has released its report on the Marcellus Shale industry. While there’s a lot of discussion about an impact fee or severance tax, the Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission also feels enforcement and regulatory reform are paramount. Dan Surra, who co-chaired the panel, says the overriding feeling the commission received is that people feel their politicians and regulatory agencies that are supposed to be protecting them aren’t. Read more of Cathy Clark's story here .

The new website Look Out for Child Abuse is designed to be a one stop resource for completing Pennsylvania’s official form for reporting suspected abuse ... and more. RadioPA's Cathy Clark reports at PAMatters.com .

14-year old Sukanya Roy of South Abington Township near Scranton is the winner of the 84th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. For the full story, go to PAMatters.com

Due to Governor Corbett’s back surgery this week, Radio PA was forced to postpone the first edition of the “Ask the Governor” program that was scheduled for taping on Wednesday, May 18th. "Ask the Governor" will now debut in June. For more information about the show, or to submit a question to the governor go to PAMatters.com .

A new website that offers news and commentary from Harrisburg has just been introduced. PAMatters is also the place to go to submit questions for the radio program "Ask the Governor," which 1490 WESB will be airing. Or you can submit questions by e-mail at AsktheGov@pamatters.com .

My favorite news service won a whole pile of awards from the Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association. Our listeners heard many of the shows and reports on 1490 WESB and 100.1 The HERO, including RadioPA Roundtable, election night coverage and "Eerie Pennsylvania: The French Manor." Congratulations to to everyone at RadioPA -- and thanks for making my life a whole lot easier!

(CNN) -- Seven children died in a fire at a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania while their parents were elsewhere, state police said Wednesday morning. For more on this story go to CNN.com . Associated Press reporter Marc Levy is on the scene, and we'll have a report from him during our noon newscast on 1490 WESB and at WESB.com

RadioPA’s Matt Paul reports that federal prosecutors say former Luzerne County Judge Ciavarella and former county President Judge Michael Conahan received payments from the builder and co-owner of two juvenile detention facilities in a $2.8 million Kids for Cash scheme which prompted the state Supreme Court to throw out thousands of convictions. While on the stand, Ciavarella admitted accepting "finder's fees" from a developer but not bribes. Conahan has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. Judge John Cleland will be talking about the Kids For Cash scandal at 7 o’clock tonight in the Bromeley Family Theater. Cleland was chairman of the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice, which investigated what Cleland called “the breathtaking collapse of the juvenile justice system in Luzerne County.”

President Obama is coming to central Pennsylvania on Wednesday, according to White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki. She says Obama will visit a leader of the energy innovations hub that will be located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. A Penn State team is getting $122-million, over the next five years, to establish the Philadelphia "hub," which will work on making America's buildings more energy efficient. The President's trip is part of a push for his 'Win the Future' agenda. Psaki says the President plans to tour campus facilities and make some remarks during the trip. From RadioPA's Matt Paul

From RadioPA's Matt Paul: A south central Pennsylvania middle schooler has collected over two-million soda-can tabs, and she's just getting started. Kayla Speelman's an Adams County 8th grader with a goal of collecting 10-million of those little aluminum tabs by the time she graduates. She's turning the collection over to the Hershey Ronald McDonald House, which raises money by recycling them. It's all in memory of a friend who died of a brain tumor several years ago. Kayla can't drink millions of sodas herself though; she's already received support both near and far. We can provide information if you'd like to help Kayla collect the tabs.

State Rep. Kathy Rapp is featured on this week's RadioPA Roundtable talking about comprehensive sex education. RadioPA Roundtable is on 1490 WESB at 9:15 a.m Saturday (and online at WESB.com ) and on 100.1 The HERO at 6 a.m. Saturday.

The Health Minute from Johns Hopkins is about treating prostate cancer. Foodie News is a report about how retail food prices will affect your wallet. The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So) covers Byron Leftwich, Tim Tebow, the Minnesota Twins, Gregg Popvich, and the NBA. Outdoors PA includes tips about spring gobbler season. On today’s LiveLine, our series on Sexual Assault Awareness Month continues. We’ll also have the latest stock report and the community calendar, plus the very latest local news and sports, state news from RadioPA, national and international news from CNN and the forecast from News 4 Meteorologist Mike Cejka. As always, you can listen live online at WESB.com .

The Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice is getting ready to issue its report on the Kids for Cash scandal in Luzerne County. The scandal centered around two judges accused of taking financial kickbacks in return for placing juveniles in for-profit detention centers. Judge John Cleland of McKean County is chairman of the panel and says the goal is to prevent anything like this from ever happening again. ”In some ways that may be a more complex task than anyone can do,” Cleland told RadioPA. “If we knew how to avoid greed and criminality we’d be a much better society.” “But we think there are certain things that we certainly can do to improve the system,” Cleland said. “We hope we make effective and useful recommendations.” Cleland said the recommendations will likely be made public at the end of May. The panel held a total of 17 days of public hearings and work sessions.

reports on the devastation and recovery efforts in Haiti. 12:30 p.m. on 1490 WESB and streaming online at WESB.com .