Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - March 2007 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Copyright 2006 Victoria Advocate Online (http://victoriaadvocate.com) unless otherwise notated. ************************************************ March 01, 2007 Karnes City chamber casino night at Panna Maria Hall is Saturday PANNA MARIA - Historic Panna Maria Hall is the site of the 81st annual Karnes City Community Chamber of Commerce banquet and casino night from 6-10 p.m. Saturday. The annual meeting is also highlighted by the honoring of individuals for their efforts in the community. Awards are given for citizen of the year, business of the year, and organization of the year. Guests will have the opportunity to game at casino-like tables and eat from an expansive buffet. Roulette, craps, blackjack, and Texas Hold 'Em will be available until 9:30 p.m. Each ticket holder will receive 25,000 units of "play money" to use at the gaming tables. At the end of the night, winnings can be used to purchase raffle tickets and names will be drawn for prizes. "We have filled a table of local merchant's donated gifts for a silent suction. The grand prize raffle item is a trip to Las Vegas (including airfare and lodging), and will certainly bring a smile to someone's face at the end of the evening," said banquet chair Darlene Puente. Tickets are $15. Corporate tables are also available. For more information contact Maggie Hunt, chamber executive director, at 830-780-3112. ************************************************ From mysa.com March 7, 2007 Track and field: Thursday-Saturday schedule Today meets Wicker Fredericksburg Relays Schedule — 4 p.m., field events, 5 p.m., 3,200-meter run; 6 p.m., running finals. Teams entered — Alamo Heights, Boerne, Burnet, Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg, Kerrville Tivy, San Angelo Lake View, Marble Falls, Wimberley. Navarro Panther Relays Schedule — 4 p.m., field events; 4:30 p.m., 3,200-meter run; 5:30 p.m., running finals. Teams entered — Cole, Karnes City, Marion, Navarro, New Braunfels Canyon, St. Anthony, S.A. Christian, San Marcos Academy. Comfort Bobcat Relays Schedule — 4 p.m., field events; 5 p.m., running finals. Teams entered — Bandera, Blanco, Comfort, FEAST, La Vernia, Medina Valley, Randolph, West Campus. Saturday's meets Harlandale Relays Schedule at Harlandale Memorial Stadium — 9:30 a.m., field events; 10:30 a.m., running prelims; running finals, 11/2 hours after conclusion of prelims. Teams entered — Central Catholic, Clark, Harlandale, Health Careers, Holy Cross, Jay, Kennedy, Lanier, Laredo Alexander, Laredo LBJ, Laredo United, Laredo United South, McCollum, O'Connor, Providence, Sam Houston, South San, Steele, Stevens. Judson Invitational Schedule — 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m., field events; 9:15 a.m., 3,200- meter run; 10 a.m., running prelims; 2 p.m., running finals. Teams entered — Austin Johnston, Austin LBJ, Austin Reagan, Brenham (boys only), Churchill, Clemens, East Central, FEAST, Highlands (girls only), Holmes, Judson, Madison (boys only), Marshall, Pflugerville (girls only), Randolph (girls only), Reagan, Saint Mary's Hall, Seguin, Smithson Valley, Southwest, Taft, Wagner, Warren. ************************************************ From seguingazette.com March 7, 2007 NHS posts easy district home victory GERONIMO — The Navarro Lady Panthers improved to 2-0 in district play and 8-5 for the season with a 15-0 win over Nixon-Smiley on Tuesday. Rachele Herzog, getting her first pitching action of the season, threw a no-hitter. She struck out two and walked three. At the plate, Herzog was 2-for-2 with a walk, two stolen bases and scored three times. Samantha Nichols slammed her fourth home run of the season as part of a 2-for-2 day at the plate. She scored three times and drove in four runs. Justine Jenkins only had one hit, but it was a two-run double. Jenkins scored three runs and stole a base, while Sandra Lopez was 2- for-3 with three RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base. The Lady Panthers will continue district play when they travel to face Kenedy at 7 p.m., Friday. Navarro baseball The Navarro baseball team took on Poth on Tuesday in a game that was suspended because of darkness. At the time of the suspension, the game was tied 7-7 in the top of the eighth. Poth had runners on first and second with no outs. The contest will be resumed at a later date that has yet to be determined. ************************************************ From mysa.com March 8, 2007 Constable takes Wilson County to court Jeorge Zarazua Express-News A Wilson County constable is suing the county's leaders, arguing they are violating the state constitution because they only pay him $56 per month. It's a lawsuit that could have wide-ranging implications, answering the question of just how little elected county officials in Texas can be paid if their positions are not viewed as critical to a county's operations. Constable George Scoggins argues that the meagerness of his salary stems