PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The past year was another rollercoaster, but one thing we loved about 2022: It brought us The Jawncast!
The best part about working on this podcast is that it gives us a chance each week to highlight unique and interesting stories that make Philadelphia such a distinct place to live.
So, before jumping into 2023, we wanted to share a few of our favorite episodes.
If you’ve been with us from the start, or happened to discover the podcast along the way, thanks for listening!
Sabrina Boyd-Surka
Brian Seltzer
Producers, The Jawncast
Gruesome surgeries and medical marvels: Inside America’s first hospital
This is a story you’ve got to hear to believe. For as much as Philadelphia has built a reputation for being at the forefront of health care and medical advancements, the origins of Pennsylvania Hospital seem shockingly primitive and, in some cases, stomach-turning by today’s standards, but they were revolutionary for the 1800s.
The legend of the DisneyQuest hole in Philadelphia
CyberSpace Mountain. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold. Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride. These were just some of the concepts planned for DisneyQuest Philadelphia in the late 1990s, but the virtual reality theme park pitched for Eighth and Market streets was essentially doomed from the start. We did some digging to find out why the deal fell apart, and how the city was left with a massive hole in the ground.
Are there ghosts in Graeme Park?
On a sunny fall day, it doesn’t get much more picturesque than Graeme Park, but according to legend, the Horsham historical landmark just might be … haunted. Join us on a ghost hunt with John Levy, a Philadelphia police officer who spends his spare time investigating paranormal activity.
The mushroom capital of the world
About 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia is a tiny town that accounts for 60% of the country’s mushrooms. What makes Kennett Square such fertile grounds for fungus, and who are the people fueling the industry? It’s a story that can’t be told without a strong contingent of immigrant workers.
The man behind the medal: Philadelphia’s only Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
Decades later, Joe Crescenz still remembers the moment his family found out his older brother, Michael, wasn’t coming home from the Vietnam War. Along with the help of other veterans, Joe has made sure Michael’s legacy hasn’t been forgotten. This is a story of one man’s sacrifice and a shared experience that shaped a generation.
With violence all around them, Philadelphia’s young, Black men focus on fatherhood
It was another grim milestone in Philadelphia: The city surpassed 500 homicides for a second year in a row. Ahead of Father’s Day this year, we profiled a group of young Black fathers, fathers-to-be and aspiring dads who live in some of Philadelphia’s most dangerous neighborhoods.