The 09-27-23 Edition of The Fort Bend Star

Space Cowboys strong in final season series - Page 3

Sugar Land man charged under new law in crosswalk pedestrian death

A Sugar Land man has been arrested for striking a pedestrian with his car in a sidewalk, resulting in the victim’s death. According to a news release from the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, it is believed to be the first arrest under the Lisa Torry Smith Act, commonly referred to as the Crosswalk Law.

Bao Giang was arrested September 22, 2023, after Sugar Land police responded to responded to an auto-pedestrian crash in the New Territory subdivision. He was charged with the offense, formally known as “motor vehicle collision involving pedestrian or other vulnerable road used within an area of crosswalk.”

The law is named after Lisa Torry Smith, who lost her life to a motorist in a Fort Bend County crosswalk while walking her son to school in 2017. The law makes it an offense to fail to yield right of way to a pedestrian in a clearly marked crosswalk and requires drivers to come to a full stop for any pedestrians or cyclists who are in the intersection. It is a felony offense for a motorist to cause serious bodily injury to a pedestrian legally in a crosswalk.

Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton drafted the proposed law. State Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, and state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, sponsored the legislation in the 2021 Texas Legislature. The legislation received bi-partisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 18, 2021.

“We have a real problem in our county,” District Attorney Brain Middleton said in the release. “We are hearing multiple reports of motorists completely ignoring pedestrians in crosswalks across the county, including children in school zones. I pushed this in the media and had my investigators enforce the law at local schools within the past two weeks alone. Our county is better than this. Drive respectfully and responsibly and save lives.”

According to court records, Giang is free on a $75,000 bond. The case has not yet been formally indicted, according to a spokesman for the district attorney’s office.

Missouri City mayor, city manager

tell audience the city leadership has been righted

Missouri City Mayor Robin Elackatt and City Manager April Jones told an overflow audience at the Quail Valley City Centre on September 21 that after a few years of turmoil in city leadership, the ship of state has been righted and Missouri City is poised for success.

Elackatt, in his first term after being elected in

2020, and Jones, who was appointed last fall by City Council, took a tag-team approach to the state of the city address, similar to how Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman and City Manager Mike Goodrum gave their combined address in March.

But Elackatt and Jones took a somewhat unique approach, displaying the repartee and timing of a comedy duo while also incorporating videos and other multimedia elements

to the normally staid address in the main ballroom of the city-owned Quail Valley City Centre. It was the first time the address was held in that facility rather than at the city’s main community center adjoining City Hall.

Elackatt himself roused the audience in the manner of a rock star while entering the ballroom following

Coffee business owner gives and receives community support

Dayna Worchel NEWS@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

The tantalizing smell of recently roasted coffee greeted visitors who recently walked inside the Bean Here Coffee Lab and Studios, on McKeever Road in Arcola, the tiny east Fort Bend County city. Owner Mike Ouano smiled warmly and offered handshakes as if he were welcoming them inside his own home.

At the Arcola location, there are three studios where an artist rents space to teach classes, tables and chairs upstairs and down for sipping coffee and eating pastries, and two gleaming coffee roasters. One is a large, commercial roaster which serves all three of Ouano’s shops, and the other is a much smaller version that sat in Ouano’s home garage for a year as he learned all about the craft and science of roasting coffee beans.

There is also a commercial kitchen space available for rent if someone wants to sell baked goods.

“I opened my first location seven years ago, but started roasting coffee in my garage one year prior. I moved my original roaster to the current shop in Arcola and bought a bigger roaster,” he said.

Ouano, who came from the Philippines to the USA when he was 21, said he always loved coffee. In his native country, he would drink a hotpot of coffee each day, and one Red Bull, as he studied for his medical technology classes.

“My wife did a 23 and Me genetic test on me once, and it showed I have a very fast caffeine metabolism,” he said with a smile.

But Ouano’s journey from studying medical technology in the Philippines to being a business

owner in the United States came with one detour. For 14 years, he worked as a branding and marketing manager for Norton Rose Fulbright, the downtown Houston law firm formerly called Fulbright & Jaworski. The job paid well and offered full benefits for him and his family.

But Ouano wanted to do something he really loved in which he could engage with the community around him. “Money was not important to me. The driver for me was the community and talking to people throughout the day. You’re more visible and you have a name,” Ouano said.

Ouano took a barista roasting class, did lots of research, and sold his roasted coffee beans at farmer’s markets. He resigned from his law firm job a year before he opened his first store, and has no doubt it was the right decision.

“I wanted to be able to leave something for my kids,” he said of his three children, who are aged 18, 16, and 5. His wife doesn’t work in the coffee business, but helps him with it, Ouano said.

Since he opened his first location in 2016 on Sienna Parkway, he has served his community well, even when things were tough for him personally.

When Hurricane Harvey hit the area in 2017, Ouano said the Sienna neighborhood flooded, but his shop didn’t. He offered free coffee and filtered water to his neighbors. “It was a blessing in disguise because no one knew us,” he said.

