The Morning Call Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Morning Call Podcast
The Morning Call podcast dissects the top news stories from the Lehigh Valley and beyond, talking to reporters and sources about what went on behind the scenes and between the lines as stories unfolded. Further, we delve into the impact of these stories on our community.
Voice actress Lara Jill Miller recorded this COVID-19 safety PSA for the Allentown Health Bureau.
Voice actress Lara Jill Miller recorded this COVID-19 safety PSA for the Allentown Health Bureau.
Downtown Allentown looks a world different than it did less than a decade ago. When former City Hall reporter Emily Opilo started at The Morning Call 7 years ago, the PPL arena was a giant hole in the ground. Has the more than $1 billion of investment and decade of redevelopment made a difference in people's perceptions of Allentown and their desire to spend time downtown? The Morning Call conducted a scientific poll on the matter with Muhlenberg College, and The Morning Call Academy students unscientifically polled people on their lunch hour on Hamilton Street to find out. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
The opioid crisis seemed to take center stage in 2018. Officials held press conference after press conference, declared disaster declaration after declaration, handed out Narcan; the media produced special packages and profiles on the epidemic. What has happened since then? Turns out, quite a bit has changed, and quite a few new problems may be on the horizon. We brought together four experts to discuss. This is our breakdown of that conversation. READ: https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-opioid-roundtable-follow-up-one-year-later-20191201-cphsofs5ajajtn5r7ej35jmwkm-story.html
More than 300 actors, 22 makeup artists, seven haunted weekends. We went behind the scenes and into the "Crypt" where Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt gets made - scab blood, silicone prosthetics and all.
The Haunt's final weekend runs Nov. 1-2.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Almost a year ago, the Allentown diocese, along with five other catholic dioceses in the state, announced they would set up compensation funds for the victims of sexual abuse by priests in the wake of the scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report. Officials said they’d pay for it by tapping available resources and selling diocese assets. Much of those assets include hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate, mostly untouched. Host Kayla Dwyer speaks with investigative reporter Emily Opilo about how she cataloged the diocese's holdings, why this matters outside of the victim's compensation fund, and what diocese leaders take issue with.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
The scene was catastrophic. The circumstances were tragic. But most of all, they were puzzling. Why would a 26-year-old man decide to detonate a car bomb to kill himself, a male passenger and his 2-year-old child? One year after the car explosion that rocked center city Allentown on a Saturday night in September, a team of Morning Call reporters spoke to the families of the victims -- Jacob and J.J. Schmoyer, and David Hallman -- and to federal agents. We know much more about the events leading up to Schmoyer's final act. Guests include Morning Call reporters Laurie Mason Schroeder and Manny Gamiz.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Morning Call Podcast host Kayla Dwyer has been invited back to the Great Allentown Fair Grape Stomp being held Sunday, Sept. 1, at 3:15 p.m. on Centennial Stage in Ag Hall. For this occasion, we're replaying an old favorite. You might think you know all there is to know about grape stomping -- it's something our ancestors did to make wine, and it lives on as a cultural spectacle at harvest festivals. But that's not the full story. This episode answers some key questions: Is it sanitary? Why grape stomp with feet at all, when wine presses have been around for thousands of years? Are there any wineries that still do it and then sell that wine? Special guests include Michela Centinari, an assistant professor of viticulture, and Molly Kelly, an enology educator, both at the Penn State Extension.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
When mass shootings occur, most eyes turn to Capitol Hill, where the same dead-end discussions about gun policy churn, at times with a slightly different spin. Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, close to a million people flocked, as they have for 36 years now, to Musikfest, a sprawling free music festival. After a weekend of deadly mass shootings, we explore two questions: How does Bethlehem keep Musikfest safe, and what has kept politicians from landing on successful legislation in response to these events? Guests include Morning Call reporters Laura Olson and Pamela Lehman.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Jeani Garcia can tell you where and when all 49 names on her t-shirt died due to violence in Allentown. As violence has gripped the streets in this particularly bloody summer, we turned to the mothers to see how they're helping each other, remembering their children and putting pressure on community leaders to act. Plus, Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin tells us the circuitous route she took to try to figure out where a mother who suspects her child is involved in a gang can seek help. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Michael Davis' murder had nothing to do with who Michael was, but where he worked: a Verizon store in Forks Township. We covered the case and the trial that sent his killers to prison for life. In this episode, we learn who Michael Davis was. Special thanks to Russ and Noreen for sharing his story. Morning Call reporter Riley Yates and Assistant District Attorney Patty Mulqueen recount the details of the investigation.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Jonathan Wallace was up atop the blast furnaces of the former Bethlehem Steel plant for more than 21 hours, risking his own life and that of the first responders who ascended the hazardous hunks of metal to try to get him down. But authorities say he has a history of serious mental health issues, and suspect that they had a lot to do with the nearly day-long ordeal. If that’s the case, what’s the appropriate punishment? On The Morning Call Podcast this week, we explain what crisis negotiators did to get him down. Then, we look at what prosecutors are considering for his fate: mental health court. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Reporter Riley Yates contributed to production.
Four years ago this week, FBI agents swarmed Allentown City Hall for documents related to a then-unknown investigation into the city’s mayor, Ed Pawlowski. Today, Pawlowski is serving a 15-year prison sentence for federal corruption crimes. The lead investigator on the case, Scott Curtis, used to investigate mafia bosses in New York City. He rounded out his career with the Allentown corruption case. This week on the podcast, guest host Emily Opilo's interview with Curtis on the snags the case hit, the sheer manpower involved with making thousands of secret recordings, and how dangerously close the case was to being outed.
Emily Opilo is The Morning Call's former Allentown City Hall reporter. Now she is on the investigations team.
