Investigators with the cold case team of the the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office are asking the public’s assistance in a decades-old cold-case investigation. On July 10, investigators exhumed human remains from a Richmond cemetery in hopes of using recent advances in forensic biology and forensic DNA analysis to help solve the case, the office said in a press release.
‘We are hopeful that these new technological advancements will provide fresh leads and bring closure to this long-standing investigation,” the office said in a news release.
2024 Travis HS grad receives $46,000 in FFA scholarships
Travis High School 2024 graduate Gabrielle Ridings recently received a total of $46,000 in scholarships from the Texas Future Farmers of America Organization and other FFA-related groups and has earned the distinction of being the highest-ranking FBISD FFA member in the district’s history, according to a story on the
district’s website.
Ridings received a $20,000 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Scholarship during the 96th annual Texas FFA State Convention in Houston in early July. She is one of only 140 seniors across the entire state who received the award, which ranged from $500 to $20,000.
Scholarships are awarded to deserving members
based on academic and FFA achievements and interview performance.
Ridings’s achievements also include a $20,000 Exhibitor Scholarship from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a $5,000 scholarship from the Fort Bend County Fair, and a $1,000 scholarship from the Travis FFA Booster Club Alumni Organization.
FBISD unanimously approves new student code of conduct
According to the office, the case dates back to June 1964, when the victim’s remains were discovered off FM 359 near the Jones Creek bridge in Fort Bend County. The victim, a dark-haired white male, approximately 6 feet tall, around 50 years of age, and weighing 180-185 pounds, was found decapitated, with his hands and legs amputated. His body had been left in a ditch around June 11, 1964. Despite extensive efforts, authorities were unable to identify the victim or apprehend those responsible, according to the release.
The victim had a broken rib, but no identifying marks. For 20 years, the remains were held at the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office. In 1984, the victim was buried at San Gabriel Cemetery in Richmond.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office at 281-341-4665, option 1 or Cold Case Detective Scott Minyard at 281-3414651.
“With the significant advancements in forensic biology and DNA analysis, we hope to uncover new information that was previously unattainable,” Sheriff Eric Fagan said in the release. “Our goal is to bring justice to the victim and provide answers to any surviving family members.”
delight of several board members who said they’d felt unduly pressured in last year’s vote on the code.
The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees on Monday unanimously approved a Student Code of Conduct for the 2024-2025 school year. It was a marked contrast to last year, when the board failed over three attempts to pass an updated code and instead went with reupping the previous year’s. Even so, Monday’s unanimous vote didn’t go off without some dissension.
Last year, the thenboard three times rejected a code of conduct put forward three times by the administration of former Superintendent Christie Whitbeck. Some trustees said they felt that the code was put forward top close to the start of the school year without adequate input from the board.
Some of the more conservative members of the board also balked at the concept of “restorative justice” that was embedded in the proposed code. That concept, which has gained traction in school districts across the country in recent years, places more emphasis on less-punitive measures in trying to improve student conduct.
In June, the administration of Superintendent Marc Smith, who took the helm of the district in January, brought forth a new code of conduct in June, much to the expressed
But at Monday’s meeting, which was held at the James Reese Career and Technical Center because of damages to the district’s administration building from Hurricane Beryl, one point of contention among board members was whether any campuses were using “Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports,” or PBIS.
According to the website of the national Center on PBIS, the concept is “is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS improves social emotional competence, academic success, and school climate. It also improves teacher health and wellbeing. It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe learning environments where everyone thrives.”
Position 7 Trustee and board secretary David Hamilton led off Monday’s discussion by saying that the district was not serving students well by “going along with a national agenda to lower standards and remove negative consequences from the equation.” Hamilton said he was excited that Smith was starting his first full school year as superintendent of
Fort Bend ISD.
“We need to have rules that the students clearly understand and when necessary, we need to change the rules, as we did last year,” he said. “But when there’s an enforcement component, we need to fairly and consistently enforce (those standards).”
Position 5 trustee Sonya Jones said that she had no qualms about the administration’s proposed code of conduct. But Jones, who herself is an educator, did raise some pointed questions about whether there were any district campuses that employed PBIS in their student disciplinary programs.
“What’s going on with PBIS training? Because there is some PBIS training going on in the district,” she said. without specifying what her objections to the training might be.
A staff member said that the district was bound by state law to include some components in its programs to make sure schools are using best practices to address campus behavioral expectations and that students and parents understand what those expectations are. The staff member said she didn’t know how those practices were directly stated within campus development plans, but that PBIS was one of the recommended methods.
Position 4 Trustee Shirly Rose-Gilliam, also an educator and a former school
principal, said she hoped the board needed to have conversations that didn’t potentially make district employees fearful.
“My understanding is that if a principal wants to do PBIS on their campus, they can do that. It’s not taboo or anything, because that is what works for that campus,” she said. She said she hoped the board work work together to avoid the turmoil that the code of conduct engendered the previous school year.
“Let’s take a deep breath and see what actually works on campuses before we decide we’re just not going to do that because this is what we heard from someone,” she said.
Position 1 Trustee Angie Hanan said that the proposed code of conduct was much more streamlined and understandable to the general public, especially parents, than the previous version. “It’s a new day for the board, and I support this as written.”
Position 2 Trustee Adam Schoof said that he objected to the PBIS concept is not aligned with the “American judicial system.”
“I think implementing a policy that is more in line with the American judicial system is more beneficial because kids, when they turn 18, they’re somewhat used to the way things are as an adult. PBIS is basically the opposite of the American judicial system,” he said.
Position 6 Trustee and Board President Kristin Tassin, who before being elected earlier this year had previously served as both trustee and president noted that PBIS was originally included in the code at her own instigation.
