The wet weather continued in Shenango Valley in August

Things were a bit damper than normal in the Shenango Valley during the month of August.
The Shenango Valley Division of Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. reported that precipitation for the month totaled 4.54 inches, well above the average of 3.75 inches for that month.
The year continues to be wetter than normal as well, with total precipitation for the first eight months reaching 30.55 inches as compared with the average of 27.5 inches for that period.
Specialty plates
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has expanded its specialty license plate program to allow nonprofit organizations to sell specialty plates to help raise money and promote their missions.
A plate's design must be approved by both PennDOT and the Pennsylvania State Police and participating organizations must pay the state's correctional industries a $500 fee for design services and $2.50 per plate to cover production.
The organizations can determine what they will charge for their plates but those individuals getting them must also pay a $20 fee to PennDOT as the standard rate for a specialty plate.
Paper ballots
This 2004 general election may be one of the last times Lawrence County voters use a paper ballot.
Elections director Marlene Gabriel said the county has been approved for a $995,538 grant under the Help America Vote Act. She said that is the minimum amount awarded and more money could be given to the county. The money is intended to help the county buy electronic voting machines and make polling places more accessible to those with physical handicaps. The county must have the updates in place by 2006, she said.
XContributors: Harold Gwin of the Sharon Bureau and Laure Cioffi of New Castle Bureau