Rick Dayton

Years ago, if you had trouble falling asleep, people would suggest that you try counting sheep. Now, there are many other ways to fall asleep quickly -- without the aid of sleeping pills. Robert Schmidt was a guest on KDKA's Rick Dayton Show. His new book is called Finding Resilience: Unlock the Door to Mental Health and Happiness. Schmidt says sleep is crucial to good mental health, and he has many suggestions for how to you can create a routine that will allow you to fall asleep quickly and ensure a good night's sleep.

How do you talk with people who constantly "push your buttons" or "get under your skin?" Alicia Dunams book How to Talk to Your Enemies: 101+ Ways to Turn Hostility into Peace provides lots of options. Dunams was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show. One of her most important strategies is to be an active listener and work on building a relationship with the other person instead of immediately dismissing their ideas.

Duquesne University's School of Pharmacy earned a significant distinction this week. A drug created here in Pittsburgh at Duquesne has received a Rare Pediatric Disease designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That allows the promising pediatric cancer drug to move into human clinical trials and qualify for additional funding. The drug has shown great promise in treating a highly aggressive brain tumor called DIPG found in children who are 5 to 9 years old. Most children diagnosed with DIPG live less than two years. Dr. Aleem Gangjee joined Rick Dayton on KDKA to talk about the designation and why they are hopeful their drug will be helpful for these young cancer patients.

How does an MBA working on Wall Street become a Love Strategist and Dating Coach? That is the career path that Sarika Jain took, and now she has written a book called "The 90-Day Soulmate Plan: Get Out of Your Own Way and Attract the Higher Love You Deserve." She says there are many reasons why Americans are waiting longer to get married. She was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show where she explained why the average groom in the United States is now 30 years old, and the average bride is 28.

According to the Small Business Administration, people of color represent just 20 percent of the nation's 5.6 million business owners with employees. Many times, these businesses are under-funded which creates a significant barrier as their company tries to grow. Jackie Taylor has written a book called "Give Me a Boost!" that helps entrepreneurs learn how to expand their businesses -- and how to get the funding from non-traditional sources. Rick Dayton interviewed Jackie Taylor on KDKA Radio Wednesday afternoon.

Mike Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, wrote a book detailing the life lessons he learned from his dad. Titled 'Lessons My Father Taught Me," Mike describes some of his family's best moments and reflects on his dad's life as Father's Day nears this weekend.

It's the Drive at Five on Tuesday, June 13, detailing all the latest headlines locally and across the nation. The Drive at Five is brought to you by ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh, when disaster strikes, demand the yellow van.

President and CEO of Heritage Valley Health System Norm Mitry joins Rick to detail changes in HVHS and much more.

It's Rick Dayton's Drive at Five on Monday, June 12th, 2023. The Drive at Five is presented by ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh.

Founder and CEO of Busy Kid and certified financial planner Gregg Murset explains ways to prepare your kids for summer work. He also detailed how Busy Kid helps incentivize children to work and make money around the house. The program can benefit a household in many ways.

The stories driving today's news.

The stories driving today's news.

John Grisham has a way of creating thought-provoking plots time after time after time. This week on Rick's Reading List is Grisham's 2019 legal thriller "The Guardians." There is little doubt that there are innocent people in America's jails and prisons. In The Guardians, Grisham makes you feel like you are part of a legal team fighting to save the life of a man on death row in Florida for a crime he swears he did not commit.

It's the Drive at Five for Tuesday, June 6th, presented by ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh.

The President and CEO of Heritage Valley Health System Norm Mitry joins Rick. Nursing shortages continue to be a major issue for the health industry. How could some nurses come back and what is being done to fix the problem?

Founder of the Urban Impact Foundation Pastor Ed Glover is holding a significant event in Cranberry this Saturday. The organization's Man Up Pittsburgh event is this weekend with special appearances from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, linebacker Alex Highsmith, broadcaster Craig Wolfley, and CBS Sports anchor James Brown (virtually).

Rose is here with your Drive at Five to begin the week!

The Drive at Five on Friday, June 2nd

Are you still worried about work when away on vacation? Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI.com, is here to help fix it. Dr. Misner tells Rick how to actually relax on vacation and offers some automatic email advice when out of the office.

Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh Director of Marketing Michele Frennier details their big pet event this weekend. Adopt Local Yinz. Spread the word to help our furry friends!

The stories driving today's news.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine appear to have linked a brain biomarker to the development of Alzheimer's Disease. Their research was published this week in the journal Nature Medicine. Dr. Bruna Bellever, PhD is lead author of the paper looking at how brain cells called astrocytes are key to predicting the development of Alzheimer's in cognitively unimpaired people. She was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show hours after the paper was published.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, African Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to older white Americans. On Thursday, the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will hold a community discussion on the impact of Alzheimer’s and other dementia on the African American community. It will be held from 2-5:30 PM at the Mount Ararat Community Activity Center in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Summit will focus on health disparities in the African American community, prevention and the importance of early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and related dementia. Sara Murphy, VP of Programs and Services for the Alzheimer's Association was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show talking about the event.

