At a recent City Council meeting Keep Katy Beautiful was honored to present the Proud Business Award to Redeemed Trucking, Inc. located at 1107 Katyland Drive.
Redeemed Trucking Inc. moved into The City of Katy on November 8th, 2008. They are a construction company that strives for excellence in everything they do. When you drive by their office you will find it surrounded by lush green grass, beautiful landscaping and a majestic oak tree. They take great pride in keeping their office clean and well maintained because that shows who they are as a business.
Owners Rodolfo and Paula Mancinas are honored to be recognized to receive the award from Keep Katy Beautiful. Redeemed Trucking Inc is proud to be a part of the The City of Katy. Mr. and Mrs. Mancinas say, “We are blessed and honored and say we Thank You.”
To Mr. and Mrs. Mancinas…Keep Katy Beautiful thanks you.”

The Taylor Band Boosters are hosting a unique sale for the 1st year to raise funds for new instruments and equipment. Please stop by James E. Taylor High School located at 20700 Kingsland Blvd. on Sunday, December 11th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for this 1-day mattress fundraiser sale to support the students. Members of the Katy community can purchase brand new, name brand mattresses with factory warranties in a fun, no pressure environment. Sleep Better. Save Money. Support the Band.

The Katy ISD Partners in Education department is once again inviting the community to support families in need this holiday season. Food for Families is an annual campaign that provides $50 grocery gift cards to Katy ISD students and their families. Principals from every Katy ISD campus identify students in need of assistance, and the gift cards are given to those students before winter break. Last year, our Katy ISD community raised $25,000 to support students and their families during the holidays. Since its inception in 2002, this initiative has blessed over 3,000 Katy ISD families thanks to the generous support of our community.
Those interested in participating may contribute cash or check by Thursday, Dec. 8. Donations of any amount are welcome and will be accepted by Partners in Education in person or by mail: Katy ISD ESC, 6301 South Stadium Lane, room 1520, Katy 77494. Please make checks payable to “Katy ISD Food for Families.”
Food for Families, a Katy ISD Partners in Education yearly initiative, unites our Katy ISD staff and community in holiday support for select students and their families. To learn more, visit Partners in Education under the “Community” tab at www.katyisd.org or contact Tammy Stringer, 281-396-2645, tammyrstringer@katyisd.org.

The Katy Chapter #2655 AARP Meeting will be held on Tuesday Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Midway Barbeque, 6025 Hwy Blvd. Please purchase your meal early and bring to Meeting room to eat. Entertainment will be Heart to Heart Band from Beaumont. For more information call 281-744-5302.

Friday, November 4 at 7:00 pm, Saturday November 5 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Tickets: $8 adults and $6 students The Mouse That Roared, a KVPAC Junior Company Production

Box Office opens at 6:00 pm.  General Admission seating begins at 6:30 pm.

Katy, TEXAS (October 31, 2016) – Friday night, Junior Company (ages 8 to 18) brings the rib tickling comedy The Mouse That Roared, directed by Josh Schorejs, to Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center (KVPAC) Magyar Main Theatre.  A pretty girl of 22 happens to be the present Duchess Gloriana, sovereign of a microscopic country in the Alps founded centuries ago by a roving band of English bowmen. Gloriana’s unique solution to the near bankruptcy of her tiny domain is to declare war on the United States. There’s some method to her madness, however, for her study of recent history suggests that the surest way to wealth today is to lose a war with the United States, for that country’s odd reaction is to pour aid, relief and rehabilitation on the vanquished. When her “declaration” is considered a prank, Gloriana decides to escalate! Tully Bascomb, presently in charge of the bowmen, is to launch an attack so they can surrender and reap the rewards. Serious-minded Tully, however, upsets all calculations when he and his bowmen do the last thing expected—they win! You’ll find comment in the comedy crescendo that follows including some pointed kind words for America. This rare comedy uses the magic of the theatre to invite your audience to enjoy the delight of the “impossible.”

Tickets are available online and at the door one hour prior to show time. For more information, please visit the KVPAC website at www.kvpac.org or call 281.829.2787.  KVPAC is a 501c3 non-profit arts education organization serving the Katy community since 2001. We are located at 2501 S Mason Rd, # 290, Katy, TX 77450 in the Great Southwest Equestrian Center Complex.