“We’ve had rough times, especially during the pandemic, when we got into the red,” he said. Ouano applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program federal loan so he could keep his full staff working. Most of

his staff from that time still works for him. Right before the pandemic started, he signed a lease for his location on McKeever Road. Ouano says he works more than 120 hours each week and will hopefully be able to start paying himself a salary in the three to five years.

Other struggles since he’s had since he’s been in business have included a teenager who accidentally crashed her car into the front of his Sienna Parkway store soon after it opened (he sent her a gift card and told her there were no hard feelings), air conditioning problems since repaired, and would-be burglars who tried to steal an ATM from Welby Financial using construction equipment, but destroyed Ouano’s coffee shop drive-through instead. They still have not been apprehended.

Mike Ouano, owner of two Bean Here Coffee Lab and Studios in Fort Bend, has gained a loyal following through his efforts to help the community.

Photo by Dayna Worchel By

Staff Reports

Missouri City Mayor Robin Elackatt kicks off the State of the City address at the Quail Valley City Centre.

Photo by Ken Fountain

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Man receives life in prison for attempting to solicit murder

A Fort Bend County jury last week sentenced Andrew Christopher Burke to life in prison, after convicting him of solicitation to commit capital murder. Burke, a 36-year-old man from Massachusetts, was tried for planning and paying for another man to commit murder in 2022.

According to Chief Special Crimes Prosecutor Mark Hanna, Burke attempted to hire a man in June 2022 to shoot his Sugar Land landlord because of a pending eviction proceeding. The man reported the defendant’s request to law enforcement and agreed to become a confidential informant.

The informant agreed to meet with Burke while wearing a recording device. During the recorded meetings, the defendant promised to pay the informant for the killing and then threatened to tor -

a highly polished opening video. He proceeded to take a few good-natured jabs at other elected officials in the audience, much like a comedy roast, before getting down to business.

Jones, the city’s first Black woman city manager, continued the comedy theme when she joined Elackatt, the city’s first mayor of South Asian descent, on the stage.

“Mayor, we have one thing in common tonight. You don’t know what I’m going to say, and neither do I,” she said.

The pair interspersed the jokes, however, with a look back at the city’s recent travails. Jones was appointed last year after two previous city managers left in separate controversies. Anthony Snipes was fired by the city council in 2020. His successor, Odis Jones (no relation to the current manager) was fired by the council the following year.

“This year has been a year of transformation. We have faced numerous challenges. But we remain focused and overcome obstacles, and are moving forward, Jones said.

The mayor concurred.

“We’re all about keeping

ture the informant if he did not commit the murder. Additionally, Burke gave the informant a gun to use in the murder.

Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Detective Carlos Arredondo led the investigation, which soon led to Burke’s arrest. the immediate arrest. While in custody, awaiting trial, Burke committed assaults against jail guards and staff, according to the release.

things stable and stable when it comes to leadership in Missouri City,” Elackatt said. “And guess what: we have come a long way, don’t you think?”

“We are creating an environment that is focused on growth, innovation, and accountability. We want to see our city thrive, and that means fostering a space where fresh ideas and bloom,” he said. “We’re not afraid to shake things and try something new, which he have done with a few city managers.”

Jones said that since he was hired not quite a year ago, the city’s leadership has focused on “competitiveness, transparency, fiscal accountability and community

Prosecutor Katherine Peterson told the jury during closing statements that “Andrew Burke should remain in prison for as long as he is a danger to the public.”

The jury sentenced Burke to life in prison and the maximum $10,000 fine.

“Law enforcement was able to prevent the senseless murder of a property owner who began proceedings to evict the defendant,” District Attorney Brian Middleton said in the release.

“A life sentence is harsh, but entirely appropriate, considering the defendant’s criminal conduct and continued violence.”

Burke was tried in the 458th District Court before Visiting Judge James H. Shoemake. Solicitation to commit capital murder in this case is a first-degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years, or life, in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Burke was not eligible for probation.

engagement.”

“We are witnessing a change that is igniting the future,” she said.

Elackatt noted that during his first two stateof-the-city addresses, there was much discussion about whether the city was moving forward. With the hiring of Jones and the team she has put in place, he said, “I myself and City Council have no doubt that we are on our way up.”

The pair introduced the city’s leadership team. They also presented videos showcasing the various city departments, residents, business owners, and members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board.

“After the drive-through incident, people saw the story (on television) and came in and supported me. It was a very humbling experience. I didn’t realize the support I had,” he said.

Two of Ouano’s longtime customers aren’t surprised about his support from his community.

“Mike always gives back. It’s what really sets him apart,” said Joanne Jurica, a loyal customer and owner of Rustic Glitter DIY Creative Studio, which is next door to Ouano’s Arcola location.

