May 14 to May 20

Tax reform efforts continueThe state House of Representatives voted 105-86 in favor of a bill aimed at reforming the mechanism in place to fund education in the commonwealth.The House passed the property tax reform bill on to the Senate.The legislation would raise about $4.2 billion by increasing the sales tax rate in most of the state from 6 percent to 7 percent and the personal income tax rate from 3.07 percent to 3.7 percent.Tamaqua project fundedFunding for the million-dollar restoration project that officials say is key to Tamaqua's revitalization, was announced to be in place.The Mauch Chunk Trust Company awarded a $500,000 bridge loan to the Tamaqua Historical Society to aid the construction phase of restoration at the organization's museum at the 1905 Tamaqua National Bank building.The $1 million renovation project is funded by the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program along with the historical society, John E. Morgan Foundation and the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership. Since the state grant is a reimbursement matter, half of the money needed to be secured to make the project happen.FBI converges on Summit HillFBI agents, the Lehigh County Special Operations team, Pennsylvania State Police bomb unit and Carbon County and Summit Hill emergency personnel were on scene at 416 W. Ludlow St., Summit Hill, last weekend to investigate reports of hazardous materials being stored there.The home, owned by Paul Yuricheck, who resides there with his son, Jude, was found to have "possible bomb-making materials" in it.As many as 30 FBI agents from as far away as Virginia and Washington, D.C., as well as bomb units and emergency management personnel, converged on the site to investigate the discovery.New bridge opened in CarbonThe new Carbon County Bridge 16, located on Koch Road in Towamensing Township, reopened.The bridge was shut down last year so the single-lane span could be replaced.The Carbon County Commissioners held an official ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the structure. Fabcor Inc., of Jessup was the contractor for the $1.35 million replacement project.Primary election resultsIncumbents Wayne Nothstein and Tom Gerhard will be two of four names on the ballot for commissioner in November's general election, joining Democratic candidates William O'Gurek, also an incumbent, and Rocky Ahner, a current Lehighton school board member.Nothstein's 2,366 votes and Gerhard's 2,139 votes soundly defeated challengers Duane Dellecker and Wayne Smith, who received 1,495 and 1,459 votes respectively.Incumbent O'Gurek was the top vote-getter on the Democrat ballot for Carbon County Commissioner, with 3,283 votes. Newcomer to the county race Ahner garnered 2,011 for a spot on the ballot in November. Summit Hill Councilman Jesse Walck came in third with 1,745 votes. Towamensing businessman Thomas Boyko had 605 votes and Lower Towamensing supervisor Brent Green had 595 votes.In what was a highly contested Carbon County coroner race, it was Daniel J. Blazosky of Lansford who came out on top of the primary election Tuesday.Tamaqua considers closing RushFaced with a $2 million gap between expenses and revenue in the 2015-16 school year budget, Tamaqua Area School District may have to make a very unpopular decision moving students from Rush Township Elementary School.