Here are some recent Tribune-Review news stories and features from the North Hills.

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Allison Park cancer survivor, 5, lights up Christmas tree at PPG Place in Pittsburgh

Nora Misencik has the smile and energy to light up a room.

On Nov. 19, the 5-year-old cancer survivor from Allison Park lit up a city as she and her older sister, Heidi, 8, turned on the power and charm of the Christmas tree at the Rink at PPG Place in Pittsburgh.

“I think it’s pretty awesome,” said Adam Misencik, the proud father. “Everyone thinks this is great and awesome for her to do, especially down here in Pittsburgh.”

Nora was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma when she was 4 months old. She has gone through at least 10 rounds of chemotherapy and multiple checkups at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Wexford pastor appointed as next bishop of Youngstown

Pope Francis named the pastor of a church in Wexford as the next bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

The Rev. David J. Bonnar, 58, who serves as pastor of St. Aidan Parish, will be installed as the sixth bishop of Youngstown during an episcopal ordination Jan. 12 at the Cathedral of St. Columba.

The Youngstown diocese has 200,000 people and spans six counties in northeast Ohio.

Research halted at Baker Estates Cemetery due to ownership claim

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have halted field studies at a nearly 200-year-old abandoned cemetery in Richland after receiving a curious letter from a woman in Missouri who claims to own the property.

But identifying the owner — whether it’s the Missourian or someone else — might prove as puzzling as the mystery researchers are trying to uncover at the graveyard.

Pitt anthropologists Bryan Hanks and Marc Bermann began using ground-penetrating radar and other equipment this summer to detect changes in the soil that might indicate where unmarked graves are located.

Historical records say 65 people were buried in Baker Estates Cemetery after it was established in 1826.

North Allegheny girls pen book, create website about personal finance for kids

Most people with questions about a topic they know little or nothing about seek out experts who can give them the answers.

But North Allegheny High School juniors Alina Zaidi and Angela Wu decided that it wasn’t enough to simply teach themselves about personal finances. They wanted to make sure other kids had the tools they needed to handle money.

So the pair spent much of the summer writing a book geared toward middle and early high school students titled “Growing Your Money Tree: An Introduction to Personal Finance.”

Zaidi said the idea for the book began to take shape after she and Wu joined the school’s DECA club, which prepares high school students for business-related careers.

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