Local News-Wednesday, May 16th

It was a light voter turnout in Tuesday's Primary Election. Unofficial tallies indicate about a 27 percent voter turnout in Schuylkill County. Political veterans will run for the county’s highest administrative office. In the race for County Commissioner, Republicans Bob Carl and Frank Staudenmeier will face Democratic incumbent Mantura Gallagher and county Sheriff Francis McAndrew in November. Independent Republican John Schickram failed to gain a spot on the party ticket, but did garner around 55-hundred votes. For the office of Prothonotary, Peter "PJ" Symons won on the Democratic ticket over Mount Carbon Mayor Jeff Dunkel by over 2-thousand votes. Symons changed party affiliations at the start of the campaign, and Dunkel sought to unseat him. He will be opposed by Republican Larry Lonergan, a retiring Pottsville school teacher.

A resounding no was sounded by the voters of Schuylkill County on the question of property tax relief. Each school district was required to pose a question on the ballot about increasing local earned income taxes in favor of a property tax reduction. In all school districts in the county, the result was a thumbs down. In the largest districts, Pottsville and Blue Mountain, the margins were 570 and 12-hundred more no's than yes's, respectively, leaving personal tax rates alone. In the other county school districts, the margins varied across the board. Act 1 was the state legislature’s attempt to incorporate tax relief, and the Governor’s plan to use slots gambling revenue to give a break to those lower-income homeowners who struggle to pay property taxes each year. Now that the initiative has been shot down locally, and statewide, it is unclear what the next course of action will be for the state, since gaming revenues are not expected to kick in until 2008 or later.

As one statewide pollster and political commentator put it, there just wasn’t anything exciting for voters in Tuesday’s primary. In the county, unofficial results released before midnight indicated that about 27 percent of registered voters participated in the May primary yesterday. Even though voters had to consider the Act 1 taxpayer relief proposal in their school districts, it still wasn’t enough to bring voters to the polls. In early stops at polls yesterday, the indifference was clearly evident. That light turnout helps in processing the votes at the STS building. The large number of candidates could have resulted in long night for workers, but all 167 precincts were processed before midnight. The touch-screen voting machines were used for the second primary, and all appeared to work very well, according to Election Bureau Director Betty Dries.

A Pottsville businessman’s bid to run for city council ended in Tuesday’s primary. Michael Glauda, the operator of Goodfella’s, fell short in his bid to run in November. Incumbents Jim Muldowney and Michael Halcovage were the top two vote getters. Glauda picked up 342 votes.
On the Republican side, Beth Pillus and Bob Thomas both garnered spots on the Republican ballot. Pillus, a school teacher in the Pottsville district, ran for Mayor in the last election, but was defeated. Thomas, of the Greenwood Hill section of the city, lost in his bid for council in the last election. Ned Hampford and Ellen Micka, both incumbents, were uncontested for Controller and Treasurer, respectively.

Some of the more hotly contested races in Tuesday’s primary were waged on the local school board level. Unofficial results indicate that in the Pottsville Area School District, there were nine cross-filed candidates running for 5 four-year terms. Retired Superintendent Dr. Bill Davidson and Scott Krater, both incumbents will run for re-election in November. Others earning an opportunity to run in November include Cindy Petchulis, Craig Shields, Robert Evans Jr. and Dr. Gary Cortese. Attorney Karen Rismiller was named to both Republican and Democratic tickets. John Boran, who filled an unexpired term, won the nod for a two-year seat. In the Blue Mountain District, current board members Marci Kramer, Jim Gillespie and Edward Yeich earned a spot on the November ballot. Two newcomers, Mary Jo Moss and Heather Lynn Gosch were voted onto the ballot as well. St Clair school board had five four year seats up for grabs, with ten candidates running as cross-filers. Four incumbents earned a spot in the fall, while Sandra Ryndock will also go forward.

Besides the two contested county races, for Commissioner and Prothonotary, the remaining row office races were a foregone conclusion. In Tuesday’s primary, Treasurer Jackie McGovern and Democrat David Bowen were uncontested for County Treasurer. Jason Gherghel and Melinda Kantner, newcomers to the political arena, will face each other for County Controller, replacing Gary Hornberger who did not run for re-election. Incumbent Clerk of Courts Stephen Lukach will battle Attorney Maria Casey for that office. Both were unopposed. Recorder of Deeds Matt Dudish will face Democratic opponent Nancy Petritsch. Register of Wills George Uritis is retiring. His successor will either be Republican Barron Hetherington or Democrat Michael McCord. And for the office of Coroner, incumbent David Dutcavich and Democrat Joseph Lipsett will vie for that office in November. The candidates will resuming campaigning, heading to November.

In the borough of Tamaqua, it was a crowded field for school director. 12 candidates were looking to garner 5 4-year terms, including several incumbents. Wanda Zuber, Daniel Schoener and Eileen Meiser will join incumbents Larry Wittig and Robert Betz on the November ballot on the Republican side. Three Democratic candidates, Joseph Stanek, Tracy Perry and Richard Schietrumpf will go forward. Challenges were lodged against six others earlier this year in county court, contesting their petitions. They withdrew from the race at that time.

A fire damaged a home in Girardville yesterday. Before 1pm, firefighters were called to the Main Street home owned by Michael and Debbie Horan, where smoke was coming from the rear of the home. Fire officials say that the blaze heavily damaged the kitchen. The Republican and Herald said that the family was temporarily displaced because of the damage. Emergency crews from Girardville, Ashland, Mahanoy Plane and the Altamont fire company fought the mid-afternoon blaze.

Mount Carmel Township police are investigating what is being called a "suspicious" death of an Atlas man Monday night. Police and ambulance personnel were sent out just after eight p.m. to 131 West Girard Street after Northumberland County Communications received a report of someone having a seizure there. Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini said he believed relatives found 64-year-old James Nolter, inside his bedroom. Rosini tells the News Item that Nolter was already dead when ambulance personnel arrived. Mount Carmel Township Police Chief Donald Geary says the nature of the death appears suspicious but police are not considering the death a homicide. An autopsy will be performed by Northumberland County Coroner James Kelley. A Pennsylvania State Police Forensics Unit processed the scene.