Donating a kidney is a life-preserving procedure. Donating a uterus is a whole different story. On this week's episode, health reporter Binghui Huang explains why one local woman decided she wanted to go through this procedure to give another woman the ability to become pregnant. Plus, is there a potential for this to become as mainstream as in-vitro fertilization? The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
One of the Lehigh Valley's last known D-Day veterans arrived at Omaha Beach 75 years ago to find it covered with rows of bodies. Despite the carnage, he remembers most distinctly the human moments that occurred before and after, even with the Germans he fought against. For most of his adult life, Kenneth Happel didn't talk about these stories.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Is it just another fad, or America’s next favorite drinking game? For a game involving very sharp objects, axe throwing has a remarkable safety record. Even when paired with alcohol. Lately you’ve been seeing them pop up around the country. Where did it all begin? The answers on this week’s podcast. Guests: Kelly and Stuart Josberger -- Stumpy’s Hatchet House James Belisle -- Betty Borden’s House of Whacks Bob Shupp, Ryan Savage, Chuck Makatura -- Skeggy’s Axe House
"I root for games to end quickly enough so I can make deadline, and I root for a good story. I don’t care who wins."
Banquets and halls of fame inductions are usually reserved for athletes and coaches. In April, about 250 members of the Lehigh Valley sports community packed a DeSales University hall to honor two journalists that have covered them for decades: Morning Call sports columnist Keith Groller, and Paul Reinhard, former sports editor who still freelances for The Morning Call.
Though Keith has covered the Eagles and the Sixers and the Indy 500, his heart remains with high school varsity sports.
On the podcast this week, he tells us why. (He's not retiring.)
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Picture the Manhattan treatment -- doormen, lobbies of marble, elevator operators -- and take out the bustling surrounding metro. Martin Tower, the former headquarters of Bethlehem Steel, was a scene plucked from an urban downtown and plopped into the flat suburbia of West Bethlehem. Or it was a giant symbol of corporate culture's "inward thinking" and the "deindustrialization of America." Now it’s a hollow shell, soon to be reduced to rubble. From start to finish, we remember the history of Martin Tower, including memories from a former chairman and a former employee. Special guests: Curtis “Hank” Barnette, former chairman and CEO of Bethlehem Steel Marian Hough, former administrative assistant Alicia Karner, director, Community and Economic Development in Bethlehem Nicole Mertz, Bethlehem City Hall reporter, The Morning Call
A policy that would allow teachers to volunteer to carry guns at Tamaqua Area School District was approved quietly by the school board, then garnered a loud community reaction. There were two lawsuits, and the school board suspended the policy pending the outcome of lower court decisions. Just as quietly, the policy is back on, by the interpretation of the school board president in the public comment section of a school-board meeting. Reporter Sarah Wojcik explains.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman has been stopping in every county to field public feedback on the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. His "listening tour" is expected to wrap up in May. But while recreational marijuana remains criminal in the state, what happens when local municipalities try to decriminalize it? We explored this question when the Lehigh Valley's three cities had such proposals on the table last year. This episode originally ran May 7, 2018. Guests: Emily Opilo, former Allentown City Hall reporter for The Morning Call; Joshua Vaughn, cops and courts reporter at The Sentinel, a newspaper in Cumberland County that partially covers Harrisburg; and Jeff Riedy, executive director of the Lehigh Valley chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Robocalls today are a fact of life. Americans now receive an average of about 5 billion of them a month, according to YouMail, a robocall blocking service. From just 2017 to 2018 alone, we saw a nearly 60 percent jump overall. How did robocallers go from an occasional nuisance to an all-consuming scam? This week, a history of robocalling and a look at solutions being explored. Guests: Aaron Foss, founder, Nomorobo; David Holley, national correspondent, XConomy; Paul Muschick, columnist, The Morning Call
Angry over a dog dispute, a woman shot her 20-year-old neighbor in the torso. The 20-year-old grew up to marry and have a family, and the neighbor went to prison. Then she died at 33 years old, and the coroner ruled her manner of death a homicide. In this week's podcast, Morning Call reporter Pam Lehman explains how she discovered this uncanny story beneath piles and piles of paperwork at the coroner's office. Plus, what happens now to the shooter?
Picture an elevated track of one long tube connecting Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, a sleek capsule occasionally zooming through at speeds up to 700 miles an hour. It's no longer just Elon Musk picturing it. It's other private companies, it's governments around the world, and it's the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. On The Morning Call Podcast this week, The Morning Call's Road Warrior columnist explains what the commission is exploring, and how far along other government entities already are. Audio courtesy of Virgin Hyperloop One. Special guest: Barry Altman, head of the commission's Hyperloop Planning Study.
Holly Branagan was 17 years old, ready to graduate from Freedom High School in a couple months. The case is 40 years old. The evidence virtually unsalvageable. Her family entirely gone. But the mystery of it is nagging. What, after all this time, could we possibly learn about Holly Branagan’s murder that we didn’t know before? Former and current Bethlehem police, as well as Morning Call reporters Laurie and Pam, help tell the story of the Lehigh Valley's most infamous cold case. Read the story on our website at mcall.com/
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Imagine being asked by a stranger to donate your kidney. Imagine that ask amplified to an audience of thousands or more.
This week on The Morning Call Podcast, a look at what social media can do for people in need of live-saving organ donations.
Special guests include Gerard Migliore, Scott Bedics and Morning Call reporter Binghui Huang.
When it comes to fastnachts, you either clamor over or have never heard of them. In Pennsylvania, the likelihood of having the former reaction is significantly higher.
That’s because the Pennsylvania Dutch long ago coined Fastnacht Day -- very similar in concept to Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Turns out, no matter where you are geographically, we all look forward to an excuse to indulge on this particular day.
On this week's podcast, a history, and an obscenely large fastnacht-baking operation.
