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AP

Pope Benedict XVI and Cuban President Raul Castro walk outside the Revolution palace at the end of their meeting in Havana on 27 March 2012.

A team of Cuban workers are only one permit away from beginning construction on the communist country's first Catholic church since 1959.

The engineers plan to use scrap metal from a stage built for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's 2012 visit in the church's construction.

The head engineer, Fausto Veloz, described the magnitude of using pieces of the historical stage.

"Reusing the metal means keeping alive the memory of something good for us Catholics," he told BBC News. "It gives it new life, so it can serve future generations."

Cuba is officially a secular statethey removed their atheist classification in 1992although an estimated60 per cent of their population is Catholic. No new churches have been sanctioned by the government, and church leaders were only allowed to renovate existing buildings. Other buildings received no renovations, and the country is dotted with former sanctuaries that are now mostly wreckage. Theft from churches is reportedly common.

"We really need our church back," Maria Perez told BBC. Her former church, San Predito, was looted and destroyed. Perez said that former congregants gather in the streets for mass whenever a travelling priest visits.

Cuban Christians without a church home also gather in each other's homes for service, but they look forward to the day they can worship inside a sanctuary.

"The Catholic community is big here but they've never had a church," Veloz said.

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Cuba to build its first Catholic church in over 50 years

It cost a mere 120 to buy from Harrods and arrived on a truck as a flat-pack kit more than a century ago.

Maesbury tin tabernacle church with the memorial to the fallen in the First World War

But Maesburys iconic tin tabernacle church has stood the test of time and is still a much-loved building in the community.

The 108-year-old parish church shows few signs of wear and tear at first glance, and is believed to be one of only two examples of its kind in Shropshire, the other being Knowle Mission Room near Clee Hill in the south of the county.

Assistant churchwarden Maureen Ross said the tiny church is still well used by villagers, with a steady attendance at Sunday services and outreach activities held throughout the year.

It is also popular with visitors, including users of the nearby canal who occasionally pop in to join in with Sunday services.

Weve been opening every day since June and weve had some lovely comments from people saying theyve always wanted to come in, she said.

The interior wood panels are still in lovely condition I understand its the same as it was when it opened.

The churchs exterior is striking, with its small bell house, arched windows and clean white walls making it stand out from the neighbouring houses.

It was built as a result of demand in the village, which at the time had no Anglican building and just a Welsh chapel.

More than 70% of apartment renters reported owning pets, with cats and dogs as the most popular types, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Despite the high pet ownership numbers, the survey by Apartments.com found that it may still be hard for renters to find a pet-friendly apartment.

Nearly two-thirds of pet-owners in 2014 reported having some difficulty finding an apartment that allows pets, but the rental listing website said that may be changing.

We see the rental industry moving toward accommodating the needs of this important and growing segment of renters, Tammy Kotula, spokesperson for Apartments.com, said in a statement.

The survey found that apartment building's pet policies played a major role in the decision about where to rent for nearly nine out of 10 pet owners.

Seventy percent of pet owners said their choice of where to rent was influenced by nearby pet amenities, such as parks, veterinary facilities and pet stores.

We believe these trends may increase demand for new apartment construction that includes innovative pet-friendly spaces, amenities and policies, said Brad Long, president of Apartments.com.

In downtown Los Angeles, the newly opened Avant South Park Apartments is hoping to appeal to dog owners with amenities such as a bark park and a dog grooming station. It also has a dog walker and groomer on site.

Its not like a make-or-break deal, said Adam Schaller, a leasing agent at the building, which held its grand opening at the end of June. Its just an extra perk.

Schaller said a little under half of the apartments had been leased so far and around 35% are occupied. He estimated that about one-quarter of the residents own pets.

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More than 70% of apartment renters own pets, survey finds

CTV Montreal Published Thursday, August 14, 2014 8:15AM EDT Last Updated Thursday, August 14, 2014 8:23AM EDT

One block of Cartier St. is closed to traffic Thursday because of fears a building will collapse.

According to firefighters residents of an apartment building called 9-1-1 at 5 a.m. because they heard strange noises and noticed new cracks in their walls.

A scaffolding has been set up in a passageway that runs through the building, and there are bricks and other items on the ground.

Firefighters said it appears the construction work through the tunnel, which leads to the building's courtyard, was not done correctly.

Emergency officials evacuated the building and shut down Cartier St. from Ontario St. to Sherbrooke St.

The Red Cross is providing temporary shelter for the six families that will not be allowed to return home until an engineer from the city of Montreal certifies the building is safe.

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Street closed due to fears of building collapse

Man in $6 million arson case wants police interview dismissed

By Michelle L. Price, Associated Press

August 11th, 2014 @ 9:44pm

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY A federal judge will decide in the next month whether to throw out a police interview during which a Utah electrician admitted to setting an unfinished apartment building on fire.

Dustin Bowman, 34, of Bountiful, was not informed of his Miranda rights when meeting with federal investigators days after the Feb. 9 blaze, his defense attorney argued in court Monday.

The Salt Lake fire caused an estimated $6 million in damage.

Attorney Jamie Zenger said Bowman was intimidated by officers and indicated he didn't want to accompany them to the site of the fire or to a law enforcement building afterward, where he was interviewed for four hours.

She argued the interview, including Bowman's admission to starting the fire, should be suppressed.

