West View closes on buying third and final building to make way for new municipal center
West View has completed the purchase of the third and final building that will be torn down to make way for the borough’s new municipal center. At its July 8 meeting, council approved buying a six-unit apartment building at 400 Perry Highway for $585,000. The purchase closed on July 2,...
St. Aidan Festival, a summertime staple for over 30 years, gears up for another 3-day bash
As a newcomer to the North Hills five years ago, Kristin Chick had never been to the St. Aidan Festival. But eager to “put down roots” and a habit of “not saying no,” she found herself helping to manage one of the biggest church festivals in the area, drawing in...
Ross taps Washington County public safety official as township’s 1st fire services director
A Washington County public safety official has been chosen to be the first director of fire services in Ross. Township commissioners voted at their July 6 meeting to hire Jordan Cramer, chief of South Strabane’s fire and emergency services. In that position since April 2022, Cramer has also been an...
Ross Elementary students among kids making sensory kits to help people with special needs in emergencies
A simple bag of items can help keep a child or someone with special needs calm during an emergency. Students in the autistic support program at North Hills’ Ross Elementary School made two dozen of those bags, called sensory kits, for the nonprofit 12 Months of April. The organization’s founder,...
Failed stormwater infrastructure owned by UPMC caused sinkhole in McCandless, town manager says
Failed stormwater infrastructure belonging to UPMC Passavant was responsible for a large sinkhole that formed in front of the hospital on Cumberland Road in McCandless the night of July 5, according to a statement from McCandless Manager John Schwend. The sinkhole is located on Cumberland east of Babcock Boulevard, between...
West View Floral Shoppe celebrates 50 years of business
Just get flowers, says Beth Schellhaas, owner of West View Floral Shoppe. “Get them from me, get them from someone else — always have flowers,” she said. “They’re only here for a while, so you’re going to enjoy them knowing they’re not going to last forever.” Flowers may not last...
North Hills-based AARP Chapter 595 turning 55 years young
Pittsburgh North Hills AARP Chapter 595 is celebrating being 55 years young, as 2026 marks another year of lunches, trips and good deeds. The chapter, approved in 1969, held its installation of officers and board members during a luncheon and meeting on June 2. Its members recently shared what makes...
Rain can’t dampen patriotic, community spirit at Ross Independence Day parade, Community Day eventVideo
Those who brought umbrellas to use as parasols at the start of the Ross Independence Day parade on June 28 were using them as cover from sprinkles and a downpour by the end. The rain that capped off the parade along Perry Highway was not an issue for the township’s...
Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh celebrates ordination of 5 priestsVideo
Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop Mark Eckman ordained five men to the priesthood during a Mass of Ordination on June 27 at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland. The new priests and their home parishes are Brian M. Myler of Holy Family Parish, Erik L. Pintar of St. Paul Cathedral Parish,...
North Hills seeks to fill school board vacancy left by death of recently elected member Anthony Hall
The North Hills School District is seeking to fill a vacancy on the school board following the death of member Anthony Dimeran Hall. Hall, 41, a Democrat from Ross, died June 18. A cause of death was not available. Hall was elected to the school board in November. It was...
Shaler couple held for trial on Ross charges they kept insurance money meant to pay ambulance bills
A Shaler couple will stand trial on charges accusing them of keeping insurance money meant to pay ambulance bills. District Judge Richard G. Opiela on Wednesday, June 24, held Wallace Hodge, 57, and Stacie Hodge, 43, for trial on charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds...
North Area Environmental Council dissolving, capping 57 years with a community celebration June 28 in North Park
After 57 years of raising environmental awareness in Pittsburgh’s northern region, the North Area Environmental Council is dissolving. The nonprofit is capping its efforts with a community celebration June 28 in North Park. Founded in 1969, the NAEC began in an era when the environmental awareness movement was just beginning,...