“The reason that I put that in the student code of conduct at the time is that we are required by law to implement PBIS for students who receive special education services,” said Tassin, an attorney who has often spoken publicly about the fact that one of her children received such services.
“We are not a judicial or a justice system, we are an educational system,” Tassin said. “And PBIS works, and that does not mean that we negate consequences.”
“I think PBIS gets a bad rap because it is misunderstood. The reason that it is required by state law is that it works,” she said, adding that there is research showing that it is particularly effective for students with developmental disabilities.
“We need to not be tying the hands of our principals and our teachers from being able to implement things that do work,” Tassin said. But that didn’t mean that principals should not be able to impose consequences for bad behavior, she added. When the measure came up to a vote, trustees unanimously approved the proposed code of conduct.
An investigator with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office watches as remains in a 1964 cold case are exhumed from a Richmond cemetery.
Courtesy Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office
Gabrielle Ridings, a 2924 graduate of Travis High School, recently received $46,000 in scholarships from the Texas Future Farmers of America Organization and affiliated groups.
Courtesy Fort Bend ISD
Lawsuit filed on behalf of man injured in fatal MCPD collision
sates.
A lawsuit has been filed in a Fort Bend County district court on behalf of a man injured in the Missouri City police car collision that also resulted in the deaths of a woman and her teenage son.
Alice Bliss, a Harris County resident, is the named plaintiff as the “next friend” and mother and guardian of Missouri City resident Michael Hawkins in the lawsuit filed in the 458th District Court based at the Fort Bend County Justice Center in Richmond. Houston attorney Chance McMillan, who filed the lawsuit, did not respond to a call from the Fort Bend Star for comment.
Hawkins, 53, reportedly was the occupant of the Missouri City police car driven by former Officer Blademir Viveros, in the June 20 collision with a car driven by Mason Stewart, 16, as Viveros was responding to a ATM robbery call on Cartwright Road in Missouri City. Stewart was exiting the parking lot of a large strip shopping center on Cartwright Road.
The 2005 Toyota Corolla driven by the teenager was struck by Viveros’s vehicle, which a Texas Department of Public Safety investigation determined did not have its emergency lights or siren on and was going over the posted speed limit in the evening hours. Both Mason Stewart and his mother, Angela, 53, both of Stafford, were pronounced dead at the scene. Viveros, 27, has since been dismissed from the department.
Hawkins was reportedly an occupant of the back seat of the police vehicle, where he was not discovered until at least two hours after
the incident investigation began. The Missouri City Police Department has not yet said why Hawkins was in the police vehicle. He was transported to Ben Taub Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.
The lawsuit, filed on July
The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of Viveros as well as the City of Missouri City and the Missouri City Police Department. It seeks damages of more than $1 million for Hawkins for, among other
11, alleges that Hawkins “sustained permanent and irreversible bodily” injuries in the collision.
Hawkins “suffered paralyzing injuries and was inexplicitly (sic) trapped in the back of the police unit with no medical attention for over two (2) hours,” the lawsuit states. According the the complaint, Hawkins received emergency treatment at Ben Taub for a cervical spine fracture.
“He is currently unable to move or feel is lower extremities and has lost use of one of his upper extremities. It is anticipated that he will remain hospitalized and will continue to receive treatment for the forseeable future,” the lawsuit
things, physical and mental anguish. Bliss, his mother, is also seeking $1 million in damages.
The Texas DPS investigation of the crash in ongoing and the results will be submitted to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office for review, according to that department. The Missouri City Police Department said its own investigation of policies and procedures related to the accident is continuing.
The Fort Bend Star did not receive a response for comment from a Missouri City spokesperson. Typically, governmental entities do not comment on ongoing litigation.
A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a man in ured in a fatal colli sion involving a Missouri City police vehicle. Wiki image
Diverse musical acts to perform at 2024 Fort Bend County Fair
Ten musical artists will bring their diverse talents to the upcoming 2024 Fort Bend County Fair’s Fair during the BBQ cookoff weekend and the Fair’s 10-day run. From September 20 to October 6, artists representing the breadth of the Texas music scene, from traditional country and Tejano genres, will take the stage.
“Our entertainment lineup is packed with talent. We have artists making their debuts and a few returning to our Fair, but it provides music for all to enjoy,” Alicia Casias, 2024 President of Fort Bend County Fair, said in a news release.
For the BBQ cookoff weekend on September 20-21, the fair will feature David Lee
Headliners:
Garza and Los Musicales on Friday, September 20. The Poteet, Texas native will bring his progressive Conjunto and distinctive Tejano music vibes. On Saturday, September 21, Braxton Keith, who performs classic honk-tonk style country-andwestern, will return to the fair.
Opening weekend is a lineup of headliners making their fair debuts. Kicking off on Friday, September 27 will be Drake Milligan, best known for portraying Elvis Presley on the CMT series “Sun Records”. The Fort Worth native has recently toured at such locals as Canada and the United Kingdom. On Saturday, September 28, Del Rio’s favorite son, William Beck-
9/20 – David Lee Garza y Los Musicales
9/21 – Braxton Keith
9/27 – Drake Milligan
9/28 – William Beckmann
9/29 – De Parranda
10/2 - Red - A Taylor Swift Tribute Band
10/3 - Zach Top
10/4 – Jason Boland & The Stragglers
10’5- Randall King
10’6 – Rick Trevino
mann, will bring his unique sound and baritone voice. On Sunday, September 29, De Parranda will perform its brand of high-energy cumbia.
