Gifts from above: The Lake Elmo Inn's tradition of exchanging a drink for an ornamentThe Lake Elmo Inn's Christmas trees begin every year naked. The lonely twinkle lights that adorn their bare branches do little to help them stand out against the holiday decorations that will embellish the remainder of the restaurant once the season begins.

Marriott Residence Inn set to open in AugustThe stalled Marriott Residence Inn in San Marcos is nearing completion and is scheduled to open in August.

Chicago up 2 among 'most wired'Forbes magazine ranks Chicago No. 19 on its list of \"Most Wired\" cities, behind smaller venues such as Raleigh, N.C., Seattle, Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City. Chicago ranked No. 21 last year.Forbes uses information such as the number of people with high-speed Internet access and the number of public Wi-Fi high-speed hot spots available. The list, released Tuesday, follows by six months a ...