You've got to love newspaper readers, but you never know which stories will hook them. Today's front page in the Erie Times-News features several enticing choices for readers, including stories about developments in the death of pizza deliveryman Brian Wells, who was killed in 2003 when a bomb locked to his neck exploded. That story captivated a national audience for weeks.

Pennsylvania's budget stalemate was solved late Monday night, paving the way for Presque Isle State Park and other state-run parks and agencies to re-open. More than 1,000 cars were turned away Monday from Erie's beaches, as the park was not able to open, due to the failure to agree on a state budget.

In Erie, a bid by Cathedral Prep High School to build a multi-million-dollar athletic complex on W. 12th Street, near Cherry Street, was thrown into turmoil by the protests of manufacturing plants in that neighborhood. The owners of the plants disputed zoning changes which would have to be made in order for the high school to build its new complex.

And, finally, a 1,500-pound wrecking ball broke loose from a construction site at Allegheny College in nearby Meadville, Pa., and rolled down a city street, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

The closing of Presque Isle generated a dozen phone calls overnight from angry vacationers, who felt cheated out of a great day at the beach. The Brian Wells case has been closely followed by Erie readers since it broke nearly four years ago, and thousands of Cathedral Prep alumni are banning together to back their alma mater's bid to build a new athletic field and complex.

But wouldn't you know it? The wrecking ball story seems to be the one that really resonated with today's readers. It attracted more than 1,300 hits online, and the story was featured on several national morning shows.

Here's what happened: After the giant ball broke loose from a crane in operation on campus, it left a trail of scratched pavement and mangled vehicles as if rolled four-tenths of a mile south from Allegheny's library to the intersection of North Main and Randolph streets. As the ball rolled downhill, gaining momentum, it hit at least 9 vehicles.

Alex Habay, of Gibsonia, Pa., was sitting in his Ford Taurus when the ball smashed into the rear end of his car. Erie Times-News reporter Tim Hahn wrote: "Meadville Police Chief David Stefanucci said Habay caught two lucky breaks in the collision. The first was that the trunk lid of his car popped open when the wrecking ball struck the rear bumper."

That allowed the ball to hop inside the trunk instead of shooting up the rear of the car, like a ramp, which would have likely crushed the roof, Stefanucci said.

The second lucky break was that the trunk of the Taurus was filled with soccer balls, which softened the blow when the wrecking ball finally came to rest. The photo in the Times-News of the ball inside the crushed trunk is amazing. It was the talk of local radio stations, as well as CNN, NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America.

The moral of the story is that on a day when you have a lot of significant news stories, it's hard to beat a runaway wrecking ball -- especially when the people who get hurt suffer only minor injuries. The readers made the call today, and they chose the story with an exciting adventure and a satisfying ending.

-- Kevin Cuneo

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