On Wednesday, October 2, Red - A Taylor Swift Tribute Band will talk over the fairgrounds, along with friendship bracelets and shimmer. “This is an exciting first for our Fair. To be able to host a Taylor takeover, we look forward to this Swifitie experience,” Casias said.
On Thursday, October 3, Zach Top will bring oldschool country to the fair. On Friday, October 4, Jason Boland & The Stragglers. Boland is considered on of the leading ambassadors of the Oklahoma and Texas music movements. Randall King will return as a headliner on Saturday, October 5. The proud son of a truck driver, King is considered a leading voice in modern honky-tonk music.
Rick Trevino will close out the fair on Sunday, October 6. Trevino’s career has spanned several decades, including fourteen chart-topping singles. and he has charted fourteen singles.
All concerts are included in the ticket price and are on sale at fortbendcountyfair.com.
Fort Bend County Judge KP George in a Monday press conference announced some important information about hurricane relief for Fort Bend County residents.
On July 6, 2024, Gov. Greg Abbott announced an update to the Major Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Beryl, including Fort Bend County. Abbott also issued a Major Disaster Declaration for Tropical Storm Alberto on June 19 that included Fort Bend County.
Properties physically impacted by either of these storms may be eligible to receive a Tax Code Section 11.35 temporary exemption of a portion of the appraised value of the property.
Property owners must apply for the temporary exemption no later than 105 days after the governor declares a disaster. For damage caused by Tropical Storm Alberto, the deadline to apply is October 2, 2024. For damage caused by Hurricane Beryl, the deadline to apply is October 19, 2024.
Form 50-312, Temporary Exemption Property Damaged by Disaster, is available on the FBCAD. org website on our “Forms” page under “Additional Exemptions”. Completed forms should be returned to the appraisal district either in person, by US mail, or by email to info@fbcad.org.
to the level of damage. A damage assessment rating is applied to the property and is the basis for the exemption amount. A property must have at least 15% damage to the improvements of the property to qualify.
The damage assessment ratings break down to the following levels:
• Level I, 15 percent: Property damage is at least 15 percent but no more than 30 percent
• Level II, 30 percent: Property damage is at least 30 percent but no more than 60 percent
• Level III, 60 percent: Property damage is at least 60 percent damaged but is not a total loss
value. Let’s say receipts and photos demonstrate that the property sustained $20,000 worth of damage. After subtracting land, that $20,000 would equate to 20% damage which falls under level I (Damage estimates, $20,000, divided by improvements, $100,000, equals .2 or 20%). In another example, if a property’s total market value for 2024 is $500,000 with the same land value as the previous example ($25k) and the same damage estimates or receipts ($20k), the property would not qualify since the damage is less than 15% of the improvement value. (Damage estimates, $20,000, divided by improvements, $475,000, equals .04 or 4%).
Property owners applying for this exemption are required to provide supporting documentation showing the level of damage sustained. Supporting documentation includes, but is not limited to, digitally date-stamped photos of damages, insurance statements, dated repair receipts, etc.
The chief appraiser must then make a determination on each property that applies for the temporary exemption with respect
• Level IV, 100 percebt: Property damage is total; repairs are not feasible
The property damage percentage is calculated by taking the dollar amount of needed or completed repairs and dividing it by the assessed value of the improvements on the property.
For example, if a property’s 2024 market value is assessed at $125,000; land ($25,000) and improvements ($100,000), then the first step would be to subtract the land
Once the damage assessment rating is determined, the exempted amount is prorated to the end of the year from the date of the disaster declaration. For more information about the disaster exemption, contact the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District at 281-344-8623 or visit www.fbcad.org. Information is also available on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division’s website at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/ property-tax,
She graduated from John Foster Dulles High School in 1961 and went on to study English at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. She later received her Master’s Degree in Education from Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. Sue moved to Midland, Texas in August of 1965, where she enjoyed the serendipity of West Texas and met the love of her life, Leonard Monroe. They married on April 9, 1966 in Sugar Land, Texas at the First Presbyterian Church. Their 59 years of marriage is a true testament to their love for each other.
Sue’s career included teaching for Midland ISD, and as an Educational Diagnostician for Mental Health Mental Retardation (MHMR) as well as Ector County ISD. Additionally, she owned and operated American Form, Inc, where she enjoyed being a member of the
M-Squad through the Midland Chamber of Commerce. Sue and Leonard were members of First Baptist Church in Midland, Texas and attended Oakwood Church in New Braunfels, Texas.
Sue loved watching sports, whether in person or on TV. She especially loved watching her grandchildren participate in their various sports and activities. She recently enjoyed scrapbooking and card making, where she made new friends and often hosted them for craft exchanges at her house.