Because his business is not a franchise, he’s always at one of his shops every day, and he knows customers’ or -

ders, Jurica said. “You feel welcome and you’re a family member,” she said.

Alese Henderson, now a nurse practitioner, would frequent Ouano’s Sienna Parkway location and sit at the bar while she studied for her exams.

“The first time we met, I was sitting at the bar and he was working behind it. I had no idea he was the owner. Since that first meeting, I have grown to have so much respect for Mike’s work ethic and dedication to his business. He is a great person and gives back so much to the community. Not only that, but he cares about his staff,” Henderson said in an email.

Henderson, along with Jurica and some other coffee shop guests would good-naturedly argue about who got

to sit at the bar inside the Si-

enna Parkway location. They came up with a coffee drink contest where each of them invented a drink, and had other guests vote for which one they liked the best. Henderson won the most votes for her creation, the “Big Al,” a coffee beverage of cappuccino brulee served hot or cold with spiced brown sugar. It’s featured on the menu now, along with Jurica’s creation, the “Sienna Scoop,” made of white mocha and raspberry. The three still remain friends. And Henderson and Jurica are still customers.

“I’d like to encourage people to support Mike’s businesses. As a member of the community and his friend, I want him to succeed. He deserves it,” Henderson said.

The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra will bring back its popular “Straight from the Soundtrack” movie music concert, this time focusing on Westerns, during a performance on October 8, beginning at 2 p.m., at the Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford.

The concert will feature some of the best-known themes from Western films and television shows, including “Gunsmoke”, “Silverado”, “The Lone Ranger”, “The Wild, Wild, West”, “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.”

The Fort Bend Symphony Chorus will join the orchestra for themes such as “The Alamo” and “Rawhide”, and perform two stand-alone works, “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky”.

A themed raffle will be held in the lobby during intermission. Patrons are invited to Join the orchestra in wearing cowboy hats and other Western wear.

Details about the concert, including ticket prices and a link to order, are available at the symphony’s website, www.fbso.org.

Discounts are available for seniors 55 and over, first responders, military personnel, and groups of 10 or more. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 1800-514-3849.

The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1992, and the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra Chorus in 2016. The full-size orchestra, complete with brass, woodwinds, strings and percussion, and the accompanying chorus, represent a cross-section of local talent, most of whom reside in the Fort Bend County area.

Missouri City City Manager April Jones and Mayor Robin Elack att take a tag-team approach to the State of the City address.

Photo by Ken Fountain

Andrew Cristopher Burke, 36, received life in prison for attempting to solicit murder.

Courtesy Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office

Space Cowboys strong in final season series

By Landan Kuhlmann

Though the 2023 season may not have gone as intended for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, they managed to finish off the season on a high note with a series win last week – their first in over two months.

Sugar Land capped off its 2023 season by winning five of six games from the El Paso Chihuahuas last week, ending the season on a good note. The Space Cowboys finished with a 28-47 mark in the second half, and ended the 2023 campaign with a 61-89 overall record.

The Space Cowboys were solid on offense in the finale series, scoring 30 runs and knocking 43 hits over the six-game series, led by several strong offensive performances. Recently-promoted infielder Will Wagner pounded out a team-high 15 hits in the series following his call-up from Double-A Corpus Christi, going 15 for 26 (.577) with three doubles, four RBIs, and a 1.299 OPS to accompany a pair of stolen bases and four multi-hit performances. Rylan Bannon also had a strong series in hitting .471 (8 for 17) with a triple, two home runs, and a team-leading nine RBIs while adding two stolen bases.

Outfielder Corey Julks was solid in the top and middle of the order, hitting .263 (5 for 19) with two homers, two doubles and five RBIs while posting a 1.101 OPS. Fellow outfield prospect Joey Loperfido also finished the season on a solid note, going 6 for 24 with a home run and five RBIs to go along with two steals.

Sugar Land was also strong on the mound, allowing just 23 runs in six games against the Chihuahuas and only twice allowing more than three runs. Ronel Blanco picked up a win in a 5-2 victory on Sept. 23, hurling six shutout innings

with six strikeouts and one walk while allowing just two hits. Also securing a win was Misael Tamarez, who threw six innings with five strikeouts while allowing just one run on five hits in the Space Cowboys’ 4-2 win on Sept. 21.

Enoli Paredes was busy out of the bullpen in the final series of the season, picking up a save on Sept. 20 and a win on Sept. 21.

Paredes threw three shutout innings across three appearances, striking out four against three walks. Jake Cousins surrendered just one run three innings of work over three outings with five strikeouts, while Spencer Arrighetti hurled 2.1 shutout innings. Colton Gordon also had a sparkling long relief outing in the Space Cowboys’ 4-3 win on Sept. 22, allowing just one

run on four hits in 3.2 innings with five strikeouts and one walk.

