Editor's note: In the final days of 2013, The Republican-Herald news staff looks back at some of the more memorable stories of the year, bringing things up to date when necessary. Today, we review some of the troubles that beset county and local government. Saturday, we bring the readers the year in crime. Sunday, we recall several misfortunes caused by fire and vehicular accidents. On Monday, we look at three stories that gained interest outside the county. On Dec. 31, as the world counts down to 2014, we look back at 10 stories of significant local interest in the outgoing year. All stories were chosen by staff members and are arranged by topic and in roughly chronological order.
Crumbling arches giving up the ghost as city streets cave; highway road crews moving tons of rock while local officials argue over a traffic light; the first county tax hike in almost a decade; and a new mayor in Pottsville not named Reiley in more than decade were among the notable stories in Schuylkill County's government news during 2014.
Split pair takes shape
Motorists continue to encounter roadwork on Route 61 in the Deer Lake area.
Construction on the $38.4 million split pair bypass project between Route 895 and Municipal Road began in September 2012 and will not be completed until the fall of 2015. It will convert four miles of the existing highway into northbound lanes and build two miles of new lanes solely for southbound traffic.
Jug handles, median dividers, three bridges and as many traffic lights are part of the project, along with drainage improvements and other work.
Construction has begun on some of the southbound lanes and other earth moving is ongoing.
About 30 to 40 percent of the project is complete, Sean Brown, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, District 5-0, Allentown, said last week.
Two of the traffic lights will definitely be installed but the third is a source of dispute between local authority and the state. Before PennDOT installs the traffic signal, the local government must accept ownership of it and pay for its maintenance. An agreement for ownership of the light at Route 895 and Deer Lake has not been made final and, without it, a barrier will have to be built in the intersection preventing left-hand turns. Deer Lake, West Brunswick and Auburn have discussed the problem and an agreement must be made by Jan. 17, Brown said.
19th century work wears out
The underground tunnels which carry sewage and storm water beneath Pottsville showed their age this year.
On June 10, faulty stone sewer works owned by the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority near the 500 block of North Centre Street broke during a storm, spilling rainwater and sewage onto the street. The repairs by Dallago's Backhoe Service, Minersville, cost $39,917.52, according to Timothy R. Yingling, the authority's executive director.
On July 3, a section of the sewer works repaired in 2011 on East Market Street gave way. The repairs by Mazzuca Enterprises Inc., Pottsville, cost $106,380.07, Yingling said.
In early August, a foot-wide section of the Norwegian Creek Tunnel caved it. The city maintains the tunnel. The cave-in put a hole on the far southwest side of the parking lot at Kentucky Fried Chicken, 419 S. Claude A. Lord Blvd., Pottsville. The repairs by Dallago's Backhoe cost $4,967, according to Mary Quirk, secretary to the city administrator.
Despite that, the sewer authority and the city officials have not made plans for engineering studies on the 19th century systems.
The council will not consider doing an engineering study unless Daniel E. Kelly, city superintendent of streets, recommends it, Thomas A. Palamar, city administrator, said in August.
Kelly said he believes the stone arches are strong and can be repaired on a case-by-case basis.
One in three county bridges need work
PennDOT released a report in October declaring nearly a third of the 500 bridges in Schuylkill County as "structurally deficient."
A total of 164 bridges are in need of work. That includes 83 of the 343 bridges in the county owned by the state and 81 of the 157 owned by either the county or municipality.
While an additional $2.3 billion in annual funding to improve state infrastructure has since been approved, limited funding in August made future bridge repairs impossible. That month, PennDOT announced new or increased weight restrictions on about 1,000 state and local bridges to extend their life spans. New or increased limits were placed on 11 state-owned and 26 locally-owned bridges in Schuylkill County.
If a bridge poses a public safety risk, it is closed.
Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation in the number of bridges with 25,000 state-owned structures, but first in those that need repair. Nearly 4,500 are deemed structurally deficient, according to the report.
Councilman moves to front seat
When choosing a new mayor, the citizens of Pottsville looked to a familiar face in the November election, Democratic Councilman James T. Muldowney.
In fact, that night the voters kept the Democrats in control of the council, as Muldowney's two-running mates, incumbent Mark J. Atkinson, 45, and Joseph J. Devine Jr., 58, won seats on the council.
