Fire damages landmark church

A fire burned for more than two hours Wednesday at Holy Name Cathedral, severely damaging the attic and leaving gaping holes in the roof of the 134-year-old landmark that is the seat of Cardinal Francis George.

Firefighters battled the blaze in frigid temperatures at the iconic church, which had been destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire and rebuilt.

“First we have to thank God no one was injured,” George said after surveying the damage inside the church. “Chicago has always bounced back from fires.”

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

West Memphis, Ark.

Doctor injured in car bombing

A car bomb explosion critically wounded the head of the Arkansas panel that licenses and disciplines doctors, detonating in his driveway as he was leaving for work, authorities said.

Police said they had no idea why someone would target Dr. Trent P. Pierce, chairman of the Arkansas State Medical Board. The explosive device placed on or near the car shattered the front of his white Lexus hybrid in a blast the police chief said could be heard a mile away.

“We don’t know if this was a random target or someone specifically targeted him,” said West Memphis Police Chief Bob Paudert.

Colorado Springs, Colo.

Store robber may be Trekkie

Colorado police say a man with too much “Star Trek” on his mind used a sword modeled after the weapon carried by Klingon warriors to demand money from two convenience stores.

Investigators say the man took an unknown amount of cash from a 7-Eleven store Wednesday but left empty-handed when he tried to rob another store about 25 minutes later.

The StarTrek.com Web site says the double-pointed sword used by the Klingons on “Star Trek” is crescent-shaped and about a yard long.

Police said no one was injured. No one has been charged in the incident.