Local News-Friday, July 6th

The County Commissioners have decided to seek public bids for a two-year wireless telephone plan. Previously, the Commissioners tabled a request to approve a two-year contract with Greens Communications of Pottsville for $3,501 per month, a savings of $516 over their present plan. Quotes had been sought for a plan but not publicly advertised bids. Greens provided the lowest quote. Commissioner Mantura Gallagher had questioned whether the contract had been properly bid and asked the County Solicitors office for an opinion. In most cases, the state requires that bids be advertised for contracts exceeding $10,000. At last weeks meeting Assistant Solicitor Jay Jones said the contract must be put out to public bid. At Tuesday's works session meeting, the Commissioners announced that bids will be opened at the August 1st board meeting and be tentatively awarded Thursday August 9th. In other business, the Commissioners were asked to authorize a contract with Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, Mechanicsburg for correctional operations assessment at the County Prison. The firm submitted a low bid of $35,000.

The Schuylkill County Commissioners approved advertising for bids for the demolition of 19 structures in eight municipalities during their work session meeting held Tuesday. The structures include an old garage, eight single family dwellings and ten family structures in the Boroughs of Ashland, Coaldale, Girardville, and New Philadelphia and in Kline, Foster and Mahanoy Townships. The bids will be opened during the Commissioners Thursday, August 9th Board meeting. The tentative bid award date is Wednesday August 22nd. In addition, the Commissioners approved a sub-recipient agreement with Mahanoy City for the demolition of a structure at 311 East Centre Street. The County will be responsible for $14,745 of the total project cost of $29,690. In other business, the Commissioners were asked for approval of a lease addendum for the County’s MH/MR and Drug and Alcohol programs for additional office space. The programs are seeking to increase their office space by 1,013 square feet. Monthly rental for all 4,378 square feet of space will increase to $4,445.85 from the present $3,418.00. The programs lease space in a building on Claude A. Lord Blvd. owned Miller Brothers Construction Company. The Commissioners announced that next weeks board meeting will be held in the Sweet Arrow Lake Clubhouse at 10am.

Another retailer will be ready to set up shop along Route 61 beginning next year. Tractor Supply, a farming supply chain with nearly 700 stores nationwide has begun construction at Coal Creek Commerce Center near St. Clair, according to the Republican and Herald. The area, developed by the Rich family, welcomed a WalMart Supercenter six years ago as its anchor store. Home Depot opened a store last year. A 28-thousand-square foot strip mall is also being developed by the Rich family at the site. Tractor Supply expects to open their new store in the beginning of 2008. Its expected to employ about a dozen people.

Legislative leaders and aides to Governor Ed Rendell finished talking around midnight tonight without any agreements in negotiations over the state budget. In fact, they reported little, if any progress. Another meeting is expected to reconvene around nine o'clock this morning.
Senator Dominic Pileggi, the Republican floor leader from Delaware County, says talks focused on the budget, instead of priorities that the Democratic governor has sought, such as a plan to subsidize alternative energy programs. And he says he thinks negotiators clarified some of the areas of disagreement. Schuylkill County Representative Dave Argall, who voted twice to pass a state budget without a tax increase, said yesterday that while the state is sitting on top of a more than half-a-billion-dollars in surplus, Governor Ed Rendell is pursuing additional dollars for items like mass transit. Today is the sixth day of the new fiscal year without a budget agreement that allows the state to spend money on non-critical services. A deal in the coming days would avert the scheduled furlough of more than 24-thousand state workers currently scheduled for Monday.

An opponent has announced her intention to run against Congressman Tim Holden in the 17th District. Retired state police officer Toni Gilhooley announced her intention to run against the incumbent St. Clair Democrat this week, according to published reports. The 60-year-old Lower Paxton Township resident is currently serving as a commissioner for the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission. She retired from service as a state police officer in 1998 after a 25 year career. United States Congressmen must run for re-election every two years.\

A Pottsville man was involved in a one vehicle crash yesterday morning in Wayne Township.
Todd Freiler was driving his car south on Route 183, lost control on a left curve. Upon attempting to slow down on the wet roadway, he lost control of his Toyota Tercel. The car went up a bank and flipped on its roof. Freiler wasn’t hurt, but his car had to be towed from the scene.

A St. Clair man faces a host of charges following an incident earlier this week in the borough.
St. Clair borough police now report that 20-year-old Thomas Langtry was throwing fireworks from a window of an apartment on South Third Street early Sunday morning. Police found Langtry hiding in an attic at the home and took him into custody. He was charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, resisting arrest and other offenses. Those charges were filed in District Judge David Plachko’s office.