from County Judge Marvin Quinney's desire to get rid of the county's constables. Scoggins' attorney, Bill Aleshire of Austin, said Quinney repeatedly has expressed a wish to eliminate the posts, saying they aren't needed in Wilson County. Aleshire said the county, in paying Scoggins so little, is using its "power over the county purse strings to virtually eliminate the office of constable, an office that is created by the Texas Constitution." The lawsuit claims the county Commissioners Court has no authority to declare elected offices "part time." It argues that establishing a "starvation budget" for a constable is unconstitutional and alleges commissioners violated Texas law at an Aug. 8 special meeting on the budget because a clerk wasn't present to take minutes, nor was it tape-recorded. Scoggins is seeking a judgment that declares the county erred, which he said would force it to increase the salaries of its constables and provide them with the necessary resources to do their jobs, including writing citations and making arrests. But Wilson County Attorney Russell Wilson said the lawsuit, filed Wednesday, is groundless because Scoggins failed to go through the county's established grievance procedures to complain about his salary. Wilson said he would ask the court to toss out the lawsuit, directing Scoggins to exhaust his administrative remedies before going through the court system. Wilson said Scoggins was given an opportunity during the county's budget process to request additional funding, but failed to do so. Aleshire said Scoggins doesn't have to go through the administrative process because his client's lawsuit is based on a question of law. He said Scoggins, who earns $672 a year, isn't seeking any back pay and only wants the county to correct its error, allocating him an annual salary of at least $20,800. The lawsuit claims Scoggins only gets paid 3 percent of the 2005 average salary for constables in 35 counties of similar size. It noted constables in Guadalupe County earned $28,224; in Gonzales County, $34,428 plus a car allowance; in Karnes County, $12,261 plus a car allowance; and in Atascosa County, $24,000 plus incentive pay. The county's three other constables are paid the same as Scoggins, but are not part of the suit. Aleshire agrees with the Wilson County attorney that the county isn't able to adjust Scoggins' salary once the budget has been approved, but says a court order can give the county the legal basis to do so. "They shouldn't duck the issue," Aleshire said. "I think they know they've done wrong and I think they know they've been caught." Wilson said he's waiting to hear if the county's insurance company will cover the losses incurred as a result of the lawsuit before deciding how to proceed in the case. ************************************************ From ecanned.com March 9, 2007 Karnes County Wages have increased by 18.9% Since 2001 Industry wages, from 2001 to 2006, have increased in Karnes County, Texas by a total of 18.9%. This is greater than the growth in industry wages for the State of Texas and greater than the growth in industry wages across the US. About: These facts are part of the eCanned.com Industry Analysis Series. Datasource: U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). Private Sector Employment Only. ************************************************ From Caller.com March 10, 2007 Area delegation files its last-minute bills Engineering school for city proposed by Hinojosa, Ortiz By Jaime Powell Caller-Times Local lawmakers joined the last-minute onslaught at the state Capitol, rushing to file legislation before the 6 p.m. deadline Friday, which includes proposed legislation for an engineering school at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. "There has been a mad rush, the past two or three days," said state Rep. Solomon Ortiz Jr., D-Corpus Christi. "There has been heavy traffic in everyone's hallway, with people wanting us to file last- minute bills. It seems like they try to sell you anything and everything to get you to file a bill. We have been very cautious the last few days with people to make sure that they are bills of merit." The rush is typical. On the last day of filing last session, House members turned in 576 bills and Senate members turned in 248. On the first day of filing this year, House members had filed some 200 bills and senators filed six, according to the chief clerk of the House's office and the secretary of the Senate's office. Some key legislation wound its way through the filing system Friday including legislation from state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D- McAllen, that would create an engineering school at A&M University- Corpus Christi. Ortiz filed a companion bill on the House side. "I filed legislation to create an engineering school at A&M-Corpus Christi because it's very much needed with the Port of Corpus Christi and the refineries and the continuing growth of the area," Hinojosa said. "That's one of my key bills. It takes one or two sessions to get the studies