KEYSTONE CLIPS Republican voters used pencils at polls

It seems Lawrence County's Republican voters spent a good part of their election day writing in candidates' names.
The county election office reports that four candidates received enough Republican write-in votes to make it on the ballot for the fall election.
All four had also captured Democratic nominations in the spring election and will have no ballot opponents in the fall.
Coroner Russell S. Noga garnered the most Republican write-in votes with 2,950.
His Democratic opponent, Roger M. DeCarbo Jr., got 1,060 Republican write-in votes.
County treasurer Gary Felasco got 827 Republican write-in votes, and his opponent, Susan Bongivengo, got 800. Helen I.
Morgan, the county prothonotary and clerk of courts, got 627 write-in votes. She was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
County Controller Mary Ann Reiter got 677 Republican write-in votes, and her opponent, Michael Manos, got 76 Republican write-in votes.
On the flip side, Republican Wayne Alexander, who is running for New Castle mayor, garnered 467 Democratic write-in votes.
Those votes, however, were not enough to beat out the Democratic nominee, Richard DeBlasio, who received 2,060 ballot votes in the election.
Over-the-top rainfall
If it seemed as though it rained the entire month of May, your assumption may not be too far off the mark.
May was extremely wet in Mercer County.
The Shenango Valley Division of Consumers Pennsylvania Water Co. reports that 6.68 inches of precipitation fell in the Shenango Valley during the month. That's 3 inches more than normal.
The heavy rainfall pushed the Valley ahead of its normal precipitation for the first five months of the year as well.
Normal precipitation is 14.68 inches for that period.
This year, the total reached 15.45 inches.
Annual rainfall averages 39.55 inches.
Grange Fair Queen
The Mercer County Grange Fair is looking for a Grange Fair Queen. The title comes with a $500 scholarship from Mercer County State Bank.
The only requirement for candidates is that they be at least age 16 but no older than 20 by June 1, 2004, and a resident of Mercer County.
The queen must be available to ride in the Fair Parade on July 8 and will have the opportunity to compete in the Pennsylvania State Fair Queen contest.
Applications are available from school guidance counselors or by calling (724)748-4007.
Completed applications must be postmarked by June 30, 2003, and mailed to Virginia Richardson, 1540 S. Center St. Ext., Grove City, Pa. 16127.
XCONTRIBUTORS: Laure Cioffi of the New Castle Bureau and Harold Gwin of the Sharon Bureau.