2024 Season preview

Season tickets for the 2024 Space Cowboys are now on sale at the Constellation Field Box office and online. Full season memberships and half season memberships are available in all seating areas at Constellation Field, including premium areas

like the Regions Bank Club, Imperial Box and Impact Networking Deck. Season tickets are available for purchase along with more information on season ticket benefits and perks.

As part of a balanced schedule in 2024, the Space Cowboys will host every team in the 10-team Pacific Coast League (PCL) at least once at Constellation Field and will make at least

one road trip to each team. The Space Cowboys open their home schedule with a six-game series against the Las Vegas Aviators from April 2-7. They will also be home on dates such as Mother’s Day (May 12 vs. Oklahoma City), Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-26 vs. Round Rock), Father’s Day (June 16 vs. Oklahoma City) and Independence Day (July 4 vs. Round Rock).

Sugar Land Space Cowboys outfielder Corey Julks celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run during a game at Constellation Field. Julks and the Space Cowboys took five of six games from the El Paso Chihuahuas to end their season on a high note. Photo from Twitter

HS Football Roundup: Needville bests Stafford in District 12-4A opener

By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

The Fort Bend area is home to several annual Class 4A playoff contenders, and they squared off last week in the district opener for both teams –with one coming on out top with a resounding and decisive win. Needville took down Stafford 63-35 last week in a high-scoring affair in the District 12-4A opener for both squads. Stafford jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but Needville responded with 35 second-quarter points to take control and never looked back.

The Blue Jays ran wild in the game, as Da’Shawn Burton racked up 219 yards rushing – his third game this season with at least 200 yards – and a season-high five touchdowns, while quarterback

Keilan Sweeny amassed 275 total yards (88 passing, 187 rushing) and four touchdowns to lead the offense. Hunter Brewster and Alex Coffin had 11 tackles apiece on defense, while Coffin intercepted a pass and Austin Anderson

had an interception and three pass deflections.

Running back and California commit Jammal Wiley paced the offensive attack for Stafford (3-2, 01) by rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, while Dillan Tatum and Terrance Woods each ran for scores and receiver Chris GardnerHolland (95 yards) caught a touchdown pass from Kamare Shorts. Darius Sims had 13 tackles to lead the Spartans’ defense, and Brian O’Neal had an interception.

Class 6A

In District 20-6A, Ridge Point cruised to victory last week, defeating Dulles 64-0 to win their third straight game in district play. Receivers Dane Jones (69 yards) Ashton BethelRoman (51 yards) each caught a pair of touchdown passes from Austin Carlisle, who completed 15 of 17 passes for 239 yards.

Mason Dossett had two interceptions to lead the Panthers’ defense, which forced seven turnovers en route to its first shutout of the season.

Luke Smith had six tackles on defense to lead

This week’s schedule

Thursday

Fulshear vs. Angleton 7 p.m., Traylor Stadium

Dulles (0-5, 0-3), while Jay’von Levels had 41 yards rushing and Carter Truscott had 38 yards receiving.

2-1 in district competition. Quarterback Joseph Stewart threw two touchdowns passes and added a rushing score for the Hurricanes, while Jeremy Payne rushed for two scores and Austin Bowen also found the end zone on the ground.

Michael Richard caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from DeAaron Davis in the fourth quarter for Bush, which fell to 0-4 on the season and 0-2 in district play.

success going with a 4022 victory over Terry last week to move to 4-0 and 2-0 in District 10-5A.

Davion Godley ran for a season-high 226 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns, while Patrick Broadway had 83 rushing yards to go along with a touchdown and Deuce Barrington threw a pair of touchdown passes to Tate Struble.

catches for 100 yards to lead all receivers in the game. Marvin Farris had seven tackles on defense for the Mustangs (2-3, 01), while Osar Pedraza had two pass deflections and Keshawn Mayberry recovered a fumble.

Fellow 20-6A unbeaten George Ranch also stayed that way last week, beating Travis 28-13 and moving to 5-0 overall with a 3-0 mark in district play. The Longhorns got a pair of touchdown passes from Deion Drinkard, while Jaden Shelton ran for a touchdown.

Travis dropped to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in district play despite a 26-yard touchdown run from Ayodeji Akinrinmade and a one-yard score from quarterback Brett Garcia, who also threw for 132 yards in the contest.

Hightower took down Bush 51-6 on Sept. 22 to move to 4-1 overall and

Foster at Magnolia West, 7 p.m., Freedom Field

Austin vs. Clements, 7 p.m., Mercer Stadium

Willowridge vs. Galena Park, 7 p.m., Hall Stadium

Friday

Randle vs. Brenham, 7 p.m., Traylor Stadium

Stafford vs. Iowa Colony, 7 p.m., Stafford High School

Bush vs. Dulles, 7 p.m., Hall Stadium

Travis vs. Elkins, 7 p.m., Mercer Stadium

Needville at Brazosport, 7 p.m., Hopper Field

Kempner at Manvel, 7 p.m., Freedom Field

Saturday

Marshall vs. Santa Fe, 1 p.m., Hall Stadium

Ridge Point vs. George Ranch, 6 p.m., Mercer Stadium

Lamar Consolidated vs. Huntsville, 6 p.m., Traylor Stadium

Despite heat, fall events kick off in Fort Bend County

While there was little break from the months-long heat wave on Saturday, the official start of fall, hundreds of people showed up at the Sugar Land Fall Fest at Sugar Land Town Square and the Missouri City’s Oktoberfest celebration at Quail Valley City Centre.