Special guests include Thomas Gerhart, president of the Pennsylvania German Society, and Linda Gorr, president of the Ladies Auxiliary at Goodwill Fire Company in Trexlertown.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
A major bus company suddenly stops operating buses, with no warning whatsoever.
Except for the years and years of financial trouble.
This week on The Morning Call Podcast, the downfall of Bieber Transportation Group, the charter bus company with a 72-year-old history in the Lehigh Valley.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Former Morning Call reporters and editors remember the night a chemical explosion at a fledgling company called Concept Sciences rattled the Lehigh Valley 20 years ago. An inside look into the newsroom at the time, and the following years of investigations. Special guests include Morning Call editor Christine Schiavo, former assistant city editor David Venditta, and former reporter Mike Frassinelli. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
One year ago, on Valentine's Day, a former student walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and killed 17 people. It set off a wave of anger and activism among young people not even old enough to vote. And for young voters who turned out in droves to the 2018 mid-term elections, it was a reference point. Last year we spoke with two local students who participated in this surge of action. The group they started at school is still active. Here is a replay of that episode, which originally aired in March 2018, along with a short recap of what action schools have taken since then, courtesy of reporter Michelle Merlin. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Where you live has a big bearing on how your life turns out, in big and small ways. It determines where you go to school, who you meet, how you talk. And it's a large factor in your access to healthcare. Morning Call health reporter Binghui Huang spent the better half of a year in a Carbon County town, the heart of Pennsylvania's shadow of a coal region, and published a series answering the question of why people in this region are some of the sickest in the state. This week on The Morning call Podcast, an inside look at her special report. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Read the series at https://www.mcall.com/news/watchdog/sick-and-struggling/
Michael Wargo's battle was long and extremely well hidden. He spent 10 months in Afghanistan, then eight years battling PTSD, then four and a half hours explaining his life-altering decision in a video his parents received when it was too late to change anything. A recent audit of the Veterans Administration shows they had millions of dollars budgeted for veteran suicide awareness that went unspent last year. This week on The Morning call Podcast, columnist Paul Muschick explains what happened, and the Wargos explain the stakes.
"You just grew to love those patients. You had to or you wouldn’t have been able to work there." Interest in preserving the former Allentown State Hospital has resurged in light of impending demolition plans. But even if the buildings themselves don't get preserved, memories of them can. Two former employees share their experiences in this week's episode of The Morning Call Podcast. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Tristan Noon, George Beck, Lee Rosevere and Martin Gratton.
This week, the Tamaqua Area School District board may vote to suspend a controversial gun policy as not one, but two court battles wage on. What does that mean for the long run for Policy 705? In this episode, reporter Sarah Wojcik gives the backstory on how the policy to arm teachers in Tamaqua came about. Plus, teachers and parents weigh in on whether guns belong in the hands of school staff. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Paul Lawler and George Beck.
We always get to the end of the year and think, what a crazy year. Odds are the year before was just as wild and the year to come is also full of surprises. You can find all of our year-in-review analyses, plus looks ahead at 2019, at themorningcall.com. This New Year's Eve episode brings you some of the most impactful sounds of 2018, plus a recap of a major trial coming up shortly in 2019.
How and why does one decide to put on the red suit and become Santa Claus? This week on the Morning Call podcast, two jolly men describe their origin stories, some comical mishaps and some magic, too. Because 'tis the season.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Tristan Noon, Hermann Langschwert, Michael Roselieb and George Beck.
Since we published our four-part crime series, Funny Girl, on the mysterious death of Jamie Lee Metzger, Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek has made a ruling in her case. So we bring you a bonus episode: The ruling. Read and listen to the rest of the series at themorningcall.com/funnygirl. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning Call.
It’s no exaggeration to say it’s difficult to picture The Morning Call without columnist Bill White. He parodied politicians and held them to task; he showcased the most brilliant holiday light displays and ate his way through Musikfest; he sought out a slew of strange characters but called out the bad actors and the rabblerousers. Bill retired last week. So we sat down for a final interview, to talk about where some of his famous traditions originated, how he accidentally drank Windex, and who made his personal Hall of Fame, in this extended Morning Call podcast.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Huw Jones and Sam Brown.
Did the Moravians -- radical Protestants who game to Bethlehem from Germany in 1741 -- share Thanksgiving with local Native Americans? Perhaps not in the way we'd think of it today. No pilgrim hats, no turkeys. In a special Thanksgiving episode, host Kayla Dwyer examines the relationship between Moravian missionaries and Native Americans throughout the colonial era through the lens of their own diaries and letters. Guests include Paul Peucker, director and archivist at the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem; Katherine Faull, professor of German studies and comparative humanities at Bucknell University; and Madeline Morris, a tour guide for Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites.
This episode was originally published Nov. 24, 2017.
The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler and Christian Lloyd.
Three and a half years to find her. Then another 11 months and counting to determine what happened to her. How can her case go on so long? The Morning Call presents part four of Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl to read part four of the series. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning Call.
He was a guy who always had a joke. Or he was a manipulator. The truth would get buried with him. The Morning Call presents part three of Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl to read part three of the series. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning Call.
She wanted to be thin. She wanted to meet The One. She didn't want anyone to get hurt. The Morning Call presents part two of Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl to read part two of the series. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning call.
Her body was discovered almost a year ago sealed in a bin in someone's basement. She had disappeared more than three years before that. The Morning Call presents Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl for an introduction and Part 1. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning call.
A man went downstairs to clean out his father's basement in Williams Township, Pennsylvania -- about 20 miles east of Allentown. His gruesome discovery is what a woman's family has been waiting for for three and a half years. The Morning Call presents part one of Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl for an introduction and to read part one of the series. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning call.
