ROONEY RULE DERAILS SELECTION OF NEW BISHOP

Another reason for the delay in selecting a Bishop is that numerous other dioceses have had open seats, and many attractive candidates have opted to go elsewhere. Bishop Joseph Kurtz, 60, a Schuylkill County native who was considered a favorite for the Pittsburgh top job, interviewed with Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinnati as the process dragged on. While he reportedly "liked the situation" in Pittsburgh he has signed with the Louisville diocese.
Local officials are pushing to get the situation resolved as quickly as possible. Otherwise, they feel the vacancy could hurt the city in the upcoming seminary draft.
SEINFELD 'SOUP NAZI' CHAIN TO OPEN DOWNTOWN
According to Aryan Nation corporate spokesman Billy Ray Bufford, the coming months may see more from this active and growing franchiser of specialty eateries.
"While we don't have signed contracts in place yet, Allegheny County is an area we are very interested in. We are hopeful that Pittsburghers will soon be able to stop and grab a tasty bite to eat at three of our other, wildly successful chains: Burger Nazi, Sub Nazi and Pirogi Nazi.
MAYOR APPEARS ON WDVE'S MORNING SHOW, DENIES THAT HE CRASHED OAKMONT AFFAIR HONORING TIGER WOODS
PARIS HILTON: 'I'M GOING TO STOP BEING DUMB'
GONZALES SINGS THE BLUES
Republicans accused Democrats of staging the vote for purely political theater. In an offer of good faith, the Democrats cancelled debate on a follow-up resolution on Gonzales that stated, "He's ugly too."
DAN RATHER CRITICIZES CBS FOR 'DUMBING DOWN, TARTING UP' ITS KATIE COURIC NEWSCAST BY REPORTING THE NEWS ACCURATELY
MARK MADDEN CALLER COMPLETELY AGREES WITH MARK MADDEN
PITTSBURGH - Although starting his call to ESPN Radio’s Mark Madden with a viewpoint clearly opposed to that of the host, local caller Greg Petrosky quickly assured Madden that they, in fact, had the same opinion.NASA SLASHES SPACE SHUTTLE’S BUDGET: NO MORE IN-FLIGHT PRETZELS
CAPE CANAVERAL – Looking at ways to slash the high cost of space travel, NASA announced today that beginning with the next shuttle mission it will eliminate free pretzels and start charging astronauts for overweight baggage.“This current [shuttle] mission is awfully expensive, what with trying to keep the ship from blowing up and so forth,” said Dr. Benjamin Cardozo, director of the Kennedy Space Center. “The pretzels and the luggage are obvious areas where we can draw the line on costs.”
Rick Sturcko, Commander of the shuttle Atlantis, says he is "damn upset" about the pretzels. “You betcha, I am. I’ve been trying to enlist John Glenn to talk sense to these NASA buffoons but that . . . bald-headed bastard won’t return my calls.”
Dr. Cardozo chuckled, “If Rick is upset about the pretzels, wait until he sees how many astronauts I’m going to cram on the next flight so that I can save space.”
UPMC ACQUIRES THE USGA
TRAFFIC ALERT: SECOND AVENUE AT ARMSTRONG TUNNELS TO CLOSE FOR REENACTMENT OF BEN ROETHLISBERGER MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
“This dress is way more comfortable than my wool uniform,” said reenactor Dwayne Ball who portrays the driver of the Chrysler New Yorker that hit Roethlesberger
PITTSBURGH – Civil War Reenactors from the 53rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Company D will stage a reenactment of Ben Roethlesberger’s motorcycle accident today on its first anniversary. The intersection at Second Avenue at the Armstrong Tunnel will be closed between 11 AM and 1 Pm for the event.
“The timing couldn’t be better for us,” explained reenactor Malky Rosenecker, “We have a break in our schedule between the Skirmish at Tannehill in Alabama and the Battle of Gettysburg next month.”
Unlike the original accident, which was witnessed by only a few members of Steeler Nation, the reenactment is expected to draw thousands of the Steeler faithful. The City of Pittsburgh is asking fans to park at nearby Duquesne University where the lots will be opened for tailgating at 8 AM.
“Accident” sponsor, the H. J. Heinz Company, will provide fifteen gallons of ketchup to represent the blood that Roethlesberger spilled at the intersection. The company says that the beloved condiment will be cooled to room temperature and will not be the scalding variety that is used at the Heinz Field scoreboard’s “red zone” display.
Who will portray the injured Stealer Quarterback is being kept a secret for know, but the reenactor who will play Martha Fleishman said he is “psyched.”
"I’ve always been jealous of the guy who plays Mary Todd Lincoln at our Civil War reenactments, but getting to be [Mrs. Fleishman] for a couple of hours is the real prize.”
TENS OF THOUSANDS FILL HOSPITAL PARKING LOT TO HOLD VIGIL FOR AILING QUARTERBACK

