North Journal
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for Jan. 12, 2026Video
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week – Nathan Schanbacher School – North Hills Class – Junior Height – 6-foot-3 Position – Guard #Earned – It was a big week for one of the hottest boys basketball teams in Class 6A and their leading scorer. Junior guard Nathan Schanbacher...
Northland Public Library celebrates results of $4.1M renovation at ribbon-cutting ceremony
Northland Public Library celebrated its newly renovated and more functional space with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 8. A large crowd gathered in the library’s front spacious lobby, via the new lower-level main entrance, to tour the robust additions to the $4.1 million project that began in the fall of 2024....
Richland play cafe owner looks to create place where children, parents can make memories together
After her childhood plan of becoming a school teacher didn’t turn out the way she thought it would, Ashley Domenick is pursuing a new dream of opening a play cafe. The Busy Berry Play Cafe is scheduled to open Jan. 19 at the Richland Mall in Richland, near Emiliano’s Mexican...
‘Large-scale’ illegal marijuana sales operation found at 2 vape shops on McKnight Road in Ross, police say
Authorities uncovered a large-scale illegal marijuana sales operation at two vape shops in Ross, Allegheny County Police said. The county police narcotics unit, working with Ross police, executed search warrants Friday, Jan. 9, at Smoke World and Vape in the 4800 block of McKnight Road and at Powerful Smoke in...
Ross welcomes 2 new commissioners, names interim manager
A third of the nine-member Ross Board of Commissioners is now women, and the township has its first Black commissioner. Haley Warden-Rodgers and Dwayne Lee Allen joined the board in January after winning seats in November’s election, which also saw Ward 2 Commissioner Chris Eyster and Ward 8 Commissioner Denise...
Girl Scout trio raises chickens for West View Urban Farm to help address food insecurity
The price of eggs is no concern if you have a bunch of feathery friends to help you out, which is why Girl Scout Cadettes from Troop 36774 are raising chickens to combat food insecurity in their community. Three Cadettes brought two chickens and a lot of knowledge Dec. 10...
Seven Fields native Ava McNaughton picked for U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team; Hilary Knight to make 5th Olympics appearance
Hilary Knight is set to make her fifth Olympic appearance, and this time lead a younger, faster U.S. women’s national team that’s favored to win gold at the Milan Cortina Winter Games next month. The 36-year-old Knight headlines the list as USA Hockey released its 23-player Olympic women’s roster on...
Ross posthumously honors business owner Bobby Colosimo for generosity to community
Ross resident and business owner Bobby Colosimo was a “workaholic,” says his wife, Robin. But he didn’t work just for himself. He started a landscape supply business, The Barn, for his son, David, and founded a real estate company, BMDS, for the benefit of his four granddaughters. “Everything that Bobby...
Looking back on pop culture that had Western Pennsylvania buzzing in 2025
The past year has been a lively time in Western Pennsylvania for music, movies, TV, art and social media. From new art spaces to blockbuster series to sold-out TikTok-driven events, 2025 was a great time for water cooler conversations and fun stories around town. Here are just a few. ‘The...
La Roche University gifted buildings, including motherhouse, from Sisters of Divine Providence
A property transfer from a Catholic organization to La Roche University sets the college up for long-term growth, officials say. The Sisters of Divine Providence has gifted the Providence Heights Motherhouse and about 15 acres of nearby property to La Roche, the university announced Tuesday, Dec. 16. The transfer includes...
Ross property owners to see tax increase for 2nd consecutive year
Property owners in Ross will pay more in taxes to the township after commissioners approved a tax increase for the second consecutive year. While commissioners unanimously approved the township’s $46.7 million 2026 budget on Dec. 15, they voted 7-2 to approve the 8% property tax increase, from 3.7 mills to...
West View approves 24% property tax increase, borrowing for new municipal complex
Property taxes in West View will increase 24% after council approved the new tax rate along with the borough’s budget for 2026 on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Council approved increasing the tax rate by 1.5 mills, from 6.3 mills to 7.8 mills. It is the first increase in the borough’s tax...