Her son's killer knocked on the wrong door. Now she must relive the memory a third time in court. A Northampton County judge has ordered Paul Serrano III to be resentenced Friday, Nov. 16 for a 2006 shooting in which he gunned down a 15-year-old boy -- a mistaken target in a gang order. A series of mistakes in the judicial system has led to this being Serrano's third go-around in court. In this episode, reporter Riley Yates explains what happened, and Nancy Muzila-Vegas - Kevin's mother - opens up about its toll.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Enjoy one of our favorite episodes from last year as we spend time preparing the release of a new, bigger project. This episode was originally published Dec. 15, 2017.
Discussions with two Morning Call court reporters, as well as the director of the Petzold Laboratory -- a digital crime lab serving Lehigh County, located at Desales University -- about what it's like to be the ones who sort through digital evidence of crimes like child pornography and murder. Warning: Parts of this podcast include descriptions of graphic content. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music is by Paul Lawler, Martin Gratton and Lee Rosevere.
Whatever the reasons are, many people resort to buying narcotics on the street to treat their pain or feed an addiction. But officials are now warning the public in the Lehigh Valley that those drugs could be laced with deadly doses of fentanyl and heroin. This week on Valley View: Why this is happening, and what can be done to stop it.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Martin Gratton and Dale Sumner.
It’s no secret that Pennsylvania is chock-full of competitive races. But the state has also gone through a contentious redistricting battle that may have significant impacts in the voting booth. In this week’s podcast, we examine Pennsylvania’s key races: why they’ve been the center of national attention, and how much those national interests are having an impact. Plus: Has an increase in voter registration this year actually resulted in better voter turnout? That, and more shocking numbers.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Audio from the 7th district congressional forum, hosted by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation on October 18, is provided by PCN-TV. Music in this episode is by Timothy Whitelaw, Matthew O'Connor, Lee Rosevere and George Beck.
Someone reported there were 25 dogs being neglected in a home. When authorities got to the small farm in Upper Saucon Township, they found 65 beagles. Here's where they came from and where they are headed. Guests include Jones; Mary Shafer, executive director of the humane society; and Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Huw Jones, Sam Brown, Lee Rosevere, George Beck and Paul Lawler.
(WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT) Some questions have been answered about the car explosion that ignited fear in a usually quiet Allentown street on Saturday, Sept. 29. Jacob Schmoyer, 26, confessed in letters to family and Allentown police that it was an act of murder-suicide, taking with him his 2-year-old son Jonathan and a 66-year-old man, David Hallman. But why? The letters provide some clues, but the whole picture has yet to be completed. Our Morning Call reporters take us through the harrowing scene and provide insight into what the families are saying about the unspeakable tragedy.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler, Lee Rosevere, George Beck, Thomas Brown, Dale Sumner and Martin Gratton.
Last week, we spoke to those who came here to the Lehigh Valley after Hurricane Maria. This week, we look at what they left behind in Puerto Rico. Two journalists join us to discuss what they have documented on the island in the year since Maria made landfall Sept. 20, 2017. The remnants of the natural disaster are much more than physical: The storm laid bare issues tied to Puerto Rico's territorial status that existed long before disaster struck. Special guests include Milton Carrero Galarza, whose work chronicling Puerto Rico's recovery is featured in The Los Angeles Times and The Morning Call; and Erika Rodriguez, a freelance photographer based in San Juan whose work has appeared in The New York Times, CNN and elsewhere. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Martyn Swain, Lee Rosevere, George Beck and Gavin Skinner.
A year after Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, evacuees are making the best of a new life here that they did not choose. Organizations are out of money but still taking on cases as they come. And they are still coming. This is part 1 of a two-part series: Those who came here. Stay tuned next week for part 2: What they left behind in Puerto Rico, and what is being swept up by business interests and political stalemate. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, the spotted lanternfly is all the rage. And the deluge is far from over. Here's the scoop on why this invasive species is different from the rest, and what scientists are doing to try to stop it. Are they really pests with nothing good to offer? Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin has answers -- and more questions. We're also joined by Emelie Swackhamer, horticulture educator at the Penn State Extension. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by George Beck, Timothy Whitelaw and Lee Rosevere.
Allentown's winter warming station for the homeless has been shuffled around among locations and organizations for the past 5 years. It almost had nowhere to go this winter. Then a miracle happened. Finally, some good news on Valley View this week. Special guests include Morning Call columnist Bill White; Bob Stevens, pastor of Zion's Liberty Bell United Church of Christ; and David Fagerstrom, CEO of the Greater Valley YMCA. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Gavin Skinner, Timothy Whitelaw, Lee Rosevere and Paul Lawler.
You might think you know all there is to know about grape stomping -- it's something our ancestors did to make wine, and it lives on as a cultural spectacle at harvest festivals. But that's not the full story. Valley View host Kayla Dwyer was invited to take part in the sixth annual grape stomp at the Allentown Fair on Sunday, Sept. 2. Beforehand, she brushed up on some history. This episode answers some key questions: Is it sanitary? Why grape stomp with feet at all, when wine presses have been around for thousands of years? Are there any wineries that still do it and then sell that wine? And most importantly: Who wins the competition at the fair this year? Special guests include Michela Centinari, an assistant professor of viticulture, and Molly Kelly, an enology educator, both at the Penn State Extension. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by John Leach and Paul Lawler.
As The Morning Call's health reporter Binghui Huang puts it, there are simply not a lot of places where separate healthcare entities come together to solve multiple problems. When it comes to the opioid epidemic, it's all about solving co-mingled hoards of problems, requiring a complicated coordination of resources and services. People at the front lines of the opioid crisis are facing it as such. But how can they work within a health system infrastructure that is so fragmented? "Treatment" was the theme of our fourth expert roundtable discussion on the opioid crisis. And those who we gathered at The Morning Call this month gave us some hope in the direction of bridging these divides. Reporters Huang and Carol Thompson discuss what we learned. Go to themorningcall.com/opioids for videos, analysis and more. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by George Beck, Bob Bradley, Paul Lawler and Martyn Swain.