Many described Sue as spunky with a great sense of humor. She loved being with her family and her beloved yorkie
dogs, laughing and sharing her life with them. She was a loving and caring wife, mother and friend. Sue is survived by her husband Leonard, of New Braunfels; son David Monroe (Tammy) of Lindale; son Mark Monroe (Tami) of New Braunfels; grandchildren Alex Monroe, Kaitlyn Monroe, Hunter Monroe and Case Monroe. Sue had many cousins and friends who
EDITORIAL
By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
THE KITCHEN – Out goes the soggy lettuce leaves, same for the limp carrots. I’ve had no power since Hurricane Beryl hit – literally – the region. The lack of electricity meant my fridge and freezer stopped fridging and freezing. So here I am tossing food which is probably about time. Last Thanksgiving’s turkey wings have seen better days. Odd, what’s that smell? It’s the garbage disposal, which holds my hotdog leftovers from July Fourth. I hadn’t been able to turn on the disposal for several days. I need to check with Whataburger. You may be having the same clean-up experiences brought about by that unwelcomed visitor, Beryl. No
When a storm came Beryl-ing through SUDOKU
garbage pickup. My doorbell is dead. No mail and I was expecting Publishers Clearing House to send me that practically-promised check for $2 million. I have to reset all the digital clocks. Then there are the serious setbacks: no air conditioning. No lights at night. (Do you walk into a room and flick the light switch?) My landline phone doesn’t work, nor does my TV, iPad or computer. The entire Houston area was hit. Roughly 90 percent of Matagorda County was left in the dark, with similar outages across Brazoria, Fort Bend and Wharton counties. Some 2.2 million houses, barber shops, street lights, momand-pop porn stores went without power – and during a heat alert. There were at least 13 deaths due to the storm. People whose airconditioning units stopped working had to spend nights in shelters. Mattress Mac again opened his stores to shelter our poor, our tired, our huddled masses yearning to be cool. This time even Lakewood Church opened up. Southeast Texans, boil your water, avoid driving what with all those blinking red traffic lights causing
crashes, schools are closed, find a neighbor with a generator. CenterPoint Energy’s outage-tracking map went down after May’s derecho and was virtually useless. But Texans are adaptable: word got out that Whataburger’sapp showed which of its locations were open or closed – thus what neighborhoods had power. It’s not like these power outages are new. In recent years (attention, newcomers) the Houston area has suffered several weather catastrophes. We endured Hurricane Alicia in 1983 and Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. Hurricane Ike hit in 2008. Tax Day Flood 2016 and Memorial Day Flood that same year. Hurricane Harvey struck in 2017. Then there was a storm of a different temperature: Ice Storm Uri in 2021, when Texans froze in the dark. We are still cleaning up from the derecho wind storm. I need to add the rolling power blackouts. So why are we once again suffering a power outage? We turn to the usual suspect, CenterPoint Energy, or as some wise guy painted on a concrete slab off I-10, “CenterPointLe$$.” I think this was the same company that provided lookouts in December of 1941 at Pearl Harbor.
They seem to be efficient in sending me ever-increasing electric bills, but are totally clueless when it comes to preparing for oncoming storms. The weather bureau had been tracing Beryl since it was a rain cloud west of Africa. Satellites provided constant, almost hourly, reports of its track. CenterPoint had initially sought only 2,500 mutual assistance workers to respond to the storm. Oops. It hurriedly upped that to 12,000 after the storm’s path shifted toward Houston.
We began preparations in a belated frenzy. The TV news showed, as it always does before every storm, lines of southeast Texans (1) buying plywood to cover their windows and (2) waiting for hours to buy gas. I have to wonder (1) what did they do with last approaching storm’s plywood? And (2) why didn’t they fill up their cars on the way to buy wood at Home Depot? Maybe they all work for CenterPoint. We now get to the next predictable step: the Blame Game. The finger-pointing began at the top.
Asia. The trip was months in the making and included a Texas delegation (with a CenterPoint executive). Abbot could have cancelled his participation with one phone call. He left on a Friday when Beryl was still out in the ocean, but obviously he knew the storm was on the way. Abbott left behind state preparation orders including a severe weather disaster declaration and increased the readiness level for the State Emergency Operations Center. Nevertheless, our Guv blamed CenterPoint which is regulated by the Public Utility Commission. Its members are appointed by – one guess – Gov. Greg Abbot.
THE LEADER PUZZLERS.
1. A continuous tube 2. Wet nurse 3. Rural France vacation retreat
Greek capital
Qatar capital
Of she
Maya __ of Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Not out
Tip of Aleutian Islands
__ Ling, Chinese mountain range 12. NW Netherlands resort island 13. One who acclaims
Adjust for functioning
U.S. Revolutionary Adams
Gov. Greg Abbott, who probably has a desk sign reading: “The Buck Doesn’t Stop Here,” went on an “economic development trip” in
Incidentally, Abbott’s absence during Beryl immediately brings up the vacation Sen. Ted “Cancun” Cruz took while Ice Storm Uri was freezing Texans. This time Cruz was on a whale-watching vacation with his daughter over the Fourth of July .A spokesperson said the senator returned to Texas on Saturday, well before Beryl’s arrival, and immediately got involved in the situation. Left in charge in the governor’s absence was Lite Guv Dan Patrick, the Official State Demagogue. He
had his 15-minutes of fame by holding press conferences. But here comes more finger-pointing. President Joe Biden told the Houston Chronicle that he, Biden, had trouble “tracking down” Texas state leaders. This is crucial because the federal government cannot distribute emergency relief supplies until the state leaders give their formal request for a major disaster declaration. Needless to say, both Abbott and Patrick strongly deny the MIA accusations. It’s not their fault. On the local front, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the energy company “needs to do a better job.” Later Whitmire said, “That is the consensus of Houstonians, that’s mine.” Maybe it should be pointed out that, unlike on previous approaching disasters, the Houston Police Department’s nearly 6,000 employees didn’t fully mobilize for Beryl until early Tuesday, almost 24 hours after the storm hit. Back in my kitchen, I am making a list of all the groceries I have to replace and what they will cost. Gov. Abbot, I need Economic Development.
Ashby is powerless at ashby2@comcast.net
Answers found in this week’s Classified section
Swedish krona
Several carangid fishes
Spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation
Cavalry-sword
Mahogany family genus
In a way, goes away
Thyrotropin
Axe killer Lizzie
Solomon Islands capital
Eerie
Root mean square (abbr.) 45. A nearly horizontal entrance to a mine 46. Assembled
Racketeer
Grand __, vintage
Cognizances
Hair product
Iranian monetary unit
This (Spanish)
JeopardyÕs Trebek 60. Small amount
Atomic #44
Bury 23. Adventure stories
LYNN ASHBY Columnist
Editor
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Well, we’ve certainly had an interesting couple of weeks, haven’t we?
