John Pape

It was refreshing to see Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson sit down with FortBendNow reporter Jamie Mock recently and honestly and openly talk about Ms. Mock’s recent series over how the city was handling media and public information about crime in the city.

To his credit, Mayor Thompson fielded all of Ms. Mock’s questions and candidly addressed the issue in a civil, reasonable and professional manner.

While the mayor would not concede the city was intentionally misleading the public and the media about crime in Sugar Land, he did express concern over the nature and tone of some of the e-mails from city staffers. He also conceded he was unaware of any inaccuracies in the stories, and that FortBendNow had always treated the city fairly.

It’s a shame some other city officials could not have been as forthright. Instead, the city’s official response as voiced by Assistant City Manager Steve Griffith initially claimed Mock was “biased” against the city and later insisted the stories were “inaccurate.”

At least that was what Griffith was telling other media representatives, including a television news crew. When Mock asked to interview him about the series, he initially agreed to the interview but then changed course, saying he instead would send a statement that “might answer” some of Mock’s questions. That statement ended up being a brief, vague denial that ended with a sentence saying he would have nothing further to say.

In a follow-up e-mail, Mock asked if Griffith would at least list the inaccuracies he said existed in the stories. Griffith did not respond to that request.

Mock had a similar experience when she asked to interview City Councilman Russell Jones. It was a series of e-mails from Jones to city staff claiming crime reporting was putting the city in a negative light that apparently triggered the changes in how the city disseminates public information on crime.

Jones e-mailed Mock with a date and time to be at his office for the interview. Mock immediately replied that she could not be there at the time he unilaterally set, but would be glad to work out a mutually-agreeable time and date. She also agreed to do a phone interview at the time Jones set.

The next message she received from the councilman was after the time of his unilaterally-set appointment time, informing Mock in an incredibly condescending manner what he “would have told her” if she had been at the appointment he already knew Mock could not attend.

Jones also copied the e-mailed message to a large number of Sugar Land officials, clearly trying to use it as a means of defending his role in the controversy. Instead, he simply came off looking immature and self-indulgent.

Mock also wanted to speak with City Manager Alan Bogard, Communications Director Pat Policoff and Assistant Communications Director Doug Adolph, but was told by Adolph that Griffith was the only person who would speak on behalf of the city.

Incredibly, even as Mock’s requests for interviews were being brushed off, Sugar Land officials were openly telling others that FortBendNow was treating them unfairly because we would not report their side of the issue.

Quite frankly, Sugar Land residents deserve better from these city officials and staffers.

Each of these individuals – either by seeking senior positions within the city or by running for public office – actively sought a leadership position in the city. Unfortunately, when it was time for them to show leadership, they instead provided vague written statements, issued general denial e-mails or simply hid out altogether.

Only Mayor James Thompson showed leadership and courage by sitting down with our reporter and openly and directly answering questions.

Sugar Land is an outstanding, dynamic city – arguably a model city. It deserves strong, ethical leadership at the top.

Clearly the city has that leadership in Mayor Thompson.

Others in the city, however, still have a long way to go.

Headquartered in Rosenberg, Texana Center is one of the state’s largest community mental health centers.

Fort Bend and Waller counties are part of Texana’s service area.  

The proposed cuts would also likely result in a waiting list for treatment, with some individuals ending up in local emergency rooms and jails, according to Texana’s Director of Behavioral Healthcare Services Shena Timberlake.

Timberlake also noted that a state directed, independent evaluation conducted by Texas A & M University showed the investment made in the crisis mental health system and expanded access to community-based alternatives has more than paid for itself by reducing demand on higher cost systems, which include hospitals.

“Cutting mental health services won’t save money in the long run. People with serious, untreated psychiatric illnesses will end up in the criminal justice system or in our hospitals, which is far more costly than the treatment received at community mental health centers,” Timberlake said.

Timberlake added Texas has nearly eight times as many people with serious mental illness in prison as it does in psychiatric hospitals, which is why the proposed cuts which include $44 million cut from five psychiatric hospitals eliminating 183 beds affects everyone in the community. 

