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• It marked the third subject matter expert exchange between the South Dakota National Guard and the military in the South American nation focusing on modernizing and expanding communications capabilities.
• The first two exchanges assessed Surinamese communications capabilities and limitations and formulated a plan to enhance those communications.
• Lt. Col. John Weber says the goal is for the Suriname forces to develop a training plan for their own soldiers.
• The training was conducted through the National Guard's State Partnership Program.
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• RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) -- Cargill Inc. has donated $580,000 to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to support the school's chemical and biological engineering department.
• The majority of the funding will go toward laboratory experiments, scholarships and professional development for students in the electrical, mechanical, mining, biological and chemistry fields, department head Robb Winter said.
• Currently, 21 students have a working relationship with Cargill.
• "They've been a great employer of School of Mines graduates," Winter told KOTA television. "They've been a great supporter of helping us understand what engineers need in their business world."
• Duane Hrncir, the school's acting president, called the department's growth "tremendous" -- going from 100 students to 225 students in the past four years.
• "Ultimately our goal is to increase the number of students hired by Cargill," Hrncir told the Rapid City Journal.
• It's the fourth contribution Cargill made to the School of Mines in their 24-year relationship. The company has given $1.7 million to the school since 1987. Privately held Cargill employs 142,000 people in 65 countries.
• Laurie Chamberlin, Cargill's global strategic sourcing manager for chemicals, graduated from Mines in 1975. He said the education he received there has allowed him to travel the globe and work with people from many cultures.
• He said he is impressed with the caliber of graduates Mines produces.
• "The school has been flexible to changing needs, and every year the graduates get better," Chamberlin said.
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