Fort Bend Independent by Fort Bend Independent

VOL 12 No. 28

email: editor@ independent.com

Phone: 281-980-6745

www.fbindependent.com ww .fbindependent.com

FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2019

P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623

Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City

Local teen designs MobileApp for street vendors in India

Aryan Bhatia with a street vendor using the “My cart” mobile App; Aditya Bhatiya (inset) By SESHADRI KUMAR Two teens staying in their 3rd ﬂoor home in an apartment building in Mumbai, India, had a daily chore. Waiting in the balcony, they had to look for the street vendors every morning to buy vegetables, fruits, street food, Sugarcane Juice and so on. The wait would last for 45 to 60 minutes every morning. It was boring and frustrating for the teens to wait for the arrival of a street vendor and they thought this was a ridiculous waste of time. In this era of wireless technology and smart phones, the teenagers came up with an idea -Invent a Mobile App to solve the problem. And they did. Recently, their App called “MeriPheri” was released for street cart vendors in Mumbai suburbs. Interestingly, one of the youth is from the Houston

area, 16-year-old Aditya Bhatia of Katy, a 10th grader. While visiting Mumbai last summer for vacation, he teamed with his cousin, Aryan Bhatia and developed the App. The App, MeriPheri, in Hindi means “My Cart”. It is said to be India’s ﬁrst app that connects street vendors (called Pheriwala) to customers. They have introduced a new term “P-Commerce” or “Pheri Commerce” like-ecommerce that can revolutionize the way this small business is transacted in India. Indian street vendors have been known for a long time to carry mobile phones. So the App is an easy application that they can use. The App got tremendous response with almost a thousand downloads in a week and great reviews. Aditya says “There are

more than 10 million street vendors in India, and hundreds of millions of people purchase from them every day. If we provide a Platform to connect the two, it can simplify things and generate millions of dollars worth of business. It beneﬁts both the sellers and buyers immensely.” A state legislator, Mrs. Jyoti Kalani, mentioned the new App in the Maharashtra State Assembly and recommended felicitation of the youngsters for their unique initiative. The teenagers meticulously designed the app with lot of features like Cart Setting, Time and Distance Setting, Alerts, Live Calling and Tracking. “We realized most street vendors can’t write or read English and hence made See TEEN, Page 3

Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation awards scholarships The Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (MCJCF) held its seventeenth annual Scholarship Gala on June 20. Each year during the gala, deserving students who have graduated from Fort Bend County high schools are awarded scholarships. This year, seven students received scholarships. Five Fort Bend County 2019 high school graduates received awards of $2,000 each: Linda Arris, graduate of Travis High School; Calah Burros, graduate of Austin High School; Mia Crout, graduate of Clements High School; Alana Johnson, graduate of Elkins High School, and Nautica McCarther, graduate of Marshall High School. Two college students who previously received MCJCF Scholarships after graduating high school, received awards of $1,000 each: Alaina Bryant attends the University of North Texas, and William Minter attends Vanderbilt University. Each scholarship recipient has had a stellar high school experience, replete with excellent academic accomplishments, along with numerous extra-curricular, leadership, and community service activities.

Alaina Bryant, left, William Minter, Linda Arris, Mia Crout, Alana Johnson, Nautica McCarther and Calah Burros.

DAs diﬀer on prosecuting marijuana cases, make the new law a scapegoat

By SESHADRI KUMAR Possession of marijuana is an offense in Texas. Police can arrest those in possession, but the arrested person may never be taken to court or prosecuted. This bizzare situation is being blamed on the Texas Legislature which passed a law legalizing agricultural production of hemp. Last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill that will legalize industrial hemp and CBD products. The new law in Texas, signed by Abbott on June 10 went into effect immediately, and allows farmers in the state to cultivate hemp for industrial purposes, while also clarifying which CBD products are legal. The new laws define hemp as containing less than .3% THC (Tetrohydrocannbinol) and marijuana as anything above that threshold. While a majority of the DAs have decided to follow the no prosecution route, some DAs have decided to follow the law, both in letter and spirit. Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton said in a statement last week that the legal standard to initiate a criminal investigation and make arrests has not changed, but “we will not be able to prosecute marijuana violations without a lab test quantifying the concentration of the once prohibited, and now regulated substance in hemp and marijuana – Tetrohydrocannbinol (THC).” “Pending misdemeanor charges will be dismissed with the opportunity for our office to prosecute if, and when, an acceptable lab test becomes available. We will continue to offer our marijuana diversion program which qualifies successful participants’ charges for expunction,” Middleton said. Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said his officers will

continue to handle marijuana cases as before and it is up to the DA to prosecute or not. A spokesman for the Sugar Land Police Department said, “We are aware of the district attorney’s recent statement, and we are evaluating how it will impact enforcement eﬀorts in Sugar Land.” “The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Oﬃce will not be joining those Texas prosecutors who have prematurely announced limitations on the acceptance of new marijuana cases as the result of the passage of House Bill 1325,” Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon said in a press release. Ligon is a Republican. Meanwhile, Middleton, a Democrat, said, “Felony charges will be evaluated on a case-bycase basis and will be prioritized for testing and prosecution. “The passage of HB 1325

by the Texas Legislature significantly impacts the enforcement and prosecution of the State’s existing criminal marijuana laws,” according to Middleton. “The problem isn’t with the law and the State’s desire to legalize agricultural hemp production. The issue is that the law was enacted immediately and without any of the infrastructure in place to regulate the legal production of hemp, nor the ability of the State’s own scientific labs to distinguish between what’s legal and what’s not. Unfortunately, the unintended consequence of the law renders prosecution of marijuana offenses impossible until the infrastructure and scientific laboratories are capable of performing the analysis necessary to distinguish hemp from marijuana,” he said. See HEMP, Page 3

Detectives nab six illegal aliens from Honduras for dozens of alleged home burglaries

By SESHADRI KUMAR Six Honduran citizens who were in the country illegally and allegedly committed a series of burglaries have been arrested.

The Fort Bend County Sheriﬀ’s Oﬃce disclosed the details of a multi-agency investigation that led to the arrests at a press conference

on Monday. Since mid-2018, approximately 70 Burglary of Habitation oﬀenses were committed in the unincorporated See BURGLARY, Page 3

Page 2 • INDEPENDENT • JULY 10, 2019

Flag pole dedicated at Riverpark

NEWS

This Fourth of July Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 10 dedicated a giant flag pole to the Riverpark homeowners at a solemn ceremony, demonstrating the community’s patriotism and its gratitude to a number of veterans who reside in the Riverpark subsdivison at the intersection of U.S. 59 and Grand Parkway. Fort Bend County Sheriﬀ Troy Nehls, while dedicating the flag pole, said the flag is a symbol of freedom and a symbol of sacrifice of the servicemen who gave their life for freedom. “I love everything the flag represents and we should not allow political diﬀerences to desecrate our sense and symbol of freedom,” Nehls said deploring the current national controversy over the flag. Riverpark HOA president Rodeny Vannerson, and FBC LID 10 President Don Burns made brief remarks. Manny Reyes, a VietNam veteran, was the master of ceremony. The All Glory Honor Guard, led by Gilbert Guerrero from Missouri City, hoisted the flag and presented a gun-salute. Below, Nehls receives brick paver as a memento from the Boy Scouts, with Rodeny Vannerson, left and Don Burns, right. —SESHADRI KUMAR

PLANTATION at Quail Valley Active Senior Living; Embracing the lives of Seniors 55 and Better JULY Move in Special $399

2815 Cypress Point Dr, Missouri City, TX 77459

Fort Bend Cares donates to create space for kids Fort Bend Cares made a $10,000 grant to Texana’s Forward Together in Fulshear Capital Campaign to support expansion of Texana’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment for children with autism. The Texana Children’s Center for Autism currently has locations in Rosenberg and Sugar Land that help more than 400 children each year with communication, self-care, and social skills. Unfortunately, the need for the program far exceeds Texana Center’s available space.