Austin State Hospital with its 239 beds currently serves a 38 county region including Fort Bend, Waller and the other four counties served by Texana. Additionally, there are no psychiatric hospital beds anywhere in the six county region. 

Part of the DSHS proposed budget cuts include a 12 percent reduction in state hospital psychiatric beds, which translates to 24 fewer beds at Austin State Hospital.

Timberlake said there was little doubt this would have a damaging effect on mental health services and local communities’ handling of people experiencing a mental health crisis.

“The earlier we can make a difference in the cycle of mental illness, the better it is for people and the better it is in terms of cost to government.   A cut in services of this magnitude will set the mental health system back a long way,” she said. “This is of particular concern to Fort Bend County as it is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.  However, we are confident our state leaders will ultimately recognize that reducing access to mental health services will have a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of our communities and the citizens of our state.”

She also said the proposed cuts would undo a large part of the progress made toward better mental health treatment.

Texana Center is a 501(c) 3 public, not-for-profit organization that provides behavioral healthcare and developmental disabilities services to residents of Austin, Colorado, Fort Bend, Matagorda, Waller and Wharton Counties.

Texana serves about 4,000 clients per month.

The Houston Police Department Robbery Division is asking for the public’s help in identifying a five-suspect robbery team that have committed at least six similar home invasions on Houston’s west side.

Investigators also released several surveillance photos showing the team robbing one west Houston residence.

The suspects are described only as five black males.  One is believed to be in his 20s, while a second is believed to be in his 40s.

“The incidents all occurred at residences in which the suspects forcibly entered and took the home’s safe with its contents inside,” the police department said in a statement.  

On May 29, the suspects entered a residence on the 10 block of Shady Lane and tied up a female housemaid.  The suspects then used tools to remove the home’s safe and fled the scene. 

Another robbery occurred on June 30 when the same group of suspects are believed to have entered a residence in the 300 block of Terrace and also tied up a housemaid.  There were security cameras at the residence and images of the suspects entering and leaving the residence were captured. 

This is one of a group of suspects in a series of home invasion robberies in west Houston. The photo was taken from a surveillance camera at one of the victims’ homes. The same group is also believed to be involved in as many of three similar robberies in northern Fort Bend County near the Westpark Tollway.

There are at least two more incidents linked to the same suspects.

Anyone with information on the identities of the suspects in the Houston home invasions is urged to contact the HPD Robbery Division at 713-308-0700 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

The same group of serial robbers is also thought to be responsible for at least three home invasions in northern Fort Bend County just south of the Westpark Tollway.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a robbery earlier this week that left two victims tied up in the home’s master bedroom.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were called to the home in the 19000 block of Golden Heath Lane in the Grand Mission subdivision just after 9 p.m. on Monday.

When they arrived, deputies learned that a group of five or six black males forced their way through the rear door of the residence. One was armed with a handgun.

The suspects bound the two victims, a 54-year-old female and a 15-year-old male, and moved them into the master bedroom.  The intruders then ransacked the residence, taking an undisclosed amount of cash.  

According to the victims, the suspects spoke both English and Spanish.

Neither victim was injured in the incident.

Detectives believe the same suspects are also responsible for two similar home invasions in nearby neighborhoods. The earlier robberies took place in the Lakemont subdivision on April 1 and the Woodbridge subdivision on June 23.

Deputies said the suspects appear to be targeting small business owners.

Anyone with information on the suspects involved, or the circumstances surrounding any of the Fort Bend County home invasions, can a contact the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office at 281-341-4665 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers, Inc. at 281-342-TIPS (8477).

Gas prices in the Fort Bend area now average $2.51 per gallon following the July 4 weekend.

This compares with the national average that has fallen 5.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.72 per gallon, according to gasoline price website HoustonGasPrices.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Houston during the past week, prices yesterday were 12.8 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and 4.0 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.

The national average has moved just 0.1 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 13.9 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago.

Rain bands, some occasionally heavy, trained across the area during the morning commute, causing delays and a number of mostly minor accidents.

