(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Guedes da Silva family, Caption for Photo: Bruno Guedes da Silva of Sewickley, with flowers, reunites with his family at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh after being held in federal immigration custody for about two months. (Courtesy of the Guedes da Silva family)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Allegheny County, PA) A father from Sewickley reunited with his daughter on Tuesday after being released from ICE custody. Bruno Guedes da Silva was released on bond this week by an immigration judge after he was detained by ICE agents in February during a traffic stop on Beaver Street in Sewickley while he and his wife were driving to work. Online court documents also show that the man from Brazil was wanted for a felony warrant for charges that were related to making a false written statement so he could obtain a firearm in McCandless. His criminal defense lawyer Thomas N. Farrell claimed that authorities alleged this happened in July of 2024.Guedes da Silva gave a big hug to his daughter who is battling cancer in her second fight against Hodgin’s lymphoma at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
(Harrisburg, PA) Senator Elder Vogel, Jr. announced yesterday the approval of more than $740,000 in Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) and Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants for two projects in the 47th Senatorial District. The Aliquippa School District was awarded $296,305 to launch Healthy Minds Club, which is a new after‑school initiative serving approximately 180 elementary students in grades 1–6 and it was approved for a BOOST grant. The program provides structured academic support alongside weekly physical and mental wellness activities and it is designed to address academic challenges, chronic absenteeism, social‑emotional needs and barriers such as poverty, housing instability, disabilities and limited English proficiency. Community Health Challenge of Southwestern Pennsylvania DBA Keystone Wellness Programs was awarded $446,627 to expand the Drug Free Aliquippa Youth Coalition, strengthen Aliquippa Impact’safter‑school and summer programs and launch a new cross‑age mentoring initiative connecting high school coalition leaders with elementary students. This project was approved for a VIP grant and is partnered with Aliquippa Impact.
(File Photo of Frye Transportation Group Inc Picture with Bus Behind It)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Rochester, PA) Frye Transportation Group is excited to share that shuttle service will be available both days of the Big Knob Grange Maple Syrup Festival. According to a Facebook post from the bus company yesterday, here are some more details:
Two 40‑ft buses will run continuous loops from Freedom Elementary School to the festival grounds from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. on both April 18th & 19th.
Festival Location
Big Knob Grange Fairgrounds
336 Grange Road, Rochester
On‑Site Parking Options
There will be multiple parking areas open on the grounds, clearly marked with flags to help you find the right spot:
(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Allegheny County Airport Authority)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) A new push is underway to convert the old terminal building at the Pittsburgh International Airport into a film studio. The old terminal was shuttered last fall as the airport opened its new landside terminal worth $1.7 billion and now the Pittsburgh Film Office is pushing to convert the building into a filming location. The film office’s proposal has been dubbed “Terminal P” and is complete with a new website with several officials included in the push to turn the old facility into a location that could attract Hollywood. The proposed redesign of the terminal would convert the space into a 440,000 square-foot production location with 60-foot ceilings, according to the Terminal P website. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is among those included who recorded statements as part of the push to convert the airport space, saying that he’s thrilled to invite filmmakers, producers and creatives to choose Pittsburgh’s brand new production facility for their next project.
(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Ambridge, PA) A fallen tree damaged a historically significant building at the Old Economy Village. A thunderstorm knocked the tree down onto its community kitchen around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. According to a Facebook post from Old Economy Village, the kitchen is “a historically accurate rebuild that houses artifacts and serves as a gathering space for the village’s programs and events.” According to a release from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), their Department of Architecture and Preservation is conducting a thorough assessment and a recovery plan will be executed in three critical phases:
Phase One – Debris Removal: A local tree removal company has already assessed the site and provided a quote. Extracting the tree safely is the immediate priority.
Phase Two – Building Stabilization: Once debris has been removed, the PHMC’s Department of Architecture and Preservation will assess the damage and enact plans to stabilize the structure.
Phase Three – Artifact Preservation: Once the structural integrity of the building is deemed safe, Curatorial Specialists will enter the space to properly recover, document, and securely store the historic artifacts that were on display inside the kitchen.
PHMC and Old Economy Village leadership are working to restore the space as quickly as possible and to safeguard collections.
(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A mixture of Hershey’s chocolates is displayed in the company’s Times Square store, March 1, 2017, in New York. Hershey is cautioning on its 2024 profit growth as the company contends with rising cocoa costs that are leading to higher prices for chocolate. Cocoa futures prices have doubled over the past year and hit an unprecedented $5,874 per metric ton Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in intraday trading. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) The trailer for a biopic called “Hershey” was released this week. It is based on the life of the famed late businessman and chocolatier who founded the Hershey Chocolate Company, Milton Hershey. It was filmed across the Pittsburgh-area last summer, including Harmony in Butler County, and stars Finn Wittrock as Milton Hershey and Alexandra Daddario as Catherine “Kitty” Hershey. This movie is about the rags-to-riches story of Milton Hershey as he builds his chocolate empire. The movie will be released in theaters on Thanksgiving, which is on November 26th this year. According to IMDb, “Hershey” is the origin story of Milton and Kitty Hershey, “who, when confronted by tragedy, determine to leave their amassed chocolate fortune in the hands of children.” The Hershey company expressed that the movie was shot across over a dozen locations in Pennsylvania, using over 70 sets to recreate the time period. More than 1,500 background actors from around the state also helped build the world that is seen in the movie.