At any given time, between 200 and 300 children are waiting for a space at the Children’s Center for Autism. Many of the waiting children reside in the Katy/Fulshear Area. The gift from Fort Bend Cares will help Texana Center reduce the waiting list and get more children with autism into ABA therapy that will help them learn to communicate and prepare them for school. Thank you, Fort Bend Cares, for helping Texana Center serve children in every corner of Fort Bend County!

www. plantationqv.com

Grayle James, Fort Bend Cares Board of Trustees and Ellen Rhoads, Senior Manager of the Texana Children’s Center for Autism.

Phone: (281) 208-4470

The Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) has named Dr. Danielle Jackson as the 2018-19 Region 4 Assistant Principal of the Year. Dr. Jackson currently serves as an assistant principal at Ridge Point High School. Prior to her role as an administrator, Dr. Jackson was an English teacher, department chair, content specialist, and instructional coach. She believes in “the power of education and the opportunities education can provide students.” TASSP will honor Dr. Jackson along with other regional winners from around Texas during their 2020 Summer Workshop held in Austin. To learn more about TASSP, visit the organization’s website at www.tassp.org.

This year’s sales tax holiday begins Friday, August 9 and ends at midnight on Sunday, August 11. During the annual sales tax holiday, Texas shoppers can buy most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks (sold for less than $100) tax free from a Texas store, online or from a catalog merchant doing business in Texas. The sales tax exemption applies only to qualifying items bought during the sales tax holiday, Aug. 9, 10 and 11. To learn more about the sales tax holiday/tax-free weekend – including qualifying items and special purchases – visit the Texas Comptroller’s website.

INDEPENDENT • JULY 10, 2019 • Page 3

NEWS Cricket ﬁeld at Four Corners

Rosenberg Police on Highway 36 on July 5. A Rosenberg Police Investigator assigned to the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force attempted to stop a vehicle on I-69 but the vehicle quickly began to evade. The lone investigator chased the vehicle to a dead end where the driver bailed out on foot. While giving chase, a passenger in the vehicle took control and fled the scene. Responding officers were quick to arrive and assist the Investigator and also catch up to the fleeing vehicle. As the second driver approached the intersection on Highway 36 and I-69, they were met by numerous waiting Rosenberg Officers. The driver changed course, this time driving south on Highway 36 towards Pleak. Realizing their hope of escaping was fading fast, the driver came to a stop in a neighborhood, giving up without further incident. Two drivers (Coyotes), and five suspected illegal immigrants from Guatemala, were captured. They were subsequently released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities. The actions of these coyotes, driving at high rates of speed through traffic and construction zones in an effort to evade authorities, endangered countless citizens in Rosenberg and Fort Bend County. Thankfully no injuries were reported.

Burglary From Page 1 areas of Fort Bend County in connection with this group. Sheriff’s Office detectives began to notice an increase in the number of burglaries where high-end jewelry and money were primarily stolen with the same modus operandi. Throughout the course of this investigation, detectives coordinated with the Houston Police Department, Sugar Land Police Department, and Pearland Police Department who also identified multiple burglary cases with similar characteristics in their jurisdictions. During this investigation, the FBCSO Burglary and Theft Unit developed information that enabled detectives to identify six suspects and the vehicles commonly used by the suspects. On July 2, 2019, during an operation, detectives observed the suspects committing

Hemp From Page 1 Middleton added: “We support local law enforcement and have reached out to our law enforcement partners with that message. Public safety is our top priority. We will not sit idly by while drugs infiltrate our schools. And drug runners will not go free if they are moving loads of marijuana through our county. It will just take extraordinary resources to prosecute those cases until the infrastructure and laboratory testing is readily available. We are actively researching a solution and once we find one that is reliable and affordable, it will be business as usual.” Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, a Democrat, in April this year, said his office would no longer be prosecuting what he called “low-level” crimes. That includes a lot drug offenses, His agenda is aimed at ending “mass incarceration” and jail time for “technical” violations which aren’t a threat to public safety. The district attorney’s office in Tarrant County has dismissed 235 marijuana misdemeanors that have been filed since June 10, according to the Fort Worth StarTelegram. Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said his office will make decisions on a case-by-case basis dependent on other evidence supporting a conclusion that a substance is pot and not hemp. The district attorneys in Galveston and El Paso County say they will continue

a burglary of habitation. Subsequently, detectives honed in on the group and arrested the six suspects. Information gathered by detectives indicated these suspects were part of a group committing burglaries within unincorporated Fort Bend County, Houston, Sugar Land, and Pearland. The majority of the suspects are from Honduras. All six suspects were arrested for burglaries and/or other related charges committed in Fort Bend County and all have ICE holds. It came to light during interviews that the majority of the suspects had been deported previously and came back into the country illegally to commit crimes. One suspect, Marlon RiveraHernandez, admitted to trying many times to come back after his last deportation and hiring coyotes to help him get into Mexico from Honduras and then cross the river into

the United States. He was committing burglaries within a couple of weeks of being back in the U.S. The six suspects arrested include: Marvin Manuel Menjivar-Mejia, 32; Denis Ariel Hernandez-Cruz, 28; Marlon Rivera-Hernandez, 41; Selvin Rivera-Hernandez, 33; Elvin Ayala Lopez, 19; and Yoandris Miro, 25. “The diligent efforts of these detectives and their ability to coordinate the activities within this department and with the officers of the other agencies is commendable and should stand as an example for all in the law enforcement profession,” said Sheriff Troy Nehls. “It is just astounding that all six suspects have not let deportation stop them from coming back into this country illegally time and time again and unashamedly committing crime after crime. Something needs to be done about our border security!”

to prosecute marijuana cases, The Associated Press reported Wednesday. Travis County prosecutors had done away with 93 cases — 61 misdemeanors for small amounts and 32 felonies for large amounts. They won’t be ﬁling any new cases, either. “This is good news for everyone in Texas — not only those who want to smoke marijuana, but the other majority of Texans that don’t use marijuana but think it’s ridiculous that it’s still a crime at all,” said Jamie Spencer, an Austin criminal defense attorney who serves as general counsel for the Texas chapter of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

produce appropriate paperwork authorizing their activities. “With appropriate training and experience, law enforcement officers should have no difficulty developing probable cause to believe that an individual possesses marijuana intended for smoking, rather than lawfully cultivated hemp. “When a peace officer has developed probable cause to believe that an individual unlawfully possesses marijuana, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office will continue to accept and file appropriate criminal charges. And this office will continue to dispose of marijuana cases utilizing appropriate plea bargains and pretrial diversion programs. “It is true that there will be, for some undetermined period of time, a shortage of laboratories capable of determining the THC concentration of hemp and marijuana, and distinguishing lawful hemp from unlawful marijuana containing a THC concentration of more than 0.3 percent. But the anticipated delays in disposing of those few cases in which individuals persist in pleading not guilty do not justify prosecutors’ abdication of their responsibility to enforce the criminal laws of Texas. “This office will not use the anticipated problems in implementing the new legislation as a pretext to achieve the policy goal of ending prosecution of marijuana cases, particularly after the recent failure of all legislative efforts to decriminalize or reduce the penalties for possession of marijuana.”

