Smart Talk: Documenting Pa. COVID experience

Virtual photo exhibit compiles history

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Go Nakamura / Getty Images

Medical staff member Susan Paradela places her hand on a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center on Dec. 7 in Houston.

Airdate: Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Years from now, Pennsylvanians will remember and tell stories about how they spent their time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pennsylvania’s First Lady Frances Wolf is leading an effort to document life during the last year with the One Lens: Sharing Our Common Views virtual photo exhibit.

The submitted images will be displayed for public viewing and archived as visual documentation of the pandemic. Submit photos here.

First Lady Frances Wolf appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the One Lens initiative, along with Porcha Johnson, CEO/Founder of Black Girl Health and One Lens central region ambassador.

York man collects plastic and trash from the Susquehanna River while in his canoe

Also on the program, John Naylor of York is a one-man Susquehanna River cleanup crew. For the last four years, Naylor has cruised the river in his canoe a couple times a week, picking up plastic bottles and other trash.

Unfortunately, there’s more than enough refuse to fill the canoe. Check out his Instagram page for pictures and information. 

Naylor is on Smart Talk to describe why he does it and what he’s found on the river.

Virginia researchers may have a clue to increased colorectal cancers in African-Americans

Finally, African-Americans are disproportionately affected by colorectal cancer. The American Cancer Society reports that African-Americans are 20% more likely to develop colorectal cancer and 40% more likely to die from it. Overall colorectal cancer rates have declined in America in recent years, but African-Americans have not seen the same decreases as people of European descent. And even as the overall rates have dropped, the rate among younger people has gone up.

Researchers at the University of Virginia may have a reason why African-Americans are more susceptible to colorectal cancer.

One of them, Dr. Li Li is with us on Tuesday’s Smart Talk. Dr. Li is a primary care physician and chair of the UVA Department of Family Medicine, lead researcher in the study and head of the Cancer Control and Population Health program at the UVA Cancer Center.