Elsewhere in the district, Austin took down Elkins 31-16 last week to improve to 3-2 on the season and 2-1 in district competition.

David Bishop ran for 106 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the offense, while the Tigers also got a pair of interception returns for scores and scored the final 17 points of the game.

Elon Conley had 202 yards rushing on 20 carries for the Knights (1-3, 0-2), while Brandon Renfro and quarterback Mike Holmes each punched the ball into the end zone with rushing scores in the game for Elkins.

Class 5A

In the Class 5A ranks, Fulshear kept its early

Marcus Townsend had a 60-yard touchdown run for Terry (1-4, 1-2), while William Fulton had a fourth-quarter fumble return touchdown for the Rangers’ defense.

Foster fell to 0-5 on the season and 0-3 in District 10-5A with a 42-21 loss to Friendswood despite the offensive efforts of quarterback Garrett Barham (168 yards, TD) and running back Deadric Hubbard (53 rushing yards, TD). Konnor Hanks and Hayden Evett each had an interception on defense, while Joshua Amy had nine tackles.

Nathan Lowther threw for 231 yards for Lamar Consolidated in the Mustangs in their district-opening 40-13 loss to Bryan Rudder, while Samir White had four

Last week’s scores

Needville 63, Stafford 35

Ridge Point 64, Dulles 0

George Ranch 28, Travis 13

Austin 31, Elkins 16

Hightower 51, Bush 6

Fulshear 40, Terry 22

Friendswood 42, Foster 21

Randle lost its first game of the season last week, a 59-34 defeat to Montgomery Lake Creek. Freshman running back Landen Callis-Williams had 191 yards rushing and a touchdown for Randle (4-1, 0-1), while Cortney Brown amassed 206 total yards (110 rushing, 96 receiving) and two touchdowns.

The Marshall Buffalos also suffered their first setback of the season last week, falling 7-0 against Port Neches-Groves in their District 9-5A opener to fall to 3-1 on the season. It was the first regular-season district loss since 2019 for the Buffalos, who will look to get back on track this weekend against Sante Fe. Willowridge, meanwhile, fell to 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in District 9-5A with a 52-14 loss to Nederland last week, and will face Galena Park on Thursday looking to get back into the win column.

Bryan Rudder 40, Lamar Consolidated 13

Nederland 52, Willowridge 14

Port Neches-Groves 7, Marshall 0

Lake Creek 59, Randle 34

Hybrid 7 performs at Sugar Land Town Square during the Sugar Land Fall Fest. Photos by Ken Fountain

Quail Valley residents Guy Roy, left, and Margaret Sthock enjoy the food, beverages and music at the Missouri City Oktoberfest celebration.

Missouri City Parks & Recreation Director Donnie Hayes, right, chats with resident Stephen Wilson during the Missouri City Oktoberfest celebration.

Mike and the Middletones, from central Texas, perform at the Missouri City Oktoberfest celebration.

Attendees of the Sugar Land Fall Fest set out on a hayride. Pam, of Sugar Land, learns about pottery from Morgan Aikman of Smashed Studio at the Sugar Land Fall Fest.

Jackie Pressley, manager of Smashed Studio, demonstrates pottery-making to young attendees of Sugar Land Fall Fest.

The Mitchem family (John, Kaitlin, and Liam) visiting from the Heights have their caricature portrait made at the Sugar Land Fall Fest.

Alaya Fahd, right, Ayeza Fahd, and Alaya Jafri try their hand at Board & Brush Creative Studio booth during Sugar Land Fall Fest.

Anjun Sabir orders some food from Texas Biergarten owner Laura Abraham during the Missouri City Oktoberfest celebration.

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

THIS NEWSPAPER

– The Fightin’ Wombats almost won, and I know why. There’s a new Serbian restaurant opening soon. Looks inviting. It seems the annual Gar Fry & Hog Chitlins Festival has been postponed because a warning by the health department after last year’s food fatalities. The fact that at this very moment you are reading these words puts you in a unique and dwindling group of Americans: newspaper readers. We all know that the number of newspapers is shrinking, but you may not know that help could be on the way.

