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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
West View manager proposes 24% property tax increase with 2026 budget
A nearly 24% property tax increase is included in West View’s proposed budget for 2026. In his budget report, borough Manager Bruce Fromlak says the 1.5 mill increase “is recommended to preserve fiscal stability and provide the resources necessary to maintain operations, meet contractual obligations and invest in future capital...
Veterans and active-duty military members find a career fit with Postal Service
Two words: mail call. That may be one of the most welcoming phrases for deployed men and women in the U.S. military, said Ross resident Mark Wahl, a strategic communications specialist for the U.S. Postal Service. So, it’s rather fitting that the Postal Service also has been a rewarding career...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 21-23
If Light Up Night isn’t your jam, that doesn’t mean having to hide in the house all weekend! Here are some other events to attend, sans twinkly trees and super-cold temps. Record Convention Fall Show Music collectors of Pittsburgh, here’s your chance to shop and meet like-minded people. The Record...
Time capsule from 1990 opened at Highcliff Elementary School in Ross, 10 years after intended date
Students at North Hills’ Highcliff Elementary in Ross stumbled upon a time capsule in their school, a decade after it was planned to be opened. The capsule, created by students and staff in 1990, was found while the stage was being prepared for the Drama Club’s production of “Cinderella …...
Ross Manager Ronald Borczyk, a West Deer resident, announces retirement
After nearly 30 years as an elected and appointed local government official, Ronald Borczyk is calling it a career. Borczyk, 67, will retire Jan. 9 from his current position as manager of Ross, Commissioner Dan DeMarco announced during the commissioners meeting on Monday, Nov. 17. “We’re gonna miss you, Ron,”...
Veterans touched by ceremony, parade at Holy Cross Academy in Ross
A time of reflection, reverence and recognition was part of the annual Veterans Day celebration and parade Nov. 7 at Holy Cross Academy in Ross. “It’s very emotional,” said Dave W. Graver of McCandless, who was visibly moved after coming out of the church service honoring the veterans. Graver served...
State Sen. Lindsey Williams hosts food drive in Harrison, Ross
State Sen. Lindsey Williams is hosting a food drive to benefit local families. Her office at Heights Plaza in Harrison is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. In addition, donations will be collected at her Ross office along McKnight Road. Proceeds will benefit Feeding the Flock...
At the library: Here are some upcoming programs at Northland Public Library
Speaker to share strategies
for parents of disabled children Northland Public Library, 300 Cumberland Road, McCandless, is hosting a session on “Parenting for Different Needs: Supporting Children With Physical or Intellectual Disabilities” from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 4. Raising a family member with special medical needs can require extra...
North Hills fights to the finish during difficult but rewarding season
North Hills’ football team got far too familiar with one of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s famous sayings this season. The Indians finished the year 3-8 with a 38-7 loss to Bethel Park in the Class 5A first round. But it was a record that didn’t exactly reflect the competitiveness of...