SEWICKLEY — Explore the Sweetwater Center for the Arts and embrace your artistic side at a special open house April 19.
Sponsored by Allegheny County’s RAD Days, and completely free to the community, the open house at Sweetwater provides an opportunity for people to meet the Sewickley arts center’s teaching artists, and experience hands-on crafts in each department.
“Wander through the studios, meet the artists and instructors, and experience live music, arts, crafts, and hands-on creativity,” Sweetwater’s website said. “Bring the whole family and explore, create and connect.”
Lasting from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors are asked to register at sweetwaterartcenter.org, helping the staff know how many bagels or other baked goods to prepare.
Class activities that day for visitors:
Make a bracelet in metalsmithing with Pat Falbo
Get creative with fiber arts with Lizzy Bablak
Build a unique collage with Claria Barilar
Mix up your own trail mix with Michelle George
Create a comic storyboard with Armand Ceres
Animate your own flip book with Dani Wesserman
Try needle felting with Bea Angeles
Sweetwater Executive Director Christine Brondyke spoke about the facility’s many art classes and special events when appearing Wednesday on the Beaver County Radio Morning Show with Scott Tady.
Here is Brondyke’s interview:
RAD Open House Event
From noon to 2 p.m., Brondyke will host a behind-the-scenes look at all Sweetwater has to offer. Green Hen Farms will be popping up with fresh, locally grown flowers.
Visitors also can learn about SweetRide, a mobile art unit that enables Sweetwater to bring art experiences directly into neighborhoods, schools and organizations that may not have easy access to the arts.
There’s also live music throughout the day.
Take a tour Sunday of Sweetwater Center for The Arts.
“It’s such an inviting way for families and community members to see what we’re all about,” a Sweetwater press release said.
Other Sweetwater events this season:
• Sweetwater Blooms – Saturdays May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, and September 19 (9 a.m.–1 p.m.) on Bank Street. A vibrant outdoor market featuring local flower farmers, artisans, food vendors, and small businesses — truly a celebration of community.
• Sweet Jazz – Four evenings of live regional jazz in June and July, both outdoors at the Walnut Green and indoors in our Community Room. Each concert features talented local and regional musicians, creating a lively, welcoming atmosphere for jazz lovers of all ages. From smooth classics to contemporary grooves, Sweet Jazz is the perfect way to enjoy music, community, and the beautiful summer evenings in Sewickley.
• Mavuno Festival – September 26, celebrating BIPOC artists, small businesses, and community voices. This vibrant festival highlights creativity, culture, and connection, with live performances, interactive art experiences, and locally curated food and artisan vendors. Mavuno is a chance for the community to come together, celebrate diversity, and support local artists and businesses in a meaningful way.
(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Markowitz Communications)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) The World’s Largest Rubber Duck is coming to Pittsburgh from April 17th-22nd, courtesy of Wolfe LLC and PerfectGift.com. This inflatable yellow duck is 61 feet tall and is nicknamed “Mama Duck.” “Mama Duck” and her 10-foot tall baby duck companion named “Timmy the Duckling,” will be seen outside of Wolfe LLC’s corporate office in Green Tree. Wolfe LLC is a commerce services company and its founder and local entrepreneur, Jason Wolfe, is providing the funding for this year’s event at no cost to the public. A two-day Rubber Duck Tailgate Party and other events will also take place to celebrate the return of the popular tourist attraction. The duck is owned and operated by Big Duck LLC and has appeared at festivals, fairs, and special events across the United States and Canada. The two tall rubber ducks make their return to Pennsylvania after they were seen at Idlewild Park in Ligonier on June 27th-29th, 2025. According to a release on Monday, on Saturday and Sunday (April 18-19) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Rubber Duck Tailgate Party will feature food trucks, a prize wheel, giveaways of branded rubber ducks, footballs, towels, T-shirts, and stickers, as well as PerfectGift+ card sales and giveaways, a shimmer wall photo backdrop and social media activations. The attraction will be closed on April 20th and 21st for private, invitation only events, but it will reopen to the public on April 22nd until deflation at around 6 p.m. ahead of the kickoff for the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held on the North Shore on April 23rd-25th.