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Man in $6 million arson case wants police interview dismissed

Albany

The city's once-gritty industrial corridor along Broadway may be shaping up as the next place in the Capital Region to find apartments in sturdy century-old commercial buildings that were built to last.

Plans involving apartment conversions at the century-old former Rodgers Liquor Co. building at 960 Broadway and the massive former Albany International headquarters, a few blocks north at 1373 Broadway, are both set to come before Albany city planners later this month.

Laura Ryder, an architect with Troy Architectural Program, said plans for the four-story brick former liquor warehouse call for 30 apartments and a restaurant. The 44,744-square-foot building is among five historic buildings in the region that were targeted by the Preservation League of New York under its Industrial Heritage Reuse Project, she said.

"The league will leverage the momentum of the latest industrial development boom computer chip fabrication within a 40-mile radius of GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 plant in Saratoga County," said league President Jay DiLorenzo, who announced the project last month at the Rodgers building. "Through this effort, we hope owners of historic industrial buildings and elected and appointed officials will begin to see these structures as developable assets instead of liabilities."

Other buildings in the project include the Sanford Clock Tower Building, 37 Prospect St., Amsterdam; Mooradian's Building, 599 River St., Troy; Lindy's Hardware, 285 2nd St., Troy; and the former Grossman's Bargain Outlet, 1410 Erie Boulevard, Schenectady.

The project provides building owners with a schematic reuse plan; code evaluation; cost estimate; list of funding assistance; and outline of approvals required.

The Rodgers building, built around 1910 as a parts warehouse for International Harvester, said Ryder, has been vacant for some two decades. The property is zoned for light industrial use, and would require a zoning variance for the apartment project to be allowed, she added.

It is premature to describe the type of apartments and restaurant envisioned by building co-owner Bill Barber, said Ryder. "We are just now getting started with the project," she said. She said Barber sees encouragement in development farther south on Broadway in a strip of nightspots anchored by Wolff's Biergarten.

To the north at the 400,000 square-foot Albany International site, developer Uri Kaufman is planning an apartment complex called Harmony Primalofts.

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New plans for old sites

The Bottom Line Other Business Features Local Stories from ThisWeek More Articles By Steve Wartenberg The Columbus Dispatch Thursday August 14, 2014 3:12 AM

Smokers soon could be able to play slot machines while puffing away on the outdoor patios of nine of Ohios 11 casinos and racinos.

Three of Ohios four casinos including Hollywood Casino Columbus have asked or soon will ask the Ohio Casino Control Commission for approval to add slots to their outdoor smoking patios.

The fourth, Horseshoe Cleveland, is in an historic downtown building, and they dont have the space for it, said Matt Schuler, executive director of the casino commission, which regulates the states four casinos and must approve the use of slots in these covered areas separated from the main gambling floors.

Four of the states five racinos have added video lottery terminals or slot machines to their outdoor smoking areas since opening. Scioto Downs Racino on the South Side has 15 such machines.

Ohio law prohibits smoking in public places such as casinos; smoking is permitted at casinos in most other states.

Its a question of economics, said Alan Silver, an Ohio University assistant professor of restaurant, hotel and tourism and a former casino executive. The casinos have to cater to the people who smoke and play, and thats a lot of people, and if the racinos already have it, the casinos have to go the same route.

Having slot machines in smoking areas means more revenue, which is the amount of money gamblers leave behind.

Its safe to say the slot machines in the smoking areas are producing more revenue per day on average than the rest of the floor, Schuler said.

Belterra Park in Cincinnati opened on May 1 and is the only racino that doesnt have slots in an outdoor smoking area. Two more racinos are set to open.

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Ohio casinos hope to add slot machines for smokers

EDMONTON - Alison Redford travelled the globe when she was Alberta's premier and so did her travel scout, forwarding photos of hotels and suites, sussing out suitable patios and restaurants and at least once advising on public toilets.

Michelle Tetreault went to such locales as China, India, Switzerland, London and Washington in the 20 months she held the position that International Relations Minister Cal Dallas said didn't exist before Redford came to power.

The Canadian Press obtained nearly 1,600 pages of Tetreault's emails through the Freedom of Information Act. Although many portions were blanked out, the documents provide a glimpse into the mysterious job.

Tetreault travelled to most locations months before the former premier, often flying business class. Government staff are allowed to fly business class on international trips longer than four hours as long as it is pre-approved.

Tetreault travelled to China in June 2012 before Redford's trade mission the following September. She compiled photos, including one of a "traditional Chinese restaurant" and another location where Redford and her staff could have steak and eggs for breakfast because "the owner sells Alberta beef."

Tetreault also set out a list of China travel tips for staff: it's custom not to place a purse or briefcase on the floor, and remember "public toilets are all crouch only."

She went to India at the end of 2013 in advance of Redford's trade mission and networking last January.

In tips Tetreault later sent to staff, some of it referenced from travel books, she included advice on shopping for souvenirs, when women should wear head scarves and historical background on the Taj Mahal.

Weather was also noted. In New Delhi, she reported, "mornings will likely consist of heavy fog until 9:30 a.m. A light jacket may be required."

Tetreault got the job shortly after Redford and the Progressive Conservatives won the 2012 election. A provincial directory lists her salary as $127,827 the following year.

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Redford's lonely planet: a look at the job of the former premier's travel scout

By Chris Purdy, The Canadian Press