Largest Show Of Its Kind In West Houston Features “Yard Crashers” Chris Lambton

WHAT:  Get a head start on your home and garden expansion and experience two buildings packed with more than 300 exhibits at the Spring Katy Home & Garden Show, the largest home show in west Houston, which will focus on decorating; remodeling; window treatments; kitchens & baths; do-it-yourself; flooring; windows; landscaping; pools; outdoor entertainment and more.  Meet celebrity landscape expert, Chris Lambton, host of DIY Networks “Yard Crashers” who also appears with wife, Peyton, on HGTV’s “Going Yard” where they transform backyards, one house at a time. Other features include a Kid’s Activity Zone – presented by Adventure Kids Playcare and the People’s Choice Awards for Outstanding Landscape selected by popular vote.  Get inspired and ready to renovate.   Tickets are $9 for adults; $8 for seniors; $5 with a military ID.  Kids 12 and under are free.  Hours are Saturday January 28, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, January 29, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.  For ticket information, directions and hours visit www.katyhomeandgardenshow.com or call 832-392-0165. Sponsored by Superior Window Company.

WHEN: Saturday January 28; 10:00 a.m. – 6 p.m. & Sunday, January 29; 11:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.

WHERE:  Merrell Center & Robinson Pavilion, Katy, Texas, 6301 S Stadium Ln, Katy, TX 77494

TICKETS: $9 for adults; $8 for seniors and $5 for military.

Kids under 12 are FREE.

Parking is FREE!

*facility charges $1 per ticket fee – which will be added at time of purchase

WEB: www.KatyHomeandGardenShow.com

Funding will help beginning, veteran, and socially-disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to expand businesses 

TEMPLE, TX, October 28, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is providing more than $45 million to help farmers, ranchers, small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide develop new product lines. USDA is investing in 325 projects through the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.

“Value-Added Producer Grants are one of USDA’s most sought-after funding sources for veteran and beginning farmers, and rural-based businesses,” Vilsack said. “These grants provide a much-needed source of financing to help producers develop new product lines and increase their income, and keep that income in their communities. Economic development initiatives like this one are working – the unemployment rate in rural America is at an eight-year low and incomes rose 3.4 percent last year. Small business entrepreneurship, which Value-Added Producer Grants support, is a major reason why rural America is a making a comeback.”

VAPG grants can be used to develop new product lines from raw agricultural products or promote additional uses for established products. Veterans, socially-disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, operators of small- and medium-sized family farms and ranches, and farmer and rancher cooperatives are given priority.

Five grants were awarded to Texas based businesses including PPC Farms, LLC, T.T. Winters, Inc., Marfa Maid Dairy, Rio Grande Mesquite, LLC., and Urban Produce, LLC.

“This program enables America’s agriculture producers to expand their product offerings, revenue, and increase economic opportunity by bringing additional value to what they currently produce,” said Paco Valentin, Texas Rural Development State Director.  “We are pleased to offer funding to rural producers whose endeavors will increase the value of agricultural commodities in their communities.”

USDA has awarded 1,441 VAPG awards since 2009, totaling $183 million. Congress increased funding for the program in the 2014 Farm Bill. The grants are a key element of USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, which coordinates the Department’s work on local and regional food systems. Secretary Vilsack has identified local and regional food systems as a key component of rural economic development.

To read more about USDA’s investments in rural America and its successful turnaround, visit USDA’s entry on Medium.com, Rural America Is Back in Business.

GALVESTON, Oct. 31, 2016 – Texas A&M University at Galveston marine science professor Pete van Hengstum will be featured on the National Geographic Channel show “Years of Living Dangerously” on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 9 p.m.

The episode, titled “Storms of the Future,” will feature van Hengstum’s research on the history of hurricanes though thousands of years by taking core samples from ocean caves called blue holes.  By studying the samples, scientists can learn more about the frequency of hurricanes over thousands of years ago.

Also featured on the show is Jeff Donnelly, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The show will document them collecting sediment cores from deep blue holes during a research cruise aboard the M/V Alucia.

This program shows Donnelly in a submarine diving into a large blue hole on Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas.  Blue holes are a good way to study hurricanes because they are an ideal sediment trap at the bottom of the ocean, and when a hurricane passes by, a layer of sand is deposited into the hole that is otherwise filling with mud.

