West View district judge dismisses 3 of 6 charges against Ross man accused of gun traffickingVideo
Half of the charges against a Ross man accused of gun trafficking were thrown out at his preliminary hearing Wednesday, April 8. However, Benjamin Ford, 43, was held for trial on the remaining three charges and will stay in the Allegheny County Jail without bond after West View District Judge...
North Hills senior gets full ride to Robert Morris University
As a high school senior with an interest in accounting, Carter Schram has been well aware of the cost of a college education, and how long it could take to pay off that debt. So Schram worked to earn an associate degree while still a student at North Hills High...
Civilian uses police radio to get help for Ross detective fighting with assault suspect
A civilian is credited with using a Ross police detective’s radio to call for help when the detective was in a fight with a man he was trying to arrest Tuesday, according to court filings. According to a criminal complaint, the incident began as a fight between two men around...
Ross municipal building, community center to remain open during roof work
The Ross municipal building and community center will remain open while part of the building’s roof is being replaced. The township announced March 30 that the roof replacement project had started. According to township Manager Jessica Crawshaw, the project consists of replacing the flat part of the roof, totaling just...
Pittsburgh Sakura Project readies for peak cherry blossom viewing in North Park
A spring hanami event, a Japanese term for flower-viewing, will be celebrated from 2 to 4 p.m. April 18 along the lake and at Harmony Shelter in North Park, near the boathouse off Pearce Mill Road. The blooming buds are all part of the Pittsburgh Sakura Project, a group of...
Balance Brewing opens in Ross, enlarging space of former craft brewer Necromancer
A desire for balance — in life and in beer — has lead three partners to open their own craft brewery in Ross. “A good beer is balanced in its sweetness and bitterness,” said Rob Houston, co-founder and operations manager for Balance Brewing, whose philosophy of balance extends to his...
Ross man who bought over 200 handguns is accused of firearms trafficking
A Ross man is accused of trafficking firearms after six of more than 200 handguns he bought over 11 years were recovered by police in three states, according to charges filed by the state Attorney General’s Office. Benjamin Ford, 43, was charged Thursday with six felony counts of selling or...
‘Sovereign citizen’ arrested after Ross police see SUV made to look like police vehicle
A man driving an SUV equipped to look like an unmarked police vehicle was arrested Saturday in Ross after he gave police fake documents that included a “United Nations driving permit,” Ross police said in a criminal complaint. Ross police charged Zachary Jerry, no age available, of Pittsburgh with a...
Music scholarship honors life, legacy of North Hills graduate, former school board member
A music scholarship has been established in honor of North Hills High School graduate and former school board member Annette Lois Giovengo. The $500 scholarship is supported by Giovengo’s husband, Kevin Nolish, and son, Andrew Nolish, through the North Hills Foundation. It will be awarded annually to a graduating North...
West View awards contracts for paving, demolitions for new municipal complex
West View Council in March awarded contracts totaling about half a million dollars for road paving and demolition work. Portions of five roads and a bridge deck are scheduled to be paved, while two buildings will be torn down to make way for the borough’s new municipal center that includes...
North Hills alum creates trade school scholarship to encourage graduates to continue their educations
Following his graduation from North Hills High School in 1998, Chads Mullinary didn’t find any encouragement to further his education. He spent 21 years working in restaurants, rising from dishwasher to management, before becoming a Realtor, which he’s done now for five years. “I came from a poor family,” he...
Ross resident honored for 30 years of service to Animal Friends with Lifetime Achievement Award
Ross Township resident Joseph “Sonny” Hanlon received the 2025 Animal Friends Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year for his years of service to animals and veterans alike. The Animal Friends Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual who has served Animal Friends’ mission and vision for at least 20 years. “In...
In brief: Happenings across the North Hills Journal area
North Hills Children’s Choir performing at The Block Northway The Block Northway in Ross will host a special performance by the North Hills Children’s Choir at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 in the north corridor near Nordstrom Rack. The group will present a 20 minute choral program for shoppers...