As I write this on Monday, it’s been exactly two weeks since Hurricane Beryl unexpectedly swept through the greater Houston area, including Fort Bend County, causing much more damage and trouble than many had anticipated.
From my standpoint as editor, I have to note that reporting and writing for a weekly newspaper, even one like the Fort Bend Star with an online presence, can be even more challenging than usual when a big, fast-developing story is happening. With Beryl, those challenges were compounded seemingly exponentially. Let me pull back the curtain a bit and tell you about it.
The first thing you should know is that Mondays are the days when we are putting the print edition of the paper together, with final edits to the pages early on Tuesday mornings before we electronically send the pages out to the printing plant.
Beryl, which had already cut a very destructive path through the Caribbean and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, was bearing down on the Texas Gulf Coast on the evening of Sunday, July 7. It had since been downgraded to a tropical storm, and virtually right up to making landfall near
Over(coming) a Beryl
Matagorda, forecasters were still expecting it to move in a northwesterly direction. Based on those forecasts, I thought it might be a twoor three-day story at most. I anticipated that at some point on Monday, I might lose power at my home office. Planning ahead (not necessarily my strongest suit), I sent in a lot of copy for Wednesday’s paper Sunday night, including a column I wrote that evening in which I discussed our region’s recent history with storms and other adverse weather events. My plan was to get as much done in advance of the storm hitting and write a wrap-up story about the storm’s effects on Fort Bend as the centerpiece story. I even began a running digest of announcements from government agencies and other entities regarding the storm that I planned to update as events transpired. The last post I made in the digest before turning in was at 9:35 p.m.
Alas, the best-laid plans .... well, you know the rest. I woke up shortly before 6 a.m., and as usual, I immediately tried switching on the radio to get the morning news. Oops. no power. Well, I had expected that, but not quite so early. The front entrance to my house is enclosed on three sides, which allowed me to stand outside and watch the fierce winds and rain wash over the house, the trees in the yard, and, if I peeked out a bit, the rest of the street. By my calculations, I’ve seen at least five major storms (hurricanes and tropical storms) strike the Houston region in my lifetime, and being somewhat weird, I’ve always kind of enjoyed those early stages. At one point, the light above the doorway flickered on and off a couple of times, so I believed that as I’d anticipated the effects
of Beryl would be relatively short-lived.
Without power, of course, I also didn’t have access to the Internet. I also had very spotty use of my cellular phone. I managed to get off one post on social media that morning. No worries, I thought - the power will be back quickly, my Internet connection will be restored, and I can put the finishing touches on the paper.
And, in fact, the power was restored to my home by Monday afternoon. But still no Internet. I only learned later that with transmission lines across the county knocked down, both Internet service and cellular service were largely down for the count. I had no way to either put news out during one of the biggest news events of my career or contact the people in my company to tell them my situation.
Thankfully, I had sent in just enough material before the storm struck that the talented team of people who do the pagination for the paper, using some very creative design work, were able to finish the paper without more input from me. I wouldn’t know it until the next day, Tuesday, when I was able to find Internet access at a Sugar Land restaurant I often go to, where i caught up on my email. Whew!
But still, without Internet service at home, it was next to impossible to put out the breaking news over the Star’s website. My phone service would come back, depending on location, from time to time. But while I may be a somewhat talented reporter and writer, I’m not nearly sufficiently proficient technologically to write and post stories on the website through my phone. It was maddening. I found that the best thing I could do was to use my phone to repost
announcements from the various local governmental entities about available resources, cooling centers, and the like through our social media channels, while also gathering interviews and images for the next week’s paper. From a journalism standpoint it wasn’t ideal, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances. That next week’s paper, published July 17, was a challenge for different reasons. Much of the big news of the storm was over, and any news I gathered on Monday would likely be outdated by the date of publication. And, as it turned out, my Internet service was not restored until that Sunday evening. So I wound up writing a news analysis piece, wrapping up the previous week’s events, for the front page and putting together a photo page of the storm and its aftermath, along with what I consider a fairly good feature story on a person who was affected by the storm. Again, a challenging paper to put together, but I think it largely worked. Even with those challenges, I know that relatively speaking, my experience with Beryl turned out fairly well. As I said, my power was restored in the early afternoon of the day of the storm. But many of my neighbors, just across the street and down the block, did not fare so well. As I walked around my neighborhood, I learned that many of them were in what CenterPoint Energy (more on them in a bit) was calling a “nested outage.” One family I know had pitched a camping tent on their front lawn to get out of their sweltering house for a few hours. Most of those neighbors’ power wasn’t restored until the Sunday evening after the storm. It actually depressed me to see this, and know that people
all across Fort Bend County and the region were likewise suffering. “Survivor’s guilt” is a real thing, as I’ve relearned over the past couple of weeks. On the matter of CenterPoint: much has been said about the utility provider’s preparations for Beryl, and its response afterward, including the way it communicated how it was responding. Politicians at the local and state levels have promised investigations of what happened. We at the Fort Bend Star will be following those with close interest. But as justified as the public’s anger toward CenterPoint might be, there’s something I want to address. Probably the closest analogy to Beryl in recent memory was Hurricane Ike in 2008. Like Beryl, Ike was largely a wind event. At the time, I was working as an online producer and copy editor at a metropolitan Houston newspaper. (The paper actually received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for breaking news that year for its coverage of the storm and its aftermath. Alas, we didn’t win.) As with Beryl, the power system across the region was severely impacted, with some areas not getting power restored for weeks. At the time, I lived in The Heights near downtown. Coincidentally, I don’t believe I ever lost power during Ike, but many neighbors did. I vividly remember seeing extension cords stretched across residential streets as people helped their neighbors. I also recall how people lauded the utility workers, many of whom had come from far-distant parts of the country, to help us get the lights back on. In the aftermath of Beryl, we saw a strange phenomenon. There were numerous reports across the region
of people confronting, and sometimes threatening, workers as they went about their jobs. One such incident reportedly happened in Fort Bend’s Needville, and a person has been charged. It seems nonsensical to me that people would threaten the very people who are doing the work, whatever one’s feelings about the company in charge. I believe it may have to do with just how much angrier the tenor of the country’s dialogue, across many arenas, has become in the ensuing years. Thankfully, these incidents were isolated. As I noted in that pre-Beryl column mentioned above, the people of this region, including Fort Bend, have a rightfully earned reputation for stepping up and helping our neighbors after these kinds of events. “It’s what we do,” I wrote, and I witnessed it firsthand in the days immediately following Beryl. Besides the county and municipalities opening up cooling centers and the like, nonprofit agencies and commercial enterprises did the same, even setting up makeshift charging stations so people without power and home could charge up their devices. A neighbor took it upon himself to clear the debris from the street, and another household began chain-sawing a large bough of a tree that had fallen across the street, cutting off access, before a city crew took over.