Rick reads page 26 of The Secret to Success is not a Secret detailing a famous painter from the 19th century who worked for over 30 years before receiving his big break.

It's the Drive at Five for Friday, May 26th, 2023, presented by ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh. When disaster strikes, demand the yellow van.

Trib Live reporter Paula Reed Ward has been covering every aspect of the Robert Bowers case and trial. She joins Rick to provide her impact and look ahead to Tuesday's day in court.

Author of "On the Rocks" Maria Costanzo Palmer joins Rick. Maria's dad, Joe Costanzo, owned "The Primadonna" in McKees Rocks, one of the most popular restaurants in the area. She wrote the book about her dad and the restaurant's history and told Rick much more about the book's content.

The stories driving today's news.

Acrisure said it wanted to be deeply rooted in Pittsburgh. This morning, the company that purchased the naming rights to the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers made a $7.5 million investment into the Heart Institute at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Rachel Petrucelli tells Rick Dayton it is the largest investment into the health and well-being of cardiac patients and their families.

"It is such a point of pride. Every day we talk about our mission." Those words of Diana Kobus, the Program Director of CHIP. CHIP is the Children's Health Insurance Program that was started by Highmark Health in Pittsburgh 30 years ago. Kobus was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show on KDKA to talk about the humble beginning of the program that now has become a federal program to provide insurance to children and families in need.

The stories driving today's news.

When is the right time to start putting your tomato plants in the garden? Should you wait a little longer before you put the peppers in the ground? Doug Oster knows the answer to all your gardening questions. He also has some great advice on the Rick Dayton Show for making sure you have the best looking yard in the neighborhood this summer.

The Allegheny Regional Asset District has just allocated nearly $4 million in funding for local libraries. The grants will be used by facilities all around the county. Some of the buildings will be getting facelifts to modernize structures that are decades (or more) old. Others will focus on accessibility upgrades for patrons in distressed communities. James Santelli joined Rick Dayton to talk about grants and how the money will be distributed.

Page 32 chronicling the life and career of basketball great Bob Cousy

The President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh, Dr. Howard Slaughter, calls the show to explain how the organization helps people throughout Pittsburgh. Habitat for Humanity has helped build over 100 homes and repair 114.

The Drive at Five on Friday, May 19th, 2023 presented by ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh.

UPMC Psychiatrist Dr. Raymond Pan is a psychiatrist at UPMC. Dr. Pan is affiliated with UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Shadyside, and Magee-Women's Hospital. He joined Rick to detail long waitlists for child mental health services and the important of helping our nation's youth.

The Founder, President, CEO of The Advanced Leadership Initiative (TALI) Evan Frazier joins Rick to detail how TALI is going national. The organization focuses on cultivating African American executive leadership in efforts to further grow and strengthen companies and America's communities.

Rose has you covered with today's Drive at Five, presented by ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh.

Baseline concussion testing is open to athletes as young as five years old thanks to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and UPMC. Rob Dingle is an athletic trainer and concussion educator with UPMC. He was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show Tuesday talking about the importance of having baseline tests done for your young athletes. Appointments are now being made for tests which run from June 5 to August 2, 2023.

The stories driving today's headlines.

Rick is joined by Norm Mitry, President and CEO of Heritage Valley Health Systems.

Dr. Ryan Miller is a time management expert. He helps undergraduate, graduate and medical students at the University of Pennsylvania figure out how to be more productive at the Weingarten Center in Philadelphia. He says breaking down large projects into manageable smaller tasks is a great place to start. Others find success in breaking your day into one or two hour blocks. Another strategy is to work for 25 minutes and then take 5 minutes off. Hear Dr. Miller's visit with Rick right here on KDKA Radio.

Mother's Day isn't always a wonderfully happy time of year for families. Those who have lost their mothers or those who don't have a great relationship with their moms may struggle this Sunday. Other moms are dealing with other mental health issues -- including "Mom Guilt." Molly Alvord from Thriveworks Pittsburgh was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show Friday afternoon to talk about the problem -- and what we can do about it.

We all felt the Supply Chain issues during the COVID pandemic, but now, things have shifted in the other direction. That means that the cost of shipping items around the world or across the country has gotten significantly less expensive. Jason Haith, with the OEC Group was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show. OEC Group is a leading facilitator in importing goods from all over the globe. He explained how we got to this point and what he expects to see for big businesses and mom and pop shops in the next 12 to 18 months.

The Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF) supports the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County, guiding them to be productive, empowered citizens. A.J. Jefferson, the CEO of HCEF was on the Rick Dayton Show a few hours after they hosted the first annual Homeless Youth Policy Legislative Breakfast. She says elected officials and community leaders from Southwestern Pennsylvania participated in a discussion on state policies supporting unstably housed youth as they transition to adulthood.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation is very happy to hear the guidance for women about breast cancer screenings. Rebecca Buell is the CFO of the NBCF. She says they have always pushed for women to start their screenings sooner rather than later. She was a guest on the Rick Dayton Show Wednesday afternoon talking about the changes and why she says they matter.