Archive

Why we created a 'youth journalism' edition of The Bridge

Editor Dani Brown gives some context around the Youth Journalism edition of The Bridge, which was published April 30, 2026.

Photos by Dathan Jackson

Dathan Jackson is a 7th grade student from Aliquippa.

Photos by Da'on Lovett

Da'on Lovett is a 9th grade student from Aliquippa.

Photos by Samuel Cobb

Samuel Cobb is a 7th grade student from Aliquippa.

Photos by Ranii Anderson

Ranii Anderson is a 7th grade student from Aliquippa

Basketball is my favorite sport

Khy Redd is a sports fan, and he especially likes basketball.

Aliquippa's fascinating history

Breahna Williams wrote about the history of Aliquippa.

More than ball players

Syniah Miller shares her passion for fashion and why it's important for communities to invest in unique after school opportunities.

The start of spring at Highland Homestead

Patricia "Trish" Noss and her husband Bud operate Highland Homestead, a beef cattle and grain farm in Hanover Township.

2026 Outstanding Women of Beaver County

Twelve women were nominated by the community for our Outstanding Women of Beaver County award.

Tabernacle Baptist Church Black History Forum celebrates 41 years

The Beaver Falls church hosted its 41st Black History month event.

February marked three years since East Palestine train derailment; new health study announced

On the anniversary of the derailment, a new long-term health study was announced.

Human City: A one-year walk alongside my neighbors

Christopher Padgett reflects on his past year of storytelling as a community filmmaker in Beaver County.

Editor's note for 'Hindsight is 2020'

Editor Dani Brown wrote an editor's note in the December 2025 edition of The Bridge to provide more context around the creation of the edition.

Short film: 'Hindsight is 2020'

This film looks back at the Black Lives Matter rallies that took place across Beaver County in 2020.

Community Matters: We were made for this, Beaver County

This month’s installment of Community Matters was originally written nearly six years ago on March 19, 2020. On that day, all of Pennsylvania’s non-essential businesses were forced to close because of the growing threat of COVID-19. Over the coming days and weeks, additional measures were enacted at all levels of society to reduce the spread and impact of the virus. Ten weeks later, on May 25, 2020 George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, sparking a public outcry ab

Exploring your childhood: Dan Williams shares his hope for 'Misbehaving in Maine'

Beaver Falls resident, author and English professor Daniel Williams recently published a booked called "Misbehaving in Maine."

Self-care as a practice

Local resident Joline Atkins shares why self-care should be a daily practice.

'Pause is Power' event hosted by the Sisters of St. Joseph

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden held an event for nonprofit staff members to "fill their cup."

Spending time in nature

Sister Kari Pohl talks about why she enjoys taking time to notice the beauty in nature. 

Community crisis and self-care

Chaney Nezbeth: Community Crisis and Self-Care Chaney Nezbeth is the executive director of The Way Station, which provides resources for residents throughout the region, but especially those impacted by the East Palestine train derailment. Watch here.

Environmentalism and self-care

Resident Joanne Martin discusses why environmentalists need self-care.

Community Matters: Identity, imagination and energy innovation

I grew up in the 1950s in the 1980s. That’s an odd sentence. So, let me say it again. I grew up in the 1950s in the 1980s. My hometown of Clearfield was, and very much still is, a small, rural community in western Pennsylvania.

Separating fact from fiction

Resident Seth Whitted talks about a practice of separating fact from fiction in order to find peace and understand yourself better.

The sound of water

Resident Jim Skal talks about how the sound of water provides peace.

Allowing yourself to feel

Resident Hilary Flint shares why being vulnerable with yourself is so important in order for you to continue doing good work.

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow

Kate Trimble submitted a painting for The Bridge 10/8 edition: Hope, dignity and community wholeness.

Community Matters: Humanity desperately needs a different story

Simply telling better stories will never be enough to get us out of the cultural bind we find ourselves in at present. But, whatever this next chapter of the human saga holds, I can assure you that the stories we tell ourselves and others will be at the very heart of whatever unfolds.

The belly of the whale is the best place to sing

Resident John Bryant submitted photos that depict "strange signs of mercy and grace."

Hope seems scare now

Local student Erik Rusilko wrote a short essay for the 10/8 edition of The Bridge: Hope, dignity and community wholeness.

I remember

Resident Rashaud McKenzie Jr. wrote a song about remembering unity in times of struggle.

Sensing hope

Resident Andrew DiNardo wrote a poem for The Bridge 10/8 edition: Hope, dignity and community wholeness

Do no harm — by thoughts words or actions!

Dr. Don Sheffield shared his "Do No Harm" pledge for schools to enhance equity, mental health and culture competency.

Can we?

Resident Akyera Thompson wrote a piece of prose for The Bridge 10/8 edition: Hope, dignity and community wholeness.