Siding with the law

The Montgomery County DA, explaining his decision to continue with the prosecution, said that the new legislation will eventually permit state oﬃcials to issue licenses for hemp cultivation and the production of certain hemp products, but those agencies must ﬁrst promulgate rules and regulations to govern the licensing process and the regulation of the hemp industry. At this point no licenses have been issued and no legal hemp is being grown in this State. “It is also important to note that the legislation expressly prohibits the issuance of licenses for the production of hemp products intended for smoking or vaping. “Even after licenses are issued, legal hemp growers and transporters will be required to maintain and

Fort Bend County’s Precinct 4 Commissioner Ken R. DeMerchant hosted a Ribbon Cutting ceremony at the new Four Corners Cricket Field on Monday. County elected oﬃcials, members of the community, and Sugar Land Youth Cricket Club members attended the event. “The Cricket Field was a much awaited dream for the Four Corners community and I am proud to be a part of this historic moment. My personal favorite moment of bringing people together though sports!” DeMerchant said. The field is at the Four Corners Recreation Center between Old Richmond Road and West Bellfort @ Highway 6.

Missouri City City Council votes 4-3 on energy savings contract By BARBARA FULENWIDER Missouri City City Council appears to be split on governing the city as the council is increasingly deciding major agenda items with a split vote of 4 to 3. The latest in this line of decision was on July 1. After a long presentation at a special council meeting, members adjourned to council chambers for their regular meeting and in a 4-3 vote authorized an energy savings contract with Noresco, LLC. Mayor Yolanda Ford, and at-large councilmembers Vashaundra Edwards, and Chris Preston, voted against the contract, while the four District council members, Reginald Pearson, Jeﬀrey Boney, Anthony Maroulis, and Floyd Emery voted in favor of the contract. Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance Contracting is an alternative procurement process that helps local governments monetize future guaranteed savings from energy, utility and maintenance budgets to ﬁnance needed infrastructure improvements today.

Teen From Page 1 the app available in 7 Languages – English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu,” says Aryan who is in 8th grade in a local school and watches Pheriwalas during bus rides to his school every day. The two are now seeking venture capital or Angel Investing funds to promote the App and get maximum downloads and usage. “We have a self-sustainable model. Three years down the line we will have big companies interested as nobody has targeted this market and our app will have tremendous data on small and petty purchases,” says Aditya. Aditya already launched a mobile app “SportsConnect” two years ago which was featured in the India Herald in February 2017. He has written many research articles on Big Data, eCommerce etc. for computer magazines like “Computer Society of India” as cover page stories. Aditya secured a place in top 3 in the State of Texas for his school in English language competition and competed at national level in Oklahoma. Aditya can be reached by email adityabhatia78@gmail. com

The city has determined it is in its best interest to develop a partnership with NORESCO, LLC in conjunction with Energy Savings Performance Contracting. This is a method of financing that allows the city to complete energy-saving improvements within an existing budget by paying for them with money saved through reduced utility expenditures. The City makes no upfront investments and instead finances projects through guaranteed annual energy savings. Two companies, NORESCO, LLC and OpTerra Energy Services offer similar services and were evaluated. After meeting with both the firms, city staff felt that NORESCO, LLC offered the most advantageous partnership and potential solutions to the City. NORESCO had earlier performed an extensive analysis of 22 city facilities that included 12 city buildings, 7 park areas and conversion of all street lights to LED throughout the City. This contract was executed in August of 2018 at a cost of $28,220.00. Now, that the city is moving forward with the contract, this amount will not be owed to Noresco and it will absorb the cost. The total cost of the projects to be financed was $1,267,389, including lighting and labor when presented at the June 17 City Council meeting. The City has been advised by the vendor that two items have increased in costs since June 17. The vendor has been holding pricing since December 2018. These projects to be financed are now $1,350,084 or an increase of $82,695 resulting from equipment tariffs and trade labor rates. NORESCO’s estimated savings and costs to the city over the next 20 years for implementing the project will exceed the lease payments over the term of the lease, with the City retaining the full value of the savings upon lease completion. Over the next year or so, the City will be able to upgrade interior and exterior lighting through retrofitting and adding upgraded switching mechanisms. Further, by working with Centerpoint Energy, NORESCO has assured the

City of LED lighting upgrades across the City. The LED conversion project is expected to commence between 3 to 6 months upon authorization and the entire project is estimated to be completed by spring 2020. In addition to realizing cost savings, these proposed initiatives will ensure a more sustainable environment for the City. Mayor Ford, before the vote, said items like this should have gone through the Request for Proposals process. City Manager Anthony Snipes said it is not feasible to solicit RFPs for every project and administratively, the selection process in this case was efficient and justified. Once the contract was approved, the next item was to finance the necessary equipment, using tax-exempt lease purchase financing for this project. This method of financing will enable equipment acquisition through installment payments with little or no upfront capital required. This arrangement treats the project as capital equipment owned by the financing organization and leased over a fixed term to the City. Upon termination, ownership transfers to the City. Council members again voted on this item the same way as they voted on the contract. The mayor and two at large council members voted against the financing method, despite the fact that the city has to purchase equipment. Shashi K. Kumar, public works director and city engineer, said the city began moving toward Noresco for energy savings a year and a half ago. During that time city staff spent 100 hours collectively canvassing all the city’s streets and lights, he said. Kumar said a third party, Edwards Energy, is to evaluate what Noresco is proposing. It cost Noresco $28,000 to perform the energy audit and Edwards spent $15,000 for a total of $43,000 “on what they call the energy project. This part of the contracting process is to have Edwards Energy involved.” He said capital costs are about 1.3 million. Over 20 years savings to the city is about $7.8 million.

INDEPENDENT • JULY 10, 2019 • Page 4

NEWS Fort Bend Historical Commission Bite Nite Friday springs into Riverstone July 12

receives Distinguished Service Award from Texas Historical Commission

Fort Bend County Judge KP George, left, Commissioners Vincent Morales, Grady Prestge, Andy Meyers and Ken R. DeMerchant with Fort Bend Historical Commission member Chris Godbold.

Riverstone is adding a giant trampoline to the fun expected during this week’s Bite Nite Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Five food trucks will be stationed in the Fort Bend community. The event is open to the public. Bite Nite Friday will spring That means everyone can enjoy Taco Truck, Tu-Go Kitchen, back into Riverstone on July some worry-free fun.” Anna’s Gourmet Greek and The no-spring trampoline TexIce Frozen Desserts. 12 to serve up mobile eats and uses glass-reinforced plasa few backflips. Both Tu-Go Kitchen, Anna’s Five food trucks and one tic rods instead of steel coil Gourmet Greek and TexIce giant trampoline will be based springs to form a flexible soft will have vegan and vegetaroutside The Club at Riverstone, edge resulting in the rigid ian options. The next Bite Nite 18353 University Boulevard, frame being lowered below the Fridays are scheduled for Aug. from 5:30-9:30 p.m. — put- jumping surface. This removes 16, Sept. 13 and Oct. 11. Trucks ting a new spin on the popular two known hazards from the are subject to change. Dogs are jumping surface — the rigid allowed but must be leashed. monthly event. “For each Bite Nite, we try to perimeter frame and the steel Some trucks may be cash only, include a different fun activity,” coil springs. The base of the so diners should stop at the said Shanelle Channell, life- trampoline is also more rigid ATM on the way. style director for Riverstone. than conventional trampolines. Riverstone is located near This month’s food truck U.S. 59 and Highway 6. Homes “This time Springfree Trampoline Houston is supplying a selections include burgers, ta- in the community are priced trampoline — which is great cos, Asian cuisine, traditional from the $340,000s. because it’s rated as one of Greek food and frozen desserts For more information, visit the world’s safest trampolines. from Balls Out Burgers, Tilas www.riverstone.com.