done and put the money in place." Hinojosa said he also filed companion legislation to a bill by state Rep. Juan Garcia, D-Corpus Christi, calling for a state holiday recognizing the legacy of local civil rights leader Dr. Hector P. Garcia. "We can still file next week but to do that you have to ask for permission from the other senators," Hinojosa said. "We try to, by and large, get all of our major legislation filed by the deadline. Next week we will be halfway through the session and it will be a rush from here to the end." Over the past three days, Garcia has filed a variety of legislation including a package of reform measures aimed at increasing transparency in government, limiting the impact of lobbyists and restoring affordability for college tuition to middle-class families. House Bill 2801 calls for the recording of all votes in the Texas House. HB 2802 would stop the "revolving door" between members of the Legislature and the lobby. HB 2803 would create a bipartisan redistricting commission. And HB 2804 would return tuition-setting responsibility to the Legislature. "Now comes the real heavy lifting, the committee process and the adding and subtracting of amendments," Garcia said. State Rep. Abel Herrero, D-Robstown, still was filing late Friday. His legislation deals with a variety of issues including education and affordable health care. "As we see it, the legislation we are filing is legislation that will help the working families of Texas to insure that they have not only money in their pockets but also to make sure we have affordable and accessible health care for their children," he said. "And also providing incentives for businesses in helping to create an educated workforce. The bills that we are filing, we have either been asked for support from constituents in our district or bills that will help address issues and circumstances that we have been able to identify." State Rep. Yvonne Gonzalez-Toureilles, D-Alice, was in the process Friday of filing a bill to consolidate permitting for uranium mining. "It's something popping up in my district," she said. "There are companies looking at exploration. They are poking holes in Goliad and want to move into Karnes County. During the initial phase there are not procedures for permitting. Currently, the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality), Railroad Commission and Department of Health and Human Services regulate parts of it. That's something that was brought to my attention that keeps resurfacing in my district." Friday afternoon, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, still were filing bills. One piece of legislation of local importance is a measure from Lucio to create a criminal district attorney for Kleberg County, his Chief of Staff Paul Cowen said. Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, filed varied legislation Friday, according to his office, including a companion bill to one from Lucio that will add additional money to the state instructional facilities allotment, which provides funding for poor school districts to improve facilities. Friday afternoon, state Rep. Juan Escobar's chief of staff Fred Cantu said Escobar, D-Kingsville, was not planning to file anything "earth-shattering." Around the Capitol, the halls were getting quiet and lawmakers, who had been overrun for the past several days, began hanging signs on their office doors saying that they were not accepting any new bids for legislation, Cantu said. ************************************************ From seguingazette.com March 11, 2007 Navarro baseball, softball claim wins By Jason Orts The Gazette-Enterprise KARNES CITY — The Navarro Panthers finally have a district record. After their 29-2A opener was suspended Tuesday because of darkness, the Panthers came away with a 5-1 win over Karnes City on Friday. Zack Moya baffled Badger hitters with 17 strikeouts in a complete game four-hitter and moved to 3-0 for the season. Navarro scored once in the first and four times in the fifth to take advantage of six Karnes City errors. The Panthers moved to 8-2 and 1-0 in district play and will host Nixon-Smiley at 4 p.m., Tuesday. Karnes City dropped to 2-9 overall and 1-1 in 29-2A. Navarro softball KENEDY — Samantha Nichols homered twice and drove in three runs to lead the Navarro Lady Panthers to a 10-1 win over Kenedy on Friday. Nichols drove in three runs with the two blasts, which were her fifth and sixth of the season, and Sandra Lopez added a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Lopez stole a base and scored a run. Kandi Knippa got the win, allowing one unearned run on three hits. She struck out 12 and walked two. “We’re playing beyond expectations right now,” said Navarro head coach Wade Miller. “I know we’re in district, but it seems so early in the season, and the girls are playing so well together. Everyone knows their roles, and they’re going their jobs.” ************************************************ From seguingazette.com March 11, 2007 Navarro baseball, softball claim wins By Jason Orts The