Yesterday, Gentiva Health Services Inc. (GTIV) announced the completion of its acquisition of Rush Home Care Inc., which operates as Magna Home Health. While the financial terms of the transaction were undisclosed, the company announced that it funded the deal with its existing cash reserves. The agreement to purchase Magna Home Health, a part of the Rush Health System, was signed by Gentiva in July this year. The addition of Magna's locations in Meridian, Mississippi and Gilbertown, Alabama should enable Gentiva to expand its coverage in seven new certificate of need (CON) counties to participate in the delivery of home health services. We believe this deal will consolidate Gentiva’s position as the largest provider of comprehensive home healthcare services in the U.S. and enable them to serve a wider patient population. The transaction is not expected to affect Gentiva’s 2009 operations materially. Gentiva, which derives ...

In exchange for their support on pipelines to bypass Russia, the EU will propose better trade ties to six former soviet states in the Eastern Partnership meeting.  An agreement on the South Stream pipeline may be delayed as the countries involved are reportedly looking for better terms for transporting gas.  ExxonMobil has denied reports that it has made an agreement to sell gas from its Sakhalin-1 project to Gazprom.  The EU has agreed to spend $5.3 billion on modernizing Europe's energy networks, to secure them in the event of an energy crisis.  Turkmenistan expects investment in its energy industry to double this year to $4 billion.  Despite the country's failure to pass an oil law, global oil companies, including BP and Royal Dutch Shell, are readying to return to Iraq, home to the world's third largest ...

If you were playing along at home yesterday, and trying to guess the town I'm visiting on the first leg of my trip to Mexico, that town is Guanajuato.Guanajuato is an important city in Mexico both historically and mineralogically. Here is the view from the airport. See those mountains? They're stuffed with silver.Guanajuato comes from the name the indigenous tribes had for the area -- Quanax-juato - "Place of Frogs." I haven't seen any frogs so far (it's only my first day).The Valenciana silver mine located near the City of Guanajuato was one of the richest silver finds in all history. In the 18th century this mine alone accounted for 60% of the world's total silver production. Guanajuato is very proud of its mining heritage.There are statues of miners, like this one, along the roads. But mining isn't just a heritage in Guanajuato. There are ongoing silver mines, and potentially much, much more to find. That's what I'm going to ...