News you can lose

First, let’s set the stage. Some 2,500 newspapers have shut down since 2005 -- and more continue to close. Many survivors have cut their staffs to mere shadows of their former strengths. In 2020 alone, a third of large newspapers in the U.S. had layoffs. In 2008, there were about 114,000 total newsroom employees – reporters, editors, photographers and videographers – in five industries that produce news: newspaper, radio, broadcast television, cable and “other information services” (digital news). By 2020, that number had declined to about 85,000, a loss of about 30,000 jobs – a 26 percent drop. On the other hand, digital news organizations have seen considerable gains, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. An exception to this hemorrhaging of readers is that a newspaper conservatives love to hate (although they never read it), The New York Times, with a growing number of readers (740,000 paid print subscribers, and 8.6 million paid digital subscribers).

The reasons for the death of many newspapers is that ad revenue has been siphoned off by social media. As with

many other businesses (think restaurants), Covid-19 hurt newspaper ads. No one was going out so stores and theaters and such stopped advertising. And young people turned to other avenues of getting their information, not that many of them cared about the news anyway.

Newspapers were in a decline before all of this. Here in Texas we had lost the Dallas Times- Herald and The Houston Post along with papers in Austin and San Antonio to mention a few. I can’t think of any Texas city that still has two papers. But particularly hit hard are the country weeklies, or bi-weeklies. In small towns, these were for years mom-and-pop operations, often literally. They cranked out the Bypass Bugle and were fixtures in the community.

But Mom and Pop were getting on in years and wanted to retire, turn over the operation to their kids. But Muffin and Skip had finished college and didn’t want to return to Bypass. They had jobs in Dallas or Houston. The readership in small towns is also shrinking. While the population of Texas is booming – we are adding 1,000 new Texans a day, about a third are newborns the other

two thirds moved here. But smal-town Texas is losing population. Nobody moves to Pampa (down 6.5 percent).

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, more than half of Texas’ counties lost population since the previous census, some down 10 percent. With fewer readers and nobody to take over the news biz, the Bypass Bugle is folding.

This led to what experts who keep tabs of such matters call a “news desert.” It’s pretty bad and getting worse. More than 20 percent of Americans now live in news deserts, which are defined as areas that have little or no independent news sources on local issues, or communities that are on the verge of becoming one. No nosey reporters show up at county commissioners meetings to ask embarrassing questions. City councils and school boards can hire and fire the police chief or the school superintendent and no one else knows why.

Digital news outlets and nonprofit newsrooms have sprung up across the U.S., but not in numbers large enough to fill the gap. The Texas Tribune is one of the biggest nonprofit newsrooms in the

country but it recently had its first layoffs in its 14-year history. Almost all of these online or digitals are in large cities. None cover the Lions Club meetings. Fortunately, some parts of large cities or suburbs have local papers, like The Star, which covers stories the Houston Chronicle doesn’t.

Coming to the rescue could be the feds. After all, the U.S. Treasury has bailed out banks, cruise lines, untold companies and, of course there are the college students who have racked up $1.77 trillion in student loans which, if President Joe Biden has his way, they can stiff the rest of us. No, we don’t want our federal government underwriting the press. Who would decide which publications get how much? The administration doesn’t like a paper’s editorials or endorsements? Turn off the spigot. Government funds being doled out to the Fourth Estate would be a scandal waiting to happen.

Perhaps coming to the rescue are philanthropists, those rich folks who like to give millions to colleges, museums and symphony halls to see their names on them. In the past, many major philanthropic groups have helped struggling

local newsrooms. Now they are joining forces. More than 20 such organizations have announced plans to invest $500 million over the next five years in local media organizations. The plan, called Press Forward, is headed by the MacArthur Foundation and other organizations including the Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The goal is to eventually raise and invest $1 billion.

But would there be pursestrings attached? Would, say, Ford not like to read about its new driverless cars smashing into a school bus? A good question, but we can look at the Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS as we folks what got couth call it. That nonprofit regularly receives funds from various foundations and is neutral in its news reports despite what the likes of Ted Cruz say. Incidentally, KUHT at the University of Houston was the first PBS station in the nation.

So hang in there, Mom and Pop. The Bypass Bugle may still report on the Fightin’ Wombats.

Ashby subscribes at ashby2@comcast.net

Community meetings for Fort Bend County bond election set

Staff Reports

Fort Bend County Judge KP George will host a series of community meetings to inform residents about the 2023 Fort Bend County Bonds that will appear on the November 7 ballot. The bond propositions consist of 98 mobility projects for Proposition A for a total of $712.6 million and Proposition B related to parks

projects for a total of $153 million, resulting in a total bond amount of $865.6 million.

These informative sessions are designed to provide the public with a comprehensive understanding of the proposed bonds and encompass a range of vital projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life in Fort Bend County. These

initiatives include, but are not limited to, infrastructure improvements, public safety enhancements, and parks and recreational facilities.

These community meetings aim to provide a platform for residents to gain insights into the specific projects the bonds will fund and the potential benefits for the community.

Additional meeting dates, times, and locations will be announced in the coming weeks to ensure accessibility for all residents of Fort Bend County.