Thousands of victims, hundreds of priests. But the Pennsylvania grand jury report only scratches the surface, investigators say. Juliann Bortz, one of the victims named in the report accusing 300 priests across six dioceses of child sex abuse, shares her story on Valley View this week. Then, a Morning Call reporter and editor describe the challenges behind reporting that story, and others, both immediately after the Boston Globe expose in 2002, and today. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Maxim Kornyshev, Martin Gratton and Dale Sumner.
Eleven days. More than 500 free performances on 17 stages. 35 years and running. How has Musikfest, billed by founding organization Artsquest as the largest free music festival in the country, managed to stay free all this time? Answers from our guests this week: Artsquest President and CEO Kassie Hilgert and Morning Call music writer John Moser. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
This week we’re taking you through what we know about the shooting death of Joseph Santos by a South Whitehall police officer, which happened on Hamilton Boulevard on July 28. And we ask a law enforcement trainer about the use of deadly force. Law enforcement is still investigating, as are we. Guests in this episode include Morning Call reporters Tom Shortell and Sarah Wojcik. Scanner audio is from Broadcastify. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
Lehigh Valley school districts have heard the call: Enough talk. We need action. A Morning Call survey found tangible measures of increased security and officer trainings at area schools, with one district even implementing student IDs with computer chips. What is being accomplished, and does any of it go too far? Guest-host Harrison Cann, The Morning Call's news intern, talks with Michelle Merlin to break it down. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Matthew O'Connor and Lee Rosevere.
The opioid epidemic casts a wide net of pain, and it includes those who use opioids but aren’t necessarily addicted. This week on Valley View: the story of a woman who has lived for decades with chronic pain, and why she turned to medical marijuana. Plus, an update on Pennsylvania's young medical marijuana program, which now has 50,000 patients registered. Guests include health reporter Binghui Huang and business reporter Andrew Wagaman. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler, George Beck, Gavin Skinner and Martyn Swain.
Audio and video recordings of children being taken from their parents at pop-up immigrant detention centers near the U.S.-Mexican border have drawn media frenzy and public outcry. But in Berks County, advocates have been speaking out for years. Outside Reading is a family detention center of a different kind: one of just three permanent shelters in the country. This week, a look at the Berks County Residential Center and its legal place in the battle over the border. Guests include Peter Hall, The Morning Call's federal court reporter, and State Rep. Peter Schweyer, a Democrat serving Lehigh County who toured the facility. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that is sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
It began as a routine traffic stop and ended with a "knock-down, drag-out" gunfight with state troopers along a busy Pennsylvania highway. In the attempted murder trial of Daniel K. Clary, the man accused of nearly fatally wounding Corporal Seth Kelly in in the brawl, jurors had to decide: Was Clary a killer avoiding arrest, or was he a man who acted in fear for his life? Riley Yates, The Morning Call's Northampton County courts reporter, explains. Valley View is a podcast by The Morning Call, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Scanner audio provided by Broadcastify and music provided by Lee Rosevere, Paul Lawler and Martin Gratton.
Early-morning explosions have been rattling Bucks County for the past three months, straining police resources and leaving residents of this quiet country bewildered. This week on Valley View, some answers in the mystery behind the Upper Bucks Bomber. Plus, a hand surgeon's precaution for the Fourth of July, in light of the new Pennsylvania law that allows residents to purchase consumer-grade fireworks. Guests include Harrison Cann, The Morning Call's news intern; and Laurie Mason Schroeder, our Lehigh County courts reporter. Valley View is a podcast by The Morning Call, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler, Timothy Whitelaw, George Beck, and Christian Lloyd.
In the third roundtable discussion of The Morning Call's yearlong series on the opioid crisis, five public health leaders -- from the local to the state level -- talk about the obstacles that keep them from preventing overdose deaths and effectively distributing life-saving medication.
Has Pennsylvania's disaster declaration achieved real change? Are public health campaigns reaching those who need to hear it the most? Why are some harm reduction approaches - like needle exchange programs and safe injection sites - so controversial?
Guest-host Binghui Huang sat down with reporters Carol Thompson, Pamela Lehman and Kayla Dwyer to dig into these issues.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research.
Music in this episode is by Bob Bradley.
A group of Easton residents is suing the city government for approving zoning changes that would allow Lafayette College to expand student housing farther into town. It's the tipping point of Easton's own dance with town-and-gown tensions -- a delicate dance common to towns reckoning with growth pressures from their anchor institutions. This week: A tale of three cities -- Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. We visit each to glance at the relationships between the local population and the ever-changing college population. Valley View is a product of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sounded the alarm last month -- saying that the number of people getting diseases transmitted by mosquito, tick and flea bites has more than tripled in the United States since 2004 -- we decided to see what Muhlenberg College Biology Professor Marten Edwards had to say. He's been involved in a longterm study of the Lehigh Valley's tick population to better understand their size and disease-carrying proportion. Host Kayla Dwyer went out on a "tick drag" with his team to get the skinny on ticks and tick-borne diseases this season. Here's a fun fact: Ticks don't jump, they crawl. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Timothy Whitelaw, Paul Lawler, Huw Jones and Sam Brown.
On Saturday, March 10, a wrestler from Easton Area High School failed to make weight at a state wrestling tournament in Hershey Pennsylvania, disqualifying him from any awards or advancement. The following Wednesday, Coach Jamarr Billman was informed his contract would not be renewed. Two days later, the school administration reversed its decision. This week on Valley View, we look at the backstory -- including what came to light after the school requested an investigation into what actually happened that Saturday. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Gavin Skinner, George Beck and Matthew O'Connor. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is hosted and produced by Kayla Dwyer.
