HARRISBURG — State officials lifted part of their stop-work order on the company that had a blowout at one of its wells earlier this month.

A state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman said Monday that Houston-based EOG Resources can resume drilling wells.

Spokesman Neil Weaver said the company still is barred from hydraulic fracturing or well-finishing operations, and work will not resume at the blowout site while an investigation continues.

Weaver isn't sure how many EOG sites are affected by the permission. Last week, the department lifted the moratorium on two EOG gas wells.

State officials ordered EOG to stop operations at about 70 sites after the June 3 blowout on the grounds of a Clearfield County hunting club.

PITTSBURGH — The head of the Pittsburgh-area's mass transit agency said one-way bus fares could rise from $2.75 to $6 or $7.Chief Executive Officer Steve Bland said the Port Authority of Allegheny County faces a $51 million budget deficit despite service cuts and other reforms in the past three years that have saved $52 million annually.State aid accounts for about half of the authority's budget, but is scheduled to decrease by $25 million because the federal government won't allow tolls on Interstate 80 that the state was counting on to fund transit.The authority faces rising personnel and fuel expenses and doesn't want to raise fares for urban riders, whose per-rider costs are generally less than the $2 fare they pay. That means suburban riders might have to make up the difference.

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police said they are searching for a butterfingered convenience store robber who got away with seven packs of cigarettes, but dropped all but $1 of the money he stole.Police said the man robbed the Uni-Mart in the city's Troy Hill section about 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Police said the man wore a ski mask and ball cap, and pointed a silver handgun at a clerk who gave him $66.A customer also was in the store at the time, but nobody was hurt in the heist.Robbery detectives reviewed surveillance video Monday, but did not immediately charge anyone with the robbery.

PITTSBURGH — Paul McCartney will not only play the first concert at Pittsburgh's new indoor arena, he'll play the second one, too.Tickets for Paul McCartney's Aug. 18 show at the new Consol Energy Center went on sale Monday, and demand was so strong a second show was scheduled Aug. 19. Both concerts start at 8 p.m.The former Beatles star last performed in Pittsburgh in February 1990, when he did back-to-back shows at what was then the Civic Arena.