Monarch butterflies fluttered about the sunlit, rusted lightning rod that points heavenward from the lighthouse on Great Captains Island. On this windless afternoon, they rested on the great stone building's scarred roof, cracked ventilation globe, rickety parapet and weather-beaten walls.

It's been nearly four years since a human entered the abandoned lighthouse, perched high on the island's southeast corner above pear, crabapple, cherry and plum trees. Despite the best efforts of those closely tied to the island, it could be several more before the lighthouse takes visitors.

.

5 rebels involved in airport attack nabbed in Calatrava

FIVE members of the Komiteng Reheyon Negros Larangan Guerella 3 (KRN-LG3), including three minors, who were responsible in bombing the Hanjin Construction Company in Silay City were nabbed Thursday at Calatrava, Negros Occidental.

Nabbed in a follow up operation of the Calatrava personnel were Nathanniel Alisgar, 18 Noel Tapio, 18 of Crispin Sagay, two 15-year-old boys and a 17-year-old boy.

.

Hotel Sales Bubble Stretched to the Limit, According to Analyst

At least one analyst expects that the countys hotel sales, which have continued at a rapid clip for the past year and a half, will slow down soon, if for no other reason than there wont be many desirable properties left to sell.

But gauging from the number of recent transactions, including the sale of the 192-room Residence Inn San Diego in Mission Valley, announced this month, the hotel bubble, unlike the housing bubble, shows no signs of an imminent burst.

The Residence Inn San Diego was part of a four-hotel package acquired by Palm Beach, Fla.-based Innkeepers USA, a hotel real estate investment trust, from Bethesda, Md.-based RLJ Urban Lodging Fund, LP for a total of $215 million, or $231,000 per room. The package also included the 200-room Residence Inn Anaheim, 230-room Hilton Suites Anaheim and 309-room Hilton Ontario, all in Southern California.

Quarry opposition mounts

MONMOUTH - It will be January before area residents know whether or not they will have a new rock quarry in their rural neighborhood.Cessford Construction has spent weeks trying to obtain approval to develop and operate a rock quarry near Monmouth, east of U.S. 67 and south of 225th Avenue.On Wednesday officials with Cessford Construction appeared before the Warren County Zoning Board of Appeals to request an extension in order to discuss the proposed limestone quarry at a future meeting. Since the courtroom at the Warren County Courthouse was packed with concerned residents, the board granted the extension request."We want to take the time to get as many answers as we can for the people who have questions," said zoning board chair Ron Moore.This is not the first time the board has delayed a decision on the proposed rock quarry.

Construction of Beirut Gate project soon to be under way

Abu Dhabi Investment House (ADIH), a leading property investor in the UAE has announced that the construction of its $600 million project in Beirut, Lebanon will soon be under way. The four architects of the project are in the city to finalise the master plan.

Escala gets $175M construction loan

Lexas Companies, which is developing the Escala condominium project at Fourth Avenue and Virginia Street in downtown Seattle, said it's received a $175 million construction loan from Fremont Investment & Loan.

Incredible that schools ask for more money Ann Arbor board unfit ...

That's our reaction to news earlier this month about delays - and, as a result, increased costs in labor and materials - for 29 renovation and construction projects in the Ann Arbor public school system.

You would think that, because delays and cost overruns for the high school have received intense public attention, the district would be scrutinizing all aspects of projects related to the bond.