Several areas have experienced some flooding, but most of the water is drained quickly as the rains pass. Forecasters say localized flooding may continue as more strong showers move through the area.

The flash flood warning covers Austin, Brazoria, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Matagorda, Waller and Wharton Counties.  It had originally been issued through noon, but the National Weather Service later extended it through 4 p.m. as rain bands continue to train through the area.

“Deep tropical moisture will continue to be drawn into southeast Texas today and occasional showers and thunderstorms will persist through the afternoon. Due to recent heavy rain and the potential for more heavy rain, a flash flood watch remains in effect and has been extended through 4 p.m. for most areas south IH-10,” the National Weather Service said.

Six to ten inches of rain fell over parts of Brazoria County, while Palacios in Matagorda County received 6.67 inches of rain. Hobby Airport received 4.98 inches over the last 36 hours.

Early Wednesday morning, Alex was about 175 miles east of LaPesca, Mexico and about 235 miles southeast of Brownsville, moving west-northwest at seven miles-per-hour.

The storm has sustained winds of 80 miles per hours, making it a Category 1 storm. Forecasters say it could strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall.

The Fort Bend area is expected to see rain into the Fourth of July weekend as moisture is being pushed in from the Gulf. There is a 70 percent chance of rainfall today, today and tonight, increasing to 80 percent for Thursday.

As much as an inch of rain could fall each day.

Today’s high is expected to reach 85, with an overnight low of 76. Winds will be from the northeast at 10 – 20 mph.  

Rain chances will decrease into the Fourth of July weekend, but a chance of scattered thundershowers will remain in the forecast through Sunday.

Alex, the first June Atlantic hurricane since 1995, currently has hurricane force winds extending out 25 miles from the eye, with tropical storm force winds extending out as far as 200 miles.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of Texas from Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande River, and along the Mexican coast from the Rio Grande south to La Cruz. A tropical storm warning extends from Baffin Bay to Port O’Connor, and from La Cruz to Cabo Rojo.

The local average now stands at $2.56 per gallon as of yesterday.

This compares with the national average that has fallen 0.2 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.73 per gallon, according to gasoline price website HoustonGasPrices.com.

Including the change in gas prices during the past week, local prices yesterday were 13.5 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 19.9 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.

The national average has decreased 18.6 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 14.3 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago.

This compares with the national average that has fallen 4.4 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.73 per gallon, according to gasoline price website HoustonGasPrices.com.

Including the drop in prices last week, prices in Fort Bend yesterday were 24.9 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago, but are 12.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.

The national average has decreased 16.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 23.1 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago.

Blacksmith Brands announced the recall of about 100,000 units of PediaCare sold nationwide under the brands PediaCare Multi-Symptom Cold, PediaCare Long Acting Cough, PediaCare Decongestant and PediaCare Allergy and Cold.

All of the medications were manufactured by McNeil Consumer Healthcare at its Fort Washington, Penn., plant. McNeil is owned by Johnson & Johnson.

Blacksmith Brands initiated the voluntary recall as a precautionary step after a recent FDA inspection found more than 20 “serious problems” at the plant. The manufacturing facility is currently shut down.

Blacksmith Brands stressed the recall was not initiated as the result of any reported “adverse events” and that no consumer complaints had been received about the safety or purity of any of the PediaCare products. 

“We’re taking this voluntary step because protecting consumers and maintaining their trust are essential to our company’s core values,” Blacksmith Brands Chairman and CEO Peter Mann said. “Our brands have a heritage that has made them the favorites of millions of families and we are the guardians of that heritage.” 

 The four PediaCare items involved in the recall are:

-         PediaCare Multi-Symptom Cold 4oz. UPC # 3 0045-0556-05 9

-         PediaCare Long Acting Cough 4oz. UPC# 3 0045-0465-04 7

-         PediaCare Decongestant 4oz. UPC# 3 0045-0554-04 8

-         PediaCare Allergy and Cold 4oz. UPC# 3 0045-0552-04 4

Blacksmith Brands is asking retail and wholesale customers to withdraw the four products from their shelves and warehouses and return them to the company. 

