THE Leinster Leader know's that the election "crusade" has begun because its fax machine has got very busy.

The Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Mr Dukes, sent a fax complete with headline "Deputy Power and Cllr O Fearghail - finally converted to need for traffic lights in Kildare Town Dukes", which claimed that the two Fianna Fail councillors had delayed Mr Dukes's attempts to get new traffic - lights at a dangerous junction.

"All politics is local," said Tip O'Neill, and this was as local as you could get. Nearly all the front pages had such stories.

"Headless chickens take to the open skies," said the Clare Champion's editorial. And, no, the headless chickens weren't the politicians on pre election sallies or their minions rushing to feed the fax machines. The chickens were "those who should be acting to safeguard Shannon's future" but who had failed to make the airport a "red hot political issue".

Again Mr Dukes featured, negatively this time. His statement that an "open skies policy is inevitable" had effectively confirmed the worst fears of the local people, which is that Shannon may have to face the possibility of operating only seasonal flights into the US. It wasn't too late to make Shannon an issue, the newspaper urged.

OTHER local papers too were flexing their muscles of influence. It is "time to turn off the tap on the water charges campaign" and focus effort behind the TV deflector issue, urged the Connaught Telegraph.

Both the Tipperary Star and the Wexford People appealed to the Government to call the election before a fresh set of demands from yet more special interest groups got the better of it.

In Roscommon, the Roscommon Herald's front page had all the makings of a "hot" election issue: the controversy surrounding the planning permission granted to a waste transfer/recycling depot in Ballaghaderreen. An Bord Pleanala has rejected an appeal against the decision and a "mass public rally" is scheduled for next weekend.

The Connacht Tribune was critical of the 18 month waiting lists for the assessment of arthritis patients "in pain". It gave the TD who highlighted the issue - Fianna Fail's Eamon O Cuiv - front page space and a backing editorial.

An example of the success which can be achieved by local interest groups was the decision by An Bord Pleanala to refuse planning permission for the construction of a macadam/asphalt plant at Ballisodare. It was "a great day for small communities", declared the Sligo Champion, which reported that the battle cost the small community £20,000 and two years of campaigning.

ANOTHER suggestion for a local issue came from the Western People, which thought that the Minister for Tourism, Mr Kenny, should exert some influence on RTE. Mayo is perturbed that "postcard" scenes of Irish life which will feature in the Eurovision Song Contest have not been filmed in the county, even though the singer of Ireland's entry, Marc Roberts, comes from Crossmolina, where he is known as Sean Hegarty.

The Leitrim Observer, needless to say, was delighted to report that the postcard scenes had already been filmed on the Ballinamore Ballyconnell canal between Leitrim and Cavan.

The Longford News reported a "tale of threats and intimidation" for an Arva businessman and his family. The nightmare began for Liam Bouchier and his young family last November when he bought a pub at public auction and subsequently two blasts from a shotgun were fired through his front door. Mr Bouchier said that a threatening telephone caller told him it was "about the pub".

Mr Bouchier fears that unless the Irish Nationwide Building Society allows him to withdraw from the purchase of the public house, he could be signing his family's "death warrant". Mr Bouchier recently picketed the society's office in Cavan. The society was then granted a High Court interim injunction restraining him from doing so.

A CASTLEMAINE man appears to have died by spontaneous combustion, a rare occurrence that ends the life of one person in six million, said Kerry's Eye. When found in his home by the community nurse, the remains of John O'Connor (76), were sitting in a chair away from the fire. The chair was singed, yet there was no smoke damage in the house.

"It was as if somebody had poured petrol into Jackie's lap," said local parish priest Father Patrick McCarthy. "From the knees down the bones were intact. The upper part, the chest and the head were very badly scorched through and through. The chair was burned, there was about five inches of two of the legs left there."