Texas Business reports:  A group of California community colleges and open-education advocates announced a partnership with the Rice University-based open-education platform Connexions and the California-based 20 Million Minds Foundation to enable their new course materials developed with a $20 million federal stimulus grant to be available free online for any educator to use, modify and tailor for their own needs.

Texas Business reports:  AUSTIN—Silverback Enterprise Group, which acquires and builds enterprise software companies, acquired PowerSteering Software Inc., a provider of cloud-based enterprise project and portfolio management (PPM) software, and Tenrox Inc., a provider of cloud-based, workflow-driven project workforce management software.

Texas Business reports:  FORT WORTH—Wound Management Technologies Inc., an emerging  innovator in advanced wound care solutions, sold its wholly-owned subsidiary, Secure eHealth LLC  to two entities that previously financed the acquisition of Secure eHealth by WMTI in January 2010.

Texas Business reports:  DALLAS—Satterfield & Pontikes Construction (S&P) took top honors in two categories at the Engineering News-Record (ENR) regional awards banquet held recently. S&P’s Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy project in Dallas and Jackson Barracks project in New Orleans were selected as 2011 Best Projects in ENR’s Texas-Louisiana region. 

Texas Business reports:  ASCO Equipment acquired the Case Construction Equipment distributorship from Heritage Equipment for the Lubbock and Amarillo markets.

Texas Business reports:  Richardson— Hill & Wilkinson received the top green building award from Education Design Showcase for the LEED Platinum-certified UT Dallas Student Services Building.

Texas Business reports:  A Fort Worth firm won a $56.7 million contract to provide components for the manufacturing of the Huey helicopter upgrade program.

Texas Business reports:  FORT WORTH— Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company  announced the U. S. Army’s OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter fleet have accumulated 2 million flight hours.

Texas Business reports: A Fort Worth firm won a $14.8 million change to a F-35 acquistion contract, the U.S. Department of Defense announced.

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – In a study recently reported in the journal BMC Genomics, researchers at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, working with collaborators in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Texas AgriLife Genomics and Bioinformatics Center, have sequenced the first Quarter Horse genome – helping unlock the secrets of what makes this breed so unique.

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION, Texas — An estimated 5.6 million trees that once shaded homes, streets and parks in communities across Texas now are dead as a result of last year’s unrelenting drought.  

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Mother Nature sent many Texas farmers an early Valentine’s Day card in the form of rain the last week.

Texas Business reports: NEW YORK—Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, entered into a historic new record deal with Texas musician Willie Nelson. 

Texas Business reports:  AUSTIN—There’s marketing, and then there’s marketing. Alamo Drafthouse launched a signature wine inspired by The Princess Bride in honor of the 25th anniversary of the film. 

Texas Business reports: Actors from the London Stage, an international touring theater troupe based in London and the University of Notre Dame, will present Shakespeare's comedy of love, "Twelfth Night," Feb. 16-18 at Rice University's Hamman Hall. 

Texas Business reports: AUSTIN—University of Texas at Austin researchers have demonstrated a new and more effective method for regrowing blood vessels in the heart and limbs — a research advancement that could have major implications for how health care treats heart disease, the leading cause of death in the Western world. 

Texas Business reports:  TEMPLE—Scott & White Healthcare today announced long-time supporters Elizabeth and Drayton McLane Jr. made the largest gift in the 115-year history of Scott & White to benefit its Children's Hospital.

Texas Business reports: DALLAS—UT Southwestern Medical Center installed a new system to deliver extremely precise and individualized radiation treatment, assuring that cancer patients in the region have access to the latest advances in radiation oncology.

Texas Business reports: KATY—Two pro sports women's associations are teaming up to form a credit union with an educational wealth empowerment program for pro athletes and their families. 

Texas Business reports:  The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has signed manager Ron Washington to a two-year contract extension through the 2014 season. 

Texas Business reports:  DALLAS— Gleneagles Country Club, a member of the ClubCorp family of clubs,  opened a TaylorMade Performance Lab, one of only four locations across the country to provide golfers of all ages and abilities a state-of-the-art fitting experience that uses 3D motion capture technology, which is then analyzed by a full-time certified TaylorMade Clubfitting professional.

Texas Business reports: NEW YORK—Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, entered into a historic new record deal with Texas musician Willie Nelson. 

Texas Business reports:  LOS ANGELES—Luxe added the historic Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa in Dallas,  making it the newest Luxe branded property.  

Texas Business reports:  DALLAS—SPM Communications adde Austin-based Stubb's Legendary Kitchen, makers of Stubb's barbecue sauces, rubs and marinades, to its client roster.

Texas Business reports:  HOUSTON—Encon Safety Products reached a marketing agreement with Guard-Dogs, Aggressive Eyewear. 

Texas Business reports:  HOUSTON—Global NuTech Inc. will change its name to Texas Gulf Energy Incorporated.

Texas Business reports: Texas has been ranked the top exporting state in 2011 for the 10th year in a row, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Texas Business reports: Fitch Ratings says there will be a noticeable impact from the pending American Airlines layoffs on the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

Texas Business reports:  HOUSTON—University General Health System Inc., a diversified, integrated multi-specialty health delivery system, finalized the acquisition of Sybaris Group LLC, a luxury hospitality service provider and facilities management company headquartered in Houston.

Texas Business reports:  AUSTIN, Texas — A systematic analysis of power usage in microprocessors could help lower the energy consumption of both small cellphones and giant data centers, report computer science professors from The University of Texas at Austin and the Australian National University.

Texas Business reports:  CORPUS CHRISTI—Uranium Energy Corp completed a second uranium sale which will be reflected in the company's upcoming fiscal 2012 Q2 report. 

