County fair association names new president- Page 8
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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 44 • No. 74
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Turnout could be key in District 28 runoff By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
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Fort Bend County voters will soon help decide who finishes out the term in a key seat in the Texas House of Representatives. In a seat that many view as a harbinger for the future of the state’s political climate, a local political expert believes a few factors will come into play. Democrat Eliz Mar-
Markowitz
Gates
kowitz, the leading vote-getter in the November special election for the District 28 seat vacated by Republican John
Zerwas, will square off against Republican Gary Gates in a runoff scheduled for Jan. 28. Early voting runs Jan. 21-24.
“An essential element to the outcome of that election, not just now but in November, is not only the turnout itself but the composition of the turnout,” Rice University political science professor Bob Stein said. “The thing I’ve noticed (In District 28) and about a dozen others in the region is that the composition of likely voters is changing.” According to Stein, there has been a slow, steady decline in base Republican voter turnout
and a surprising increase and acceleration of base Democrats that began in 2018, leading to a potential political shift. Typically, Democrats don’t vote at the same rate as Republicans, and that gap only grows wider in special elections, according to Stein. He cited Fort Bend County going Democratic in both the county commissioner and district
SEE DISTRICT 28 PAGE 6
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Men charged in county tractor theft By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Police have arrested two men they say are responsible for stealing a tractor valued at about $100,000 from an area farm earlier this month. Derek Daniels, 40, of Missouri City and 35-year-old Frederick Guy of Houston were arrested Jan. 7. Both have been charged with third degree felony theft, while Guy was additionally charged with felon in possession of a firearm. They were taken to the Harris County Jail with bonds totaling $20,000 and $30,000, respectively. According to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a farm located near the intersection of FM 762 and FM 1994 in the Richmond area around 7:30 a.m. Jan. 3 to in-
SEE THEFT PAGE 7
A bull rider attempts to hold on to the animal during last year's George Ranch Rodeo at George Ranch Historical Park in Richmond. This year's event will again have rodeo festivities while honoring the legacy of African-American cowboys in Fort Bend. (Photo by Terry Turner Photography)
Smith family’s legacy to be honored at George Ranch Rodeo By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Walter Smith remembers his grandfather, McCullar Smith, with great pride. “He was the type to sit you on his lap and rub your head – he loved you in a way that now makes me proud of him,” Walter said. Next month, the George Ranch Historical Park will further cement McCullar Smith’s legacy when it honors Walter and other remaining descendants for the family’s contributions to Fort Bend County’s rich ranching history. On Feb. 15, the second annual George Ranch Rodeo will take place at the historical park, located at 10215 FM 762 in Richmond. The event will also spotlight and honor the remaining
family of African-American ranchers, such as McCullar Smith, whose family played a key role in the development of Richmond, Fort Bend County and George Ranch itself. “The rodeo grew from a desire to celebrate the skills and contributions of these amazing individuals,” even chairperson Debra Greenwood-Sharp said. Beginning in the early 1900s, black cowboys played an essential role in Fort Bend County ranching operations for more than 100 years, according to Greenwood-Sharp. More than 90 percent of Fort Bend cowboys McCullar Smith, left, helps a member of the George family onto a horse. A foreman at during that time were George Ranch until 1945, Smith's legacy will be honored Feb. 15. (Contributed photo) African-American, and she said four generations doing so, they left behind 1857 in Texas and worked also followed. McCullar of black cowboys worked a rich legacy of black cow- as a cowboy for the Davis served as lead cowboy alongside four genera- boy heritage unique to and George families most of his life — a path his tions of the George family, Fort Bend County. Fred Smith was born in sons McCullar and Ben SEE GEORGE RANCH PAGE 7 including the Smiths. In
Campus-based mental health clinics open in FBISD By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Daniels
Guy
Fort Bend ISD students now have access to counseling and resource centers that are the first of their kind in the district. During the first week of January, FBISD opened the doors to eight schoolbased mental health centers within the Hightower, Marshall and Willowridge high school feeder patterns using state grant money under the Victims of Crime Act
of 1984 (VOCA). In October, FBISD announced it was going to pilot mental health counseling and resource clinics at area campuses as part of the district’s restructured behavioral health services efforts. The fully staffed clinics are located at the three high schools along with Lake Olympia, McAuliffe and Missouri City middle schools as well as Rosa Parks and Briargate el-
SEE FBISD PAGE 8
Missouri City Middle School is one of eight Fort Bend ISD campuses with mental health counseling and resource centers as part of a pilot program. (Photo from Twitter)