AMARILLO, Texas -- Few places have been hit harder by the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church than the Diocese of Amarillo, where eight priests have resigned after being accused of abuse.

Eleven of the 35 parishes in the sprawling 26-county diocese do not have full-time priests. Retired priests are celebrating Mass on Sundays and hearing confessions, and deacons are assisting with administrative duties to serve the diocese's 56,000 Catholics.

Many priests are roving to cover responsibilities at more than one church.

"That's our immediate way to respond to the crisis that we have," John Yanta, bishop of the Amarillo Diocese, said recently. "It's a crisis, but it could be a whole lot worse."

Allegations against the priests who resigned vary, but most involve accusations from outside the Texas Panhandle.

Judge tells Pittsburgh to pay for police abuse

PITTSBURGH -- A judge ordered the city to quickly pay $275,000 to settle dozens of police abuse lawsuits.

The city and lawyers for about 40 plaintiffs settled the claims this summer, but city attorneys balked at paying because some defendants owe back taxes to the city. City officials say state law prohibits the city from paying until the tax liens are satisfied.

In his ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge Robert Cindrich ordered the city to pay the court by Sept. 7 anyway, and determine in the meantime which plaintiffs have tax liens. He said he'll decide later what to do with settlement money for those who owe back taxes.

Man charged in deadly shootings of deputies

LARGO, Md. -- A man was charged with first-degree murder Saturday in the fatal shootings of two deputies who tried to take him away for psychiatric care.

James R. Logan, 23, was taken into custody earlier in the day, ending a 30-hour manhunt, authorities said.

Undercover officers who had joined the search for the suspect found Logan in a shed behind an apartment complex, two miles from where the deputies died Thursday night in Adelphi, police said.

Police said Logan ran but was cornered and police dogs bit him on the ankle and arm. He was jailed after being treated for dog bites.

Kentucky suspends satanic religious services

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Kentucky Department of Corrections has suspended formal satanic worship services at the Green River Correctional Complex while officials work to shape a statewide policy on the practice.

Inmates at Green River, a medium-security prison in Central City, had been allowed to hold weekly satanic services this summer as part of the official religious services calendar, said Lisa Carnahan, a Corrections spokeswoman.

"We honestly didn't know it was on the religious calendar," Carnahan said after the Lexington Herald-Leader questioned the practice.

--From wire reports