The quality and effectiveness of education -- locally, nationally, even globally -- is a frequent topic for the media these days. Experts from the worlds of government, education and business can debate endlessly whether our children are learning what they need to learn, whether our teachers are teaching what they need to teach.

In the law there is a concept called "forum shopping." This basically means that if you don't like your chances or options in one court, you try to find a better court by whatever means possible. The other side, of course, does not want you to be in the better court, which would be worse for their client, so they accuse you of the horrible offense of "forum shopping." The principle is that the case should be heard in the proper jurisdiction, otherwise people are jumping all over the country trying to find a judge or jury they can snow.

The post-election reorganization of Bellevue Council Monday night was not without incident -- several of them in fact. The meeting began with one council member-elect omitted from the swearing-in, and ended with questions about the legitimacy of the entire process. In between, a new regime took charge of council, and perhaps set the tone for the coming year.

A last ditch legal challenge to stop the changes scheduled to go into effect today at Allegheny General Hospital - Suburban Campus is running into challenges of its own. Attorneys for West Penn Allegheny Health System and the Suburban General Hospital Advisory Board were in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Thursday, appearing before Judge Ronald Folino.

At issue was whether the court should issue an injunction stopping the hospital from closing its emergency room and inpatient units, and whether the group asking for the injunction had any legal right to do so.

By JOHN DOANE A few new faces were present at Emsworth Council's 2010 reorganization meeting Jan. 4 to take the oath as newly elected government officials. Former longtime borough solicitor Mike Marmo, now a judge on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, swore in newly-elected mayor Dee Quinn, incumbent council members Amy Adams and Paul Getz, and new members Dan Lenz and Kenneth Kroen.

The new council’s first act was to keep the status quo for the president of council.

Bellevue residents from the borough’s first ward could learn as early as Monday who will represent them on Bellevue Council, after a judge dismissed a petition that sought to keep Allegheny County from counting an absentee ballot that had been lost for nearly a week after the November general election.

Democratic incumbent Jane Braunlich and Republican newcomer David Piet are officially tied for the second of two first ward council seats to be decided in the election. The other seat was won by Republican incumbent Kathy Coder.

The Avonworth School Board voted Monday to attempt to thwart efforts by the Avonworth Cheerleading Boosters to collect money from the parents of two girls.