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TOM MALER
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Fort Bend’s most in-depth news coverage • Check our website FortBendStar.com
Volume XXXV • No. 34
Attorney in school finance lawsuit hopeful change is coming soon By Betsy Dolan
Attorney David Thompson has knocked around public education and Texas' school funding issue too long to be pie-in-the-sky about changes in the near future. But at a recent Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce luncheon he was optimistic that, for
the first time in over 30 years, fixing Texas's school finance issue may be gaining momentum. "The legislature is working very productively this session since the ruling came down. I think they have heard your voices," Thompson told the audience of community leaders and educa-
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Support National Child Abuse Prevention Month
tors on April 4. Thompson is the lead attorney for 84 school districts including Fort Bend ISD who joined three other school districts to successfully challenge the constitutionality of the current school funding system. ATTORNEY, continued on page 8
Some LCISD parents upset by re-zoning plan for new elementary school Fort Bend residents healthier 1,350 white stakes with blue ribbons stand outside the Fort Bend County Courthouse in Richmond in recognition of April as National Child Abuse Awareness Month. Each stake represents a child served by Child Advocates of Fort Bend in the last year. The Exchange Clubs of Fort Bend, Richmond and Rosenberg created the awareness field.
By Betsy Dolan
Tears and frustration from parents were common at a community forum April 2, to discuss the Lamar CISD Attendance Boundary Committee recommendations in regard to the opening of Adolphus Elementary in August. The committee's proposal will move some students who are currently attending McNeill, Frost and Hubenak elementaries to Adolphus.
All of the elementaries, including Adolphus, feed into Briscoe Junior High and Foster High School. Some parents who are not currently zoned to attend the new elementary school want their children to attend Adolphus. Other parents who are zoned to attend the new elementary school want their children to stay where they are. "You just can't continue to move my children," said Melinda Litchfield, from the
Parkway Lakes neighborhood. Her two children currently attend Hubenak after her neighborhood was re-zoned from McNeill two years ago. "(Adolphus) will be my fourth grader's third elementary school. Our children need consistency. They have made friends and it isn't fair." Residents in Long Meadow Farms, where Adolphus is being built, expressed frustration that a small section of their subdivision LCISD, continued on page 8
than most in the metro area to be at the top tier of a healthy state of well being. Although 20 percent of those in The number one health county Fort Bend County are without rank in Texas went to health insurance, according to the Williamson. Its data shows 18 2013 county health rankings in percent of the population to be the U.S. released by the Robert uninsured, but there are other Wood Johnson Foundation, it is health impacting categories that ranked number 13 out of just went into earning it that title spot. about all of the 254 counties in In fact, a total of 25 factors inTexas. A total of 232 were ranked. fluencing health were examined This is an indication that those for the county health rankings nathat live in the county can be said tionwide, which have been By Elsa Maxey
reported since 2010. They include rates of childhood poverty, smoking, obesity levels, teen birth rates, access to doctors and dentists, educational attainment, access to health and fast foods, physical inactivity levels, and percentages of children living in single parent homes among other factors. Here is one surprise. The percentage of fast food restaurants in neighboring Harris County is fewer than those in Fort Bend County reported at 52 percent and 55 percent, respectively. Harris County, however, was ranked at number 70 for wellness factoring in other measures, including the 30 percent figure for those without health insurance. Bordering families who inadvertently end Fort Bend on the other side toup on the front lines of the mental wards the Gulf Coast is health crisis by virtue of Brazoria County, ranked numnecessity. ber 32 in the state for wellness. That such struggle played out Twenty-one percent of its populast Sunday in Sugar Land when lation is uninsured, according to a 31 year old man sank into crisis. the report. According to reports, Sean
Traffic stops in Fort Bend Mental health lead to narcotic arrests call ends tragically By LeaAnne Klentzman
Two different men were arrested and charged with trafficking drugs through Fort Bend County in March. Last week Sheriff’s spokesman Bob Haenel released information about two different March drug busts by sheriff’s deputies last week. In the first incident announced, deputies seized almost a quarter of a million dollars after stopping a Marcos Camacho southbound truck on U.S. 59 in Rosenberg. In that incident, on March 19, 2013, a deputy and his drug sniffing “deputy dog” that is attached to the narcotics unit,
By LeaAnne Klentzman
Each and every day across the United States law enforcement is called upon to deal with people who are struggling with mental health issues. These calls for service are not only troublesome for the person fighting the mental health problems, but also their
$231,830 U.S. currency confiscated. stopped a tractor-trailer rig, reportedly for a traffic violation near FM 2218. According to Haenel, during that stop, the “deputy dog” discovered $231,830 in U.S. currency concealed in fake bat-
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METRO, continued on page 8 MENTAL, continued on page 9
City of Stafford gears usSave from up for 20th Annual ourselves! City Wide Clean Up
teries mounted in the tractor. The driver, identified as Marcos Camacho, 48, of Humble, was arrested and booked for Money Laundering. He has posted a $15,000 bond and is out of jail pending trial. The second narcotics incident occurred on March 26, 2013, it too was based on yet another federal tip. In this case, Haenel said the deputy assigned to narcotics and his “deputy dog” were working drug interdiction near Stafford on Staffordshire Road at Fifth Street. Haenel said during this roadside investigation, the “deputy Shown are Stafford MSD – AJROTC volunteers at the 2012 TRAFFIC, continued on page 9 Stafford Spring Clean Up.
By LeaAnne Klentzman
By Karen Daniels
Get ready to Trash-Off! This Saturday, April 13, from 9:00am to 1:00pm the City of Stafford along with Keep Texas Beautiful will be holding their 20th Annual City Wide Pride Clean Up. Many civic group volunteers, area businesses, Stafford MSD students and churches get together in groups to help pick up debris and trash along the streets of Stafford, a tradition that began in 1993. STAFFORD, continued on page 9
Recently, a “youngster” (using that term very loosely!) found himself CRIMINAL aged out of OF THE WEEK the juvenile justice system – now you’re gonna’ find this surprising… he was slated to be returned to Fort Bend County where he faced… a murder charge….as an adult no less! Seems in 2010 this “youngster” is alleged to have shot another “youngster” in a
DUMB
SAVE, continued on page 8
Fort Bend Employee Federation Committee on Political Education
Presents:
Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees Candidate Q & A Forum April 11, 2013 7:00 PM • Sugar Land Marriott • 15958 City Walk, Sugar Land, TX 77479 • Sugar Land Ballroom Paid for by FBEF COPE, Karrie Washenfelder, Treasurer.