Owner of 3 Shop ’n Save locations planning to close 1 in Ross
There will not be a “going out of business” sale for a Shop ’n Save on Perry Highway in Ross. When the grocery store in Pines Plaza closes April 4, its inventory will be sent to owner Mike Mihelic’s other stores on Rochester Road in Ross and Butler Street in...
Meadows Original Frozen Custard aims for summer opening in Ross Township
Nathaniel Jackson, co-owner of Meadows Original Frozen Custard in New Alexandria, knows his frozen treats — and there’s a big difference between ice cream and custard. “The main thing is the egg yolk. For custard to be called custard, it has 1.4% egg yolk,” Jackson explained (or about...
Ross commissioners enact restrictions on vape shops, introduce regulations on massage therapy
After approving regulations restricting where vape shops can locate in Ross, commissioners are now considering regulating massage therapy businesses. Commissioners voted 8-0 March 16 to approve an ordinance governing vape, tobacco and smoke shops. Commissioner Pat Mullin was absent. After discussion, commissioners removed language banning most if not all lighted...
Petition argues Republican state House candidate in North Hills is ineligible to run
A petition filed in Commonwealth Court says a Republican state House candidate in the North Hills is not eligible to run because he doesn’t meet the state’s residency requirement. The candidate, Ehab Akkary of McCandless, called the challenge “antidemocratic” and said it is a “frivolous and politically motivated attempt to...
North Hills softball looks to keep strong tradition rolling
The North Hills softball team has maintained its position as a consistent playoff threat over the years. The program, which has claimed six WPIAL titles in its history, returns a solid core in 2026 with hopes to get back to the top. The Indians went 17-6 last season, including a...
North Hills baseball adjusting to challenges of Class 6A
Jon Pedrosky saw the good and the bad of his team’s first season playing in Class 6A last year. The North Hills baseball team posted an 8-13 record in 2025, going 4-7 in ultra deep and competitive Section 1 and reaching the postseason. “It was a new environment for us,...
Ross/West View EMS names new medical director, pediatric medical director
Dr. Philip Nawrocki has been named medical director of Ross/West View Emergency Medical Services, while Dr. Angelica Cercone has been named pediatric medical director. The addition of Cercone makes Ross/West view among the first EMS agencies in the region to have a secondary medical director specializing in pediatrics, the agency...
Courtney Brennan, Matt Dieterich named recipients of North Hills’ 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award
Courtney Brennan and Matt Dieterich are the 2026 awardees of the North Hills High School Distinguished Alumni Award, the district announced in early March. They will be inducted on May 18 and serve as keynote speakers at the high school’s annual Senior Awards Night that evening. Brennan, a 2001 graduate,...
Ross man, 44, faces charges of sexual relationship with 15-year-old girl
A 44-year-old Ross Township man is charged with having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Ross police filed a dozen charges on Wednesday, March 11 against Daniel Thomas Hastings. They include felony counts of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, sexual assault and...
6th annual Dyngus Dash returns to North Park
There are several possible reasons why Dyngus Day dashers join a 5K of the same name every year: They’re proud of their Polish heritage, are serious runners or just want to have lots of fun. Whatever it is, all of this is happening April 11 during the sixth annual Dyngus...
Ross recognizes 2025 police officer of the year, leadership award recipients
A one-time school custodian who became a police officer has been recognized as the 2025 officer of the year in Ross. Officer Jason Pokorny earned the award “for modeling what the ideal Ross police officer should be,” Ross police Chief Cristyn Zett said. “Officer Pokorny’s enthusiasm and positive attitude are...
Dozens of works by student artists on display at The Block Northway in Ross
A spotlight is shining on dozens of young artists at The Block Northway in Ross. The free art exhibit, located on the upper level of the mall, will be on display through March 22. It features works by students from several schools in the North Hills, including Blessed Trinity Academy...
