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Fresno Fort Bend County Fair entertainment lineup announced man sentenced to 48 years in car burglaryturned murder Community Reports
The Fort Bend County Fair Association has announced the entertainment lineup for the 89th Annual Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo, featuring 15 artists across two stages from BBQ Weekend, September 19 and 20, to the fair’s run, September 26 October 5, 2025. The Brazos and Texas stages will feature amix of musical talent, ranging from Texas country and high-energy Tejano to Country soul
and rising stars in traditional country music. Notable headliners include returning fan favorite Kevin Fowler, a staple of the Texas country scene, best known for his hit “Beer, Bait & Ammo.” Returning this year is Wade Bowen, celebrated for heartfelt tracks like “Who I Am”. Country music legend Gene Watson, with over 75 charted singles and a career spanning more than five decades, he will also be taking the stage. Two powerhouse groups
will be hosted by the Go Tejano committee at the 2025 Fort Bend County Fair. Headlining the evening are Los Igualados, the dynamic six-member group from the Rio Grande Valley, whose unique blend of norteño and romantic cumbia has captivated fans and created a tremendous large audience. Opening the festivities will be Los Morales, a tight-knit group of three brothers and a lifelong friend who perform a mix of “guapachosa” cumbias and Tejano rancheras.
Other headliners include Cole Goodwin, a rising 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Georgia. He burst onto the scene with his self-produced EP, “Soon Enough,” in 2023, and in 2024, he gained traction with fan-favorite singles like “When You Get Home,” which amassed over 400,000 views on social media. This sum- The Fort Bend County Fair mer, he has been on tour with Association has announced Luke Bryan. Josh Weathers the entertainment lineup for the 89th Annual Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo, SEE FAIR PAGE 4 which runs Sept. 26-Oct. 5.
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS DISCUSS CRIME STATS AT ‘STATE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE’ EVENT
A Fort Bend County jury recently convicted Yosiah Spencer, 24, of Fresno, to 48 years in prison of murder of a Missouri City man during a car burglary. Courtesy Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office
Staff Reports A Fort Bend County jury recently sentenced a Fresno man 48 years in prison after convicting him of murder. Yosiah Spencer, 24, was charged with killing a Missouri City man during a car burglary in 2020, according to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office. According to Assistant District Attorney Janie Korah, lead prosecutor, in the early morning hours of November 19, 2020, Spencer broke into a vehicle parked in the driveway of a Missouri City home. A resident of the home, Bryan Curry, came outside and approached the car while Spencer was still inside. Spencer almost immediately shot Curry from within the vehicle, according to prosecutors. Spencer subsequently fled with belongings from the burglarized car. Through investigation by the Houston Police Department, Spencer was identified and charged with the Curry’s murder. “The defendant took the life of Bryan Curry, a dedicated father of seven, beloved brother, son, uncle, family member and friend to many, over mere possessions,” Korah said in a news release. “The jury heard details of Yosiah Spencer’s actions and in turn rendered a just verdict, sending a message on behalf of Fort Bend County.” “It is fundamental to freedom that we should be safe from harm at our homes. The defendant violated that freedom and senselessly took Mr. Curry’s life in the process,” District Attorney Brian Middleton said in the release. “Yosiah Spencer’s 48-year sentence is a just punishment for his crime, but no sentence will relieve the suffering of Mr. Curry’s family.” Korah and Assistant District Attorney Chimaobi Nwankwo tried the case in the 268th District Court before Presiding Judge Steve Rogers. Murder in this case is a firstdegree felony punishable by 5-99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Spencer must serve at least half of his sentence before being considered for parole.