“Some blue holes are filling up with mud so fast that the sand layers in the cores can document most hurricanes that have passed the blue hole over hundreds or even thousands of years,” says van Hengstum.

“It still remains poorly understood how regional hurricane activity will change during this century, but by documenting how climate and hurricane activity co-evolved in the past, we can help provide important clues for how hurricane activity may change in the future.”

Texas A&M-Galveston doctoral students Richard Sullivan and Tyler Winkler and master’s student Victoria Keeton will also be shown during the documentary.

The purpose of the series is to pair scientific and social experts studying current climate change topics with celebrity correspondents to help communicate the science and issues to a broader non-scientific audience.  Topics examined in the past include droughts, wildfires, and ocean acidification. “Storms of the Future” will feature celebrity correspondent Ian Somerhalder (from “The Vampire Diaries,” and “Lost”) and his wife, activist and actress Nikki Reed, who interviewed Donnelly, van Hengstum, and graduate students from Woods Hole and Texas A&M-Galveston during the show.

Dr. van Hengstum was recently awarded a grant by CONACyT (the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia), a research partnership between Texas A&M and a research institution in Mexico.  This grant will continue his research with sinkholes and blue holes in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Season one of “Years of Living Dangerously” won two Emmys in 2014 — one for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and another for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming, and is executively produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and others.

For more information, you can follow van Hengstum’s team at @coastal_geoscience_group on

 Presented by: Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus

LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch hosts their 9th annual Tree Lighting Celebration on Saturday, November 19 from 4-6 p.m. 

This Katy tradition kicks-off the holiday season with the lighting of LaCenterra’s spectacular 30-foot Christmas tree. Family activities include: train rides, holiday tunes, face painting, dance performances by Move Dance & Fitness, balloon artists, visits with costume characters Frosty the Snowman and the Gingerbread Man, a photo booth, and more.  Santa Clause will make his holiday season debut on a firetruck driven by The Willowfork Fire Department. 

Thank you to our 2016 sponsors: BMW of West Houston, Kingdom and Wheels, Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus and The Grand at LaCenterra Apartment Homes.

For additional information please visit: www.lacenterra.com.

Cost:             Free

When:          Saturday, November 19; 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.         

Where:         The Courtyard, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, 23501 Cinco Ranch Boulevard, Katy, TX 77494

About LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch

LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch is located at 23501 Cinco Ranch Boulevard in Katy, Texas. Center hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.  Individual retail and restaurant hours may vary. For more information, visit www.LaCenterra.com or connect with LaCenterra at www.Facebook.com/LaCenterra and on Twitter @LaCenterra.

Give Family and Friends Gifts from the Arbor Day Foundation

Celebrate this year’s holiday season with friends and loved ones while supporting conservation and tree planting with the help of the Arbor Day Foundation.

• Returning for the seventh season in a row, Give-A-Tree cards from the Arbor Day Foundation offer a unique holiday giving opportunity with conservation benefits that will endure for generations. And again this year, Give-A-Tree cards can be purchased individually and with customized text. Cards can be purchased for $5.95.
• Purchasing the Arbor Day Foundation’s coffee helps preserve rain forests in Central and South America. The Foundation’s coffee, a part of the Rain Forest Rescue program, is shade-grown under the canopy of Latin American rain forests. Unlike sun-grown coffee plantations, this traditional shade-grown method gives the coffee a rich and delicious flavor. Each bag helps preserve 2 feet of rain forest. Cost per bag is $13.49, including shipping.
• The Foundation’s Trees in Celebration program allows the giver to honor loved ones while supporting crucial conservation efforts. For each dollar donated, one tree is planted in a high-need forest, and recipients are given a certificate showing them where the trees were planted.
• Give the gift of membership with the Arbor Day Foundation and recipients will be sent 10 free trees, which will be shipped at the right time of year for planting. Membership levels vary and begin with a $10 contribution.

“The holidays are a time for thinking about others, and as you do, take a moment to think about what you can do to protect the beauty and splendor of the earth,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We encourage everyone to give gifts that will have a lasting impact for generations to come.”

To purchase holiday gifts that give back to the planet, visit arborday.org.