Community Matters: Shell amplifies misleading claims about Beaver County population growth

The Shell ethane cracker plant recently amplified a report that contains misleading claims about Beaver County's population growth.

Community Matters: Re-creating local community in a season of national upheaval

For longer than I care to admit, my basement was overwhelmingly disorganized. The disorganization in my basement began when we first moved into our home a little more than a decade ago. The area wasn’t large enough for everything I was trying to store in it. I didn’t have the right shelving, containers, or patience to create a good system to manage all the stuff I was trying to shove into such a small space. And, since I didn’t regularly need most of the things I was storing, it made it easy to

Community Matters: Energy innovation as tool for growing agency over Beaver County

Those of you who follow along with the work of RiverWise, the nonprofit organization I have the privilege of leading, may have heard that we recently received a second round of funding from the US Department of Energy. The award, provided by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, is part of a program known as the Energizing Rural Communities Prize. Last July, in Phase One of the program, DOE announced 67 awardees, of which RiverWise was one. Utilizing funds from our initial Phase One award

Mental Health Awareness Month resources, Memorial Day opportunities & more!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Bridge asked local therapists what resources they recommend for Beaver County residents. Check out what they said.

The Bridge Youth Edition: Stories from Aliquippa students

Middle and high school students who attend Aliquippa Impact created this edition of The Bridge.

The Bridge 4/16: Earth Day opportunities, resources and more

Earth Day opportunities and resources, and other reflections from our team.

The Bridge 3/26: Outstanding Women of Beaver County and the start of spring

This edition highlights outstanding women in Beaver County and features Highland Homestead.

The Bridge 3/12: Oscar movie thoughts, Women's History month and more!

Oscar movie thoughts, Women's History Month and local resources and opportunities.

The Bridge 2/26: Honoring Black History month

Tabernacle Baptist Church Black History Forum celebrates 41 years in Beaver Falls "Lift Every Voice and Sing" rang triumphantly as dozens of attendees sang the Black National Anthem in a Baptist church on Second Avenue in downtown Beaver Falls. “My mother, Clara Mae Cox, in 1985 had a vision for this event,” said Lonzie Cox Jr. as his fingers moved along the keys of an organ. Since his mother's passing, Cox and Linwood Alford Sr. have continued the vision of bringing people together to honor B

The Bridge 2/12: February resources, opportunities and reflections

Resources, opportunities and reflections for the month of February.

The Bridge 1/14: A look back and a move forward

A look back at some of our original stories from 2025.

The Bridge 12/18: 'Hindsight is 2020'

This edition is a reflection on the two-fold pandemic of 2020: COVID-19 and racial injustice.

The Bridge 11/5: 'A Quiet Hollow'

This self-care-focused edition is intended to be a space to pause, reflect and find resources that nurture you so that you can carry on.

The Bridge 10/8: Hope, dignity and community wholeness

Amid loss and disunity, how can Beaver County remain hopeful, dignify each other and seek community wholeness?

The Bridge 9/10:A Beaver County Summer

A hopeful recap of summertime in Beaver County.

The Bridge 8/5: Food Access in Beaver County

Hear how neighbors are working to bring a member-owner co-op to Aliquippa. Plus: CSAs, local gardens, SNAP and a gala.

About

The Bridge is a community publication by RiverWise that creates, platforms and curates stories about our neighbors in Beaver County. The Bridge is working to become a hub for all things community: a platform for creative advocacy, a bulletin board for resources and opportunities and a space where the people of Beaver County are seen, inspired and motivated to work together. What does that mean exactly? Creative advocacy uses art to disrupt prevailing narratives and strengthen community movement

Bridge Stories

Community Matters

Community Matters is a RiverWise initiative bringing neighbors together through shared stories, local insights, and the conversations that shape Beaver County's future.

Stories by the Community

The voices of Beaver County residents — their memories, reflections, and everyday life.

The Bridge

The Bridge is a space for people in Beaver County to feel hopeful, seen, and not alone—a place where we come together, become active, and work to dismantle the harmful things we've historically said about ourselves.

Christopher Padgett

Christopher Padgett is the storytelling and creative editor for The Bridge, Director of Storytelling for RiverWise, a community documentary filmmaker and an award-winning photojournalist with a BFA in film and video.

Community Author

Community authors include dozens of Beaver County residents who have submitted their creative content to The Bridge.

Dani Brown

Dani Brown is the editor-in-chief of The Bridge and also works as RiverWise's Director of Strategic Communication. She's an award-winning journalist and former reporter for the Beaver County Times and USA Today Network.

Daniel Rossi-Keen

Daniel Rossi-Keen, Ph.D., is the co-owner of eQuip Books, a community bookstore in Aliquippa and the executive director of RiverWise, a nonprofit employing sustainable development practices to create a regional identity around Beaver County's rivers.