Tony LaRussa stories, Page 101

Brendan’s Boots, the hiking group at St. Brendan’s Episcopal Church in Franklin Park, will hold its next outing on Feb. 2 for a trek along the Tree Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh. Participants will meet at the church at 10 a.m. and then carpool to the trail along the riverfront...

The Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber will hold its second combined Home Show and Business Expo on Feb. 23 at The Block Northway. Last year the chamber decided to open its annual business expo up to the general public and expand the offering by combining it with a home show. The...

Ross commissioners are planning to hold a public hearing on Feb. 11 to take comment from residents about a proposal to outlaw the use of all tobacco and vaping products in township parks. The measure proposed earlier this month by Commissioner Jason Pirring would make cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes...

McCandless council has suspended police Chief David DiSanti without pay until a corrective action plan can be developed to address accusations that he engaged in inappropriate behavior toward a female officer. DiSanti was placed on paid administrative leave on Oct. 29 after the female officer accused him of treating her...

Ross Township commissioners on Monday voted to appoint the following people to various volunteer boards, commissions and advisory groups: • Zoning Hearing Board (one position, five-year term): Ronald Zangaro. • Planning Commission (three positions, four-year terms): James Wigal, John Sample and Bridget Watson O’Brien. • Vacancy Board (one position, one-year...

Applicants are being accepted for an opening on the Ross/West View EMS Authority board. The board’s primary responsibility is to oversee business aspects of the Authority’s operations and provide ideas, direction and recommendations on its finances and administration. The person selected for the volunteer position will serve a 5-year term....

The next step in Franklin Park’s effort to place restrictions Marcellus Shale gas drilling in the borough will be revising the borough’s zoning ordinance with rules designed to limit the impact fracking has on the community and environment. Because oil and gas drilling is regulated by the state Department of...

A thin layer of ice disguised by a coating of snow that feel overnight made city steps running from Jancey Street to Butler Street in Morningside a slipping danger on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. The region first significant snowfall of 2019 blanketed the region over the weekend and temperatures dipped...

McCandless has scheduled a Jan. 28 public hearing on proposed zoning changes needed to designate where medical marijuana related businesses can operate. In June, council approved regulations for marijuana businesses in the form of a “pending ordinance,” which means the rules took effect immediately after adoption. Without the pending ordinance,...

Literary historian Rob Velella will bring mystery writer Edgar Allan Poe to life during a presentation at Northland Public Library on Tuesday at 7 p.m. “An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe” will feature readings of well-known and lesser-known works and a question-and-answer period. The program is free, but registration is...

Three newly hired police officers have been sworn into service with the Franklin Park Police Department. Mayor Dennis O’Keefe issued the oath of office during a ceremony at the Jan. 16 council meeting to Officers Seth Mitnik, Amanda Fedunok and Brittaney Burkhart. The police department, which has 12 full-time and...

Saturday’s “hard-to-recycle” electronic waste disposal event at the A.W. Beattie Career Center in McCandless has been cancelled due to concerns over bad weather. JVS Environmental, which was scheduled to provide the service for McCandless and Ohio Township residents, is located in a mountainous area of Somerset County that could get...

After weeks of public debate over the potential benefits and possible risks of signing a lease to allow an energy company to extract Marcellus Shale gas from a mile below a Franklin Park recreation area, council rejected the proposal. Nearly two dozen borough residents commented at Wednesday night’s council meeting...

The North Hills School District’s superintendent is scheduled to present a report and analysis on a proposal to move sixth-grade students out of the elementary buildings and into the middle school to address the district’s growing enrollment. Superintendent Pat Mannarino will hold the presentation during the Jan. 24 school board...

Students in the musical theater program at Vincentian Academy are in full rehearsals for their upcoming spring musical “Annie.” Performances are scheduled for Feb. 22, 23, 24 and March 1 and 2 at the Masonic Center in Ross Township. “It is remarkable to see the talent and enthusiasm we have...

Tickets are on sale for North Hills Community Outreach’s annual Neighborhood Block Party featuring the Pittsburgh band No Bad JuJu on Sunday, March 24. The event will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at The Chadwick in McCandless. The all-ages family friendly event includes food stations, princess and superhero...

The Democratic Committees in several North Hills communities are playing host to a free training program for party members interested in running for political office and their supporters. The training session, which is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 31 in Marshall Township, will cover topics such as...

The North Hills School District has joined with the state Attorney General’s Office to offer parents and students a way to report potential threats that do not require immediate attention from local law enforcement. The new “non-emergency” tip line is a way to report incidents of bullying, intimidation, harassment, weapons,...

Franklin Park council is poised to consider whether to pass on allowing drilling for Marcellus Shale gas under Linbrook Park and the potential profits to fund future borough operations, or take a stance against drilling and forbid the gas from being extracted from public property. Either way, borough officials say,...

Starting on Friday, students and parents in the North Hills School District will be able to view report cards using a new online system, district officials announced. The report cards, which can be accessed through the district’s PowerSchool information system, are for the first semester grading period, which ended on...

The North Allegheny School District is seeking applicants for eight athletic coaching positions for the upcoming spring and fall sports seasons. People interested in the positions have until Jan. 20 to apply through the district’s online Applicant Tracking System, where a job description and requirements for each opening are listed....

How to cope with a loss of income while making a career change is the topic of a free program at 7 p.m. on Feb. 13 at Saints John and Paul Church in Franklin Park. Dave Weigand, a financial advisor with Edward Jones, will discuss strategies for budgeting, reducing expenses...

Ross officials have long had a feeling that the number of deer roaming through township neighborhoods has been growing, or at least further encroaching on populated areas. Now they know they’re not alone. A randomly generated survey of 1,500 residents in all nine wards resulted in 575 responses detailing their...

Allegheny County’s Kane Community Living Center in Ross Township is hosting a job fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16 to recruit registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. In addition to information about the pay, benefits and other opportunities offered, on-the-spot interviews will be conducted with...

The deadline to dispose of live Christmas trees in some North Hills is quickly approaching. Monday is the last day trees can be dropped off in North Park. Trees are being collected from 8 a.m. to dusk in the parking lot of the swimming pool and will be turned into...