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Saturday, July 22, 2023 • Vol. 68 • No. 29

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Timbergrove murder suspects found in Vietnam Martin and 35-year-old Dana Ryssdal in the Lazybrook/Timbergrove area this past January, according to Harris County court records. Phan and Nguyen were located in Vietnam, according to multiple media reports, and will be extradited to Harris County to face the murder charges after being on the run for over six months, according to the reports. An additional person, 23-year-old Kathy Vu, was

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Two men accused in the fatal shooting of two other men in the Timbergrove area earlier this year were apprehended in Vietnam late last week, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Polie Phan, 26, and Jaidan Vu Nguyen, 25, are charged with capital murder in the fatal shootings of 37-year-old James

Polie Phan

Jaidan Vu Nguyen

Stories to tell

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Serving coffee, tea, wine, beer, savories and sweets 7 am to 9 pm daily.

1030 Heights Blvd, Houston,TX 77008

713-434-6923

INSIDE.

Trusted Hear from local realtor Janet Schmidt, who is this month’s Realtor Spotlight.

Photo from Instagram Sinclair Elementary STEM teacher Bradley Quentin is in the midst of an expedition to Norway as part of a prestigious fellowship with National Geographic. He was one of just 50 educators selected from hundreds of applications in the United States, U.S. Territories, and Canada.

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Sinclair teacher picked for National Geographic fellowship By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

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See Suspects P. 6

Alleged robbery spree includes local bank

Your neighborhood living room in The Heights

Come to explore See more about Ray Dunlap’s “Diary of an Abductee” exhibit, opening this weekend at Sawyer Yards, in this week’s Art Valet.

previously arrested and charged with tampering with evidence according to Harris County court documents. She has been accused of allegedly using cleaning materials to clean up the Lazybrook/Timbergrove area home where Martin and Ryssdal were allegedly shot and killed, according to court documents. She was arrested this past March, and is cur-

Bradley Quentin believes in the power and unifying nature of storytelling. And he is hoping to use that power to educate and inspire students and other teachers alike following his trip to Europe as part of a prestigious educators’ fellowship from National Geographic. Quentin has been designated as a National Geographic/ Lindblad Expeditions Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, and was in the midst of traveling to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the fjords of Norway when The Leader got in touch with him on Tuesday. The National Geographic/ Lindblad Expeditions Grosvenor Photo from Instagram Teacher Fellowship is a profes- Among the experiences during Quentin’s expedition have been taking the Polar Bear sional development opportunity Plunge in the Arctic Ocean. for pre-K–12 educators made posCreated in the late 1990s by to its website, the fellowship offers sible by a partnership between Lindblad Expeditions and the Na- Sven-Olof Lindblad in honor of field-based experience under the tional Geographic Society in the Gilbert M. Grosvenor – the chair- guidance of National Geographic United States, U.S. Territories, and man emeritus of the National naturalists and scientists for the Baptist Temple / “Heights Church” Geographic Society – according Canada. See Quentin P. 5

The FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who is accused of robbing three Houston-area banks over a span of nine days earlier this month - including a local bank - according to a news release from the FBI’s Houston Field Office. The first robbery is alleged to have happened at Hancock Whitney Bank at 2979 N. Loop W. in the Timbergrove/Lazybrook area on July 5, according to the FBI. The other two, the FBI said, allegedly occurred at a Wells Fargo in east Houston on July 11 and another Wells Fargo in southwest Houston on July 13. According to the FBI, the man alleged to have committed the robberies is described as a Black male who is about 5-foot8 with a thin-to-medium build. Nobody was hurt during the robberies, according to the FBI. The man allegedly entered each bank dressed as a woman, according to the FBI, before allegedly approaching a teller, and handing them a threatening note written on a sticky note demanding cash. In the last two robberies, the FBI said he allegedly wore a black wig, black sunglasses, a blue medical See Robbery P. 5

Photo courtesy FBI The person in this photo - alleged to be a man dressed as a woman according to the FBI - is accused of robbing three Houston-area banks including a local bank, according to police.

Begin Run on 12/03/22 Baptist Temple / “Heights Church” 10” 2” on 12/03/22 Beginx Run

Nibbles and Sips Leading this week’s food and drink news is special cocktails coming to area bars this month plus a partnership between Coltivare and H-E-B.

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THE INDEX. Public/Topics............................2 Classifieds.................................................. 7 Local Culture............................8 Food & Drink............................8

County opens Adult Center in Northside 10” x Education 2” By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

replaces several outdated buildEdwardproject Crowell ings on the property, according to the Edward Crowell 713.628.2468 county. The 51,000-square-foot, four-sto-

Adults who want to go back to school or learn new skills to advance in their careers now have a new facility which the county says is aimed at increasing such opportunities for those around the Houston area. The Harris County Department of Education held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning to celebrate the opening of its new Adult Education Learning Center at 6515 Irvington Blvd in the Northside/Northline area across the street from its main administrative headquarters. The $19 million capital improvement

ry713.628.2468 facility can accommodate up to 1,200 students. HCDE’s adult education program helps students acquire workforce training, earn a high school equivalency diploma, and learn English (ESL) to enter college or advance in their careers and helps more than 6,000 adults in Harris County each year who are seeking those opportunities, according to the county. “People just need to have the grit, the courage…to stick with it and follow through, and they will improve not only

Contributed photo Harris County Department of Education Superintendent James Colbert Jr. (left) and Adult Education Senior Director Eduardo Honold (right) cut the ribbon to signify the opening of HCDE’s new Adult Education Center.

a church theHeights. Heights. We We areare a church forforthe See Education P. 3

Study @10am | Worship@11am @11am BibleBible Study @10am | Worship

230 W. 20St.St.77008 77008 Hymns and Hers. 230 W. 20 Hymns and Hers. th

Everyone is welcome at Heights Church. We are an exciting blend of old and new, Heights Church Heights Houston, ryone isand welcome at Heights Church. of Church, old and new, Texas we warmly invite you to@heightschurchhouston visit.We are an exciting blend

Heights Churchinvite you to @heightschurchhouston we warmly visit.

Heights Church, Houston, Texas

COFFEE 930AM | BIBLE STUDY 1OAM | WORSHIP 11AM | 230 W. 20TH ST. 77008

FEE 930AM | BIBLE STUDY 1OAM | WORSHIP 11AM | 230 W. 20TH ST. 77008 Heights Church

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Heights Church, Houston, Texas

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