Gazette-Enterprise KARNES CITY — The Navarro Panthers finally have a district record. After their 29-2A opener was suspended Tuesday because of darkness, the Panthers came away with a 5-1 win over Karnes City on Friday. Zack Moya baffled Badger hitters with 17 strikeouts in a complete game four-hitter and moved to 3-0 for the season. Navarro scored once in the first and four times in the fifth to take advantage of six Karnes City errors. The Panthers moved to 8-2 and 1-0 in district play and will host Nixon-Smiley at 4 p.m., Tuesday. Karnes City dropped to 2-9 overall and 1-1 in 29-2A. Navarro softball KENEDY — Samantha Nichols homered twice and drove in three runs to lead the Navarro Lady Panthers to a 10-1 win over Kenedy on Friday. Nichols drove in three runs with the two blasts, which were her fifth and sixth of the season, and Sandra Lopez added a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Lopez stole a base and scored a run. Kandi Knippa got the win, allowing one unearned run on three hits. She struck out 12 and walked two. “We’re playing beyond expectations right now,” said Navarro head coach Wade Miller. “I know we’re in district, but it seems so early in the season, and the girls are playing so well together. Everyone knows their roles, and they’re going their jobs.” ************************************************ From mysa.com March 13, 2007 Swollen rivers eyed warily Cindy Tumiel, Roger Croteau and Brian Chasnoff Express-News Staff Writers NEW BRAUNFELS — Heavy thunderstorms dumped up to 4 inches of rain in many areas around South Central Texas on Tuesday. The rains, falling on already saturated ground, meant heavy runoff that could cause rivers to flood. National Weather Service forecasters were closely watching the Guadalupe River, especially around Cuero, where the river was projected to crest at 39 feet today. At 38 feet, the neighborhoods closest to the river begin to flood. "There are no mandatory evacuations anywhere yet, but we could see some in Cuero," weather service forecaster Pat McDonald said. Large sections of the region remained under flash flood watches and warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings for much of the day Tuesday. The river was expected to hit moderate flood stage in Victoria by Thursday morning, with the crest expected 8 feet above the official flood stage. That causes parts of the city zoo and golf course to flood and presents a danger to areas used by livestock. Also, water would surround the lowest homes in the Green Addition subdivision. Some homes near Bloomington also would be cut off or flood. Minor flooding also was forecast for the San Antonio River near Elmendorf until early this morning. Water was forecast to inundate some cropland and pastureland from San Antonio to below Floresville. Minor flooding also was forecast along Cibolo Creek near Falls City until this morning. The heavy storms caused many low water crossings in the region to flood Tuesday, but no major incidents were reported by area dispatchers. Hays County reported 21 road closures Tuesday afternoon, but no stranded motorists or other major incidents, Sheriff's Department spokesman Leroy Opiela said. Forecaster McDonald said an upper low moving east from New Mexico was scooping up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and dumping large amounts of rain, especially on East Central Texas. Hail up to golf ball size was reported around Karnes City and Waring. Areas with about 4 inches of rain included Somerset, Leon Valley, Gonzales, Devine, Stockdale and Falls City. An area between Stockdale and Floresville got the area's highest rainfall totals Tuesday, with 6 to 8 inches reported. Strong thunderstorms also swept through San Antonio on Tuesday afternoon, bringing hail, high winds and flooding rains that set off emergency rescues. San Antonio emergency responders were called to at least five rescues of motorists stranded in cars by rising water during the early afternoon. No injuries were reported. Around 7:30 p.m. the worst conditions were in Karnes and DeWitt counties. "There is some really nasty weather down there," McDonald said. "We have no specific damage reports yet, though. San Antonio appears to be clearing out." In San Antonio, a 13-year-old boy was swept into a drainage ditch near the 4000 block of Medical Drive after playing with his friends in the street. The boy was taken nearly a quarter-mile, Fire Department District Chief Randy Jenkins said, before his friends rescued him. EMS workers treated the boy for minor scrapes, and he was "very blessed" that he was not more seriously injured, Jenkins said. San Antonio police reported more than 226 minor and 44 major car accidents between midnight and 8 p.m. But the Spring Break holiday likely diminished the number of motorists on the street, a police dispatcher said. On a normal day, the city reports about 180 minor accidents and six or seven major ones. It was Spring Break, however, that brought Marisol Santibanez, 33, and her family to the Alamo City from Houston, where the sky was