The company has arranged to make the PediaCare products at new manufacturing plants and expects to resume shipments in July from those new facilities.

Last month, Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil division recalled more than 40 varieties of children’s medicines also manufactured at the now-shuttered plant. That recall involved children and baby formulations of Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl. 

Items not involved in this recall are PediaCare Allergy 4oz., PediaCare Gentle Vapors Plug in Units, and PediaCare Gentle Vapors refills, all of which are produced in other facilities.

Colley, 62, head of the DPS Texas Division of Emergency Management, suffered a heart attack in early May and died yesterday of complication from that attack.

 DPS Director Steve McCraw called Colley “a great Texan.”

“Jack Colley was a valuable member of the Texas Department of Public Safety and a national icon in the profession of emergency management,” McCraw said “Jack was a great Texan, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

At the state’s first-ever Texas Hurricane Conference in 2003, Colley summed up the philosophy that guided him during the many catastrophic events he oversaw on behalf of the State of Texas: “In disaster, the most important thing for you to know is that you are not alone.”

During his 12-plus years with the DPS, Colley was a key player in most of the state’s largest incidents, disasters and emergencies, including the Space Shuttle Columbia crash (2003) and Hurricane Rita (2005) and Hurricane Ike (2008).

Colley coordinated the effort to shelter thousands of Katrina evacuees in 2005 and then led the monumental evacuation of more than 3 million Texas residents as Hurricane Rita threatened the southeast Texas coast only weeks later.

In 2008, the Texas Division of Emergency Management responded to six hurricanes and tropical storms within a 90-day period. These storms included Hurricane Dolly, which devastated the Lower Rio Grande Valley July 23 and Hurricane Ike, which washed over Galveston and the southeast Texas coast on Sept. 13.

 Under Colley’s guidance, Texas led the nation in a number of initiatives to make disaster response “quicker, faster, smarter,” including systems to improve tracking of special needs evacuees and improved processes for safe re-entry of evacuees after the storm.

Over the past year, the Department of Emergency Management has focused on re-entry task forces to bring back security, restore infrastructure, provide mass care and start recovery within the first 72 hours after a storm.

In an effort to speed deployment of resources to states struck by mega-disasters, Colley pushed for an Interstate Emergency Response Support Plan with Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma – the first of its kind in the nation.

“In times of crisis, Texas depended on Jack Colley for leadership and he rose to the occasion each and every time. That leadership will be sorely missed,” said Allan B. Polunsky, chairman of the Texas Public Safety Commission.

In paying tribute, Gov. Rick Perry said Colley “did more to keep Texans safe over the past eight years than anyone will ever know.”

“Every Texan who evacuated a hurricane impact zone, watched airplanes douse a wildfire or got clear instructions on how to avoid the H1N1 virus should pause and offer a prayer of thanks for this remarkable man. In his zeal to protect his fellow Texans, Jack asked tough questions and ignored business-as-usual as he searched for better, faster and more effective ways to handle disasters,” Perry said. “If I were to boil down Jack’s legacy to one word, it would be ‘preparedness,’ because he demanded it of everyone who crossed his path. His selfless devotion to the citizens of Texas was unmatched.”

Sen. John Cornyn called Colley’s passing a tremendous loss for the State of Texas.

“He was a devoted public servant who for years dedicated himself to keeping Texans informed, connected and safe during some of our state’s most tragic and dangerous natural disasters. My staff and I have relied heavily on Jack’s accurate, diligent and detailed reports during my time in public office,” Cornyn said. “As hurricanes approached our coast or tornadoes touched down in the plains, it was Jack Colley’s even, collected voice that brought a sense of order and calm to an anxious public. My thoughts and prayers are with the Colley family as they mourn the loss of their loved one and this fine public servant whose work has kept millions of Texans out of harm’s way.”

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate called Colley a “leader” and “innovator” in emergency management.

“My wife Sheree and I, along with the entire FEMA family, were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jack Colley, assistant director, Texas Division of Emergency Management,” Fugate said in a statement issued this morning. “Throughout his decades of service, Jack was a true leader and innovator in the field of emergency management and I was proud to call him both a colleague and friend.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jack’s family at this sad time.”

