Schuylkill County commissioners on Wednesday approved applications for $1,550,000 in funding for improvements for the Schuylkill Transportation System.

Included are one medium-large transit bus for $500,000; four 35-foot and four 29-foot rehabilitated and refurbished for $500,000; 16 electronic fare boxes for $500,000; 30 GPS units for $10,000; and electrical/lighting upgrades for the parking lot for $40,000.Of the total, $1,227,471 will come from federal funds, $258,385 from state funds, and $64,144 from the county.The county's share, which is about the same as last year, is "money well spent," said Commissioners' Chairman Frank Staudenmeier.In other matters, commissioners agreed to extend a contract with county coroner David Moylan's Carbon County Oncology Management to perform "virtual autopsies," CAT scans on people who have died to help determine how they died.The contract will be extended to Dec. 31, with the fees $50 for a contracted technician and $150 for Oncology Management for technical aspects to remain the same.Moylan said the county cap is $18,500 per year."As it's worked out for the past couple of years, the last 15 or 20 scans are on the house," he said.Forensic autopsies done at Lehigh Valley Hospital cost the county $1,500 each, Moylan said. He said that price is likely to increase to $1,880 soon.The virtual autopsies "save the county a lot of money," he said.In other matters, commissioners appointed Christine A. Wiekrykas, Mahanoy City, to the Mental Health/Developmental Services Advisory Board for a three-year term beginning April 1.In other matters, commissioners approved payment of a $47,238 bill for liability insurance for the county nursing home, Rest Haven from March 1, 2015, through March 1, 2016; a $10,000 contract increase with McKesson Medical; and a $60,000 contract increase with Concept Medical.