The Moravian Book Shop in historic downtown Bethlehem, the nation's oldest bookstore, has been independently owned and managed by the Moravian Church since its founding in 1745. But that is about to change. In this episode: A history of the shop, and what will happen to it with the sale to Moravian College, who has selected Barnes and Noble to manage the operation. Guests include Moravian College President Bryon Grigsby; Richard Santee, president of the Moravian Book Shop board; and Leo Atkinson, a book shop employee. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer. This podcast is sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler, George Beck, Lee Rosevere, Sam Brown and Huw Jones.
Since the 2016 presidential election, and especially since the mass shooting at Marjory Stone Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, young potential voters have been the subject of intense focus: While many high school students have been leading walkouts and encouraging their peers to register, national organizers have mobilized in Pennsylvania by holding registration drives and knocking on doors. But is it working? We dug up some data to find out. Here to explain is Morning Call columnist Paul Muschick and senior journalist/data guru Eugene Tauber. Special guests include Samantha Roth, a rising senior at Lehigh University, and Jarrett Smith, state youth director for NextGen Pennsylvania. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler, Matthew O'Connor, Timothy Whitelaw, Huw Jones and Sam Brown. This podcast is hosted, produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer.
Mothers' Day has new meaning for these three families. This episode of Valley View tells the stories of how a new Pennsylvania law launched three men, adopted as children, on journeys to find their birth parents and learn about their origins, more than 50 years later. Guests include Marcus and Scott Lingenfelter, PA Rep. Kerry Benninghoff and Morning Call court reporter Laurie Mason Schroeder. Music in this episode is by Huw Jones, Sam Brown, George Beck and Paul Lawler. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research.
All three of the Lehigh Valley's major cities have had marijuana decriminalization ordinances on the table in the last two months. But they would join six other Pennsylvania cities going against state and federal law, which still considers possession of small amounts of marijuana a misdemeanor charge -- a mark on one's criminal record. These ordinances propose to lessen the penalty to that of a traffic ticket: a summary offense. This conflict leaves many questions to be answered. Here to do just that is Emily Opilo, The Morning Call's Allentown City Hall reporter; Joshua Vaughn, cops and courts reporter at The Sentinel, a newspaper in Cumberland County that partially covers Harrisburg; and Jeff Riedy, executive director of the Lehigh Valley chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in 1953 - within view of a dozen homes, including their own - a brother and sister were bludgeoned to death and thrown in a creek in Upper Nazareth Township. 65 years later, there are no known witnesses, no murder weapon, and no clues but a broken pair of glasses and a bloody scarf. The murder of Paul and Gail Schultz is the coldest cold case in the Lehigh Valley. Pennsylvania State Police recently published details on this and 15 others on a new Crime Stoppers website in hopes of getting clues to solve them. Guests in this episode include Barry Ihle, a step-cousin of the murdered siblings, and Pam Lehman, a Morning Call cops reporter. Valley View is a podcast by The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Thomas Brown, George Beck, Paul Lawler and Martin Gratton.
Being a high-profile athlete is as much about your game as it is about your brand. It seems Saquon Barkley, the Lehigh Valley-native-turned Penn State football star running back, is taking this into his own hands as he promotes himself as a No. 1 draft pick in the NFL. What does this mean for him, for the NFL, and for media access to his story? And where does he fit into Lehigh Valley history of NFL draft picks? Our experts, longtime sports reporters Mark Wogenrich and Keith Groller, weigh in on Barkley's NFL prospects and whether he could really become the next "Face of the League." Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Ty Frankel, Moritz Schmittat, Huw Jones and Sam Brown.
Opioids are medicine, and that’s why it’s been easy enough for the masses to point fingers at doctors and pharmacists in the midst of the opioid epidemic gripping the nation. In our second roundtable -- in a series of six by The Morning Call on the opioid crisis -- we heard what medical professionals had to say about this. Reporters Binghui Huang and Carol Thompson discussed the roundtable and how the medical field has responded to the epidemic as our series continues. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Gavin Skinner, Paul Lawler and George Beck.
There's a disconnect between the general Lehigh Valley community and its hip-hop culture, panelists at an Allentown NAACP community forum said in early April. This comes after a large hip-hop concert at Allentown's PPL Center drew news headlines about the fights that broke outside the venue instead of the people and music inside. This episode features the voices on the panel, as well as The Morning Call's music critic, John Moser. Valley View is a product of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Paul Lawler, George Beck and Oscar Lo Brutto.
The field of candidates vying to temporarily replace Allentown’s former mayor Ed Pawlowski, found guilty on 47 federal corruption charges, narrowed from 31, to 15, and now down to one: former city council president Ray O’Connell.
But the range of candidates - from business owners to community organizers to the owner of a soap opera fan site - and the process of whittling them down has been, let’s just say, interesting.
Allentown City Council gave 15 candidates the floor for three nights in the last week of March before making its decision. The Morning Call's city hall reporter, Emily Opilo, chats with host Kayla Dwyer about this whirlwind of a week and what’s next.
This week, The Morning Call published the results of a ten-month investigation into a little-known tax law that has shifted billions of dollars from the tax bills of certain kind of landowners - farmers, millionaires, golf course owners - to the local tax bills of, well, everyone else. The law is called Act 319, also known as Clean and Green. We take you behind the scenes of the reporting on this project with its authors, Morning Call reporters Riley Yates (Northampton County courts) and Steve Esack (Harrisburg correspondent), as well as Terry Rang, The Morning Call's managing editor. To read the whole series, go to themorningcall.com/acres. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Music in this episode is by Huw Jones, Sam Brown, Lee Rosevere, Matthew O'Connor and Timothy Whitelaw.
The Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, arguably Pennsylvania’s most successful casino with a decade of history in the area, is being sold for $1.3 billion to Wind Creek Hospitality, a group owned by a Native American tribe in Alabama. In this week’s episode, we have three questions to answer: Who are these new owners, why would they be interested in the Bethlehem casino, and what does this mean for the old structures of the now-defunct Bethlehem Steel Plant, which are now changing hands? Guests: Nicole Radzievich, Bethlehem City Hall reporter, and Jon Harris, business reporter for The Morning Call; as well as Tony Hanna, director of the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Huw Jones, Sam Brown, Gavin Skinner and Matthew O'Connor.
How did we know when a verdict was coming? Did we catch wind of goings-on before the FBI started investigating? What's next? Our two journalists at the forefront of the reporting on Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski's six-week federal corruption trial -- a story that actually spans back almost three years -- answer these questions and more about the newsroom perspective. Emily Opilo, Allentown city hall reporter, and Peter Hall, federal courts reporter for The Morning Call, present the story behind the story. The Morning Call is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This episode is brought to you by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler, Timothy Whitelaw and Matthew O'Connor.
In response to the massacre of 17 people at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14th, students in the Lehigh Valley and across the country are mobilizing, calling on legislators to enact change and organizing collective school walkouts to honor the victims. On this week’s podcast, a conversation with two of those students, and how the schools are responding to their calls for action.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Martin Gratton, Gavin Skinner and Paul Lawler.
Pennsylvania’s congressional map has been through the wringer in the past month. And because of that, so have the candidates running for Congress. On the podcast this week: Laura Olson, The Morning Call’s DC reporter, breaks down what all this map hullabaloo means for Pennsylvania’s midterm elections, including some key races we seem to be forgetting about. Plus, Christopher Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg college, reveals the implications of a poll of residents of the Lehigh Valley’s congressional district, which now looks even more competitive. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Timothy Whitelaw and Matthew O'Connor.
Media throughout the country have been reporting on the opioids epidemic for years, but it's been plaguing the country for much longer. So what are our paths forward? In a yearlong, six-part series, The Morning Call seeks answers from community stakeholders. This episode is the first installment. Reporters Laurie Mason Schoeder and Pam Lehman and cops editor Will Scheihing sit down with host Kayla Dwyer to break down the inspiration for this project and reflect on the first roundtable discussion, featuring five local first responders. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Music in this episode is by Martin Gratton and Paul Lawler.
A natural gas pipeline connecting Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale region to lower parts of the state and New Jersey has received conditional federal approval, and now, landowners in its path are faced with the choice to grant the company access to their property, or be taken to court. In this episode, Morning Call reporter Christina Tatu discusses the history and future of the proposed PennEast pipeline, and landowners weigh in on the issue at a rally held at a local farm. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by George Beck, Lee Rosevere and Moritz Schmittat.
We have so many layers of government, it can be hard to keep track. So what do the counties do? The answers may surprise you. Featured in this episode are two stalwarts of the functions of county government: Morning Call reporter Tom Shortell and former Northampton County Executive Jerry Seyfried. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler and Timothy Whitelaw.
On Jan. 22, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court dropped a bombshell when it told lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional map by next month because it was rigged to favor Republicans. But this is not Pennsylvania’s first jig with gerrymandering. A similar case was heard back in 2012. That time, the chief justice, who was Ronald Castile, singled out someone who drew a much better map: a piano teacher from the Lehigh Valley. That's Amanda Holt, now a Lehigh County Commissioner and a guest on this week's episode. Also: a discussion on this most recent case, and its place in history, with Morning Call columnist Bill White. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Music in this episode is by Matthew O connor and Timothy Whitelaw.
The story started as a missing persons case. It ended as a murder case, which prosecutors say was executed as part of a rape and murder fantasy. The Lehigh Valley, and beyond, has been trying to figure out what happened to 14-year-old Grace Packer for more than a year. The pre-trial hearings for her adoptive mother, Sara Packer, and Sara's boyfriend, Jacob Sullivan, who have been charged with the rape and murder, start the week of January 22. In this episode, host Kayla Dwyer discusses the case to date with courts reporter Laurie Mason Schroeder. Valley View is a general news podcast by The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Gavin Skinner, Marvin Gratton and Thomas Brown.
The explosion of terms like "snow bomb" and "bombogenesis" amid the giant snow storm in the Northeast last week is just the latest example of how weather stories can take on lives of their own in the media. But when and how did the weather come to dominate the news cycle? This week, a brief history of the media's obsession with weather news and how this manifests today. Guests: Robert Thompson, founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University; Ed Vallee, meteologist, Vallee WX Consulting; Stephanie Sigafoos, online producer for The Morning Call. Music is by Ian Boddy, Andrew White, Anthony James, Huw Jones and Sam Brown. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Medical marijuana, downtown development, mayhem in Washington and maybe a few mini casinos -- here's a look ahead at what we're expecting for 2018. Host Kayla Dwyer chats with five reporters from The Morning Call about the biggest stories on the docket for the new year. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, brought to you by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler, Martin Gratton and Timothy Whitelaw.
Everyone speaks of Jillian Massey's legacy as one to carry on. The 5-year-old died this month after an 18-month battle with brain cancer, but this holiday season, pediatric cancer patients at hospitals in the Philadelphia/Lehigh Valley region will feel her presence among the 24,633 toys her Sassy Massey Toy Drive collected for them. Host Kayla Dwyer speaks with a reporter who has covered Jillian's journey, and Jillian's mother, Janelle Massey, at a rally held in Jillian's honor Dec. 18.
