As she predicted, blogger PittGirl loses her day job

The popular Pittsburgh blogger formerly known only as PittGirl said she was fired from her job today, one day after she revealed her identity.

"As I feared would happen, I am no longer working at NEED," a college access program for minorities, wrote Virginia Montanez, 35, on her new blog, thatschurch.com.

Montanez, who could not immediately be reached for comment, wrote in her latest post that her blog had more than 15,000 visitors yesterday when she ended rampant speculation about her identity.

"Listen. It's okay," Montanez wrote today about losing her job. "NEED is a wonderful organization doing what it needs to do, look after its rich history and stellar reputation. They don't need me there as a distraction."

Montanez started Burgh Blog in 2005, often posting critical comments about Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, aggressive drivers and pigeons under the handle PittGirl. At the height of its popularity, the blog averaged 90,000 views a month. But Montanez shut down the blog last November, after someone discovered her identity.

She returned to the blogosphere yesterday with thatschurch.com.