Local lawmakers, librarians celebrate $5M increase in Pa. budget for public libraries
Librarians and others joined local legislators Dec. 5 at Northland Public Library to celebrate a $5 million increase in the Pennsylvania budget for public libraries. The extra funding is reflected in the statewide public library subsidy of $75,470,000 for the coming fiscal year and is part of the $50.1 billion...
North Hills School Board approves limiting any potential property tax increase to state limit
The North Hills School Board has agreed to limit any potential property tax increase in the district’s 2026-27 budget. At its Dec. 2 meeting, the board approved a resolution stating it would not seek to increase the property tax rate by more than 4.2%, the district’s inflation limit imposed by...
In brief: Happenings across the North Hills Journal area
Veterans invited to free holiday lunch A free holiday luncheon for veterans is planned for noon Dec. 17 at the Ross Community Center, 1000 Ross Municipal Drive. The event is being hosted by the Ross Township Parks and Recreation Department. To make a reservation, call 412-931-7041. Police departments collecting toys...
At the library: Here are some upcoming programs at Northland Public Library
Notice to patrons Northland Public Library, 300 Cumberland Road, McCandless, will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the Christmas holiday. The library will close at 5 p.m. Dec. 31 and remain closed through Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day. Northland’s regular operating hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through...
Realtor: North, South Hills real estate markets have more similarities than you’d think
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series on real estate market trends in Western Pennsylvania. Twenty-six years ago, Bob Topich broke the age-old social norm of Pittsburgh suburbanites — departing his native South Hills for a home north of the city. Topich, 65, of Franklin Park, has never...
Holiday performances, gingerbread house display keep things festive at The Block Northway
The shopping atmosphere at The Block Northway was kept seasonally festive thanks to a free concert performed by the Slippery Rock University Clarinet Choir on Nov. 30. The clarinetists were part of a free series of concerts and performances held during the holiday season at the mall off McKnight Road...
North Hills School Board reorganizes following November election
The North Hills School Board welcomed one new and three returning members when it reorganized on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Newcomer Anthony Hall was one of four Democrats elected to the board in November. Returning to the nine-member board are Sandra Kozer, Mike Santucci and Allison Mathis. Elizabeth Nease left the...
Jacks Run Road bridge over I-279 in Ross expected to remain closed until fall 2027
North Hills-area motorists will have to find other ways around a closed bridge over Interstate 279 in Ross for about another two years, according to the Allegheny County Department of Public Works. The department closed Jacks Run Road Bridge No. 3 in July after inspectors found corroded steel in a...
West View mourning death of council vice president
West View Councilwoman M. Kimberly Steele died on Wednesday, Nov. 26, following a 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 72. During her tenure on borough council, Steele had been president and was most recently vice president. She also had served on the West View Water Authority’s board of directors....
Ross budget cuts fail to make dent in projected 8% property tax increase
Ross officials have continued to work on the township’s 2026 budget but have not found enough cuts to make a dent in a proposed 8% property tax increase. At a commissioners meeting Nov. 17, finance director Dan Berty told commissioners that while they found spending that could be cut, they...
Long-time coach provides ‘GPS’ for youths in book detailing challenges from childhood
A McCandless resident, known to many in the North Hills as Coach Dave Gray, is celebrating the release of his debut book, “Next Point Wins: A Playbook for Future Champions.” The book details what it was like growing up as a foster child, finally being adopted, his challenges as a...
Round of grants to benefit multiple North Hills communities
Multiple communities in the North Hills are getting a boost from a recent round of state grants. A $106,000 grant will support the chassis replacement of an ambulance from the McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority. The total cost of the chassis replacement, also known as an ambulance remount, is $225,000, according...
A.W. Beattie students turn Thanksgiving parade into schoolwide event benefiting North Hills Community Outreach
Giving thanks and giving back to those in need were the themes of a student-led Thanksgiving parade at A.W. Beattie Career Center in McCandless. It also was a special treat for the preschoolers of Beattie’s Kiddie Tech program, who got to march in the parade around the school. While the...