PITTSBURGH - A crowd estimated at over fifty thousand people gathered in the parking lot of Mercy Hospital last night to pray, sing songs, and celebrate the life of their ailing quarterback. A solitary light remained shining in Mr. Roethlisberger’s room throughout the evening, offering a poignant reminder to the grieving masses that Mr. Roethlisberger, though in frail health, remained alive. At one point, however, the light went out, and a great cry arose from the crowd. And then, the light flickered on again, causing a sigh of relief. When the light went out once more, the people began to get restless. It was then that Jerome Bettis came to the window wearing a wide grin. The beloved leader and inveterate prankster revealed himself to be the person responsible for the practical joke. Many fans were observed clutching cardboard cut-outs of Mr. Roethlisberger. Still others were seen holding containers of Big Ben Barbecue Sauce, gently stroking the image of his face that appears on the bottle.
A children’s choir arrived just after sunset and performed a variety of inspirational numbers, including the “Steelers Victory Polka” and “Here We Go.” Officials at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport said that traffic has gone “through the roof” since Roethlisberger’s accident, as pilgrims from around the world rush to enter the city in a desperate attempt to pay their respects to their spiritual leader before it’s too late.
A spokesman for Mr. Roethlisberger said that he harbored no ill-will toward the woman accused of trying to assassinate him, and he expected, at some point, that Mr. Roethlisberger would visit the woman responsible for his injuries in prison to forgive her, providing the mob doesn’t get to her first.
ROETHLISBERGER SUFFERING FROM AMNESIA, THINKS HE’S GAME SHOW HOST GENE RAYBURN
PITTSBURGH - The doctors and nurses at Mercy Hospital and Steeler team officials expressed concern today over reports that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, injured when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle on Monday, thinks he is game show host Gene Rayburn.Among other things, Mr. Roethlisburger has requested his tailor to add super-wide lapels to the standard issue blue hospital gown he is currently wearing.
Mr. Rayburn, who hosted the popular nineteen-seventies game show “Match Game,” is said to be en route to Mercy Hospital in an attempt to convince Mr. Roethlisberger of his true identity. Late yesterday, the head nurse on duty became alarmed when Mr. Roethlisberger awakened after seven hours in surgery and began shouting for “Brett” and “Charles.”
Authorities now suspect that Mr. Roethlisberger/Rayburn was looking for Brett Sommers, the former Mrs. Jack Klugman, and Charles Nelson Reilly, the ascot wearing, snickering fop who was the Ms. Sommers' comic foil during the show's long run. The staff became increasingly worried when Mr. Roethlisberger began ending each one of his sentences with the word “blank.” One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Roethlisberger was muttering things like “she put it in her blank” and “so I stuffed it down my blank.” When the physician on rounds came to read his chart this morning, Roethlisberger allegedly told him “THIS IS JOHNNY OLSON SPEAKING. MATCH GAME IS A MARK GOODSON BILL TODDMAN PRODUCTION!”
Doctors say it is not uncommon for individuals who suffer traumatic head injuries to experience a variety of side effects, including amnesia. It is not known whether Mr. Roethlisberger will regain his identity before the regular season opener. If he is unable to remember who he is, it is likely Homestead native Charlie Batch would be pressed into duty, with former Match Game host Gene Rayburn as his back-up.
FIRST PHOTO OF ROETHLISBERGER POST-RECONSTRUCTIVE FACIAL SURGERY RELEASED TO MEDIA
PITTSBURGH - The Roethlisberger family released the first photograph of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s new face to the media yesterday, and Steeler officials warned the general public that the all-American visage of Big Ben is gone forever. Roethlisberger underwent seven hours of reconstructive surgery at Mercy Hospital to repair facial injuries sustained in a violent crash while driving his motorcycle last week. He remains in seclusion. Dr. Jack Napier, the surgeon who led the team that tried to restore Roethlisberger’s boyish good looks, was still upset he couldn’t do more. “Obviously, the shock of the accident did an immense amount of damage to Ben’s features. The green hair, the almost ghost-like pallor of his skin, and the grotesque, twisted shape of his mouth are irreversible. I only wish he hadn’t followed through on that endorsement deal with Revlon, because the lipstick he’s wearing does nothing but accentuate an already fiendish countenance.”
Roethlisberger’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, said his client was suffering no side effects from the crash or the surgery. “He’s still got his impish, maniacal laugh, and his sense of humor. Just last night he tried to squirt me in the eye with a novelty flower, and he’s been entertaining himself by electrocuting his guests with a joy buzzer.” Steinberg also said that Roethlisberger was spending a great deal of time during his convalescence contemplating life after football. When asked if Big Ben was considering a career as an arch criminal, Steinberg was coy. “We’re not ruling anything out,” he said.
WARREN COMMISSION COMPLETES REPORT ON ROETHLISBERGER MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
BIG BEN SUES WOMAN WHO HIT HIS MOTORCYCLE, SAYS "I'LL OWN HER MARGARINE COMPANY WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH HER"
PITTSBURGH - Ben Roethlisberger filed suit this morning in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County against Martha Fleishman, the woman who was driving a Chrysler New Yorker that pulled into Roethlisberger's lane of traffic while he was driving a motorcyle on Second Avenue on June 12, causing a near-catastrophic accident. The suit also names back-up Steeler quarterback Charlie Batch as a defendant, contending that Batch conspired with Fleishman to murder Roethlisberger.Roethlisberger refused to respond to a reporter's questions about the suit, but he was seen wearing an Imperial Margarine crown at the Steeler's training facility today "in silent protest" against the Fleishman Margarine Company, owned by the principal defendant in his lawsuit.
Among other allegations, Roethlisberger's complaint avers that Mrs. Fleishman's negligence "ruptured" Roethlisberger's relationship with his mother, who was scheduled to co-star with the young quarterback in a Campbell's Chunky Soup commercial that was to have filmed this week. That commercial was scuttled in the aftermath of the accident due to Roethlisberger's serious injuries. The complaint states: "Plaintiff's mother reasonably believes that 'that Squirrel Hill bitch [Mrs. Fleishman] unfairly deprived [her] of a prospective career as a Hollywood starlet.'"
The filing asks the court to compel Mrs. Fleishman to turn over to plaintiff controlling interest of the lucrative Fleishman Margarine Company in lieu of money damages.
Mrs. Fleishman refused to discuss the suit with a reporter but volunteered that Roethlisberger "must have butter for brains" for failing to wear a helmet at the time of the accident. "And that's the lowest form of ingredient your brains can have," added the margarine baroness.
The count against Charlie Batch alleges that Batch "sought to murder Plaintiff so that he could be named starting quarterback [for the Steelers]." It proceeds to belittle Batch's performance in the four games he appeared in last season, all of which the Steelers won. Asked to comment on the suit, Batch issued a statement denying that he conspired with Mrs. Fleishman to harm Roethlisberger but "applauding her efforts to take him out."
PENNDOT DEVISES WAY TO AVOID BLAME FOR FUTURE TUNNEL CLOSURES . . .