Texas Business reports: IRVING—Pinnacle Propane LLC, a provider of propane and refined fuels in the southwestern United States, acquired Bill Smith Butane of Marble Falls, Texas. 

Texas Business reports: KATY—Two pro sports women's associations are teaming up to form a credit union with an educational wealth empowerment program for pro athletes and their families. 

Texas Business reports:  THE WOODLANDS— Cardon Healthcare Network announced that Outreach Services has agreed to a merger between the two companies.

Texas Business reports:  DALLAS—Ryan, a leading global tax services firm with the largest indirect tax practice in North America, secured a $100 million (expandable to $135 million) syndicated credit facility led by Bank of America, N.A., including Comerica Bank; Citibank, N.A.; and Fifth Third Bank.

Texas Business reports:  HOUSTON – Bassey Essien, the former co-owner of Durable Medical Equipment (DME) companies Logic World Medical and Roben Medical in Houston, was sentenced to 99 months in federal prison for defrauding the Texas Medicaid program, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today along with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Texas Business reports:  Among corporations involved in the 2006 stock-option backdating scandal, those implicated earlier were more likely to dismiss their top executives than those that surfaced later on, according to new research from Rice University and the University of California at Irvine.

Texas Business reports:  The Thin Line Film Fest, Texas’ only international documentary film festival, starts its 5th annual festival lineup today.

Texas Business reports:  The independent short film, Watching You, is hiring cast members, according to the Texas Film Commission.

 Texas Business reports: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Ryan, a tax services firm with the largest indirect tax practice in North America, opened a new office location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Texas Business reports:  AUSTIN—HomeAway Inc., a provider of online vacation rentals, opened its third Austin office, which brings 235 employees from the customer service and sales teams to the Penn Field campus, located at 3601 South Congress. 

Texas Business reports: IRVING—TRT Holdings plans to relocate and consolidate its offices from Irving to Dallas.  

Texas Business reports: AUSTIN—University of Texas at Austin researchers have demonstrated a new and more effective method for regrowing blood vessels in the heart and limbs — a research advancement that could have major implications for how health care treats heart disease, the leading cause of death in the Western world. 

Texas Business reports:  A Rice University undergraduate will depart with not only a degree but also a possible patent for his invention of an efficient way to create protein libraries, an important component of biomolecular research.

Texas Business reports:  AUSTIN, Texas — A systematic analysis of power usage in microprocessors could help lower the energy consumption of both small cellphones and giant data centers, report computer science professors from The University of Texas at Austin and the Australian National University.

Texas Business reports: The state is investing $1.2 million through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) in Continental Automotive Systems Inc., to relocate production of its sensors and actuators from Europe and Asia to its plant in Seguin, reportedly creating 300 new jobs and $113 million in capital investment.

Texas Business reports:  DFW AIRPORT—The inaugural Emirates flight from Dubai to Dallas/Fort Worth arrived today at DFW International Airport, welcomed by a traditional “shower of affection” water cannon salute and a gathering of community leaders. 

Texas Business reports:  LONDON—Hays, a specialist recruiting group, opened an office in Houston.

Texas Business reports:  DALLAS—Tyler Technologies Inc. signed an agreement with Missouri City, Texas, to deliver its Munis enterprise resource planning (ERP) and Incode  municipal court solutions under a software as a service (SaaS) agreement that enables the city to access current technology for a low upfront investment. 

Texas Business reports:  HOUSTON—The eagerly anticipated and much needed expansion of Henry W. Grady Middle School was recently completed by Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc. for the Houston Independent School District. 

Texas Business reports: DALLAS—Lockheed Martin received contracts totaling $921 million from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command for hardware and services associated with the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment program.

Texas Business reports:  AMARILLO—EnergyNet promoted Chris Atherton to vice president of business development.

Texas Business reports:  IRVING—ACE Cash Express, Inc., a retailer of financial services, announced Douglas Lindsay has been promoted to the role of executive vice president and chief operating officer and Temple Weiss will join the company as executive vice president and chief financial officer effective immediately.

Texas Business reports: PLANO—Lee Roy Mitchell, chairman of Cinemark Holdings Inc. (announced that Tim Warner, who led the company’s expansion throughout Latin America as the president of Cinemark International before becoming president of the domestic circuit in 2006, has been promoted to the position of chief executive officer. 

Texas Business reports:  GRAPEVINE, Texas—GreenHunter Energy  Inc., a diversified renewable energy company predominately focused on water resource management in the unconventional oil and gas shale resource plays, appointed  Ernie Easley to its board of directors. 

Texas Business reports:  ABILENE—First Financial Bankshares  Inc. announced several promotions for officers based in Abilene and Fort Worth.

Texas Business reports:  TEMPLE—Wilsonart International and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) named Kristen Manos as president of Wilsonart.

Texas Business reports:  AUSTIN—Insuraprise Inc., a Medicare Supplemental Insurance agency, promoted Casey Hughes, its vice president, market development to chief operating officer.

Texas Business reports:  DALLAS—J--W Energy Company announced that Perry A. Harris has accepted the position of president of J-W Wireline Company.

Texas Business reports:  THE WOODLANDS—Huntsman Corporation appointed Jon Huntsman, Jr. as a new director to its board.

Texas Business reports:  SUGAR LAND—CVR Partners LP, a master limited partnership and manufacturer of ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) solution fertilizer products, announced that Kevan A. Vick, executive vice president and fertilizer general manager for the general partner of CVR Partners LP and CVR Energy, elected to retire after more than 35 years in the fertilizer industry.

Texas Business reports:  HOUSTON—Global NuTech, soon to be renamed Texas Gulf Energy Inc. formed a new wholly owned subsidiary named Texas Gulf Electrical & Instrumentation Inc.