Things have at last begun to settle down. But we’ve still got a long and highly active hurricane season ahead. As we’ve just seen, no one can really predict what may happen, or when. But when it does, I believe Fort Bend will again rise to the challenge.
Fountain barrels ahead at KFountain@fortbendstar. com
Learning through helping others overcome challenges
By Eva K. Morris Youth Columnist
This summer I was fortunate enough to be allowed to shadow at the Pediatric Therapy Center (PTC) in and see the impact speech, occupational, and physical therapy make on children. Nancy Burford and Jane Knowlton founded PTC and the center offers various treatments for their patients in Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), and Speech Therapy(ST). The kids who attend the Houston-based PTC all have different conditions that make specific tasks challenging. Some of the patients wear orthotics while others are non-verbal. PTC helps any child who needs PT, OT, or ST, regardless of any disability they may have. Physical therapy is the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods. While I was shadowing in PT, I saw young children going through vigorous exercises and activities to strengthen their muscles. Ms. Knowlton helped one child who had difficulty gaining muscle and was weak in muscle control.
She had him walk on a treadmill, go up and down stairs, and use a vibrating plate to help strengthen his legs. He was always very talkative and whenever things were hard, he would say “I’ll try” and continue. Thanks to her, this patient can now walk fast enough to keep up with peers. Ms. Denise Powers is another therapist who treats the younger patients. She would work with the children on either balance or strength. Her clients would use their cores on yoga balls, step up onto benches, and climb on whatever they could. PT challenges the patient to do things that may physically strain or exhaust them due to the effort required in each activity but helps them get better movement and get stronger. PT opened my eyes to how hard these children work and just how important pushing through challenges is. I have had times where I would throw in the towel because I wanted to give up. If I got tired in a tennis match, I would play sloppily with limited effort. Being able to quit is not a luxury that everyone is entitled to. Some of the young boys and girls in PT are not able to walk without support but does that ever stop them from trying? No! It encouraged them to keep trying and push themselves to their limits in hopes of one day being able to walk on their own. Every person in PT encouraged me to never let any challenge limit my future potential.
Occupational therapy is more geared toward as-
sisting people with either mental or physical disabilities to learn how to complete daily tasks effectively. OT focuses more on fine motor planning, social skills, and adapting to the environment around them. One of my favorite occupational therapists to watch was Ms. Irma Riojas. She taught me that time and trust is all a person needs. When one child stood staring at her after she instructed him to button a vest, she explained to me how important it is to show children patience and give them time in order for fundamental growth. The client had a very rare disability which made it hard for him to move and made speaking a challenge, so he signed. He was one of the children who stood out to me since I was able to sign with him due to my American Sign Language class at Ridge Point High School. It was really exciting to be able to have alternate communication other than speaking. He managed to button his vest even while showing no sign of understanding what had been asked of him. He also was able to work on his social skills and play with the other kids thanks to Ms. Irma’s encouragement and allowing him to socialize and learn on his own. OT displayed the importance of balancing socialization, independence and trust. I tend to be the type of person whose mindset consists of “I can do it on my own” or “ Thanks but I don’t need help”. I would rather not have to rely on others and
struggle to do tasks on my own instead of asking for help. While independence is necessary, having the skills to socialize and work with others is vital. I have learned that you can’t always do things on your own. Two young girls stood out to me in the difference of personalities. One would go out of her way to say “Hi” to everyone and constantly wanted company and aid from others during activities while the other was constantly brushing off any assistance and spoke only if pressured to. These two girls were complete opposites with one relying on others to help her do anything while the other girl preferred struggling on her own even if she could not accomplish it as effectively. They showed me how collaboration and sharing ideas must go with independence. With too much of one skill, there is not enough of the other causing more struggles. OT made me aware of how important being able to balance independence and allowing yourself to lean on others for help truly is. When I think of speech therapy two words come to mind, “Lemon Ice.” Speech therapy is a treatment of communication difficulties in oral and verbal strengthening. One thing that stood out was how every Speech therapist used Lemon ice pops for verbal conditioning yet used completely different tactics otherwise. Ms. Lisa Walsh targets annunciation and eating through fun activities. Ms. Walsh has her
kids sit while they work on verbal communication, conveying thoughts so they can be understood, and eating food if needed. One girl had a lisp on words with the “TH” sound, so Ms. Walsh had her pick out items from a box that started or ended with “TH” and say what they were. When a patient does a good job in therapy, she lets them pick out a game and adds in a speech aspect to keep them learning while having fun! Ms. Walsh showed me that treating kids as equals in all aspects can create amazing outcomes and raise work ethic. During her therapy sessions, each child smiled the whole time and gave maximum effort to communicate. I know how impactful positivity is on a child’s development and work ethic. I had a rough time with my mental health this year which led me to make many mistakes that made me feel like giving up on myself. The main reason I was able to take my life back was the positivity and encouragement that I am shown on a day-to-day basis. I knew that I had a whole support system cheering me, ready to catch me if I were to fall again. Each and every one of the therapists at PTC do their very best to make each child feel appreciated and create a safe and strong bond. Simple statements like “You almost got it, let’s try again!” or “Look how far you have come!” or even the simple “Nice work!” can motivate them to give full effort. Just a little bit
of positivity can make every young boy and girl feel comfortable to make mistakes, learn from them and continue to grow. My time at PTC was incredible! These therapists have changed these children’s lives for the better. Everyone at PTC has made an amazing impact on me, and seeing just how hard everyone at PTC works every day is unreal. I realized how much helping children means to me and that this is the field of study I want to go into. These adolescents work 10 times as hard as others to do simple tasks and do not complain. My eyes have been opened to see how much of an impact simple perseverance can make. When some of these children started therapy, they were not able to even sit up on their own. As soon as a year later they were running and jumping on their own! I was blessed to be able to see how everything works at PTC and am so grateful to have had this experience. I hope to be able to make this big of an impact in the future!
