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(Camp Hill) -- Soot, metal, and salt particles smaller than the diameter of a human hair are contributing to some of the air pollution in central Pennsylvania. The American Lung Association's annual "State of the Air" report ranks the Harrisburg, Carlisle and York metropolitan areas as the 17th most polluted region in the country. The association's Kevin Stewart says toxins can do more harm to the body than people may think. "They get into the deepest parts of the lungs where they are very good at delivering whatever bad chemicals are on their surfaces to the lung tissue. In some cases, some of the chemicals do find their way into the body through the bloodstream," he cautions. The study also gives several counties, including Berks, Dauphin, Lancaster, and York, an "F" grade for their poor air quality. Stewart says the elderly, young children and infants, and people with heart disease are especially at-risk of becoming sick from air pollution.

(Carlisle) -- A central Pennsylvania veterans group is hoping veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will take part in a parade in their honor next month. The Joint Veterans Council of Carlisle, Cumberland County is dedicating this year's annual Memorial Day parade to those vets and all military families. Jim Washington is with the Council, which organizes the parade every year. He says he always enjoys the event, but adds he's especially looking forward to honoring some of Carlisle's younger veterans this year. "It's kind of like my Christmas. I really look forward to Memorial Day to say thank you to the guys that put their lives on the line, and some of them didn't come back," he says. "This is our day to pay tribute to them." Washington says he expects at least 100 veterans from Carlisle to march in the parade. A ceremony will take place at the square following the parade to honor the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Veterans interested in participating in the parade can e-mail Washington at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

witf announces the launch of a new mobile app named PA Markers, the first mobile app associated with the award-winning website, ExplorePAhistory.com.

PA Markers is the mobile tool for anyone interested in learning more about American history, Pennsylvania history and the people, places and stories that helped shape our nation.

The PA Markers app reveals the story behind many of Pennsylvania's famous blue and gold historical markers.  Search for a marker by name or set the app to show you all the markers within a set distance from your phone.  Select a marker to see the marker text, then read the full story behind that marker, complete with images and links to other related markers, all on your mobile device. PA Markers even offers additional resources to check out.  No more guessing about town names (Burnt Cabins?)  or historical figures (Daniel Boone).  It’s all on the app!

The PA Markers application can find and map historical markers from all over Pennsylvania along with directions and travel time from your current location.

PA Markers features only official Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) historical markers that have been listed on www.ExplorePAhistory.com.

(Carlisle) -- A proposed pilot program would aim to find permanent homes for a group of kids in one midstate county. The initiative in Cumberland County would offer assistance to parents with drug addictions who've lost custody of their children. Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas Judge Albert Masland, who's heading the project, says the program would offer drug treatment and parenting courses in hopes of rehabilitating these parents. He says judges and hearing officers would also supervise parents more frequently in order to monitor their progress. "Currently, it may be on a three-month basis that judges or hearing officers meet with the parents, and so if we're meeting with them weekly or biweekly, that would be on a much more frequent basis, and I think that's the kind of supervision that is required when somebody has a serious substance abuse problem," he says. Masland says the ultimate goal would be to permanently reunite kids with their parents, but the program would also help children find foster or adoptive families faster if their parents aren't able to take care of them. He says the initiative would be modeled after a similar program in Westmoreland County and would start by helping to treat a small number of parents. Masland adds there's no start date for the program yet, but he hopes to begin helping the parents as soon as possible.

(Carlisle) -- People in two midstate counties are being asked to share their opinions on drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse. The Cumberland-Perry Drug and Alcohol Commission is looking for input on its Substance Abuse Services Assessment. Executive director Jack Carroll says the anonymous, online survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. He says the poll can be a reality check for his agency. "We want to talk to folks that we don't normally communicate with -- the concerned citizen, students, parents -- and get their sense of emerging trends of substance abuse in their community; issues we need to be aware of," Carroll says. He says the commission has conducted similar surveys in the past and the responses have helped the agency shape its drug and alcohol abuse prevention and treatment policies. He says the survey is open to people who live or work in Perry and Cumberland counties. The deadline to participate is February 17th.

(Carlisle) -- Some $105,000 in grants will help boost an effort to promote physical activity and good nutrition among midstate students. The Carlisle Area, Big Spring and West Perry school districts will each receive a portion of the money to launch new programs that encourage health and wellness while keeping children interested. The Carlisle Area Health and Wellness Foundation is distributing the funds.

(Harrisburg) -- The head of the United Way of the Capital Region has announced he will retire after next fall's fundraising campaign is completed. Joseph Capita has served as the president and CEO since 1995. "Our United Way is in a strong position. We just completed a strategic plan cycle and our 15th consecutive successful campaign," he says. "I think it’s the right time for the organization, and the right time for me. I want to allow enough time to assure a smooth and thoughtful transition."

(Harrisburg) -- The Cumberland County coroner is facing criminal charges. 51-year-old Todd Eckenrode of Carlisle has been charged with one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

(Harrisburg) -- Carlisle Mayor Kirk Wilson is stepping down after 26 years in office to take a job as a television reporter with WHP-TV. He will leave office, effective January 4th. The former president of the Pennsylvahia League of Cities and Municipalities has a previous background in broadcast news. He served as news director for WHYL at the beginning of his career and joined WHP-TV in 1978, where he covered the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island.