District 9 Southeast Texas and the Fort Bend County Office of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension would like to invite you to attend the 1^st Annual Technology Assisted Southeast Texas Town and Country CEU Recertification Seminar. This includes all applicators licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) or the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) and anyone wishing to gain valuable skills and techniques during an intensive day of training.  We have included special sessions for Pest Control Operators (PCOs) such as ants update, landscape disease problems, herbicides, and turfgrass selection.

This seminar will be held on Thursday, December 15, 2016 at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds (Building B), 4310 Highway 36 in Rosenberg, TX. Registration will begin at 7:00 am and the seminar will begin at 7:45 am and end at 4:00 pm. The cost with lunch provided is $50.00 per person before December 2^nd and $70.00 per person after December 2^nd.   Seven (7) CEU’s for TDA licensees will be awarded in the following categories: 2- IPM, 1- Law & Regulations and                4- General.  Five (5) CEU’s for SPCB licensees will be awarded in the following categories: 1- Weed, 1- Pest, 1- IPM,            1- Law & Regulations and 1- Lawn & Ornamental.

Please note that all CEU speakers will be presenting live from another location.

Registration forms may be downloaded from our website at http://fortbend.agrilife.org under “Upcoming Events” or picked up at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1402 Band Road, Ste. 100, Rosenberg, TX.  Please note that over the phone or email registrations will not be accepted. Registrations with payment must either be mailed in or dropped off at the Fort Bend County Extension Office.

For more information, please contact Brandy at 281-342-3034 ext. 7029 or by email brandy.rader@ag.tamu.edu .

 In honor of Veterans Day on Friday, November 11, all Houston Orangetheory Fitness locations will offer FREE workouts for all veterans from Thursday, November 10 until Sunday, November 13.

All veterans can book up to two classes during this time for free by calling or visiting any of the nine studios in Houston: Cinco Ranch, Pearland, San Felipe, Sawyer Heights, Sugar Land, Town and Country, Towne Lake, Vintage Park and West University. Veterans must show their military ID when booking classes.

Orangetheory Fitness is a high-intensity interval-training group workout utilizing treadmills, rowing machines and a strength floor that monitor members’ heart rates throughout the entire hour-long class led by a personal trainer.

To book a class in your neighborhood, please contact the Cinco Ranch Orangetheory Fitness studio at 281-727-0098. Please visit orangetheoryhouston.com for a complete list of all Houston-area studio locations and additional studio contact information.

OnlineColleges.com spotlights the top schools in the state of Texas that offer online education.

In a 2016 study, Texas A&M University ranked as the No. 1 four-year college out of 173 schools in Texas that offer online classes or degree programs. Central Texas College topped the list of two-year online colleges. The analysis was conducted by OnlineColleges.com, a website that provides reliable information about top online colleges and degree programs by featuring school rankings, program guides and career outlooks.

Texas A&M University, located in College Station, ranked third out of all schools statewide for the number of distance education programs it offers. The university also ranked third for its electronic library resources. Texas A&M University offers numerous master’s and doctoral programs online, including ones in the fields of nursing, education, engineering and dentistry. The school also offers online certificate programs.

Central Texas College offers online associate programs in business administration, criminal justice, teacher education, computer science and more. Out of all the colleges in Texas that provide online classes, Central Texas College placed fifth for the number of distance education programs offered.

To generate the ranking, OnlineColleges.com sourced data from the National Center for Education Statistics to evaluate schools on multiple criteria. These include the number of online programs the school offers, the percentage of students studying online, the average cost of in-state and out-of-state tuition, and student services, among others.

Based on the study, below are the top 10 four-year schools in Texas that offer online programs or classes:

1. Texas A&M University
2. Wayland Baptist University
3. University of Houston-Downtown
4. The University of Texas at Tyler
5. Sam Houston State University
6. Midwestern State University
7. Texas Southern University
8. Baptist Health System School of Health Professions
9. Midland College
10. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Below are the top 10 two-year schools in Texas that offer online programs or classes:

1. Central Texas College
2. St. Philip’s College
3. San Antonio College
4. Collin College
5. Western Texas College
6. Lone Star College
7. Houston Community College
8. Amarillo College
9. Tarrant County College
10. Northwest Vista College

With OnlineColleges.com’s interactive ranking, students can also produce a personalized list that ranks schools based on the qualities that are most important to them. In addition to viewing the schools with the highest overall score, prospective students can filter schools by tuition, school type, religious affiliation, military benefits and more.