donation to the state valued at more than $11 million. The THC assists more than 200 CHCs through programs and services that preserve Texas’ heritage for the education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations. The THC’s advisory role to CHCs is outlined in the Texas Local Government Code, the statute that enables county commissioner’s courts to establish CHCs. The volunteer appointees, as directed by county officials, initiate and conduct programs that preserve the historic and cultural resources of Texas. For additional information about CHCs in Texas, visit thc.texas.gov/chcoutreach or Area residents who already contact the History Programs have a bachelor’s degree in Division at 512-463-5853. another field but have always wanted to be a teacher now have an option to make that dream a reality through the updated online VOICE program at the University of HoustonVictoria. The UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development’s VOICE program started in 2003, but the )UHH 0HGLFDO &OLQLF LV FRPLQJ university recently revamped the online program to make WR )RUW %HQG The Texas Commission on it more affordable and give Environmental Quality (TCEQ) students the option of applying tĞĚŶĞƐĚĂǇ͕ :ƵůǇ ϯϭ͕ ϮϬϭϵ and the Houston-Galveston Area course credits toward earning Council (H-GAC) will hold a a master’s degree. Students ϵ Ă͘ŵ͘ ʹ ϭϮ Ɖ͘ŵ͘Ύ public meeting from 1:30 to 3:30 participating in the program :ŽŝŶ ƵƐ Ăƚ &Žƌƚ ĞŶĚ ŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͛Ɛ ŝƐĐŽǀĞƌǇ p.m. Thursday, July 11, at the can earn a teaching certificate George Memorial Library, 1001 in as little as a year. ĞŶƚĞƌ ĨŽƌ ĨƌĞĞ ďĂĐŬͲƚŽͲƐĐŚŽŽů ǁĞůůͲĐŚŝůĚ “Texas is faced with a shortGolfview Drive, Richmond, TX ŝŵŵƵŶŝǌĂƚŝŽŶƐ͘ age of teachers, and VOICE 77469. helps those who want to teach The purpose of the meeting • ůů ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ŵƵƐƚ ďĞ ĂĐĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞŝƌ receive quality preparation in a is to discuss water quality ƉĂƌĞŶƚͬŐƵĂƌĚŝĂŶ͘ short time so they can be ready issues impacting the Big • WůĞĂƐĞ ďƌŝŶŐ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ƐŚŽƚ ƌĞĐŽƌĚƐ͕ ŝĨ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ͘ to move into the classroom and Creek watershed and provide make a positive impact on stuan opportunity for local dents,” said Fred Litton, dean stakeholders to give feedback Ύ^ƉĂĐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ůŝŵŝƚĞĚ͘ ZĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƚŝŽŶ ůŝŶĞ ǁŝůů ŽƉĞŶ Ăƚ of the school. on potential paths forward. This ϵĂŵ ĂŶĚ ĐůŽƐĞ ďǇ ϭϮ͗ϬϬƉŵ͘ To participate in the promeeting is open to the public. gram, students must have a Big Creek in Fort Bend bachelor’s degree and pass the dƌĂŶƐƉŽƌƚĂƚŝŽŶ ĨŽƌ ΨϮ ƉĞƌ ƉĞƌƐŽŶ ƌŽƵŶĚƚƌŝƉ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ &Žƌƚ County has been identified by Texas Pre-Admission Certificathe TCEQ as failing to meet the ĞŶĚ ŽƵŶƚǇ͘ Ăůů ϮϴϭͲϲϯϯͲϳϰϯϯ ĨŽƌ ĂǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚǇ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ tion Test. state water quality standard for ƌĞƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶƐ͘ Students also must have a contact recreation. Its primary GPA of at least 2.75 in the last water quality challenge is 60 hours of their college work elevated levels of fecal bacteria, which indicate conditions that &ƌĞĞ ŵŽďŝůĞ ĐůŝŶŝĐƐ ŐĞŶĞƌŽƵƐůǇ ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌĞĚ ďǇ͗ may be harmful to human health, local economies, and the environment. “Waterways are impacted by Catholic Charities’ Blessed everything that happens on the Beginnings Program offers land that drains to them,” said summer curriculum in Fort Justin Bower, Senior Planner at Bend County to help parents the H-GAC. prevent tragedy “This project seeks to FORT BEND The unthinkable can happen: characterize the water quality a rushed parent can forget a issues impacting Big Creek, 12551 Emily Court, Sugar Land, TX 77478 baby or toddler in the back identify their potential sources, Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77478 seat of a vehicle, or become and seek local stakeholder distracted and look away while feedback on addressing them.” www.fbindependent.com Seshadri Kumar a child is playing in the pool. Learn more about water quality Publisher & Editor 281-980-6745 In the summer, either can be a standards by reading Preserving deadly oversight. Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every and Improving Water Quality, Catholic Charities’ Blessed Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend available at www.tceq.texas. Independent, LLC., 12551, Emily Court, Texas 77478. Beginnings Life Center, which gov/goto/tmdl/. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. provides free parent education POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, and support to low income Fort P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487. Bend families, added lifesav-

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) recognized the Fort Bend County Historical Commission (CHC) with a Distinguished Service Award (DSA) for the year 2018. This annual award aﬃrms CHCs that document ongoing, well-rounded programs of history and preservation-related projects that enrich local communities. The award will be presented during a meeting of the county commissioner’s court in the near future to acknowledge the CHC’s accomplishments. “The Distinguished Service Award honors County Historical Commissions that go above and beyond to protect and promote local historic and cultural resources. They are essential to our agency’s eﬀorts to save the real places that tell the real stories of Texas. The

Texas Historical Commission presents this Distinguished Service Award to the Fort Bend County Historical Commission to honor its eﬀorts to preserve the Lone Star State’s unique heritage,” said THC Executive Director Mark Wolfe. “I am proud of the eﬀorts that the members of our Historic Commission have done to earn such a prestigious award. The Fort Bend County Historical Commission members are committed to the goals of the Commission in preserving our customs and traditions while serving as a vital link in the Texas preservation network. I can’t say enough about what they do for our county,” said Fort Bend County Judge KP George. Texas CHCs provided more than 447,000 volunteer hours in 2018, which is an in-kind

UHV makes online teacher certiﬁcation program more aﬀordable

TCEQ holds public meeting on Big Creek

or as an overall GPA. In addition, Students must pass a criminal history background check through the Texas Department of Public Safety and an interview with UHV’s education faculty. A major change the education school made to the VOICE program was to make it more aﬀordable. Students can earn their teacher certiﬁcation in as little as a year for $3,750, not counting books and supplies. In addition, the school adjusted VOICE so that 12 of the 18 credit hours required for the program can be used toward three new Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction concentrations: early childhood to eighth grade, higher education and secondary education, and English as a Second Language/Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. “The program is a real advantage for professionals who already have a bachelor’s degree because it doesn’t force them to go back to do more undergraduate work – rather, they take graduate-level courses online,” said Mary Lasater, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, and coordinator of the VOICE and graduate curriculum and instruction

programs. “This way, they already have started on the path to earning a master’s degree.” As students go through the VOICE program, they have two options for the practicum portion. They can do 66 days of student teaching, or they can ﬁnd a paid internship that will allow them to work as classroom teachers for a full year while also completing the last two courses in the program. Interns will be evaluated and advised by supervisors from UHV, many of whom are former education professionals and administrators. “The primary purpose of the VOICE program is to bring new teachers into the classroom,” Lasater said. “These changes will enable students to step into teaching positions with conﬁdence and at the same time set them up for future growth through graduate studies. We always want to prepare educators for success, and these changes will help us do that.” To learn more about the program, contact Lasater at (361) 570-4335 or lasaterm@ uhv.edu.