clear when they left for San Antonio this morning. Peals of rain continued to dampen the afternoon's plans for Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld. "I get a lot of wet," Santibanez's 7-year-old son Jacob said. In San Antonio, rain fell at rates of half an inch to 2 inches per hour, and wind gusts of 35 mph were common in the storms, weather service forecaster Mark Lenz said. The city of San Antonio's Web site reported 27 street closures by 7:30 p.m. Some drivers sought alternate routes home during the 5 p.m. rush hour as city crews put up roadblocks at flooded low-lying areas. Flash flood warnings continue until 7 a.m. today. With the ground saturated from two days of steady rain, any additional rain will run off quickly and accumulate in low-lying areas. "The main thing people need to watch out for are low water crossings," Lenz said. "Remember, turn around and don't drown." Fire Department officials reminded motorists that they could face fines as high as $1,000 for driving around barricades set up at low water crossings. The department also charges a water rescue fee of $400 per vehicle. Rain chances are expected to diminish later today as the upper-level system leaves the region. A high of 81 degrees is expected. Fog and a low temperature of 58 degrees are forecast for tonight. ************************************************ From mysa.com March 14, 2007 Rescuers, police kept busy Cindy Tumiel and Brian Chasnoff Express-News Staff Writers Strong thunderstorms swept through San Antonio on Tuesday afternoon, bringing high winds and flooding rains that set off emergency rescues. Emergency responders said there were at least a dozen calls for rescues of motorists or pedestrians stranded by rising water. No injuries were reported. A 13-year-old boy was swept into a drainage ditch near the 4000 block of Medical Drive after playing with his friends in the street. The boy was taken nearly a quarter-mile, Fire Department District Chief Randy Jenkins said, before his friends rescued him. EMS workers treated the boy for minor scrapes, and he was "very blessed" that he was not more seriously injured, Jenkins said. San Antonio police reported more than 247 minor and 54 major car accidents between midnight and late evening. But the Spring Break holiday likely diminished the number of motorists on the street, a police dispatcher said. On a normal day, the city reports about 180 minor accidents and six or seven major ones. It was Spring Break, however, that brought Marisol Santibanez, 33, and her family to the Alamo City from Houston, where the sky was clear when they left for San Antonio this morning. Peals of rain continued to dampen the afternoon's plans for Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld. "I get a lot of wet," Santibanez's 7-year-old son Jacob said. The weather-maker was a large upper-level low-pressure system that tracked east across Texas on Tuesday, setting off widespread heavy rain as bands of energy rotated around it. Heavy rains settled over the San Antonio area during the lunch hour and continued throughout the day as the system generated waves of instability. In San Antonio, rain fell at rates of half an inch to 2 inches per hour, and wind gusts of 35 mph were common in the storms, National Weather Service forecaster Mark Lenz said. The city of San Antonio's Web site reported dozens of street closures Tuesday evening. Some drivers sought alternate routes home during the rush hour as city crews put up roadblocks at flooded low- lying areas. Flash flood warnings were to continue until 7 a.m. today. With the ground saturated from two days of steady rain, any additional rain will run off quickly and accumulate in low-lying areas. "The main thing people need to watch out for are low water crossings," Lenz said. "Remember, turn around and don't drown." Fire Department officials reminded motorists that they could face fines as high as $1,000 for driving around barricades set up at low water crossings. The department also charges a water rescue fee of $400 per vehicle. Elsewhere in the region, officials were concerned with rain falling on already saturated ground because heavy runoff could cause rivers to flood. Weather service forecasters were closely watching the Guadalupe River, especially around Cuero, where the river was projected to crest at 39 feet today. At 38 feet, the neighborhoods closest to the river begin to flood. "There are no mandatory evacuations anywhere yet, but we could see some in Cuero," weather service forecaster Pat McDonald said. The river was expected to hit moderate flood stage in Victoria by Thursday morning, with the crest expected 8 feet above the official flood stage. That causes parts of the city zoo and golf course to flood and presents a danger to areas used by livestock. Also, water would surround the lowest homes in the Green Addition subdivision. Some homes near Bloomington also would be cut off or flood. Around 7:30 p.m. the worst conditions were in Karnes and DeWitt counties. "There is some really nasty weather down