HARRISBURG — A Detroit-based developer can keep the license he won from state regulators to build Pittsburgh's only slot-machine casino, the state's highest court ruled Wednesday.

The Supreme Court rejected two separate challenges, meaning Don H. Barden, who owns casinos in four other states, can build the Majestic Star Casino on Pittsburgh's North Shore.

The groups Barden beat out — St. Louis-based casino operator Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. and Cleveland-based developer Forest City Enterprises Inc. — both had appealed to the state Supreme Court. They claimed, among other things, that Barden's other casinos are losing money in profitable gambling markets, making him a financially unworthy candidate.

HARRISBURG — The state will pay nearly 24,000 government employees who were idled by a one-day partial shutdown last week amid a state budget impasse, Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday.The announcement came one day after the governor signed a $27.2 billion spending plan that was delayed two weeks into the fiscal year."State employees work very hard to ensure that the needs of Pennsylvanians are met and they and their families rely on their paychecks to pay their bills," Rendell said. "It is fair and reasonable that they be paid for the hours they didn't work due to the furlough."The July 9 furlough will be treated as a paid office closing, such as a snow day, Rendell spokesman Doug Rohanna said. Depending on their pay schedules, employees will receive the money in paychecks issued Aug. 3 or Aug. 10, said Mia DeVane, spokeswoman for the Office of Administration.