Teaching parents to keep babies safe in the summer

FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE.

ing summer safety tips to its parenting classes on a number of topics: •Water and swimming pool precautions •Ensuring that babies aren’t accidentally left alone in a hot car •Car seat safety: correct installation and use •Awareness about all visitors in the home Classes are taught to parents in both Spanish and English at the Mamie George Community Center in Richmond, 1111 Collins Road, Richmond, Texas 77469. In addition to classes,

parents may receive needed items such as diapers, bottles and age-appropriate toys. For information about parent education classes, call Blessed Beginnings at 713-874-6760. Blessed Beginnings Life Center is committed to the sanctity of human life, oﬀering support to parents from pregnancy through their child’s ﬁfth birthday. The program offers pregnancy and parenting classes, counseling and material assistance to help parents have healthy babies and children.

INDEPENDENT • JULY 10, 2019 • Page 5

NEWS From victim to champion: UHCL alumna honored for environmental work

Partner with Safe2Save; get rewarded for undistracted driving Safe driving app, SAFE 2 SAVE, recently announced a new partnership with the McDonald’s owner/operators of Greater Houston to encourage road and community safety. SAFE 2 SAVE app users are now able to cash in their points for free food at more than 300 McDonald’s locations across the Greater Houston area. Currently, Houston is the number one most distracted driving city in the nation according to a study done by Zendrive. SAFE 2 SAVE is a free mobile app that works to end distracted driving. Users are awarded points for putting away their phone while driving. Those points can then be redeemed at local businesses for free items and discounts. “I am delighted a brand as large and inﬂuential as McDonald’s is coming on board in the Greater Houston market,” said Marci Corry, owner and CEO of SAFE 2 SAVE. “We are dealing with a giant distracted driving epidemic in the third largest city of America. It is a privilege to work with the local McDonald’s owner/operators who reach every neighborhood, every age, at every time of day, to help drive change in Houston.”

“As local business people, we’re excited to work with SAFE 2 SAVE to help make Houston roads safer for everyone,” said McDonald’s owner/operator, area native, and former Houston Texan Steve McKinney. “We hope the only time folks use their phones while behind the wheel is at a McDonald’s drive thru to redeem their points for a free Big Mac.” All Greater Houston area locations are offering the following rewards: •Free Any Size Drink - 100 points •Free Hashbrown - 200 points •Free Sausage Burrito - 350 points •Free Large Fries - 500 points •Free Big Mac - 800 points *No Purchase Necessary. Valid only at participating U.S. McDonald’s. Not valid with any other offer, discount, coupon or combo meal. Limit one offer per person per visit. Valid when product served. May not be valid for custom orders. McDonald’s reserves the right to discontinue this deal at any time. Download SAFE 2 SAVE and use code MCDONALDS for a bonus 500 points. For more information on

SAFE 2 SAVE and how to become a business on the app, visit safe2save.org. Memorial Hermann Life Flight is the title sponsor for SAFE 2 SAVE in the Greater Houston area. Currently, Houston is the most distracted city in the nation and MH cares deeply about injury prevention. This is seen as a proactive approach eﬀectively driving change, creating conversation about the epidemic of distracted driving and truly rewarding good behavior. The McDonald’s Greater Houston Owner/Operators Association (GHOA) is a cooperative of local business owners who own and operate more than 300 McDonald’s restaurants in Greater Houston. SAFE 2 SAVE is a free, rewards-based incentive app which works to end distracted driving. Users are rewarded with points for not using their phone while driving. Points can then be redeemed for free items + discounts at popular restaurant chains, local eateries, retail stores and more. S2S is available in the App Store + Google Play Store. To learn more please visit safe2save.org.

This August, the Buchanan Family of Richmond will be sharing their home with Estelle, an international exchange student from Switzerland-German. The Buchanans were matched with Estelle, who will be attending George Ranch High School for the academic year through Youth For Understanding USA (YFU). Youth For Understanding (YFU), one of the world’s oldest, largest and most respected intercultural exchange programs, has been changing the way we see the world through their high school exchange

programs. Each year, YFU places hundreds of international exchange students with caring host families across the U.S. and enrolls them in a local area school. Hosting is all about sharing your version of the American lifestyle with an exchange student while also gaining a new global perspective, many memories and a new family member for life. Exchange students experience tremendous personal growth. At the same time, the impressions made by the students themselves will broaden

perspectives of host families and ultimately ripple through schools and across entire communities. More than 270,000 students and their host families have beneﬁted from their shared cultural experiences. YFU thanks the Buchanan Family for sharing American customs and their unique traditions with this young person embarking on a life-changing experience. Visit yfuusa.org or call 1.800.TEENAGE to learn more about local opportunities to host, study abroad or volunteer with YFU.

Exchange students arriving this August to George Ranch High School

FBISD’s Communications team earns multiple 2019 NSPRA awards for outstanding communications & PR programs Fort Bend ISD’s Communications team has earned seven 2019 National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) awards recognizing its eﬀorts in producing various communications and public relations programs. The team earned ﬁve Publications and Digital Media awards and two Golden Achievement awards. Both awards programs are open to all public or private schools or districts, including special schools such as vocational-technical institutes, regional and county education service agencies, education agencies and private businesses serving as partners with those organizations. NSPRA’s Publication and Digital Media awards recognize outstanding education publications, e-newsletters, digital media programs, radio/ TV/video programs, social media, infographics, blogs and websites. Entries are judged on the overall excellence of the entry,

as well as its quality compared to other entries in the category. The top award in each category is the Award of Excellence. Awards of Merit and Honorable Mention are also presented in each category. This year, groups submitted 1,148 entries, with 667 of those receiving recognition. FBISD received the following awards: Award of Excellence – The School in the Sea Award of Merit – 2018 Bond: Understanding Political Advocacy Award of Honorable Mention – FBISD High School Course Selection Guide Award of Honorable Mention – Safety Message for Students Award of Honorable Mention – Capturing Kids Hearts at Ridgegate Elementary NSPRA will showcase all Awards of Excellence, Awards of Merit, and Awards of Honorable Mention winners on its website at www.nspra.org. Awards of Excellence en-

tries will also be included in the 2019 Publications and Digital Media Awards Showcase at the National Seminar in Washington, D.C. in July. NSPRA’s Golden Achievement awards recognize successful public relations programs. Entries are judges for their outstanding achievement in the four steps of a public relations program: 1) analysis of the need; 2) planning to meet the need; 3) execution and communication of the program and 4) formal evaluation. FBISD’s Communications team earned 2019 NSPRA Golden Achievement awards for the following entries: FBISD 2018 Bond Campaign Silver Jubilee-Celebrating 25 Years (Fort Bend Education Foundation’s anniversary campaign) To learn more about the NSPRA awards, visit the organization’s website at www. nspra.org.

Visit fbindependent.com and subscribe to the Digital Edition.