Morris is a Ridge Point High School student, class of 2027, a varsity tennis player, and an active member of JCC Maccabi Houston.
If you are a Fort Bend County high-school-age student (public, private, charter, or homeschool) who might be interested in becoming a Youth Columnist, please send an email to editor@fortbendstar.com.
nights from mid August 2024 through May 2025. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond across from Austin HS. Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths, all are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway. org
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND CONCERT HONORS FALLEN HEROES
The Exchange Club of Sugar Land presents “A Night to Remember” on Sunday, May 26, at 7:05 p.m. The patriotic concert features a brass band, Grammy winning singers, ballet dancers and a 30-member chorus. The concert takes place in Sugar Land Town Square, in front of the City Hall Façade. Bring a chair and join us!
“A Night to Remember” is FREE and open to the public. Canned food donations are encouraged for East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FORT BEND
The League of Women Voters of Fort Bend, a nonpartisan organization, will provide voter registration and education events prior to the Feb. 5 deadline to be a registered voter in the March 5 Primary election. Locations, dates, and times include: (1) Wednesday, 1/24 -- Fort Bend YMCA, 4433 Cartwright Rd, Missouri City 7:30am - 12:30pm and 57pm; (2) Thursday, 1/25 -- First Colony Library 3:30 - 5:30pm; (3) Sat., 1/27 -- Cinco Ranch Library 10:30am - 1:30pm and University Branch Library 11am - 2pm; (4) Tuesday, 1/30 and Wednesday, 1/31 -- WCJC Sugar Land, Brazos Hall, 9am - 2pm; (5) Thursday, 2/1 -- ThriftWise, 501 Hwy 90E, Richmond -- 10am - 1pm. Register to vote, update your current voter registration, and get nonpartisan voting information at any of these events, or contact lwvfortbend@gmail.com.
NO HOCUS POCUS IN MUSIC MAGIC CLASS FOR 6 & 7-YEAR-OLD BOYS!
Young boys need music in their life for mental, physical and emotional growth and the best place to receive quality music instruction is with the Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas! They offer Music Magic, an eight-week music enrichment class for six and seven-year-old boys. The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas, currently in its 42 nd season, brings music alive with the use of movement, musical games, singing and other child-centered activities. Boys learn about pitch matching and rhythm awareness in addition to developing large muscle coordination, increased focus and better musicianship. Music Magic helps boost brainpower, sparks creativity and forges strong connections with others. No auditions are necessary for the class – just a love of music and singing! Serving as Music Magic director is Founder and Artistic Director William R. Adams who leads this class on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., beginning March 19 and ending May 14 at the First United Methodist Church Missouri City, 3900 Lexington Blvd., Missouri City. Music Magic will then sing at the Fort Bend Boys Choir’s annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 18! Classes are limited in size so please call the choir office at (281) 240- 3800 to pre-register or visit their Music Magic web page at https://fbbctx.org/our- programs/music-magic/. Be sure to stop by their Facebook page for the latest on the Fort Bend Boys Choir's Music Magic class and the organization's public performances.
AMERICAN LEGION POST 942
311 Ulrich Street, Sugar Land meets the fourth Tuesday of each Month at 7:00 pm. All Veterans are welcome.
LOVING FRIENDS IS A GROUP OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS THAT MEET MONTHLY FOR LUNCH, FRIENDSHIP, AND SOCIALIZATION
Lunches. are planned for the fourth Tuesday of the month at various local restaurants. Please contact Bobbie Tomlin at {281} 967-0718
For more information about us and to learn about this month’s planned lunch. We hope to meet you soon.
QUAIL VALLEY GARDEN CLUB
The Quail Valley Garden Club is very busy, not only with meetings, but with some fun “stuff” for our members and the community. Please find our fall schedule of events that the QVGC will be involved with this fall leading up to the holidays.