Visit OnlineColleges.com to learn more about the methodology and see the ranking of Texas schools.

Chamber business members, Chamber Ambassadors, friends and community leaders gathered to help welcome the Central Fort Bend Chamber’s new member, Business Spirt Promotional Products & Wearables located at 2839 N. Main, Suite 101 in Stafford, TX.

Business Spirit was originally owned by Bob and Susan Hargarther who then sold the company to new owner, Camille Edwards. Camille addressed guests and thanked them for taking time to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony stating, “Thank you all for coming out today and joining us for our ribbon cutting celebration. I am about to celebrate my first year as owner of Business Spirit so thank you for making it more special”. “Business Spirit has been in business for over 20 years specializing in custom merchandise, promotional products, wearables and much more. We are here to meet your business needs”. Business Spirit is able to supply companies with promotional products from over 3000 suppliers with their mission being to help businesses create long-lasting relationships with clients through the power of promotional products. Guests joined in on ribbon cutting photos, fun and networking and were presented with a small thank you gift as they left.

For more information, visit their website at: www.businessspirit.com.

The Central Fort Bend Chamber is a 105 year old non-profit membership organization dedicated to creating a strong local economy where businesses can prosper. The Central Fort Bend Chamber advocates for over 1,000 local businesses led by a volunteer board of directors who are dedicated to sustaining Fort Bend County’s quality of life, and keeping our community and economy vibrant. 

For more information on the Chamber or its programs, call 281-342-5464 or visit www.CFBCA.org.

KOBELCO Construction Machinery USA, a world class crawler excavator manufacturer, is pleased to introduce its enhanced SK500LC-10 model. Part of the KOBELCO Generation 10, the SK500 features cutting-edge power and efficiency capabilities to make downtime a thing of the past.

This trendsetting excavator delivers a dynamic bucket digging force of 57,500-lbs and achieves leading-class work volume – even while minimizing fuel consumption. Equipped with an increased torque setting, the SK500 supplies 11% more digging volume than its predecessor. The upgraded model also boasts an impressive 10% increase in work volume. Much of this boost in efficiency comes from a new hydraulic regeneration system which further minimizes energy loss and ensures outstanding performance.

The robust 114,000-lb SK500 is powered by a 369-hp Tier IV Final HINO engine, allowing it to easily tackle tough applications and remain highly fuel efficient. A high-pressure common rail fuel injection system and variable-geometry turbocharger reduces particulate matter, while a large EGR cooler decreases NOx emissions by 80% to provide low operation emissions. The KOBELCO SK500 also incorporates a new hydraulic drive to optimize the cooling fan rotation speed and deliver ultra-quiet operation.

Independent travel, an exclusive KOBELCO feature, enables the SK500 to move, lift and swing simultaneously without experiencing loss of power, while automatic swing priority instantly delivers full swing power during combined operations. An optional Counterweight Removal System further enhances the SK500’s reputation for powerful performance and efficient operation. This feature makes counterweight removal and installation a quick, simple process to reduce costs and increase safety.

The latest machine upgrades combined with a continued emphasis on operator comfort makes the KOBELCO SK500 a leader in its size class. A 25% reduction in pilot control operator force lessens fatigue during long hours of operation, while a reclining suspension seat, automatic air conditioner, radio with USB, AUX and Bluetooth capabilities, and large cup holder provide a pleasant work environment. Operators can also expect extended service intervals when it comes to engine oil, hydraulic oil, filter changes and greasing. Easy access to major compartments ensure convenient day-to-day maintenance and rear view and right side cameras provide excellent visibility and safe operation.

KOBELCO Construction Machinery USA offers industry-leading crawler excavators in the 3,000 lb. to 245,000 lb. classes including zero tail swing, compact, standard, long-reach, mass excavation, and demolition models. Well-known as the excavator authority, KOBELCO is committed to producing quality machines with advanced productivity-boosting features and innovative technologies. With premier capabilities such as no time limit power boost and exclusive independent travel, KOBELCO machines ensure superior performance and efficiency for the toughest worksite challenges.