University of Houston-Clear Lake alumna Jackie Young, founder and executive director of the Texas Health and Environmental Alliance, is shown near the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, an EPA Superfund site scheduled for cleanup in 2020. Young was recently honored with Houston’s Bayou Preservation Association stewardship award for the role she played in the EPA’s commitment to fully remediate the toxic site. University of HoustonClear Lake alumna Jackie Young was a model, until poisoning by heavy metals in her home’s water supply changed her life’s course. Now she’s a model citizen: a vocal environmental activist, grass-roots organizer and clean-water advocate. Young, who graduated from the College of Science and Engineering in 2013 with a bachelor’s in Environmental Science, founded Texas Health and Environment Alliance in 2015 — a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting water resources from toxic waste by educating and engaging the public, policymakers and media. Since her graduation, she has been quoted in dozens of news publications nationwide — and at least 22 times in the Houston Chronicle — for her mission of environmental justice. “In Harris County there are over 20 Environmental Protection Agency-designated Superfund sites,” Young said. “I find it highly unacceptable that current and future generations have to be concerned about living next to one of these sites, or that their groundwater may be contaminated by one of these sites from contaminants that somebody dumped 40 or 50 years ago.” For her community efforts, Houston’s Bayou Preservation Association recently awarded Young its annual stewardship award for the non-profit sector. “Her advocacy with the San Jacinto River Coalition dramatically impacted the Superfund process for the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, resulting in the EPA’s commitment to fully remediate the toxic site along the San Jacinto River,” the association said. In 2017, just weeks after the EPA discovered that stop-gap measures to cover the Superfund site had failed during Hurricane Harvey, the agency agreed to a $115 million plan to completely remove and relocate the toxic waste. Cleanup is scheduled to begin in September 2020. “We submitted over 55,000 comments for strengthening of the remedy, to see that the pits were cleaned down to residential and recreational standards, rather than an industrial standard,” Young said. “And (former EPA Administrator Scott) Pruitt signed into record the decision to clean the site to residential standard. That was a huge victory for the organization.” Young can add this award to a growing list of accolades: •2018: Houston Business Journal’s 40 under 40. •2016: Houston Peace and Justice Center’s Houston Peacemaker Award. •2015: Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter’s Environmental Justice Award.

•2014: Citizens League for Environmental Action Now (CLEAN Houston) choice for representation in Houston Chronicle’s series, “Houston Heroes: People Who Make a Difference.” In a full-page profile, the newspaper chronicled the events that turned Young from pollution victim to environmental champion. Where her story begins The first time the Chronicle quoted Young was in 2013, after she had been crowned Miss Houston Rodeo and before she graduated UH-Clear Lake. Young found corporate modeling as a means of supporting her education. In 2009, she won a competition and contract for Darque Tan’s billboard campaign. However, in 2010 Young developed a debilitating autoimmune disorder, developed skin lesions, experienced seizures and eventually lost use of her hands. Young lived in Highlands, 2 miles from the San Jacinto Waste Pits, where in the 1960s, paper mill waste was disposed in 14 acres dug along the west bank of the river. Over years of flooding, subsidence, and erosion, the pits became partially submerged and forgotten, until they were rediscovered in 2005. In March 2008, the EPA put the Waste Pits on its National Priorities List of Superfund Sites. That September, Hurricane Ike “overwhelmed the Waste Pits and could have contributed to scouring and associated leakage of dioxins detected nearby,” analysts told the EPA six years later. In 2011, Young transferred from Lee College in Baytown to UHCL, where she received important clues to as to what happened to her health. “In 2011, I was down to 90 pounds and I was having about an average seven seizures a week,” she said. For a class assignment in her hydrogeology course, she brought water samples from home for testing. The water sample from her home’s well contained heavy metals. Ingestion of heavy metals – such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and others – can damage the brain, kidneys, liver, other organs and blood composition, the National Institute of Health says. Subsequently, Young had her blood tested. She tested positive for 19 of 21 heavy metals. Also in 2011, and as a direct result of her discovery, Young began volunteering for the San Jacinto River Coalition, a citizen’s group determined to see the Waste Pits completely remediated. In 2013, after multiple treatments and transfusions, a change in water supply — and eventually, a move — Young’s health slowly improved. In an assignment for an environmental management course, Young went door-to-door to gather residents’ health histo-

ries. She heard stories of rare, childhood brain cancers, eye cancers, blood cancers and lymphoma — all of which have long been linked to dioxin exposure. Standing in the vortex — still By 2014, fierce debates raged over whether the Waste Pits were the cause of dioxin-suspected cancers, the Chronicle reported, while environmentalists, fishermen, landowners and corporations battled over cleanup plans. Young and the coalition – and later, her non-profit alliance – remained in the center of these storms. She rallied citizens and pressed the EPA, as well as elected and appointed officials for complete removal of the pits — and gained a reputation as a respected environmentalist and community activist. These days, as executive director of the Texas Health and Environment Alliance, she is working closely with the EPA and with Harris County’s technical review team as they make their way through the Waste Pits cleanup design process. When she started this journey, she reached out to the Environmental Protection Agency for help. Now, the EPA reaches out to her to help inform the public and policymakers about its work in the region, and to help organize their responses. “One of the most important parts of my job is making sure everybody’s talking,” she said. “We’ve worked very hard over the years to get in the good graces of the agencies we work with. Often, when things happen, I’m the first one the EPA calls. So, then I need to call our local pollution control, our local congressman, our representative, our county attorney, and make sure that all the people here on the local level are aware of what’s going on.” ‘UHCL shaped me’ Despite her years as a model, Young says she had always intended to work in environmental science, and early on had thought she would pursue a career as a geologist. “I went to UH-Clear Lake with the intent of graduating with the degree that I did. I never would’ve dreamed I would found and run an environmental non-profit organization.” She says she maintains close relationships with several professors whom she regards as her professional mentors. “My experience at UHCL shaped me as a person and undoubtedly led me to not only getting back on my feet with my health, but also to my career.” UHCL offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental science, including an online master’s degree, a linked B.S.-M.S. degree and several specialization tracks. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/uhcl-environmental-science.

INDEPENDENT • JULY 10, 2019 • Page 6

Stolen property recovered from burglars Rosenberg Police Officers responded to a suspicious persons call at the Fountains Apartments, 3419 Fountains Drive, early Friday, June 28, 2019 which led to the recovery of stolen property. A concerned caller advised police that they witnessed suspicious persons looking in the windows of residents’ vehicles. Officers were able to locate two men and a woman involved in the burglary of nine vehicles, many of which were damaged in the process. The suspects were identified as Michael White of Wharton, Tranesha Hearse and Michael Reynolds of Rosenberg. Michael White was taken into custody for Possession of a Stolen Firearm and will be charged with Burglary of Motor Vehicle. Both suspects Tranesha Hearse and Michael Reynolds admitted involvement and will be charged with Burglary of a Motor Vehicle as well. Stolen property obtained from the three suspects will be returned to the rightful owners. “Yet another example of what can be accomplished when our officers and our citizens work together,” commented Chief Jonathan White. “Our citizen caller deserves special recognition for being observant and willing to let us know that something wasn’t right. THANK YOU!” Anyone with information regarding a crime is encouraged to contact Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342TIPS (8477). You can also submit online at http://www.fortbend. crimestoppersweb.com/ If that tip leads to an arrest you can receive a cash reward! Information, which leads to the apprehension and filing of charges on the suspect(s) involved, could earn you up to $5,000.00 CASH REWARD. All calls to Crime Stoppers are ANONYMOUS

