[naviga:h3]Small fire affects 30 dormitory rooms[/naviga:h3]

PITTSBURGH — A small kitchen fire at a dormitory at Duquesne University was quickly extinguished and hurt no one, but is inconveniencing more than a dozen students.

City firefighters were called to Brottier Hall just before 10 p.m. Wednesday, but the fire was put out before they arrived.

University spokesman Bridget Fare says 500 students live in the building, but most are on vacation or not living there during the summer.

Still, 30 apartments were affected by water damage from the building’s sprinkler system. Fare says 15 students who live in those units were temporarily staying elsewhere. The university found alternate housing for 11 students, while four opted to stay with friends.

Some apartments might take a week to fix.

[naviga:h3]SEPTA mulls hiring transit pass vendor[/naviga:h3]

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s mass transit system is paying $500,000 a year for a company to build a site to sell special transit passes for Pope Francis’ September visit.

That site crashed within minutes of going live Monday and has remained down all week.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports CapTech Consulting was awarded a three-year, $1.5 million contract in March to perform information technology services for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

SEPTA officials are considering hiring another vendor to sell the passes if CapTech can’t solve the problems. Spokesman Jerri Williams says SEPTA will decide by Monday whether to hire another vendor.

Passengers who don’t have the passes won’t be permitted on trains on Sept. 26 and 27.

[naviga:h3]VA fires 2 in duct tape investigation[/naviga:h3]

PITTSBURGH — The Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System has fired two workers and disciplined five others after a worker complained that he was harassed and bound with duct tape.

VA officials announced the decision Thursday, six weeks after the June 11 complaint that prompted the investigation. Authorities didn’t detail the harassment.

VA Pittsburgh Interim Director Barbara Forsha says the decision underscores a commitment to providing a safe and inclusive work environment.

Officials initially wanted to fire three people and discipline four others. Forsha reviewed responses to the proposed discipline and reduced the punishment for one of the three people recommended for firing. It’s unclear why the punishment was lowered.

The workers weren’t identified.

[naviga:h3]Judge accused of extorting donations[/naviga:h3]

HARRISBURG — A judge faces extortion and other charges after officials say he demanded campaign donations from his employees.

Pennlive.com reports the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into claims of misconduct at Judge Robert Jennings III’s office in November.

Officials say Jennings told constables in his office to donate 10 percent of their earnings to his re-election campaign fund. The complaint says Jennings told employees that they would not be assigned future work outside the office if they didn’t comply with his demands.

Special Agent Timothy Shaffer says Jennings also had officers drop parking tickets against him when they visited his office.

Jennings’ attorney says he is deserving of due process like anybody else. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1.

[naviga:h3]Expanded memorial to open in Sept.[/naviga:h3]

SHANKSVILLE — The National Park Service says a new visitor center at the Flight 93 National Memorial will open Sept. 10.

Site superintendent Steve Clark says the visitor center will feature photographs, artifacts, models, audio and video to tell a “fuller story about the heroic efforts of the passengers and crew of United Flight 93.”

The park service says it expects the expanded memorial site to attract heavy crowds. It plans to distribute free, timed tickets.

Flight 93 was hijacked during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2011. The passengers fought back and the jet crashed near Shanksville, killing all aboard.

[naviga:h3]Man charged with burning rebel flag[/naviga:h3]

HANOVER — A man charged with burning a Confederate battle flag he saw on another person’s vehicle has been jailed on charges including reckless burning.

The York Dispatch reports Hanover police charged 48-year-old Mathew Becker on Thursday after surveillance video showed him burning the flag on July 17.

Police say that happened while the vehicle the flag was mounted on was parked at a convenience store about 5:30 a.m.

The flag has become a point of debate since a white man who took pictures of himself with the banner fatally shot 9 black people at a South Carolina church last month.

Becker, who is white, faces a preliminary hearing on Aug. 25.