FBJSL IS ACCEPTING CAF GRANT APPLICATIONS
We provide grants of up to $5,000.00 to charitable causes serving Fort Bend County with requests to fund a critical need, pilot a program, or expand a significant service to the community. If your agency or organization is interested in applying for a CAF grant, please visit the Request Support page of the FBJSL website (www.fbjsl.org/request-support). All applications should be submitted via e-mail to brccom@fbjsl.com
THE SANCTUARY
FOSTER CARE SERVICES
We are a child placing agency that provides wrap around care support for foster children and foster families. We provide free therapy services, 24 hr. crisis intervention, respite/alternative care services and community-based support. For more info, www.sanctuaryfostercare.org
ALIEF AARP CHAPTER 3264
Meets the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at Salvation Army Church, 7920 Cook Road, Houston, TX 77072. Educational Program/ Entertainment at each meeting. Bus Trips every month. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281-785-7372 for more information.
SUGAR LAND ROTARY CLUB
Sugar Land Rotary Club, the nation’s oldest community service organization, wants you to be its guest at a meeting that could turn out to be the best fit for getting involved with a local, non-political, humanitarian service organization with a global presence to satisfy your passion. We’re on a quest for new members! Call or email Dean Clark, 469-8502424, dean7351@gmail.com. We’re a friendly group that meets once a week for lunch.
FT. BEND ACCORDION CLUB
Meets on the 4th Sunday of every month from 2:pm - 4:pm at: CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND (in the Chapel) 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX 77479 FREE and Open to the Public! We welcome everybody! If you play accordion, beginners to professional and would like to play Call, Text or email: Vince Ramos Cell: 281-204-7716 vincer.music@gmail.com.
LITERACY COUNCIL OF FORT BEND COUNTY
We enhance lives and strengthen communities by teaching adults to read. We need your help. Literacy Council is actively recruiting Volunteer Tutors to provide instruction for English as a Second Language (ESL) Levels 0-5, three hours a week. For more information, call 281-240-8181 or visit our website www.ftbendliteracy.org.
GIVE A GIFT OF HOPE
Give a Gift of Hope one-time or monthly. Your help provides access to therapies and services children with autism might otherwise go without. Please consider Hope For Three in your Estate, Planned, or Year-End Giving. Register now, or learn more about exciting events: www.hopeforthree.org/events.
DVD-BASED ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WITH NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED
Weekly class designed to help you understand and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:30 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more information call 281-240-3195.
EXCHANGE
EXCHANGE, America’s Service Club, always welcomes guests and is in search of new members! Various Fort Bend clubs exist and can accommodate early morning (7 a.m.), noon and evening meeting time desires. For more info, contact Mike Reichek, Regional Vice President, 281-575-1145 or mike@reichekfinancial.com We would love to have you join us and see what we are all about!
MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801
Meets the second Monday of every month at 11:30 a.m., at 2701 Cypress Point Dr., Missouri City Rec Center. Lunch, education, and entertainment. All seniors over 50 invited. For more information, call 713-8595920 or 281-499-3345.
SPORTS
Space Cowboys overpower El Paso in extra innings for series sweep
By Amanda Perry
EL PASO – Thanks to a trio of tenthinning runs, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (61-34, 12-8) completed a three-set sweep of the El Paso Chihuahuas (40-56, 9-12) with a 6-4 win at Southwest University Park on Sunday night.
LHP Eric Lauer retired six of the first seven batters he faced before issuing a lead-off walk to Cal Mitchell in the third. Mitchell stole his way to third base, allowing him to trot home on a single from Eugy Rosario.
José Azocar put a bigger dent in the Space Cowboys deficit with a two-run homer to make it 3-0 El Paso.
The next frame, Pedro León responded with a home run of his own, his 19th of the season and his second in as many days, to bring the
Space Cowboys within two. After four innings, Lauer’s night ended, surrendering three runs on three hits while walking two and striking out five. RHP Cesar Gomez took over and despite allowing two baserunners, pitched a clean frame. RHP Logan VanWey came in for the sixth and put two on base with no outs. The righty proceeded to get Clay Dungan to strike out on a foul tip and Óscar Mercado to ground into a double play, keeping the score at 3-1.
Jesús Bastidas led off the seventh with a solo bast on the second pitch he saw from LHP Omar Cruz. Later in the inning, with two outs, León drew a walk to bring Omar Narváez to the plate. Narváez ripped a double to left-center field, bringing León all the way home to knot the game up at three.
In the ninth, the Space Cowboys had a chance to take their first lead of the game when they loaded the bases up with no outs on a walk, a single and a hit-by-
pitch, but LHP Paul Fry recovered to get a force out at home and a double play to keep the game tied. In the bottom half of the frame, with RHP Ray Gaither on
the mound, the Chihuahuas juiced the bases up with two outs, and LHP Parker Mushinski (W, 21) was called upon to help the Space Cowboys escape a jam. All the lefty needed was one pitch to get Brett Sullivan to fly out to center, sending the game to extras. Quincy Hamilton started the top of the tenth at second and a single from Dixon Machado moved the speedster over to third. After Bastidas walked to pack the bases, RHP Tommy Nance (L, 2-3) came in for the Chihuahuas to face Shay Whitcomb. Whitcomb delivered with a fly ball to center field, and an offline throw from Azocar allowed Hamilton to race home and score the go-ahead run. Cooper Hummel then worked a six-pitch at bat before launching a curveball from Nance into the gap in right-center, sliding into
third and widening Sugar Land’s lead to 6-3. In the bottom of the tenth, RHP Wander Suero (S, 21) entered the contest seeking his second save in a row with a three-run advantage. Suero got a fly ball for the first out, but a single from Graham Pauley sent Sullivan to third. The Chihuahuas got a run back on a sacrifice fly from Matthew Batten, but Suero induced a groundout for the final out of the game to secure the three-game sweep in El Paso.