'SOPRANOS' SHOCKING FINALE: EVERYONE AT WJM-TV NEWSROOM IS FIRED EXCEPT FOR TONY SOPRANO

LINCOLN LETTER URGING GENERAL MEADE TO FINISH OFF CONFERDATE ARMY, LOST SINCE 1863, IS FOUND
L.A. POLICE 'UPSET' THAT PARIS HILTON NOT GIVEN ADEQUATE CHANCE TO TEST NEW JEWEL-ENCRUSTED HOME INTERNMENT BRACELET
SPECIAL CEREMONIES TUESDAY WILL MARK FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF ROETHLISBERGER MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
SHERIFF LEE BACA RELEASES TERROR CULT LEADER CHARLES MANSON FROM PRISON DUE TO UNSPECIFIED MEDICAL CONDITION, SENDS HIM TO HOME CONFINEMENT
RESULTS OF POLL TO NAME STEELERS' MASCOT
WIKIPEDIA BUYS POST-GAZETTE
TOLEDO, Ohio - Diana Block, co-publisher of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, announced today that Block Communications has sold the paper for an undisclosed sum of money to Internet encyclopedia giant Wikipedia.Wikipedia said it "will maintain the highest journalistic standards of the 220-year-old daily paper," frequently touted as the oldest daily west of the Alleghenies, but announced that the entire Post-Gazette staff will be displaced within the next month, and the paper will be written "by amateur volunteers from around the tri-state area."
An amateur spokesman for Wikipedia explained that with rare exceptions, the paper's articles will be subject to editing by anyone with access to the Internet. The spokesman said that articles failing to meet Wikipedia's standards of accuracy will be prominently marked with a disclaimer, such as: "This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality," or "This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources."
The Wikipedia spokesman said that since the public will decide the Post-Gazette's content, "in all likelihood, the Post-Gazette will be devoted exclusively to news of the Steelers."
Diana Block said that Block Communications "looked long and hard" for a buyer dedicated to bringing unbiased reporting with the highest journalistic standards to the citizens of Western Pennsylvania. "Unfortunately," she explained, "we couldn't find one."
JON DELANO RETURNS FROM IRAQ , WILL AIR SPECIAL REPORT ON KDKA NEWS TONIGHT
CHENEY ANNOUNCES HE'S IN CHARGE WHILE BUSH ATTENDS G-8 SUMMIT
BOB BARKER MAULED BY PACK OF STRAY DOGS EN ROUTE TO FINAL BROADCAST OF “THE PRICE IS RIGHT”
U.S. APPEALS COURT STRIKES DOWN FCC OBSCENITY RULE; JACK BOGUT CELEBRATES BY PEPPERING MONOLOGUE WITH STREAM OF “DARNS” AND “HECKS”

OUTBOUND PARKWAY EAST TO CLOSE IN CITY'S LATEST BID TO STEM POPULATION LOSS
PITTSBURGH - In the latest move by Mayor Ravenstahl to stem the tide of young people moving away from the city, the mayor announced he is closing the Parkway East this weekend. "We can at least prevent them from going to North Huntingdon, Wilmerding or other points East," said the mayor. A PennDOT spokesman who did not wish to be named said he expects the impact of closure to include "fire and brimstone coming down from the skies, forty years of darkness, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together. In short, mass hysteria."


















