Free Republic

A week after Westmore­land County acknowledged it erred in allowing several hundred voters to improperly cast absentee ballots in this month's general election, officials are still trying to figure out why it occurred. “The only thing we can really surmise is that what happened was a misinterpretation of the law,” said Beth Lechman, the county's election bureau director. Voting officials allowed 278 people to cast absentee ballots for the Nov. 7 election solely because they were 65 and older. That accounted for 16 percent of nearly 1,700 absentee ballots submitted countywide. Voters cast 65,770 total ballots on Election Day in...

MONESSEN, Pa. (AP) - Parents in a Pennsylvania school district are turning 50 shades of red over word search puzzles given to middle school students based on an erotic novel and movie. The students in Monessen were given puzzles based on "Fifty Shades of Grey" that contained terms including "spanking," ''submissive," ''leather cuffs" and "bondage." Other words on the list were more explicit. Parent James Carter complained about it at Tuesday night's school board meeting, saying he tried to question the school's principal and dean of students, but they refused to talk when he insisted on recording their conversation. "I...

It was a beautiful day in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Clear and sunny, mid-60's and the leaves really needed raking. Our toilet needs new insides and our washing machine is busted.But Mrs. Vigilanteman and I put it all off to volunteer at GOP Hq in downtown Greensburg, TEL 724-836-0570. The food was great, the people working there were even better. One lady from England just got her U.S. citizenship and is putting it to good use. There are people drifting in and out all day helping with phone calls, but they are still only running about 75% capacity.I hate phone solicitors,...