Drowned swimmer washes ashore in Galveston ...

GALVESTON, Texas — The body of a man that washed ashore late Tuesday is believed to be a swimmer presumed to have drowned in rough rip currents, authorities said.

Galveston police responded about 9 p.m. to a report of a body washed ashore in the 400 block of East Beach Drive, police Capt. Jeff Heyse said.

The body is believed to be that of Michael Fasola, 23, of Houston. He was tentatively identified by skin moles and his tall and thin body type, Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis said.

New Cyanco plant to be built in Alvin

HOUSTON, April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyanco Holding Corporation ("Cyanco") and Ascend Performance Materials ("Ascend") today announce plans for Cyanco to construct a new 55,000 metric ton per year sodium cyanide plant at Ascend's Alvin, Texas site. Cyanco and Ascend have executed long term agreements under which Ascend will supply hydrogen cyanide, utilities and services to the new Cyanco plant.

"The Ascend site provides significant opportunity to third-party manufacturers because of its world scale and operating competencies," said Tim Strehl, President of Ascend. "We welcome the long-term relationship between Ascend and Cyanco, and thank them for selecting the Ascend site for their new plant."

Cyanco expects the plant to be operational in the second half of 2012. Engineering is underway and applications for required environmental permits have been submitted. The plant will produce solid sodium cyanide briquettes and will have the capability of shipping product in hopper cars, ISO containers (Solid to Liquid Systems - "SLS"), one metric ton bag/boxes and one metric ton composite packaging.

John Burrows, Cyanco's President and CEO said, "We are pleased to enter into a long-term relationship with an industry leader like Ascend. This relationship will allow us to build an efficient and highly reliable plant to meet rapidly increasing customer needs. As a result of new contracts expanding our global customer base and growing commitments under existing sales contracts, we expect the new plant to be operating at or near capacity shortly after startup. After completion of the new plant, Cyanco will have a total production capacity of 125,000 metric tons per year, and will be uniquely positioned to serve the mining industry from the two plants in Nevada, a terminal in Quebec and this strategically positioned plant on the Texas Gulf Coast."

Ascend is a global leader in proprietary technologies that are central to the production of nylon, plastics and synthetic fibers found in thousands of commercial and industrial products, including carpet, tires and apparel, as well as agricultural products, animal feed and personal care products. The business has world scale integrated manufacturing facilities which enables it to develop new products from its core technologies, and provides flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of its customers. Ascend has sales offices throughout the world, and five manufacturing facilities in the United States. More information is available at www.ascendmaterials.com.

Cyanco is the leading supplier of sodium cyanide to the mining industry in the United States and Canada. In addition to the two plants in Nevada, the company operates a terminal at Cadillac, Quebec to serve customers in the growing market in Eastern Canada. The "new" Cyanco was formed in 2008 when Oaktree Capital Management acquired Nevada Chemicals Inc. and purchased Degussa's (Evonik's) sodium cyanide business in the United States and Canada.

Cyanco has been a leader in the development and implementation of the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMC) and is represented on the Industry Advisory Group to the International Cyanide Management Institute. All of Cyanco's facilities are ICMC certified. In addition to being a sodium cyanide producer, the Applied Technology division of Cyanco provides consulting services, laboratory support and cyanide detoxification technology to assist customers throughout their use of its products. Please visit www.cyanco.com for more information.
Contacts:
Bob Warriner, Vice-President Marketing and Sales
775-853-4300 ext. 103
bob.warriner@cyanco.com
John Burrows, President & CEO
775-853-4300 ext. 101
john.burrows@cyanco.com

Texan heads Bin Laden raiders

The commander of the U.S. military unit responsible for killing elusive al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden — Vice Adm. William H. McRaven — is a San Antonio native and graduate of the University of Texas in Austin.

McRaven, 55, earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1977, although a campus dean said a computer listing didn't indicate whether the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps member had an interest in the print side of news coverage, broadcast or public relations.
A fellow ROTC member recalled McRaven as eager for military service.

"He was extremely focused on preparing for special forces details," said Curtis Raetz, of McKinney, who majored in engineering at UT, served in the Marine Corps and now works in private business.
'He had drive.'

Raetz, who graduated a year before McRaven, said the ROTC program included required courses such as naval science.

James Gruetzner, who served in the same Navy ROTC batallion as McRaven, told Cox Newspapers, "He had drive. He went on extraordinarily long runs to stay in shape. He was very dedicated."
McRaven's Navy biography states he attended the Naval Postgraduate School and was its first graduate in Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict. In 1995, he wrote a book called Spec Ops: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare Theory and Practice.

McRaven became commander of the U.S. military's Joint Special Operations Command in 2008.
In that role, he reportedly led the planning and execution of bin Laden's death Sunday at the hand of Navy SEALs, an acronym that stands for Sea, Air and Land.

Texas Independence will be celebrated at two sites

LA PORTE
San Jacinto Day
This year’s edition of the San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment, planned for Saturday, commemorates the 175th anniversary of the battle.
During the event at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte, hundreds of history re-enactors will dramatize events that led to Texas winning independence. The festival also includes entertainment, food, games and other fun in a historic setting.

The Battle of San Jacinto is considered the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Gen. Sam Houston and the Texas army defeated the Mexican army April 21, 1836. The next day, Mexican Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna was captured, and later he signed a peace treaty.

The state’s annual “official” ceremony honoring the anniversary of the battle occurs April 21, as it will this year at 11 a.m. La Porte is 22 miles east of downtown Houston.
Contact: 281-479-2421; www.sanjacinto-museum.org.
Historic site: 281-479-2431; www.tpwd.state.tx.us.

CONROE
Lone Star flag park finally a reality
Many cities and historic sites in Texas are honoring their heritage this spring as the state celebrates the 175th anniversary its independence, and the city of Conroe is unveiling a new park dedicated to state history. It’s doing so April 21, San Jacinto Day, the anniversary of the 1836 battle that led to Texas independence.
For years, Conroe has dreamed of a monument to honor Montgomery County as the birthplace of the Lone Star flag. Dr. Charles B. Stewart, a Montgomery County resident who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, designed the flag at the request of Mirabeau B. Lamar, president of the Republic of Texas. The banner was officially designated the state flag in 1839. It became the official state flag in 1845, when Texas joined the union.

In 1997, the Texas House of Representatives passed a resolution designating Montgomery County as the birthplace of the Lone Star flag. And this month, Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park will open next to Montgomery County Central Library in Conroe.

The monument at the 3.5-acre park is a circular landscaped plaza surrounded by 13 flags that flew in Texas as the region fought for independence during the Texas Revolution. At the center of the plaza is The Texian, a 14-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Conroe artist Craig Campobella. The statue depicts an everyman volunteer soldier of the Texas Revolution.

The dedication starts at 5:30 p.m. April 21. Afterward, a free concert will star country singer Gary P. Nunn and other musicians. The park is at I-45 and FM2854.
Contact: 713-410-6076; www.texasflagpark.org or www.cityofconroe.org.