there," McDonald said. "We have no specific damage reports yet, though." Minor flooding also was forecast for the San Antonio River near Elmendorf until early this morning. Water was forecast to inundate some cropland and pastureland from San Antonio to below Floresville. Minor flooding also was forecast along Cibolo Creek near Falls City until this morning. Hays County reported 21 road closures Tuesday afternoon, but no stranded motorists or other major incidents, Sheriff's Department spokesman Leroy Opiela said. Hail up to golf ball size was reported around Karnes City and Waring. Areas with about 4 inches of rain included Somerset, Leon Valley, Gonzales, Devine, Stockdale and Falls City. An area between Stockdale and Floresville got the area's highest rainfall totals Tuesday, with 6 to 8 inches reported. Rain chances are expected to diminish later today as the system leaves the region. A high of 81 degrees is expected. Fog and a low temperature of 58 are forecast for tonight. ************************************************ From seguingazette.com March 15, 2007 Rain forces rescheduling of contests By Jason Orts The Gazette-Enterprise GUADALUPE COUNTY — For area athletes, the only game played since Monday has been the waiting game. This week’s rain has forced games to be rescheduled from their original dates, and while some teams are still trying to play this week, others have decided to postpone their contests until a later date. Seguin The Seguin baseball team is still trying to get its games in this week. The Matadors’ game that was scheduled for Tuesday night on the road against Bastrop was postponed until Wednesday. There was no word on whether that game was played at press time. If the game was pushed back again, it will be made up Saturday, March 24. The Matadors also have a home game scheduled for 7 p.m., today, against Austin Akins, which will be their district opener if the contest against Bastrop is unable to be played. Marion The Marion baseball team’s game scheduled for Monday against Blanco has been cancelled, and no makeup date will be set. The Bulldogs will be back on the field at 2 p.m., Saturday, on the road against Somerset. The Marion softball team did not have any games scheduled for early in the week and will be in action today at the San Marcos tournament. The Bulldogs will face Rockdale at 11 a.m., Fort Bend Austin at 2:15 p.m. and Faith Christian at 4:25 p.m. Navarro The Navarro baseball team’s game scheduled for Tuesday at home against Nixon-Smiley was postponed. That game has been rescheduled for 2 p.m., today. The Panthers will then face Stockdale on the road at 7 p.m., Friday. The Navarro softball team has had two games postponed. On Monday, the Lady Panthers were scheduled to host Karnes City before traveling to Stockdale on Tuesday. Neither of those games were contested. The Karnes City game will be made up when the teams meet again April 5 as part of a doubleheader. The site for the twin bill will be decided by a coin flip. Navarro will face the Lady Brahmas on Friday, April 13, in Stockdale. The Lady Panthers’ next regularly-scheduled game is set for 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Shiner St. Paul. Texas Lutheran The Texas Lutheran baseball team lost a conference game off of its schedule against Hardin-Simmons. That game cannot be rescheduled. The Bulldogs were set to host Concordia-Seward on Tuesday. It was pushed back to Wednesday before being called again. They will attempt once again to get the game played at noon, today, at Katt-Isbel Field. The Bulldogs will also host at three-game series with Concordia- Austin beginning with a single game at 2 p.m., Friday. The teams will then play a doubleheader at noon, Saturday. ************************************************ From stockinterview.com March 19, 2007 By James Finch New ISR Processing Technology Could Help Boost U.S. Uranium Mining Remote Ion Exchange Reduces Start-Up, Operations Costs The Advanced ISR Series – Part Two of a Six-Part Series COPYRIGHT © 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. If you study the news releases, several companies have discussed the setting up of one or more satellite plants in conjunction with their In Situ Recovery (ISR) uranium mining operations. In order to help readers better understand what exactly a ‘satellite plant’ is, we interviewed Mark Pelizza of Uranium Resources about how this relatively new operational technique is presently being used at the company’s Texas operations. A larger uranium deposit, such as one at Cameco’s Smith Ranch in Wyoming, requires a Central Processing Plant. The ‘mother plant,’ as it is called in the trade, can complete the entire processing cycle from uranium extraction through loading the resin, stripping the uranium from the resin with a solvent (elution), precipitating, drying and packaging. With a satellite plant, also known as a Remote Ion Exchange (RIX), smaller and distant deposits can also be mined and then trucked to the mother plant. With an RIX operation, the front-end of the ‘milling’ cycle