(Beaver, PA) Several topics were discussed this morning at the Beaver County Commissioners’ work session at the County Courthouse. One of them was when audience member Fabiola Gargerich of Harmony Township asked the commissioners about an update on if there is any progress on possible artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in Beaver County during the audience participation segment. She asked them in a previous work session on March 11th, 2026 if they would consider the possibility of having an AI data center or a mechanism or ordinance for one in the county so things like the people there can be safeguarded. Commissioner Jack Manning gave her an update on this development by expressing: “There is only one that I know is active and ongoing with the development, that is the Bruce Mansfield one. I have no information on any other proposed, speculative data centers that are going through the permitting process.” Manning went on to say that Shippingport has got some ordinances that they have finished and there has been a lot of visits to data centers by the Commissioners locally as well as regionally. Beaver County Solicitor Garen Fedeles also clarified Manning’s response by stating that “none of the licensing or any type of the approval is done at the county level. That’s all going to be handled at the local level for any data center that would come in to Beaver County.” In other business, Fedeles also gave a reminder in the solicitors’ report that the midterm election in Pennsylvania is coming up next month and the 9,823 applicants who requested a mail-in ballot packet should be receiving it in the mail next week. Beaver County Recreation and Tourism Director Tony Caltury also announced that the Big Knob Grange Maple Syrup Festival is this Saturday and Sunday, taking place at Big Knob Grange from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. on both days. This event is the replacement for the Beaver County Maple Syrup and Music Festival, which was cancelled this year because of issues involving structure and leadership.
PITTSBURGH – The laughs come fast and frequently at “Shucked,” the latest Tony Award-winning musical to grace the Benedum Center stage.
The mixed-ages audience at last night’s Pittsburgh premiere laughed loudly and regularly at quips, ranging from clever wordplay, to corny dad jokes, to saucy double entendres.
“If I had a crystal ball… I’d walk different,” drawls one of the cast’s unsophisticated fellas, Peanut, whose folksy and odd philosophical musings epitomize the non-sophisticated charms of “Shucked.”
Utilizing just two main backdrops, “Shucked” is set in a fictional hick town, called Cob County, where residents are content in their isolation until the sudden, unexpected demise of their corn crop.
Only our heroine Maizy (an endearing Danielle Wade from Broadway’s “Mean Girls”) has the courage or conviction to leave Cob County to try to find a solution to what’s killing the corn. Abandoning her simple but kind fiancé, Beau (a radiant Nick Bailey,) who tries to discourage her from leaving, Maizy ends up somehow in Tampa, Florida, transfixed and befuddled by a big city where she sees adults pushing pets dogs in baby carriages with children kept in control on leashes.
Maizy is a fish out of water, soon targeted by a scoundrel podiatrist named Gordy (a solid Quinn Vanantwerp, who did 3,000 Broadway performances of “Jersey Boys”).Gordy owes the Mob money, and suspects he’s found his salvation in Maizy.
Once Maizy mentions her shiny jeweled heirloom bracelet is made of gems from a heap of shiny rocks under the soil of her family’s farm, Gordy concocts a plan to seduce her and travel back together to Cob County, confident the bumpkins there don’t recognize they’ve got a fortune in unearthed minerals he can grab.
Two joke-slinging narrators (the mirthful Maya Lagerstam and Joe Moeller) keep the pace brisk and fill in storyline gaps. As a spectator, you might rightfully question why Maizy’s and Beau’s planned wedding had to end so abruptly, but there’s no time to get bogged down in plot realism, especially with the narrators reeling off wisecracks and puns that bring groans and smiles, mixed with sharp witticisms, like noting how the term “unsolved mystery” is redundant.
“Shucked” might have the most punchlines per hour since Broadway’s “Book of Morman,” opined one critic.
You’ve got to pay attention to the rapid-fire wordplay, especially in the musical selections, which all were good, with several absolutely spectacular.
The brawny Bailey, as the heartbroken Beau, earned thunderous applause for his strong and towering singing on “Somebody Will,” complete with enough country music lyrical tropes to sound ready for the album of Nashville’s next big star.
Acclaimed country music songsmiths Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally composed the music and lyrics
Maizy’s best friend and cousin Lulu (an outstanding Miki Abraham) did a show-stopping solo vocal performance in “Independently Owned,” a sassy song about independence with the line “I don’t need a man for emancipation.”
“Shucked’s” second act solidifies a message about the uplifting powers of family and love. There are points made, too, on the importance of learning to befriend strangers.
The Maizy-Beau-Gordy romantic triangle reaches a satisfying if not surprising resolution.
I’d have liked more depth to the story; and a little less juvenile humor.
But for two-hours-and-10-minutes, plus a 15-minute intermission, I found myself captivated by the Cob County denizens, with their silly tale a pleasant escape from reality.
Leaning into its corny-ness, “Shucked” stands ready to grow grins and bring joy through Sunday at the Benedum.