For more information on KOBELCO Construction Machinery USA or KOBELCO products, please visit www.KOBELCO-USA.com or call 281-888-8430.

China Tips for your Thanksgiving Table   

In the autumn of 1621, the Plymouth community and the Wampanoag Indians celebrated a harvest feast. A longstanding event in Native American culture, the harvest feast was also known as the Thanksgiving celebration.

The 1621 harvest feast offered lots of meat and very few vegetables. Forks were not used and the most prominent person at the table was seated at the head of the table and was positioned closest to the food.
For your Thanksgiving meal, you’ll want to invite friends and family and offer turkey with all the fixins. You may even serve it on your best china or your grandmother’s beloved serving pieces. If you are displaying vintage china, here are some tips for making the event special.

Beware of lead

Some antique and vintage china may contain lead and lead leaching can be toxic. Some of the old glazes used on pre 1900 china may contain lead. Often, highly decorated or multi-colored china may have lead glazes. Damaged, chipped, cracked or crazed (that funny zig zag pattern in the colorless glaze) china may allow lead to leach and contaminate food.  So, if you have damaged pieces, don’t use them in the preparation or service of food. It is better to use them for display purposes only.

It is common knowledge that grandma’s antique china should not be used in the microwave or dishwasher, but it is also a bad idea to place an old piece of china in the refrigerator piled high with leftovers. Why? Storing your leftovers in the refrigerator on an old decorated china plate is not good for the life span of the antique nor is it good for you once you re-serve those leftovers. The plate is fragile and cooling will impact its overall condition. Also, lead can leach from china in the refrigerator that is hosting foods high in acidity. Thus, a piece of lead glazed or lead decorated antique china that experiences a significant temperature change (as with cooling) may leach. If you must eat off of your antique china or vintage ceramic dishware, don’t do so regularly.

Basic white china may be the safest type for your family and pets. It is not wise to eat off of china with painted or metallic decorations–like gold leaf or silver banding.  And, if you are in the practice of using an old ceramic bowl to feed your pets, make sure these antique or vintage ceramic pieces are not damaged in any way. You want to protect our furry friends too!

So, if you want to highlight your grandmother’s china, it is best to display the lovely pieces as a holiday centerpiece, in a china cabinet, or on the Thanksgiving buffet table hosting  flowers. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. Dr. Lori is the expert appraiser on the hit TV show, Auction Kings on the Discovery channel and has shared her expertise with the History channel, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, and Today show.  Visit www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of the perpetrators involved in an aggravated robbery.

At approximately 10:13 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the Diamond Market in the 5900 block of Gerken Road in Pleak, Texas concerning an aggravated robbery.

The two suspects were observed approaching the Diamond Market on foot, coming from the area of SH 36.

The suspects made entry and stole items and currency at gunpoint. Both suspects were observed leaving on foot, heading back towards the area of SH 36.

Suspect No. 1 is described as possibly a Hispanic or black male. He has a slender build, 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds. He was wearing a gray and black horizontal stripped sweater, light khaki shorts and red high top tennis shoes with a white stripe on the sides.

Suspect No. 2 appears to be a Hispanic male. He is short and stocky, possibly about 5-feet, 4-inches tall and weighs about 185 pounds. He was wearing a black long sleeve button down shirts with breast pockets, black gym shorts with a vertical red strip along the sides and white tennis shoes.

Anyone who has information on this crime is asked to call Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers, Inc.

• Call (281) 342-TIPS (8477)
• Send a Text Message: Text FBCCS plus your tip to CRIMES (274637)
• Submit Online: http://www.fortbend.crimestoppersweb.com

Information, which leads to the apprehension and filing of charges on the suspect(s) involved, could earn you up to $5,000 CASH REWARD.

All calls to Crime Stoppers are ANONYMOUS.

Area attorneys are invited to the Tuesday, November 22, 2016 lunch meeting of the Katy Bar Association at 11:30 A.M. at Hasta la Pasta, 1450 W Grand Parkway South, Katy, Texas.

The guest speaker is Michael Burg. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, receiving his Juris Doctor from the University of Houston College of Law in 1985, and maintains his private practice in Katy, Texas. He is licensed to practice before the Texas Supreme Court, Federal District Courts in Texas, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Mr. Burg is an Adjunct Professor of Business Law at the University of St. Thomas.