“I invite all our Fort Bend County residents to participate in these important community meetings to become informed about the upcoming bond proposal,” George said in news release. “Our resident’s input and engagement are essential in shaping the future of our county.”

For more information and updates regarding the community meetings, please visit https://www. fbctx.gov/bondprojects.

Worship Directory

Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The Fort Bend County WCID No.2 Area 1 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2023 on October 11, 2023 at 6:30 pm at District office, 2331 South Main, Stafford, Texas 77477. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners. Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local property tax database on which you can easily access information regarding your property taxes, including information about proposed tax rates and scheduled public hearings of each entity that taxes your property.

FOR the proposal: John Rose- President

Linda Walker- Secretary

Harvey Koudelka- Assistant Secretary

Linda Burks- Assistant Secretary

AGAINST the proposal: None

PRESENT and not voting: None

ABSENT: Julius Court- Vice President

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The Fort Bend County WCID #2 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2023 on October 11, 2023 at 6:30 pm at the District office, 2331 South Main, Stafford Texas 77477. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners. Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local property tax database on which you can easily access information regarding your property taxes, including information about proposed tax rates and scheduled public hearings of each entity that taxes your property.

FOR the proposal: John Rose- President

Linda Walker- Secretary

Harvey Koudelka- Assistant Secretary

Linda Burks- Assistant Secretary

AGAINST the proposal: None

PRESENT and not voting: None

ABSENT: Julius Court- Vice President

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

65 years of age or older or disabled person’s exemptions)

If the proposed combined debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate requires or authorizes an election to approve or reduce the tax rate the governing body of Fort Bend County WCID #2 proposes to use the tax increase for the purpose of funding of capital improvements.

NOTICE OF VOTE ON TAX RATE

If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance and contract tax rate that would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than eight percent, an election must be held to determine whether to approve the operation and maintenance tax rate under Section 49.23601, Water Code.

The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voterapproval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.

NOTICE OF VOTE ON TAX RATE

If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance and contract tax rate that would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than eight percent, an election must be held to determine whether to approve the operation and maintenance tax rate under Section 49.23601, Water Code.

The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voterapproval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.

ONGOING

SUGAR LAND GARDEN CLUB

OCTOBER PRESENTATION:

“Remarkable Plants: Natives and Sneaky Interlopers in the Texas Garden and Wildscape”

BY Matt Turner, PhD.

October 17, 2023 • 10 AM St. Basil’s Hall • 702 Burney Rd, Sugar Land

RICHMOND/ROSENBERG

ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP MEETING

Please join us on Thursday, October 5, at 7:00 p.m. We will be meeting in Room 105, the Gathering Room, at St. John’s UMC in Richmond. St. John’s is located at 400 Jackson Street.

We are looking forward to welcoming Dana Declouet to our meeting this month. Dana is a Certified Assisted Living Administrator and will be speaking on respite care. She’ll be addressing the cost, the length of stay, and who pays for respite care.

Alzheimer’s Association support groups are a safe place for caregivers and loved ones of people with dementia to:

• Develop a support system.

• Exchange practical information on challenges and possible solutions.

• Talk through issues and ways of coping.

• Share feelings, needs and concerns.

• Learn about community resources.

Just a reminder that support groups create a safe, confidential, supportive community and a chance for participants to develop informal mutual support and social relationships. They educate and inform participants about dementia and help participants develop methods and skills to solve problems.

Please visit our group’s Facebook Page: Richmond Alzheimer’s Support Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/RichmondRosenbergAlzheimersSupport/ or visit https://www.facebook. com/groups/alztexprograms to learn more about the Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter’s Care and Support page, Questions may be sent to: gallowkj@earthlink.net

We hope you will join us on Thursday, October 5, at 7:00 p.m.

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.

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH FALL FESTIVAL

Sunday October 8, 10:00am – 6:00 pm. Breakfast menudo and tacos at 8:00am. Festival food plus Filipino, Indian, Mexican food. Games, bingo, silent auction, raffle prizes. 1510 Fifth St, Missouri City, Highway 90 at Fort Bend Parkway. Https://www. holyfamilychurch.us

MUSIC MAGIC FOR 6 & 7 YEAR OLD BOYS STARTS OCTOBER 3

The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas is offering Music Magic, an 8-week music enrichment program for six and seven year old boys. The class meets from 6:30-7:15 p.m. on Tuesdays starting October 3, 2023 and ending on December 5, 2023. (They will not meet on Halloween or Thanksgiving week.) Music Magic brings music alive through 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. To find out more about Music Magic, visit: https:// fbbctx.org/our-programs/music-magic/.