COMMUNITY NEWS UH Katy prepares to move to new location

Hearse

The University of HoustonVictoria at Katy is preparing to move by the start of fall classes into a new building that it will share with UH in the Katy area. The location will be home to programs from both UHV and UH to serve the Katy and Greater Houston communities. The three-story, 80,000square-foot building is located at 22400 Grand Circle Blvd. in Katy near the intersection of Interstate 10 and the Grand Parkway. The UH System funded the building with $46.8 million in construction bonds approved in 2015 by the Texas Legislature. “UHV Katy’s move is an exciting development for the university,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “This new site will be home to many of UHV’s most popular transfer and graduate programs in order to oﬀer

Reynolds

White

students the chance to earn degrees close to home at an affordable price. We look forward to partnering with UH and giving our students access to this beautiful, new facility.” The new building is expected to be ready in time for the Aug. 26 first day of fall classes. UHV will offer transfer and graduate programs from all three of its academic schools: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV Katy has been operating at 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2 since fall 2016. “We’re working to ensure a smooth transition from the UHV Katy instructional site to the new building,” said Karla DeCuir, senior director of enrollment management and external affairs at UHV Katy. “We always want to focus on placing the interests of the students at the forefront and providing them with the help

they need. This move is an exciting opportunity to bring programs specific to the Katy area’s needs and create a center for higher education in this community.” The new building is constructed with a central entrance and lobby with two wings that sweep back in an arrow-like shape. The first floor will feature a lobby with an information desk and an unmanned convenience store at the point of the arrow. There also will be a virtual library. The wings will feature studios and 60- and 40-seat classrooms, and a large classroom that can be converted into a multi-purpose room. The second floor will have studios, classrooms and labs, in addition to two UHV office suites for faculty and staff, and conference rooms. There also will be study niches in the hallways with power outlets for students’ laptops and other devices.

The UH System wanted to be sure there were plenty of study alcoves and spaces in the building, said Jay Neal, associate vice president for academic aﬀairs and COO at the UH instructional sites in Katy and Sugar Land. The building’s third ﬂoor will feature labs, studios and more classrooms. In addition, there will be an outdoor balcony patio space for students to study or spend time together. The UH System purchased 40 acres for the building site, which means there is room to add new buildings and programs in the future, Neal said. In addition, Houston Community College has purchased land nearby to build a Katy location. The Katy instructional site is designed by SmithGroup and is being constructed by Tellepsen, a Houston-based construction contractor.

HCC Launches Free Degree Program, Eagle Promise

THE STATE OF TEXAS CITATION BY PUBLICATION TO DUC THANG 8510 TOMKINS COVE DRIVE HOUSTON TX 77083-7390 You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not file a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on Monday next following the expiration of forty-two days from the date of issuance of this citation, same being August 19, 2019 a default judgment may be taken against you. The case is presently pending before the 240TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County sitting in Richmond, Texas. It bears cause number 16-DCV-235156 and is styled: In the Matter of 97 Gambling Devices, Equipment and $28,240.00 Gambling Proceeds The name and address of the attorney for PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is: CRAIG PRIESMEYER; MARK LAFORGE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE 301 JACKSON ST RM 101 RICHMOND TX 77469; ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY 301 JACKSON ST RICHMOND TX 77469 281-341-4460 281-633-7638 The nature of the demands of said PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is as follows to wit: RESPONDENTS TO APPEAR AND SHOW CAUSE WHY SAID PROPERTY SHOULD NOT BE FORFEITED OR DESTROYED AND FURTHER MOVES, UPON HEARING IN THIS CAUSE, FOR AN ORDER DIRECTING THAT THE PROPERTY BE FORFEITED TO THE STATE TO BE DISPOSED OF ACCORDING TO LAW. If this Citation is not served, it shall be returned unserved. Issued under my hand and seal of said Court, at Richmond, Texas on this the 1st day of July, 2019. DISTRICT CLERK BEVERLY MCGREW WALKER, FORT BEND COUNTY. TEXAS Physical Address: 1422 Eugene Heinmann Circle, Room 31004 Richmond, Texas 77469 Mailing Address: 301 Jackson St., Room 101 Richmond, Texas 77469 Deputy District Clerk Katherine Chambers (281) 344-3959

Houston Community College (HCC) is taking another step to remove financial barriers for students with its Eagle Promise Program, a success and completion initiative that allows qualifying Spring 2019 high-school graduates to earn their degree or certificate for free at HCC. Those Spring 2019 highschool graduates—who live in the HCC taxing district and meet income requirements— may qualify to earn an eligible degree or certificate free

through the Eagle Promise Program. Tuition, fees, and a book allowance of up to $500 each semester may all be covered. “When we consider the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s students, Eagle Promise is another conduit for the institution to advance our commitment of removing completion barriers,” said Dr. Janet Wormack, HCC’s Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Oﬃcer.

City of Missouri City LEGAL NOTICE THIS IS A MANDATED PUBLICATION OF THE LEGAL NOTICE ******* OPENING DATE OF July 24, 2019 AT 2:00 pm. ******* Invitation for Bid (IFB No. 19-334) Citypark Drive WS&D + Paving Fort Bend County & Harris County, Texas. Scope of Work of the Contract includes the following: Construction of Public roadway, water, sewer, and drainage facilities. Copies of the bidding documents may be obtained from www.CivcastUSA.com: search Citypark Drive. Non-mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at 10:00 am, Council Chambers at the address below. Responses must be sealed, marked on the outside of the delivery envelope with the IFB name and number as listed above, and the date of opening. Responses must be delivered to the attention of City of Missouri City Attn: Purchasing Office IFB No. 19-334 1522 Texas Parkway Missouri City, Texas 77489 prior to the acceptance deadline. Responses marked improperly and therefore misdirected may be disqualified. Until final award of the contract, the City reserves the right to reject any or all responses, to waive irregularities or technicalities, to re-advertise, or proceed to do the work otherwise when in the best interests of the City. No bid may be withdrawn during the 60 days following the bid opening date.

At the core of the Eagle Promise Program are support services to help students to succeed in college: •Academic, career and transfer counseling to help them reach their career and educational goals, •Support from ﬁnancial coaches to help them complete

their degree or certiﬁcate program, debt-free, and •Priority registration, beginning the second semester of attendance. “Free-college models are gaining traction nationally, and HCC is excited to leverage the Eagle Promise Program as a cost-free, debt-free pathway

for qualifying students to earn a degree or certiﬁcate,” said Dr. Shantay Grays, interim Vice Chancellor of Student Services for HCC. For more information about HCC Eagle Promise Program’s qualiﬁcations and application, visit www.hccs.edu/ freedegree.

SAVE THE DATE FOR OAKBEND MEDICAL CENTER’S POWER OF THE PURSE OakBend Medical Center is excited to announce that the 2019 Patchwork of Life event will be held on Thursday, October 10, at Safari Texas Ranch. This year’s event will beneﬁt OakBend’s Women’s Imaging Department. Funds raised from the event will be used to purchase a 3D mammography machine, bringing the gold standard for breast cancer detection to OakBend. This technology will enable doctors to identify and treat breast cancer at earlier stages and with greater accuracy than traditional mammography. For additional information or for sponsorships or tickets email development@obmc.org or call the Development Oﬃce at 281-341-3094. PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffic control plan for Winfield Lakes North, Section 4, Precinct 2.

The Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffic control plan for West Oaks Village Drive, Precinct 2.

The Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffic control plan for Long Meadow Farms, Section 45, Precinct 4.

The hearing will be held in the Commissioners Courtroom at 401 Jackson Street, Second Floor, Richmond, Texas. You are invited to attend and state your approval or objection on this matter.

