More laborers possibly buried in county - Page 3
Fort Bend County officials say construction of the Fort Bend EpiCenter should begin this month. See more details about the timeline in our story on Page 2. (Contributed rendering)
WEDNESDAY • NOVEMBER 3, 2021
TOWNEWEST COMMUNITY-WIDE GARAGE SALE november 13th &14th 8 AM - 4 PM 10322 Old Towne Lane (Community Center) Sugar Land, 77498 For more inFormation
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Redistricting set to bring change to area By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Redistricting has been a constant topic in Fort Bend County in recent weeks and, sure enough, the new maps could mean many residents in Fort Bend County will need to familiarize themselves with new elected officials and voting precincts moving forward. The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature recently completed redrawing the state’s congressional districts in a special session. The new maps will have to survive several ongoing court challenges before going into effect, but will otherwise begin in 2022. Redistricting takes place every 10 years in Texas to apportion federal and state legislative districts based on population numbers generated via the census. The new maps, which can be viewed at dvr.capitol.texas.gov, will change the maps for Texas’ delegation in the U.S. Congress, representation in the Texas House and Senate and the State Board of Education. By far the biggest change for Fort Bend County will be the inclusion of a third U.S. congressional district, District 7, that is occupied by U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, a Democrat. Most of the Sugar Land area will be part of District 7, which also will include sections of southwest and west Houston along with part of the Heights. Under the previous maps, most of Fort Bend County fell into the 22nd U.S. Congressional District, occupied by U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, a Republican. Some of the northeast part of the county has been in the 9th U.S. Congressional District, represented by U.S. Rep. Al Green, a Democrat. Both districts will remain in parts of Fort Bend County, with District 9 continuing to serve the Missouri City area and District 22 stretching southwest to include Wharton and Matagorda counties. Texas House Fort Bend County will soon see yet another Texas House district enter its boundaries compared to the last 10 years, with a total of five districts serving residents rather
County reports sleepy early voting totals Despite the fact Meadows Place voters find themselves making a momentous choice on whether or not to switch to a home rule charter, a visit to the voting station at city hall last week was almost an urban retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life. In an hour spent outside
city hall last Wednesday afternoon, not a single voter entered or left the building. And across Fort Bend County – including even in Missouri City, where voters have council races and ballot propositions – the story was much the same.
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Visit FortBendStar.com for results of Tuesday’s election Leading up to Tuesday’s Election Day, a total of 12,513 people voted in person during early voting from Oct. 18-29,
SEE VOTING PAGE 7
Triple-A dreams
Fans cheer on the Sugar Land Skeeters during the season finale on Oct. 3 at Constellation Field. Skeeters attendance was the lowest in Triple-A West, and lower than its last several years in the Atlantic League. (Photo by Landan Kuhlmann)
Experts: Measuring Skeeters’ impact in Sugar Land hard to do By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
As early as 2008, when civic leaders in Sugar Land first envisioned constructing a minor league baseball stadium in Fort Bend County, the long distant dream was to one day lure a Triple-A baseball team to town. Fast forward to 2021, and the Sugar Land Skeeters are coming off their first season as the Houston Astros’ Triple-A affiliate after playing for nine years as an independent franchise. The long-simmering dream is reality. But what has the effort meant for the economic wellbeing of residents and fans in Fort Bend
County? The answer, it seems, is complicated. “I would say that we’re all very happy, considering the vision was for it to one day be a Triple-A affiliate stadium,” said Devon Rodriguez, the assistant director of economic development for the city of Sugar Land, of Constellation Field. “We’ve achieved that. From a city standpoint, it’s been a great success.” However, an economic expert had questions about the specific benefits the team has had since Sugar Land first began investing in the idea years ago. “It’s hard to say that a TripleA team in an already-growing area is going to have an ap-
preciable effect on sales tax revenues,” said Robert Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox professor of political science at Rice University. “Especially since it’s not a year-round endeavor.” Sales tax revenues in Sugar Land have fluctuated in recent years on the whole. For instance, the city generated about $52.37 million in 2016, a number that declined to $47.81 million in 2017 and increased up to a high of $54.11 million in 2019, according to city records. The numbers have been on the decline since then, down to $44.36 million projected in 2021, according to city records.
SEE SKEETERS PAGE 7
A Rice University professor said the Skeeters' economic impact on Sugar Land is difficult to gauge. (Photo from Skeeters Facebook)
Local barbecue joints share Texas Monthly honors SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
SEE CHANGE PAGE 7
Voter turnout in Meadows Place, among other spots in Fort Bend County, was low during early voting. (Photo by Matt deGrood)
By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
By Stefan Modrich
Fletcher
Visit www.FortBendStar.com
Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 46 • No. 11
When Houston pitmaster Jim Buchanan joined Dozier’s BBQ last year, he did so with the mission of turning the beloved Fulshear institution back into a contender for the acclaim of food writers and the prestige and recognition that comes with such praise in the Texas barbecue community
He and Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ in Richmond both did so in their own way when the two were acknowledged by Texas Monthly in the magazine’s list of “50 BBQ Honorable Mentions” published last week. “It's really nice to be recognized for the effort that we put into the product that we're putting out,” Buchanan said. “It’s fantastic, especially for an institution that's been around
as long as it has, it has never really received that kind of recognition.” Malekian agreed, adding, “It’s such an honor to be a part of (the Texas Monthly list.)” Both pitmasters said they've seen an uptick in business and customers who mention they read about their restaurants in the publication's list.
SEE BBQ PAGE 7
Shown is the brisket, chipotle sausage, pulled pork and mac and cheese from Harlem Road Texas BBQ in Richmond. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)
JERRY FLOWERS
Real Estate Agent, MBA, CNE, ABE Army Veteran (RET) • 832-702-5241 Jerry@dreamhomesbyjerry.com
4500 Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478