One of those innovations came in the wake of Katrina in 2005, when it was learned many people declined to evacuate if they could not bring their family pets, Colley began efforts to open evacuation and sheltering operations in Texas to include companion animals.

“A lot of jokes are made about it but it is simply not a joke. Nobody dies because they can’t bring their pet. This is Texas,” Colley once said.

Colley also served as the Assistant Director of the Texas Office of Homeland Security and was the State Administrative Agent for all Federal Homeland Security Programs within Texas. Colley was a member of the Governor’s Homeland Security Council, the First Responder Advisory Council and the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resource Protection Council. He was also chair of the Texas Drought Preparedness Council.

Colley served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1997, retiring as a Colonel before joining DPS. He served in several positions of significant responsibility, including Chief Operations Officer for the Second Brigade and Headquarters, lst Cavalry Division and Division Chief for Strategic Planning for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense.

Colley was a graduate of the U. S. Army War College and the Command and General Staff College. Colley earned a bachelor’s degree from East Texas State University in Commerce and a master’s in business from Abilene Christian University.

For more than a year, Paul has been championing a bill requiring a full audit of the Federal Reserve. Paul’s legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a large margin last fall as part of the House financial reform bill.

Vitter’s amendment would have paved the way in the Senate for what Paul called “a full and ongoing audit of all of the Federal Reserve’s lending and monetary policy activity.”

Despite the setback, Paul said he remains hopeful the Senate will still pass the legislation in some form. He noted the Vitter amendment had the support of more than one-third of the Senate, while a different amendment sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) calling for disclosure of how $2 trillion of Federal Reserve credit facilities were spent passed the Senate yesterday.

“The 37 votes our measure received in the Senate represent a strong step in our continuing work for full Federal Reserve transparency.  In addition, the passage of the Sanders Amendment is a victory for taxpayers, who will finally know who received $2 trillion of their money,” Paul said.  “The Fed is no longer an untouchable monolith.  It can no longer take for granted its absolute power to create and give away public money at will, with no true accountability.  With strong support in the Senate, the House, and especially among the public, more victories for full transparency lie ahead.”

Paul’s congressional district includes much of Cinco Ranch and portions of western Fort Bend County.

Those dark details include the 18-year-old senior working as an exotic dancer, her expressed desire to learn about transporting illegal aliens and even possible involvement in drug trafficking.

Mexican authorities said Elisabeth Mandala of Sugar Land was found dead inside a Dodge Dakota pickup truck along with the bodies of two Mexican nationals.

Police said Mandala, Dante Ruiz Siller and Angel Estrella Mondragon were beaten to death and then placed into the pickup. The truck, which had Texas license plates, was then intentionally run into the rear of a larger truck to make it appear as though the trio died in the accident.

Further investigation, however, determined the accident had been staged. Mexican Federal Judicial Police said a rock had been placed over the accelerator of the pickup, causing it to run into the back of the tractor-trailer truck on the Monclova highway. The three bodies had been dead at least 10 hours before the accident outside of Mina, a town of about 6,000 people near Monterrey in the state of Nuevo Leon.

Now as her classmates mourn Mandala’s death, disturbing details about her life are emerging.

According to family members, the same high school senior who liked teen heartthrob Justin Bieber and enjoyed horseback riding around her Plantation Stables home was, at the same time, working as an exotic dancer and saying she wanted to learn how to transport illegal aliens.

It may have been Mandala’s dark side that led to her rent a car and drive to Mexico April 27 without her mother’s permission, purportedly to learn more about smuggling illegal aliens. Mandala’s mother reported her missing Saturday, ultimately leading to the identification of her body.

Mexican authorities theorize Mandala may have gotten caught up in that country’s burgeoning drug trade. Drug traffickers frequently attempt to recruit bilingual teens to help smuggle drugs across the border.

Siller and Mondragon were described as a merchant and a cab driver, respectively, but Mexican authorities say both are suspected of having drug ties. Both men were from Mexico City, but had extensive connections in Monterrey, including some individuals police said were known to be involved in narcotics trafficking.