Submitted by,

Laura Richard Fort Bend County Clerk

Submitted by,

Laura Richard Fort Bend County Clerk

COMMUNITY

INDEPENDENT • JULY 10, 2019 • Page 7

Houston Tennis Association awards United Way partners with Houston Texans scholarships to local high school students linebacker for Project Undercover socks and undies drive

United Way volunteers sorting the donated items following last year’s drive, which collected over 14,500 pairs of socks and underwear that benefited 1,450 Houston-area students. Houston-area students from kindergarten through 12th grade will have improved access to new socks and underwear through United Way of Greater Houston’s Project Undercover, a citywide collection drive to beneﬁt students before the start of the school year. This year, Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus is partnering with United Way to raise awareness of the need for clean undergarments in conjunction with his WithMerci Foundation’s Returning 2 Learning program. Studies show 1 in 5 children don’t have access to clean clothes, often because their families are unable to provide these items due to financial constraints. Students without clean clothes often miss school, which is a leading factor in high

school dropout rates. In 2018, Project Undercover collected over 14,500 pairs of socks and underwear that beneﬁted 1,450 Houston-area students. In the four-county area served by United Way, 40 percent of households struggle to make ends meet. Project Undercover makes it possible for lower-income students to wear brand new socks and underwear when they begin the school year, setting them on the path to success in school. Collection drives will take place in each of the four counties served by United Way, including Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Waller, as well as the Bay Area. Area corporations, churches or community organizations are also encouraged to host collection drives to engage members during the summer

months. “All kids deserve to feel comfortable and confident when they leave for school every day despite their ﬁnancial situation,” said Emily Faron, volunteer engagement manager for United Way of Greater Houston. “A donation of clean pair of socks and undies can increase a student’s attendance rate, therefore increasing the chances they achieve academic success and graduate from high school.” Between July 8 – Aug. 2, area residents can deliver new pairs of socks and underwear to the United Way Centers in each county, which can be found at www.unitedwayhouston.org/ projectundercover. Donations can also be made through United Way’s Amazon Registry.

From left, Kamryn Brooks of Sugar Land, Allison Le of Houston and Alyssa Davila of Houston received scholarships at the Houston Tennis Association awards luncheon at Beck’s Prime Memorial Park. Missouri City resident Nancy Vivero, right, represented the West Houston Ladies Tennis Association, which contributed to the scholarship fund. The Houston Tennis Association (HTA) has distributed college scholarships totaling $23,500 to 21 greater Houston area high school graduates. The students received sums from $1,000 to $2,000. In addition to HTA contributions, funds have been provided by the HTA/NJTL (National Junior Tennis and Learning), the National Senior Women’s Clay Court Championships, the Steve Wolford Memorial Scholarship Fund, Houston Ladies Tennis Association, West Houston Ladies Tennis Association, the LeMaster Husband-Wife tournament, GFT Charity Inc., the Sean Rudolph Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S.

Men’s Clay Court Championship. Students who received the grants and their high schools and college destinations are James Anderson (Ridge Point, University of Texas at Austin); Brady Brazda (Kinkaid, University of Texas at Tyler); Kamryn Brooks (Stephen F. Austin, Baylor); Antonio Corrales (Ball High, University of Chicago); Alyssa Davila (MacArthur, University of St. Thomas); Huzaifa Faizan (Kingwood Park, Texas A&M); Caroline Glath (William B. Travis, UT Austin); Corrie Hopper (Houston Christian, Grove City College); Natalie Anne Hur (Memorial, Trinity); Allison Le (Kinkaid, Texas A&M); Austin Luu (Dobie, UT Austin); Tyler

Mai (Clear Brook, Texas A&M); Giancarlos Mejia (Cypress Lakes, U of Houston); Adriana Rangel (BF Terry, Sam Houston State); Aidan Rangel (Needville, Wharton County Jr. College); Danielle Rhodes (Glenda Dawson, U of Louisiana Lafayette); Lisa “Nicole” Roach (Tomball Memorial, Texas State); Reyna Santoyo (Cypress Springs, Dartmouth); Kyle Baccam Vu (Northbrook, U of Houston); Amy Caroline Warms (Katy, Southwestern); and Madison Campbell (Morton Ranch, Texas State University). The HTA has awarded more than $323,000 in scholarship funds to deserving high school seniors since 1992.

INDEPENDENT • JULY 10, 2019 • Page 8

NEWS Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital gets quality achievement award for stroke care nize Houston Methodist Sugar Land for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. To learn more about the services offered at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, visit houstonmethodist.org/sugarland or visit our Facebook page at fb.com/ methodistsugarland for the

latest news, events and information. Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to the latest researchbased guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 6 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital launches new OB hospitalist program for round-the-clock childbirth support

Front (left to right): Rita Richards, RN; Carisa Liew, MD; Tricia Lewis, RN; Luz Malit, RN; Back (left to right): Larry Tran, MD; Daisy del Rosario, RN; Tiffany Bell, RN; Charlene Manzano, RN; Diane McGraw, RN; James Ling, MD; Jo Gilbert, RN; Kelly Ward, RN; Toby Yaltho, MD; Jinal Shah, MD Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes Houston Methodist Sugar Land’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. Houston Methodist Sugar Land earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These

measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a followup visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions. “Houston Methodist Sugar Land is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said James Ling, M.D., medical director of the Houston

Methodist Sugar Land Stroke Program. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.” Houston Methodist Sugar Land additionally received the association’s Target Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. “We are pleased to recog-

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is introducing an obstetrics (OB) hospitalist program at its Childbirth Center, improving the availability of care for moms-to-be. Hospitalists are specially trained physicians who only see patients only in the hospital, ensuring there is highly skilled care on-site 24/7. Starting July 24, the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land will have a team of four full-time OB hospitalists – all board-certiﬁed OB-GYNs – to provide roundthe-clock care for women. To support this initiative, the hospital is partnering with Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG), the largest and only dedicated OB-GYN hospitalist provider in the country. As a result of this new partnership, Houston Methodist Sugar Land will be opening a new 24 hour obstetric-designated emergency department. The OB hospitalist program will provide care to patients 16 weeks and greater in the new OB emergency department.

They will also provide care and consultation for patients that are less than 16 weeks across the hospital including in the Houston Methodist Emergency Room at Sugar Land located in the Main Pavilion. “Sometimes a woman’s regular OB-GYN is delivering a baby at another hospital, or is delayed en route due to traﬃc or weather,” said Sarah Nelson, M.D., long-time Fort Bend-area OB-GYN who will lead the team at Houston Methodist Sugar Land. “That can be very stressful for a woman in labor and can even be dangerous if there are complications. In those situations, our OB hospitalists are there to provide care and assistance until the patient’s regular doctor arrives.” These highly skilled OB hospitalists are trained to stabilize and manage an array of high risk patients and have additional training for OB emergencies, neonatal resuscitation, advanced cardiac life support, high risk fetal

monitoring and gynecological emergencies. “The introduction of OB hospitalists is a major step forward for our Childbirth Center because it ensures that every woman will have access to an OB-GYN as needed, even when their own physician is delayed,” said Chris Siebenaler, regional senior vice president and CEO of Houston Methodist Sugar Land. “This program strengthens our ability to provide specialized care around the clock, improves patient safety and enhances our coordination of care, especially for women in emergency situations or those with high-risk pregnancies.” The addition of this group also brings the hospital one step closer on their journey to opening a level III NICU, which will allow for this level of care that is not yet available in Fort Bend County. To learn more about the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land, go to houstonmethodist.org/childbirth-sl or call 281.274.7080.