VOL 5 No. 52
Phone: 281-980-6745
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FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sgar Land
Erroneous report doubts safety of Stafford schools By BARBARA FULENWIDER When Stafford Municipal School District Superintendent Lance Hindt learned that his district was named as “unsafe” in a story printed in the Houston Chronicle this past Dec. 17 he went into overdrive to find out why. The article said that SMSD was among 77 other districts in the state that were unsafe because they failed to submit a school safety security audit to the Texas Attorney General’s office per Senate Bill 11. Evidently, in an effort to make more of an impact, the report was released either by the AG’s office or the Texas School Safety Center right on Dec. 17 right on the heels of the horrendous school shootings in Newtown, CN. Initially, Hindt said he thought perhaps the district’s report didn’t get filed with the AG by the deadline because it had fallen through the cracks between the time former superintendent, H.D. Chambers, left the district and Hindt joined it. But that turned out not to be correct either. Hindt first contacted the AG to dispute their charge and was then directed to the Texas School Safety Center. Hindt said he was told that office provided the list of non-compliant school districts to the AG. When he contacted the Texas School Safety Center, Hindt said he was told that the AG’s office had been “premature” in releasing the list. The superintendent said employees at the center and AG’s
Hindt office continued to point the finger for the error at each other and send him back and forth between the two agencies. After some deep digging Hindt was able to verify that SMSD did indeed submit its school safety audit to the AG. “I went on a fact finding mission the day the report was published. The email we were finally able to locate verified that the audit was sent” and on time, Hindt said. “At the Texas School Safety Center website is a copy of the 2008-11 Texas School Safety Center District Audit Report. On page 84 of this report, you will find that the Stafford Municipal School District did submit an audit plan as required by Senate Bill 11,” Hindt said. “After further investigation by SMSD in an email dated June 18, 2012, … the manager of research services for the Texas School Safety Center stated ‘The 2011 district safety and security audit information
for Stafford Municipal School District was submitted by Lance Hindt (Superintendent).’ As people can see, SMSD did do its part by resubmitting the audit within the three-year requirement as stipulated by Senate Bill 11,” Hindt said. “For any and all who would like to read or review SMSD’s safety plan, it’s on the district’s website.” Hindt said, “Not only do we have a model emergency plan but the district works in partnership with the city of Stafford and are very fortunate to have three full-time Stafford police officers working in our school district. We also have direct access to the city’s emergency management coordinator and to representatives of the Fort Bend County Emergency Management division.” The superintendent went on to say that “it’s a shame that an evident communication technicality resulted in SMSD, and probably other school districts, being placed erroneously on the non-compliant school audit report. Hindt not only “respectfully asks” that the AG “make sure the information his office receives is correct and up to date” before stating that certain school districts “are not doing all they should be doing to keep their children safe. They better come up with a plan immediately. Every day they are not in compliance, they are putting their students at greater risk.’” Hindt said, “I take great exception to these comments and I want a public apology.”
Retiring sheriff leaves behind rich legacy after 16 years in office On Dec. 31, 2012, Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright will complete his fourth consecutive term as Sheriff. Wright and R. L. “Tiny” Gaston are the only two Sheriffs in the county’s history to be elected to four consecutive terms. Troy Nehls will be the new sheriff effective Jan. 1, 2013. Wright did not place emphasis on public relations nor did he indulge in self-promotion. This conventional approach of a typical law enforcement official did not or could not countermand the one-sided attack on his office by a section of the local media. The media’s campaign failed to unseat Wright and he was re-elected thice. Rather late in his term, Wright hired Bob Haenel, a veteran journalist, as the communication specialist for the sheriff’s office. In the following article, Haenel does justice to the office. — Editor Milton Wright took the reins as Sheriff of Fort Bend County on Jan. 1, 1997. Now, 16 years later, Fort Bend County has crossed the 600,000 mark in population, and the Sheriff’s Office has grown right along with it. Prior to Wright’s arrival, the county already had constructed the first jail tower at the Sheriff’s Office, completing the project in 1995. “The first thing we had to do was clean the place up,” recalled Wright. “The jail needed a lot of
Wright maintenance and the kitchen was not being utilized properly. Meals were costing us $2.40 each, and today, those meals are less than a dollar. We had a lot of work to do and it took time.” At that time, the Sheriff’s Office had 220 employees and the county had an estimated 321,000 residents. Today, the Sheriff’s Office has grown to 750 employees while the county has zoomed to an estimated 670,000 residents. The Sheriff’s Office budget was about $14.6 million then. Today, the budget is $55 million. A few of the initial “firsts” marked by Wright were to bring in a Human Resources director for the Sheriff’s Office as well as the first Public Information Officer. Wright also guided the implementation of two technological advances
for deputies, the GPS locator devices in all patrol units and the installation of MDTs in each unit. The GPS (Global Positioning System) enables the SO’s Dispatch to push patrol units more quickly to calls because the dispatchers know their locations. The MDTs (Mobile Data Terminal) place important information in deputies’ hands immediately. “We’ve since updated the system and it provides flowing data to deputies,” Wright said. “In other words, it’s ‘live’ and it’s also recorded. So if we want to see where a unit was at a certain time on a certain date, we have that information. It’s a great supervisory tool and a great crime-fighting tool.” A good bit of that equipment as well as the Dispatch update was paid for through grant funds as well as seized drug funds. The new Dispatch center “is five times larger than the old Dispatch. It’s amazing,” Wright said. Other programs implemented the past 16 years seem second nature now, but they were vast improvements when introduced, Wright said. For starters, Wright began utilizing inmates as outdoor work crews which produced savings for the county and the Sheriff’s Office. “It saves the county a ton of money, plus it gives the inSee SHERIFF, Page 4
Missouri City residents join the City Centre opening celebration
Pictures above and below are from the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Missouri City City Centre at Quail Valley on Dec. 18. Photos courtesy of Missouri City. About 600 people who attended a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at Missouri City’s elegant City Centre at Quail Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 18 visited with local officials and dignitaries, signed commemorative photos and enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres, a trio’s jazzy holiday tunes, tours of the facility, sweeping views of the golf course and a video tribute. The City Centre project, like many others is special, and reflects the strong community unity that connects residents. The ribbon-cutting celebration, which was held in the 300-seat Magnolia Ballroom, marks a major milestone in the area’s history as the facility was funded with bond money approved by more than 72 percent of voters citywide. Local officials and dignitaries addressed a standing-room only audience, thanking them for their support. On behalf of City Council, Mayor Allen Owen accepted a flag from State Rep. Ron Reynolds that was flown over the Texas Capitol in Austin. Mayor Owen and City Council Members saluted citizens for their approval of the bond referendum and their endorsement of the project. And, guests were shown a tribute video that featured resident voices speaking to the significance of the Centre and the impact it will have on the area. The City Centre is unique in that not only can residents and guests visit and reserve a tee time to play 36 holes of challenging golf on the La Quinta and El Dorado courses, they can also reserve the facility’s first-class, spacious rooms to celebrate the memorable moments of their lives. In addition to housing a golf pro shop for the award-winning Quail Valley Golf Course, the facility also features accommodations for business meetings, tournaments and festive family events like weddings, anniversaries and birthday parties. Also, the Centre serves delicious meals—breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. To reserve a tee time, individuals can visit www. golfquailvalley.com or call 281-403-5910. To reserve a room for a business meeting or special occasion, individuals can call 281-403-8517.
10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor
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Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.