There is no word on what happened to the rental care Mandala rented to drive to Mexico.

Mexican authorities are continuing their investigation into the murders. The United States Consulate in Monterrey is monitoring the investigation.

The recall affects bread sold in all H-E-B stores sold throughout the Fort Bend area.

The grocery chain stressed the move is “only a precautionary recall” and “no illness have been reported,” according to a statement issued by the company.

H-E-B did not identify the nature of the “foreign material” it suspects of being in the bread.

The bread being recalled includes:

-         Hill Country Fare White Thin Bread – UPC Code: 0004122046090

-         Hill Country Fare Extra Thin Bread – UPC Code: 0004122063420

-         Hill Country Fare Wheat Sandwich Bread (24 Ounce) – UPC Code: 0004122078985

The loaves of bread affected have product codes and best-by dates of 08 HBB 123 Best by May 13 and 09 HBB 124 Best by May 14.

Customers having any of the recalled bread are being asked to return it to the store for a full refund.

Anyone with questions or concerns may contact H-E-B Customer Service at 210-938-8357.

Mexican police say the investigation is continuing into the apparent bludgeoning death of Elisabeth Mandala after her body was found along with two men in the bed of a pickup truck in northern Mexico over the weekend.

According to Gustavo Ordaz-Castillo with the Mexican Federal Judicial Police, the bodies had been “severely beaten” and at least one of the men was carrying false identification papers.

The other two victims were identified as Dante Ruiz Siller, 38, and Angel Estrella Mondragon. Police said they have not established an age for Mondragon, nor whether Mandala was related to either of the other two victims.

Ordaz said the bodies were placed in the back of a Dodge Dakota pickup truck, which was then intentionally crashed into the back of a larger truck in an apparent effort to make it appear as though the three were killed in the accident.  

The truck reportedly has Texas license plates and was found near the small community of Mina in Nuevo Leon.

According to relatives, Mandala had left for Mexico in a rented car on May 27, telling family members she was going “to meet someone.”

At this time, police have no motive for the murders; however, the area is reportedly known for its involvement in narcotics trafficking.  

A message was e-mailed to Kempner parents yesterday informing them of the death.

“This news has saddened our staff and our student body, and our hearts and prayers go out to the family,” said Principal Troy Mooney in the message. “A district crisis team has been at Kempner today and worked closely with students and staff who needed to talk.”

As her death occurred in Mexico, the funeral arrangements have not been finalized. FBISD will post the funeral information on the campus website when the district is notified by the family.

The current local average price is now $2.70 cents per gallon.

Nationally, the average gas price also remained relatively flat, increasing just 0.1 cents per gallon to remain at $2.87 per gallon, according to gasoline price website HoustonGasPrices.com.

Including the increase in the Houston region last week, gas prices today are 79.1.9 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago. They are 4.9 cents per gallon higher than one month ago.

The national average has increased 6.4 cents per gallon during the last month and now stands 83.5 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago.

HoustonGasPrices.com is part of a 200-website national gas tracking and analysis organization operated by GasBuddy.com.

District personnel said the crowd was the largest ever for a Katy ISD teacher job fair, attributing the large turnout in part to the recent announcement of teacher layoffs in the Fort Bend and Houston school districts.

While other districts are laying off teachers to make budgetary ends meet, ongoing growth in the Katy area continues to spur the need for additional educators.

KISD Human Resources Coordinator Andrea Tamborello said the district is still determining exactly how many new teachers it will need for the fall semester, but the working estimates is between 300 – 600.

“(The final) number depends on growth,” Tamborello said. “Growth in certain grade levels that may occur or not occur, as well as people moving or relocating.”

In recent months, a number of area school districts have announced layoffs. Houston ISD is laying off an estimated 400 employees, including at least 99 teachers. Fort Bend ISD has given the pink slip to more than 50 employees, with more expected in the upcoming weeks.

Layoffs coupled with a tight job market were the tops reasons given by many of those seeking jobs with Katy ISD. Among the job-seekers was Alice Coleman, who was recently told she would be losing her job with Fort Bend ISD.