World War II veteran posthumously receives diploma from North Catholic High School
Before his senior year at North Catholic High School in 1943, 17-year-old William L. Bann enlisted in the Navy, answering the call to serve his country during World War II. Serving from August 1943 to March 1946, Bann was a gunner’s mate on naval ships in the Mediterranean, Pacific and...
West View man accused of cruelty to animals after dog got loose, killed by car
A West View man cited several times for his dog running loose is facing a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals after it was hit and killed by a car. West View police filed charges June 18 against Robert McDonald, 42. According to a criminal complaint, a concerned neighbor...
Surf’s up!: Pittsburgh-born Josie Lacenere making waves in California’s scholastic surfing scene
There’s a term in surfing called “tombstoning.” The phrase is as ominous as it is descriptive. It happens when a surfer is held underwater by the force of a wave while their board sticks up
vertically. So, it looks like a tombstone. Before his sixth-grade daughter, Josie, even started paddling...
Ross residents to see garbage bills fall nearly 40% under new contract
Ross residents can look forward to lower garbage bills beginning next year, and possibly continuing into the next decade. Commissioners on Monday approved a new, four-year contract with County Hauling that will see residents’ bills drop by almost 40% from the current cost with Waste Management. The vote was 8-0,...
Demolition, construction to cause closures, restrictions of interstates 279, 79
Demolition of a bridge and construction of new bridges are scheduled to cause closures and restrictions on interstates 279 and 79 in Allegheny County this week. Closures of I-279 in Ross are scheduled overnight four days this coming week while crews work to demolish the closed Jacks Run Road bridge...
North Hills softball never felt like underdogs in surprise run to WPIAL finals
All season long, North Hills softball coach Libby Gasior raved about the depth of talented, capable teams in Class 5A of the WPIAL. At the end of the season, her team showed just how deep it went. The Indians, who entered the WPIAL postseason as a No. 11 seed and,...
North Hills notebook: Track team turns in solid performances at WPIAL meet
North Hills sent a wide variety of track and field athletes to the WPIAL championship meet last month. Despite not taking gold, the Indians had success in both individual and relay events at Slippery Rock University. The Indians placed two athletes on the podium in boys triple jump, as seniors...
Ross Township 5th grader captures 4 regional titles in Taekwondo
Tyler Gratz, a fifth-grade student in the North Hills School District and resident of Ross Township, won four district titles June 6-7 at the American Taekwondo Association’s Northeast District Championships in Lancaster. Gratz, 11, is a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo with five career district titles. He earned his 2026...
West View rejects only bid for new municipal complex that was more than double expected cost
West View is reevaluating plans for the borough’s new municipal complex after receiving a single bid that was more than double what officials expected. At the same time, the borough is buying a third property for the development and seeing demolition costs increase. The borough plans to build the new...
North Hills School Board approves $101.6M budget with near-max property tax hike
The North Hills School Board approved a near-maximum property tax increase with the district’s budget for the 2026-27 school year. The board voted 8-0 to approve the $101.6 million budget and property tax rate at its June 4 meeting. Board member Anthony Hall was absent. The budget was unchanged from...
Ross, West View police place education ahead of enforcement on electric bikes, scootersVideo
Ross and West View police are hoping that educating the community about electric scooters and e-bikes will help keep people, especially children, safe and prevent damage to public parks. As the devices have become cheaper, the number of calls, complaints and incidents Ross police have been getting has exploded this...
With sharp defense, Thomas Jefferson avenges loss to North Hills, makes PIAA final 4
So it looks like practice does make perfect. Thomas Jefferson spent a lot of practice time since its semifinals loss to North Hills working on defense, and it showed with a perfect display as the Jaguars avenged their WPIAL semifinal loss to the Indians with a PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal...
Shaler couple accused of pocketing money meant to pay Ross/West View EMS ambulance bills
A Shaler couple is facing felony theft and other charges after Ross police allege they kept money from their insurance company intended to pay ambulance bills from Ross/West View EMS. Police filed charges Wednesday, June 3 against Wallace Hodge, 57, and Stacie Ellen Hodge, 43. According to a criminal complaint,...
