Buffs march to rematch against Manvel - Page 5
WEDNESDAY • DECEMBER 4, 2019
Missouri City family killed in plane crash
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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 43 • No. 68
Otabek Oblokulov, center right, a 37-year-old Missouri City resident from Uzbekistan, was killed in a plane crash in Canada last week along with his family. (Photo from GoFundMe)
The Missouri City community is in mourning following the death of an area family the night before Thanksgiving. Authorities in Kingston, Ontario said a small Piper PA-32 plane crashed there after colliding with rough terrain the evening of Nov. 27, killing all seven people on board, including 37-yearold Missouri City resident
Otabek Oblokulov and his immediate family. Officials do not yet know the cause of the crash. Houston resident Shahriyor Ortikov – who was friends with Oblokulov and his family for more than 20 years – said he was the first to greet Oblokulov at the airport when he moved to the Houston area from their native Uzbekistan in August 2011. “We’ve been through hard and good times together. He was my brother,” Ortikov
said. Oblokulov was on the plane with his wife and three children along with two family members who live in Canada, according to a report from ABC13. The report said the family was in the midst of an annual trip to Canada at the time of the crash. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said Nov. 27 that the aircraft – which
SEE CRASH PAGE 6
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Isaiah and Mila Cano untangle lights in preparation for Sensory-Friendly Holiday Lights Night on Thursday at Constellation Field. The inaugural event will be tailored to individuals who experience sensory overload. (Photo from Hope For Three Autism Advocates)
Skeeters, Hope For Three to partner for inaugural inclusive light show
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By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
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SLPD searching for Greatwood shooting suspect From Staff Reports
Darla Farmer and Hope For Three Autism Advocates have often visited Constellation Field to watch the Sugar Land Skeeters play baseball. The hope is that they will continue to frequent the ballpark for years to come, but for a reason that transcends sports. Sugar Land-based Hope for Three, in conjunction with the Skeeters minor league franchise, will host the inaugural SensoryFriendly Holiday Lights Night this Thursday from 6-9 p.m. It is part of the
Skeeters’ annual Holiday Lights, which began Nov. 22 at Constellation Field and concludes Jan. 5. Featuring more than 3 million lights, themed areas, daily appearances from Santa Claus, a carnival, vendors for holiday shopping and more, the annual Holiday Lights event features something for all ages. And on Thursday, it will also provide an environment that maximizes inclusion for individuals who experience sensory overload. “Rarely do families (with those special needs children) have inclusive opportunities to attend events as a family. When
SEE SUSPECT PAGE 10
The inaugural Sensory-Friendly Holiday Lights Night will feature dimmed lights and soft music as well as a sensory recovery room. (Photo from Hope For Three Facebook)
to the organization. The group also generates awareness through outreach, education and events such as the inaugural Sensory Lights
Night. Hope For Three was approached about it in September by the Skee-
SEE LIGHT SHOW PAGE 8
County receives federal grant for STD prevention services By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Sugar Land police are looking for a man they believe was involved in an area shooting last month. Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the 7000 block of Hearthside Drive in the Greatwood subdivision just after 10 p.m. Nov. 21, according to a news release from the Sugar Land Police Department. While approaching the location,
you open the door to special needs communities and those are the ones who attend, they feel more welcomed, safe and not judged,” said Farmer, Hope For Three’s executive director. “Everyone’s living the same journey. There’s much more understanding and acceptance, so this allows our families to experience the same opportunities as any other family.” Hope For Three is a local nonprofit and autism advocacy group providing resources and support to families living with autism spectrum disorder, which affects one in 45 schoolaged children, according
Fort Bend County recently received federal assistance it can use to bolster the public’s reproductive health. County Judge KP George announced Nov. 26 that Fort Bend has received a $1.75 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The grant is for
George
HIV and STD prevention services and pre-exposure
prophylaxis. The county has possessed an HIV risk reduction grant for several years, according to George, but it was missing the opportunity to provide preventative medication for the diseases. The county said the most recent grant, which it applied for in April, will provide those chances as well as educate and encourage clinicians in the Fort Bend community to increase their use for those at risk of HIV infection. CDC data shows Fort
Bend County had a total of 4,163 chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases in 2018. Nationally, there were more than 2.45 million cases of those STDs last year. The grant for Fort Bend County will be provided in separate $350,000 installments over the course of the next five years. “It is important that everyone who is HIV positive knows it and can take the right steps to protect their health and reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others,” the county said
in a statement. George says the federal grant will also improve access to HIV prevention efforts for communities and groups at highest risk, successfully diagnose HIV/STD infections and increase timely linkage to HIV-related treatment for those who receive positive diagnoses. The county’s core HIV prevention services include community engagement, contraceptive distribu-
SEE PREVENTION PAGE 10
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