“We are part of the Fort Bend reduction in force right now, so we have to get back out there and see what else is available,” Coleman said.

The applicants were not, however, only from Texas. The job fair also attracted a large number of out-of-state applicants like Janice Edwards from Arizona.

With a troubled economy, teachers need to be prepared to go where the jobs are, Edwards said.  

“Times are tough right now, even in education. My mom’s a teacher and it used to be that teaching was pretty recession-proof; not any more,” Edwards explained. “It’s interesting when I talk to teachers in Texas and they tell me how bad it’s getting here. Compared to a lot of other states, Texas is still a pretty good job market.”

While some applicants handed out resumes and talked to Katy ISD staffers about possible openings, some hopefuls were able to seal the deal on site, walking away with letters of intent for the upcoming school year.

While the job fair attracted a larger-than-expected crowd of candidates, the school district is still accepting applications through its website, www.katyisd.org.

The salary schedule for first-time teachers ranges from $44,000 – $46,400 a year, depending on the level of education. An experienced teacher with a doctorate can make as much as $72,576 under the schedule.

Investigators issued the Amber Alert for Misoh Gulabbaksh after his mother reported a black male took the infant from his stroller near the 8000 block of Woodway, jumped in a waiting car and fled.

After several hours of continued questioning, the mother, Narjas Golabbakhsh, admitted her story was bogus. She told investigators the child was dead and she had buried the child beneath some leaves and branches along the bayou.

Police searching along Buffalo Bayou near Woodway and Del Monte found the baby’s body around 2 a.m.

So far, there has been no word on how the child died or whether Narjas Golabbakhsh will face charges in connection with the infant’s death.

Misoh Gulabbaksh was abducted at approximately 5:30 p.m. Wednesday by an unknown male in the 8000 block of Woodway Drive.

Police describe the suspect as a black male between 5-feet 4-inches and 5-feet 5-inches tall. He reportedly has a tattoo on his upper left arm.

The suspect was last seen in the passenger seat of a two-door brown or beige Chevrolet. A description of the person driving the vehicle has not been released by police.

Anyone with information about the child, suspects or vehicle is asked to contact the Houston Police Department at 713-308-3608.

The social will take place this Thursday, April 22, at the Irene Stern Community Center. It will begin at 6:30 p.m.

In announcing the social, organizers Dr. Pamela Carr and Melisa Roberts stressed the importance of residents getting involved in the local electoral process.

“We invite you to be our guest for good, old fashioned ice cream and cookies as we meet and mingle with the candidates of the upcoming City of Fulshear election,” Carr and Roberts said. “With the rapid growth in our city, we feel it is important that all of the residents of our community are well informed and confident in the future of our city.”

Current Fulshear Mayor Jamie Roberts will be on hand to give a State of the City Address.   

Roberts will also give a brief presentation on the requirements and qualifications needed to run for city council and mayor.  He will describe the role of the mayor and alderman and provide some ideas suggestions on how residents can get involved in the local political process, as well as the vision he has set for the future.

The candidates will introduce themselves and be available to answer questions. 

All of the candidates who are running for election have been invited to attend. 

The event is free of charge and open to the public.

NEW FIRE STATION – The Fulshear Simonton Fire Department will host a dedication ceremony and open house this Saturday for its new Fire Station #3.

The public is invited to attend, tour the station, handle firefighting equipment, get an up-close look at the fire trucks and talk to firefighters about their job.

Firefighters will also be distributing fire prevention information.

Additionally, those attending can also find out how to join the Fulshear Simonton Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter.

There will also be activities for children, including face painting and a balloon artist.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. The open house is from 1 – 5 p.m.

The new station, located at 26051 Fulshear-Gaston Road, will serve Cinco Ranch Southwest, Covey Trails, Foster Creek, Hidden Lakes, Lake of Bella Terra, Westheimer Lakes and Whispering Oaks.

The Fulshear Simonton Fire Department serves Fort Bend County Emergency Services District #4.

More information is available at www.fsfd.org.