Discussions with two Morning Call court reporters and a local forensic detective on what it's like to be the ones who sort through digital evidence of crimes like child pornography and gruesome murder -- often horrifying images and videos only partly shown when these cases go to trial. Warning: Parts of this podcast include descriptions of graphic content. Music is from Paul Lawler, Martin Gratton and Lee Rosevere Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Here's a question our newsroom has been asking in light of the very public sexual harassment allegations in Hollywood and in Washington: How might this reckoning change the dynamic among coworkers, especially since studies show that one out of three of them have dated someone they met at work? In this episode, host Kayla Dwyer talks with a Bill and Jane White, a couple who met at The Morning Call and have been married for 36 years, and Tim Darragh, who reported on a story on this question. Music is by Timothy Whitelaw and George Beck. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
In the two months since Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, tens of thousands have come to the U.S. seeking refuge -- many, with children, whose schools in the U.S. territory remain closed. Schools in the Lehigh Valley have taken in hundreds of children fleeing the damage -- more than 230 have enrolled in the Allentown School district and nearly 100 in the Bethlehem school district. (Numbers presented in this podcast are up to date as of Friday, Dec. 1.) Host Kayla Dwyer speaks with local teachers and The Morning Call's education reporter about the impact this has had on Lehigh Valley classrooms. Music is by Martin Gratton, Gavin Skinner and George Beck. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
For a special Thanksgiving-themed episode, host Kayla Dwyer looks at the relationships between the Moravians -- Protestants who settled in Bethlehem in 1741 -- and the local Native Americans throughout the 18th century, through the lens of their diaries and letters. Her guides through these records include Paul Peucker of the Moravian Archives; Katherine Faull, professor of German studies at Bucknell University; and Madeline Morris from Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serving the Lehigh Valley.
This year in Allentown, there have been 17 homicides, 15 of which were gun deaths -- a record for the city. Host Kayla Dwyer dissects a reporter's experience covering these homicides; in particular, the recent death of 19-year-old Parris Lane. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Music this week is by Marton Gratton, Paul Lawler and Thomas Brown.
Host Kayla Dwyer talks to reporters and editors in the newsroom about this week's elections: how we covered them, how Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski won a fourth term despite federal corruption charges pending, and how the Lehigh Valley fits into the national scene in terms of municipal and statewide election turnover. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serving the Lehigh Valley. Music in this episode is by Matthew O’Connor, Huw Jones and Sam Brown.
The warehouse industry in the Lehigh Valley -- fulfillment centers, logistics, transportation -- has exploded over the past five years as major e-commerce companies have planted operations here. But the industry is nearing the ceiling in terms of available land and available workers. On the bright side, there's an untapped workforce of ex-inmates that the state department of corrections is molding into skilled workers for hire. Host Kayla Dwyer speaks with business reporter Jon Harris and cops reporter Laurie Mason Schroeder about the growing pains of this market and how adults with criminal records may fill in some gaps.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Special thanks to our sponsor, the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research.
For a special Halloween episode, we take a trip into Pennsylvania's colonial past, which had a brief brush with accusations of witchcraft. Listen to excerpts from a reenactment of the 1684 trial of Margaret Mattson, the Witch of Ridley Creek -- Pennsylvania's only witch trial -- put on by local actors at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum. Plus, host Kayla Dwyer discusses this hysteria with two experts on the Salem Witch Trials, which took place eight years after Mattson's trial. Music for this episode is by Christian Lloyd and Martin Gratton. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Special thanks to our sponsor, the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research.
Penn State running back Saquon Barkley has gained national prestige as a favorite prospect for the Heisman trophy. But to the Lehigh Valley, he's a local hero, known to the community as a humble and selfless teammate from Whitehall-Coplay. Host Kayla Dwyer speaks with The Morning Call's Penn State reporter, Mark Wogenrich, and Barkley's former high school football coach, Brian Gilbert, about Barkley's success and his roots. Music in this episode was written and produced by Matt Freiler, a junior at Penn State. This podcast is brought to you by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research, conducting research of potential new treatment for Migraines, Memory Loss, Social Anxiety and Depression. Call 610-820-0342 or visit lehighcenter.com for current studies. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serving the Lehigh Valley.
In light of breast cancer awareness month, host Kayla Dwyer speaks with participants in the 25th annual Women's 5K Classic in Allentown, a race that raises money for research on cancers affecting women. Four women share stories of their journeys with breast cancer and what the race means to them and their community. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serving the Lehigh Valley.
The City of Allentown is just weeks away from selecting its next mayor. Host Kayla Dwyer talks with Christopher Borick, Muhlenberg College professor and pollster, and Emily Opilo, The Morning Call's Allentown city hall reporter, about the results of a recent poll gauging voter opinion on the candidates, including incumbent Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who has recently been charged with 54 criminal counts in a public corruption scandal.
Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serving the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
McCrae Williams, 19, had just begun his freshman year at Lafayette College in Easton, when his life was cut tragically short on Monday, September 11, 2017. While his community mourned, the events leading up to his death were largely unknown to most for more than a week. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli then released an approximate timeline detailing what his office believes happened to Williams. Host Kayla Dwyer speaks with reporters and editors at The Morning Call in a behind-the-scenes look at how the story unfolded in the newsroom and the key ethical questions they had to address along the way.
Valley View is The Morning Call’s general news podcast, serving the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Host Kayla Dwyer and Morning Call visual editor Craig Larimer tour the Downtown Allentown Beer Festival on Saturday, September 9, talking to local brewers about their craft and tasting beers along the way. Music at the end of this episode is by local band Tavern Tan.
Valley View is The Morning Call’s general news podcast, serving the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
It's not often you get to hear an insider's secrets to carnival barking and haybale throwing. Host Kayla Dwyer chats with Laurie Mason Schroeder -- by day, The Morning Call's cops and courts reporter, but during the Allentown Fair, the Mason on the Midway columnist -- about her take on these two arts.
Valley View is The Morning Call’s general news podcast, serving the Lehigh Valley and beyond.