His topic is “Update on Ethics”, the perils and pitfalls of the use of social media for attorneys, including the rules of advertising, as an attorney in Texas.

Mr. Burg is in private practice, AV rated, combining his business law practice and litigation experience, with a personal desire to see his clients grow and prosper.

He has advised numerous clients, in the creation of partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies.

Michael Burg’s transactional representation encompasses real estate, mergers and acquisitions (sale and purchase), employment agreements, private placement investment memoranda, defending physicians and other medical professionals in licensing matters concerning the Texas Medical Board, complimented by his expertise and success in business litigation.

He is named one of Texas’ Top Lawyers by Law.com in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

President Elizabeth Pratt remarked, “This update will provide us insights on our continuing role as attorneys, serving the needs of our clients and to our profession, and the ever involved role of social media. Area attorneys are invited to our lunch meeting and earn an hour of CLE.”

November is National Adoption Month and more than 6,000 Texas children and teens are waiting for adoption. Many ask themselves, “Why not me? Why can’t I have a family?”

The good news is that more Texas children than ever before (5,672) got the answer they were looking for when they were adopted into their own forever family last year. Yet more children enter foster care every day in Texas. Some won’t be able to return home and will eventually need adoptive families to start new lives that are free from abuse or neglect.

Older children tend to stay in foster care longer. This November, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is asking caring adults, “Why not you? Why not adopt an older child?”

There are many adoption events across the state this month that put the spotlight on the many children waiting for a permanent family.

The average number of Texas children awaiting adoption increased by 31 percent over the last decade, but declined by almost 2 percent over the last year. Meanwhile, the number of children adopted from state care in Texas increased 3.2 percent over the last year and 68 percent over the last decade.

“Texas is doing a better job of finding permanent homes for children, but that’s small consolation to any child who does not have one.  Please help if you can by adopting an abused or neglected child,” said DFPS Commissioner Hank Whitman.

Texas needs adoptive parents for children of all ages. Some of these children have special medical, physical, or emotional needs. The one thing they all have in common is the need for a forever family.

What greater gift than the gift of family? Children are waiting at AdoptChildren.org. Find out more about becoming an adoptive parent, because no child should ask, “Why not me?”

Adoption by the Numbers

• 6,596 – The monthly average number of children in Texas Foster Care who were awaiting adoption last year. This was a 2 percent decline from the previous year.
  • 6,388 – The number of children in DFPS care who were awaiting adoption as of September 2016 (latest data available).
  • 5,672 – The number of children adopted from Texas foster care in fiscal year 2016. That is 3.2 percent increase from the previous year.
  • 21 – The minimum age to be eligible to adopt a child in Texas.

Grand Parkway Segment C-1

On Monday, October 31, 2016 the widening of FM 2759 (Crabb River Rd). from US 59 to Rabbs Bayou will be substantially complete and open for use by the traveling public. The widening is just a piece of the larger mobility project, Segment C of the Grand Parkway (SH 99), which will ultimately connect SH99 between US 59 and SH 288. The newly added lanes will serve as the southbound frontage road for SH99 when the toll road is extended south of US 59. As part of the current project, the existing portion of FM 2759 between Rabbs Bayou and US 59 will be converted to northbound traffic only.

Pictured below at the Ribbon Cutting is County Judge Bob Hebert, Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison, Precinct 4 Commissioner James Patterson, Toll Road Director’s Dean Hrbacek, Charles Rencher and Bill Kee, County Engineer Richard Stolleis, Project Manager Mike Stone, Project Engineer Gary Gehbauer and numerous other engineers, contractors, HOA representatives and consultants that were instrumental in completing this mobility project.

Pictured Left to Right Front Row: Lynn Franklin, Richard Stolleis, Priti Singh, Charles Rencher, Dean Hrbacek, Judge Bob Hebert, Richard Morrison, Nadeem Abbasi, Jim Hunt, Gary Gehbauer, Karen Vannerson

Pictured Left to Right Back Row: Larry Janak, Alex Wu, Jack Molho, James Patterson, Bill Kee, Tyler Thoutt, Scott Ashmore, Michael Harr, Joe Pedicini, Mike Stone