2021 Smart Talk encore — How will Pa. spend infrastructure money?

• 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.

 (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A person walks past the Interstate-95′s mile-long double-decked Girard Point Bridge in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. PennDOT named several bridges including the Girard Point Bridge that it said it is considering tolling to pay for the reconstruction. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

All this week, WITF presents encore presentations of Smart Talk programs that focused on the important issues of 2021. We continue Thursday with Smart Talk that addressed how Pennsylvania will spend federal infrastructure money.

More than $18 billion will be on its way to Pennsylvania as part of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden earlier this month.

The money will be used to repair, upgrade and modernize highways and roads, bridges, rail and mass transit, airports and water systems. In addition, cleaning up the environment like polluted streams, lead pipes and old gas wells will get attention and broadband internet access will be expanded.

Tuesday’s Smart Talk focuses on Pennsylvania’s infrastructure needs and projects and how the money will be spent.

Appearing on the program are Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, Patrick McDonnell, Larry Shifflet, Deputy Secretary for Planning with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Cathy Farrell, Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Report Card produced by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Gene Barr, CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.