can be begun independent of the much larger mother plant. It is the same ion exchange column found at central processing facility. The mobility factor makes RIX an attractive proposition for many of the new-breed uranium producers. Rather than piping the water and uranium across a longer distance to the mother plant for the entire processing cycle, the modular nature of RIX allows for multiple columns at each well field doing the ion exchange on the spot. This is not a new idea, but one which has instead been re-designed by Uranium Resources and is also used elsewhere. In the early 1970s, Conoco and Pioneer Nuclear Corporation formed the Conquista project in south Texas. Uranium was open-pit mined at between ten and fifteen mines within a thirty-five mile radius and in two counties. Trucks hauled ore to the 1750-ton/day processing mill near Falls City in Karnes County. “The trademark of south Texas is a lot of small million-pound-style deposits,” Mark Pelizza told us. “I think we are heading in the right direction to exploit those small deposits.” Trucking resin beads loaded with uranium is different from trucking ore which has been conventionally mined. Small, scattered uranium deposits aren’t only found in Texas. There are numerous smaller ISR-amenable properties in Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado and South Dakota. “About half the uranium deposits in New Mexico can be mined with ISR,” Pelizza said, “and the other half would require conventional mining.” A number of companies we’ve interviewed have geographically diverse, but relatively nearby properties within their portfolio. Several companies with whom we discussed RIX have already made plans to incorporate this method into their mining operations. The sole-use semi-trailer trucks hauling the yellowcake slurry are different from the typical dump trucks used in conventional mining. According to Pelizza, the truck carries a modified bulk cement trailer with three compartments. The three compartments, or cells, each have a function. One cell holds the uranium-loaded resin, one cell is empty and the third has unloaded resin. As per Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, no liquids are permitted during the transportation process. Each container run between the wellfield and the mother plant can bring between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds of uranium-in-resin, depending upon how large the container is designed. The ‘loaded’ cell holds between 300 and 500 pounds of resin with six to eight pounds of uranium per cubic foot of resin. Age of the resin is important, too. New resin can hold up to ten pounds of uranium per cubic foot and can decline to five pounds of uranium per cubic foot after several years. As we found with a conventional Ion Exchange process, the RIX system is run as a closed loop pressurized process to prevent the release of radon gas into the atmosphere. The uranium is oxidized, mobilized and pumped out of the sandstone formation into a loaded pipeline and ends up in an ion exchange column at the mining site. Inside the columns, uranium is extracted through an ion exchange process – a chloride ion on a resin bead exchanges for a uranium ion. After the fluid has been stripped of uranium, it is sent back to the wellfield as barren solution, minus the bleed. When the ion exchange column is fully loaded, the column is taken offline. The loaded resin is transferred from the column to a bulk cement trailer, which is a pressurized vessel comprised of carbon steel with a rubberized internal lining. The resin trailer is connected to the ion exchange column transfer piping with hoses. After it has been drained of any free water, the uranium-loaded resin can be transported as a solid, known as ‘wet yellowcake’ to the mother plant. There, the yellowcake slurry is stripped from the resin, precipitated and vacuum-dried with a commercial-grade food dryer. Capital costs can be dramatically reduced with the satellite plants, or RIX units. “Well field installation can cost more than RIX,” Pelizza noted. Often, installing a well field can start at approximately $10 million and run multiples higher, depending upon the spacing of the wells and the depth at which uranium is mined. Still, compared to conventional mining, the entire ISR well field mining and solvent circuit method of uranium processing is relatively inexpensive. We checked with a number of near-term producers – those with uranium projects in Wyoming – and discovered at least three companies planned to utilize one or more satellite plants, or RIX, in their operations. A company’s reason for utilizing this method is to minimize capital and operating expenses while mining multiple smaller deposits within the same area. Water is treated at the RIX to extract the uranium instead of piping it across greater distances to a full-sized plant. Pelizza said, “The potential for pipeline failure and spillage from a high-flow trunk line is eliminated.” Strathmore Minerals’ vice president of technical services John DeJoia said his company