A year-end survey of more than 1,000 RE/MAX real estate agents has found that most expect the housing industry to improve in 2012, thanks to higher prices and increased sales.

Tuscany Hills Elementary school, located in Lake Elsinore, Calif., recently completed a nearly seven million-dollar expansion job that added a 4,000 square-foot assembly arena, new recreational facilities, an outdoor cafeteria and new classrooms.

Long talked about and discussed, it appears that a project to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge in New York is well underway, according to comments made at a recent meeting of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester.

A controversial construction project is moving forward in California, as transportation officials have approved a $103 million contract for construction of a commuter train between Marin and Sonoma, reports the Marin Independent Journal.

The construction of a 20-story apartment building in Oak Park - a town near Chicago - is likely to begin later this year, following approval from a group of trustees. The hope is that the building will give the area more of a contemporary, bustling feel, as opposed to the quiet historic district that it currently is.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is predicting that world corn production will rise by the end of the year, leading to a 43.4-million ton increase in corn production for 2010/2011, reports the Des Moines Iowa Register.

Strong foreign production coupled with increased demand from ethanol plants is leading to an increase in the amount of corn produced. The projection will likely lower the price of corn slightly, reports the news source. The crop has been selling at about $6 per bushel as of late, though it was up beyond $7 per bushel earlier this year.

There are a few reasons that Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Katy Coba thinks 2012 will be a good year for her state's production. According to the Statesman Journal, while speaking with ODA Director of Communications Bruce Pokarney, she cited the fact that her state (and the country as a whole) had "weathered an incredible [economic] storm" and that there are signs that productivity is going to increase this year.

Maryland governor Martin O'Malley is expected to propose spending more than $350 million on the construction of public schools throughout the state. According to the Washington Post, it would be the second-highest amount given to such a project in state history. O'Malley's proposition comes with the hope that it will spur job growth and help urge the state out of recession.

Spending on public construction in the United States rose in the month of November for the third time in four months, according to a recent Commerce Department report.

Bass Pro has always offered plenty of services in its stores, from bowling lanes to archery ranges. However, none of that is going to be able to compare to what the company has in store for its flagship location in Memphis. According to the Memphis Business Journal, it will be located in the Pyramid Arena and is going to be a site to behold when all is said and done.