Scott R. Thomas, 23, was the Republican candidate for mayor. It was a close race. Muldowney received 1,684 votes and Thomas received 1,327, according to the website for the Schuylkill County Election Bureau.
Thomas's running mates were Republicans Tina K. Zanis and Kerry L. Ansbach.
Muldowney will be sworn in as mayor at the council's reorganization meeting 10 a.m. Jan. 6, according to City Clerk Julie D. Rescorla.
John D.W. Reiley has been mayor since 2000. His son, the late Terrence P. "Terry" Reiley, was mayor from 1998 until he died from leukemia in February 2000. John D.W. Reiley was appointed to the vacancy in 2000, and he went on to win mayoral elections in 2001, 2005 and 2009.
Turkey thief on ballot
Political campaigns can raise all types of issues and, in the 2013 Mahanoy City race, a 40-year-old turkey theft was one of them.
Challenger Dennis Wiessner opposed incumbent Nancy A. Petritsch on the Democratic primary election ballot. In that race, Petritsch won by six votes over Wiessner. There were no declared candidates on the Republican ballot, with Wiessner receiving 79 write-in votes, making him the Republican challenger to Petritsch in the Nov. 5 General Election.
In October, attorney Chester C. Corse, parliamentarian of the Schuylkill County Democratic Party, discovered the 1972 felony conviction in Lehigh County against Wiessner. According to the Pennsylvania Constitution, any person convicted of a felony under state law is banned from serving in any public office in the state.
Wiessner, who said he had forgotten the incident, told The Republican-Herald that the 1972 incident involved helping a friend, who had stolen two Jandl turkeys from the company and had asked him to transport them to his home.
"I hauled the turkeys home," Wiessner said. "Later a detective came over and asked me some questions, and I told him what happened. The detective said I would have to go in front of the judge. The judge asked me about it, and I pleaded guilty. He said I had to pay $50 for the turkeys and gave me two years probation. I never got in trouble since then. I have a clean record. No DUIs."
Wiesnner said that the subject was never raised again during his work career, which included employment by the federal government and the City of Allentown.
"Nothing was ever brought up that I was a felon and couldn't work there. That's what I'm upset about," Wiessner said of the controversy.
He continue to run and said he had applied for a pardon from the state.
In the General Election, Petritsch won by only a three-vote margin, with 475 votes over Wiessner's 472 votes.
The race was close enough for Wiessner to ask for a recount, which was held on Nov. 26, with the election results confirmed.
More mills
County real estate taxes are going up for the first time since 2004.
The commissioners unanimously approved the 2014 budget this month, adding two mills to the levy.
The county's $53,733,255 spending plan will be funded by a tax of 13.98 mills, up from 11.98 mills. Since the average residential property in the county has an assessed value of $29,640, the increase means property owners will pay $59.28 more in real estate taxes in 2014. The county per capita tax remains at $5.
One mill represents $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
In the last county tax hike, the millage rose from 8.88 to 11.98. The county did not face another budget deficit until 2008. In the last five years, the unassigned general fund has been used to balance the deficit.
The county tax makes up 20 percent of residential taxes. School taxes make up 65 percent while municipal taxes make up the remaining 15 percent.
Several boroughs also raised real-estate taxes for 2014 while residents in one township will be paying less.
Mahanoy City increased taxes 2 mills for 2014. Real estate taxes will go from 30.524 to 32.524 mills. The median value of the hike for taxpayers is $17.30.
Ashland raised its total real estate tax from 21.8 to 22.0 mills. Each mill brings in $24,000 in real estate taxes.
Girardville residents will see their taxes increase the most in 2014. The 4-mill hike in real estate taxes increases the millage rate from 14.7 to 18.7 mills. One mill brings in about $6,000.
In Tamaqua, taxes will increase 1.5 mills for 2014. One mill of the increase is for real estate taxes, which will go from 16.25 to 17.25 mills while the remaining half mill will go towards the building and equipment fund, which will now be at 1 mill.
Saint Clair and Pottsville each increased taxes 1 mill for 2014. The tax rate in Saint Clair will be set at 5 mills while the Pottsville rate increases to 18.47 mills.
Butler Township decreased its real estate taxes 1 mill. The township supervisors approved the 2014 budget lowering the real estate tax from 11.65 to 10.65 mills. Each mill brings in about $54,000. The decrease was possible due to the Wal-Mart Distribution Center at Highridge North Business Park ending its Keystone Opportunity Zone status on Dec. 31.