LANDMARK CHARITIES PARTNERS WITH HOPE FOR THREE 8TH ANNUAL GOLF FORE AUTISM TOURNAMENT

Hope For Three, a nonprofit and autism organization, is partnering with Landmark Charities to present the 8th Annual Golf Fore Autism Charity Tournament on October 2nd at the prestigious Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land. Individual play is $150 or form a foursome for $600. Network with business partners, professionals, and community supporters who participate in the tournament to raise awareness of autism and funds for autistic children. Register your team today at www. hopeforthree.org/events. Volunteer opportunities, sponsorship, and underwriting opportunities are available. The event takes place on both courses to double the impact supporting local families. Your support can change a child’s future.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH

In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC offers ESL classes on Tuesday nights 6-8:30 from August 22, 2023 through May 21, 2024. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond. 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

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.

FORT BEND COUNTY LIBRARIES’

ONLINE BOOK CLUB

Online meetings on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Free and open to the public. Registration is required; to register online www.fortbend.lib.tx.us, “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” find the program on the date indicated. Participants may also register by calling George Memorial Library (281-342-4455).

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, 469-850-2424, 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

FORT BEND JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS FOR 2022-2023 YEAR

To join, the membership application can be accessed at https:// www.fbjsl.org/join/how-to-become-a-member/. FBJSL will also be hosting multiple virtual and in-person recruitment events over the summer where potential new members can learn more about the League. Information regarding attending these events is available at www.fbjsl.org or on the FBJSL Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FortBendJuniorServiceLeague/.

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

WITH

JAM

SAM

Join Sam Grice Tuesday evenings at 6:30 for a casual evening of music. We play a variety of music including bluegrass, country, gospel and some western. We request acoustic instruments only please. We welcome both participants and music lovers who enjoy listening to good live music. There’s no charge and we welcome beginners and gladly offer gentle assistance. We meet at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land. Please call Sam at 832-428-3165 for further information.

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 713-859-5920 or 281-499-3345.

OPINION

Farewell to a long, hot summer (and to a colleague)

very long, hot summer, to quote an old movie title. I mean, it’s been hot even by TEXAS standards!

course, I’ll never know.

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Do you feel that? That crisp, cool air that heralds the start of autumn? No, me neither.

And yet, right on schedule, the fall equinox occurred last Saturday, marking the turning of the season. I have to tell you, I’m ready for it. It’s been a

The months-long heat dome and settled in over the state in June and then pretty much parked itself here has taken its toll on all of us. Most off my work is done indoors, of course, but I also get out and about Fort Bend quite a lot, and just being outside over these past months really took a lot of me. Who knows, maybe I’m getting old. (Nah!)

In July, I lost two friends and former colleagues, both too young. They both had suffered from chronic health issues for many years, and in an earlier column, I wondered if the heat wave, caused by climate change, may have played at least some part in one of their deaths. Of

On Saturday, the day of the equinox, I was out covering two long-planned events in the county to mark the occasion. First up was the Sugar Land Fall Fest, held in the plaza of Sugar Land Town Square. After spending a couple of hours there snapping photos and chatting with attendees, I made my way over to Missouri City’s Quail Valley City Centre, the site of the city’s annual Octoberfest celebration. (Sugar Land will hold its own Octoberfest party this Saturday, also at Town Square).

These were the area’s first big fall events of the year, but the scorching heat didn’t really make them seem very autumnal. When you’ve got cooling stations spraying a fine mist on attendees, as the Sugar Land event did, well, you may

have a problem. (Look for some of my photos elsewhere in this edition of the Star.)

Even so, both events were very well-attended (the Sugar Land event extraordinarily so), and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I talked to a lot of people who were determined to enjoy themselves, including a mother with two young children who was here visiting family from Boca Raton, Fla. “I mean, it’s hot where we live, but this is REALLY hot,” she told me.

As fall begins and we turn our attention to the coming holiday season, there will be many, many opportunities for people to get outdoors, see old friends and maybe make some new ones, and enjoy all kinds of festivals and other activities. I encourage you to get

out there and partake of some of them. After this past summer, I think we could all use some fun.

I end this column on a bittersweet note. My colleague Landan Kuhlmann this week is leaving the company that produces the Fort Bend Star and The Leader, which serves the Heights and the Near Northwest area of Houston, for a new opportunity in another Texas city. Longtime readers of the Star know Landan’s byline well. At various times, he has served as lead reporter and sportswriter for our paper. He also has for several years served as the managing editor of The Leader.

I owe Landan an enormous debt of gratitude. When I started at the Star last fall, I could not have produced the paper with-

out him. He was extremely helpful at showing me the ropes of our technical systems. And while working full-time at The Leader, the indefatigable Landan continued to provide excellent sports coverage for the Star. For many months, he also did the layouts of the Star before the company moved to a new pagination system.

Besides his enormous work ethic, Landan is also just a great all-around guy. Despite his numerous responsibilities, Landan has always had an unfailingly positive attitude. As I’m sure many readers will feel, I hate to see him go, but I’m glad that he’s going on to a great new opportunity, and I wish him all the best.

Fountain stays cool at KFountain@fortbendstar. com.

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