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Hazleton shuts down troubled Xtacy Hookah Lounge

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Maiolatesi Wine Cellars opens retail store in West Pittston

SHICKSHINNY &#8212; The borough council voted Tuesday night to go forward with a sewer authority project, pending the receipt of federal and state grants.According to Reilly Associates of Pittston, pipeline replacement and pumping station upgrade work came in over estimates when bids were opened. The council still voted 3-2 to move ahead with the project, provided the borough receives grants to cover the unanticipated extra cost.&#8220;If we don&#8217;t get the extra money, the project is no go,&#8221; Councilman Michael Steeber said prior to the vote.The pipeline project was estimated by Reilly engineers at $740,000, but the low bid of Doli Construction of Pottsville was $836,000. Moreover, the pumping station, which entails what engineers said is specialized wiring and motors, was estimated at $300,000, but the low bid of PSI Corporation of York Springs was $490,000. When a roll call was conducted councilpersons Kevin Morris and Kathy Llewellyn voted no, while council President Rosalie Whitebread and Steeber and James Wido voted yes.The project will commence when funding is approved; one of the agencies involved is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.In another money matter, council, on a similar 3-2 vote, approved accepted a grant of $38,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the funding intended to finance the purchase of a 2016 model dump truck.Steeber said the purchase will be through the COSTARS program, with the total of the truck projected at $76,000. When Morris asked where the balance of the money will come from, he was told by Amy Evans, secretary/treasurer, through the general fund and the Garrison Fund.Prior to casting a negative vote &#8212;he and Llewellyn voted no&#8212; Morris said, &#8220;By the end of the year, we will be pennyless.&#8221;He has alleged that since Whitebread and Steeber, didn&#8217;t seek re-election, and their terms on council will end on December 31, they are on a spending spree.Besides the dump truck, council was been seeking bids for electrical work on Christmas lighting. These bids far exceeded estimates and the proposal was tabled for further review.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Tom HuntingtonFor Times Leader</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>The Times Leader newsroom may be reached at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</shirttailMeta></div>

Shickshinny gives conditional approval to sewer project