was moving forward with a new type of Remote Ion Exchange design, but would not provide details. UR-Energy chief executive Bill Boberg said his company would use an RIX for either Lost Soldier or Lost Creek in Wyoming, perhaps for both. Uranerz Energy chief executive Glenn Catchpole told us he planned to probably set up two RIX operations at the company’s Wyoming properties and build a central processing facility. “We are working on a standardized design of the remote ion exchange unit so it doesn’t require any major licensing action,” Pelizza said. “If you can speed up the licensing time, perhaps it would take one to two years rather than three to five years.” ************************************************ From ecanned.com March 21, 2007 In Karnes County, the support activities for mining industry jobs pay the highest wages Employment in the support activities for mining industry had the highest average wages in Karnes County for the 2nd quarter of 2006. The average worker in the industry in Karnes County earned an annual wage of $41,390 in 2nd quarter of 2006. The wage rate is less than the industry wage in Texas of $73,362 and less than then the pay for jobs in this industry in the United States of $64,588. Other top-pay jobs in Karnes County, Texas can be found in offices of other health practitioners ($30,324), building foundation and exterior contractors ($30,239), offices of physicians ($27,593) and insurance carriers ($23,184 industries. Note: Clicking the Above Graphic Displays the Detailed Comparison About: These facts are part of the eCanned.com Industry Analysis Series. Datasource: U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). Private Sector Employment Only. ************************************************ From stewnation.com March 23, 2007 Jeff and I have several weddings to attend over the coming months. Jeff’s father, David Stewart, will marry his long-time girlfriend Kathy Gustafson in Kenedy, Texas later this month. We will then all meet up in Las Vegas to celebrate! ************************************************ From seguingazette.com March 28, 2007 Panthers claim third place in own tournament By Jason Chlapek The Gazette-Enterprise SEGUIN — With the District 29-2A tournament taking place next week, Navarro golf coach Jeff Jones felt it was good for his team to get a glimpse at some of the teams his players would face next week. If Tuesday’s play is any indication of what will happen next week, Jones can feel pretty good about his team's chances at district. The Panthers shot 368 Tuesday to claim third place in the Navarro Invitational at the Max Starcke Golf Course in Seguin. “We're right there,” Jones said. “If we can get 4-5 strokes off our score, we like our chances. The key for us is to stop putting too much pressure on ourselves and just go out and play.” The District 29-2A tournament takes place April 4-5 at the Randolph Oaks Golf Course on Randolph Air Force Base. Finishing ahead of Navarro was tournament champion Yorktown, who shot 331 overall, and Class 3A Luling, who finished with a score of 342 to claim second place. Yorktown competes in 29-2A and is the projected favorite in next week's district tournament according to Jones. “I don’t know of anyone else in the district that’s come close to 331,“ he said. “Our season-low was 350. If I had to say who was battling it out for the regional berths, I’d go with Yorktown as the favorite and either us or Karnes City for second.” With heavy rain hitting most of Guadalupe County on Monday night, Jones was uncertain as to whether or not the tournament would be played on Tuesday. But clear skies were in the area and the tournament went on. Jones was impressed with the level of play under what were still wet conditions. “The grass hadn’t completely dried from Monday’s rain, but the scores were really low considering the conditions,” he said. “I thought we’d be in trouble after Monday, but it turned out to be great golf weather.” Yorktown claimed the boys team championship by placing two in the top five individually. Todd Kist shot 79 to tie Trey Bishop of Runge for third place and Robert Knobles finished fifth. Kist beat Bishop in a third-place playoff. Cliff Ingram of Luling won the individual title by shooting a 75, while Jarred Cornish of Randolph shot 77 to claim second. Navarro was led by James Ekstrom, who shot 89. Jarred Jaroszewski and Layne Porter both shot 92, while Ray Salas and Clayton Warren both shot 95. The girls portion of the tournament, in which Navarro didn’t field a team, took place at Chaparral Country Club on Tuesday. Karnes City won the event with a score of 442, while La Vernia claimed second with 454 and Natalia third with 495. Jessica Cornish of Randolph won the individual gold medal with a score of 82. She beat runner-up Arlette Ramirez of Runge by 12 strokes. Ramirez shot 94. Third place was claimed by Sam Brown of Karnes City, who shot 98. Joanie Rios of Runge shot 107 for fourth, while Brittany Withers of Stockdale shot 109 for fifth. ************************************************