Fort Bend County law enforcement officials participate in a panel discussion during the second annual “State of Criminal Justice” summit last week. From left: Researcher Beth Gilmore, Richmond Police Chief Jeff Craig, Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton, Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan, Fulshear Police Chief Kenny Seymour, and Sugar Land Police Chief Pete Lara. Photo by Ken Fountain
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
While crime levels are keeping pace with Fort Bend County’s rapid growth, leaders say the county’s approach to law enforcement is working. leaders said at a forum last week. For the second year in a row, leaders of many of Fort Bend County’s law enforcement agencies gathered at Safari Texas Ranch in Richmond for the “State of Criminal Justice Summit.” The now-annual event is spearheaded by Fort Bend District Attorney Brian Middleton, and was presented by the Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce. As with the inaugural event last year, this year’s edition drew upon the findings in a multi-jurisdictional study recently concluded meant to determine the actual crime rates in Fort Bend County with context. This year’s study was again led by two criminal justice professors at the University of Houston-Downtown, Beth Gilmore
and Kevin Buckler. According to the study’s key findings, crime figures in Fort Bend County since last year remain relatively stable, with some fluctuations in categories of crime. Offenses against persons in 2024 (the period covered by the study) remained relatively stable (831.5 per 100,000), with a slight uptick from 2023. Property offenses declined 3.4 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to the study, while offenses against society, such as drug and weapon violation, dropped 16.9 percent. The study notes that Fort Bend County’s rapid increase in population, from 818,027 in 2020 to 958,434 in 2024 has “heightened public safety demands.” According to the study, clearance rates (that is, the resolution of reported crimes by law enforcement) of crimes against people across the county remained “consistently strong” at around 70 percent, but clearance rates of property crimes were “con-
sistently low,” at around 13 percent, highlighting “persistent investigatory challenges county-wide.” According to the report, many crimes, such sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, remain underreported, especially during crises like COVID-19, which distorts the true crime rate. “Fort Bend County is a national model in demographic diversity and community policing innovation,” the report’s executive summary concludes. “With unprecedented growth, demographic diversity, and a foundation of trust-building, it has the tools to lead statewide reforms in justice, transparency, and safety. To sustain public safety amid rapid growth, cross-sector coordination, legislative foresight, and continued investment in both technology and human capital are imperative. Coordinated investment and sustained innovation are key to ensuring a safe and equitable future for all residents. The main feature of the summit
was a panel discussion featuring Middleton, study author Gilmore, Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan, Richmond Police Chief Jeff Craig, Sugar Land Police Chief Pete Lara, Fulshear Police Chief Kenny Seymour, with Fort Bend County First Assistant District Attorney Ibrahim Khawaja serving as moderator. Khawaja introduced a series of videos that detailed various aspects of the report and how it was compiled, many of them featuring the panelists, who added context to the items discussed. Middleton said that the purpose of the report was to provide an accurate assessment of the level of crime in Fort Bend County. “Some years ago, there were a lot of false rumors being spread about what was happening in our county,” he said. “Being in criminal justice, we knew a lot of what was being said was false.”
SEE LAW PAGE 4
Library system says patrons’ data not compromised in attack Staff Reports Months after first acknowledging a cybersecurity attack that has wrecked havoc on its computer systems, the Fort Bend County Libraries system recently provided the public an update, saying patrons’ data was not compromised in the attack. In March, library system director Roosevelt Weeks issued a statement on the system’s website acknowledging the attack, which at that point had all but shut down the system’s computer services for two weeks. Week’s statement followed a special called meeting of the Fort Bend County Commissioners, who with almost no public discussion voted unanimously to hire the services
of several information technology firms and a law firm to deal with the incident. Since then, county officials have remained largely mum on the incident. The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office has acknowledged that it has launched a criminal investigation of the attack, but thus far has offered no details about the investigation. A recent report by an investigative team by ABC-13, based on open records requests, said that it uncovered documents stating that the attack was a ransomware attack, in which criminals attack the computer systems of large entities, including public entities, and demand large ransoms. The Fort Bend Star has not independently confirmed the ABC-13 report.
Below is the text of Weeks’s most recent update, posted on July 11. Library Technology Rebuild – Progress Update First and foremost, thank you for your extraordinary patience as we work through the aftermath of the recent cybersecurity attack. Our team, in close partnership with County IT, continues to make steady progress toward a safer, more capable library system. Below is the latest on where things stand, why the rebuild is taking time, and, importantly, what we know (and don’t know) about any potential data exposure.
SEE CYBERATTACK PAGE 4
Months after acknowledging a cyberattack on its computer systems, the Fort Bend County Libraries system said in a recent update that patrons’ data was not compromised in the attack. File photo