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UH Sugar Land opens state-ofthe-art building for engineering programs By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The University of Houston’s Sugar Land campus has kicked off the fall 2025 semester with a new addition: a three-story, 75,000-squarefoot facility now open to faculty, staff and students. “The opening of the doors to our Sugar Land Academic Building 2 represents the growth our campus has experienced in the last year,” said Jay Neal, associate vice president, academic affairs and chief operations officer for UH’s Sugar Land Campus. “This building allows us to accommodate hundreds more students who wish to pursue engineering studies in Fort Bend County.” A formal grand opening event is planned for mid-October. The new building is home to the UH Cullen College of Engineering, where roughly 80 faculty members will be teaching. In 2021, the Texas Legislature approved funding for a second academic building in Sugar Land as part of a broader UH System construction and renovation package. The $65 million project received $54 million from the state appropriation, and construction began in October 2023. The new building features wet and dry labs, computer labs, faculty offices, collaboration areas, traditional and active learning classrooms, as well as student advising offices and lounge spaces, UH-Sugar Land said in a news release. A sky bridge will link the new building to its neighbor, Sugar Land Academic Building 1. The bridge is still under construction and expected to open later this semester. The new building will allow the university to accommodate approximately 2,500 more students, Neal said. “The most recent numbers indicate there are 4,713 students at the Sugar Land campus,” Neal said. “That is about a 30% increase from this time last year. That number does not include the nearly 4,000 students taking classes from Wharton County Junior College, which shares one of our buildings.” The building also features a new addition to the Public Art University of Houston System collection: “Split Level”, a sculpture by Australian artist Clement Meadmore, installed on the east side. “Universities encourage and inspire thoughts, discussions and conversations – that also is the role of art,” Neal said. “Having these public art pieces creates a space to connect with the community both inside our walls and outside. We want people to come onto the campus, to explore it and to interact with it … The
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Prosecutors reveal new allegations against George By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
New allegations against Fort Bend County Judge KP George have emerged in a recent court filing in his felony money laundering case - including that he conspired with his former chief of staff in a professional services contract while the staffer was working in the Biden Administration. The new allegations are part of an August 21 filing by Fort Bend County prosecutors that lists “extraneous crimes” and other character evidence in the penalty phase of George’s trial, should he be convicted. The trial is set for February 3. The filing was first reported by Houston Public Media. George was first indicted on two counts of money laundering, a felony, in March, alleging that during his first campaign for county judge in 2018, George “knowingly” tampered with tampered with campaign
finance reports to conduct transactions of between $30,000 and $150,000, and transferring the proceeds “with intent to defraud or harm.” While the indictments initially contained scarce evidence about the specific allegations, last month prosecutors filed another document, a response to one filed by George’s attorneys, in which they laid out their case in much more detail. In that filing, prosecutors allege that George illegally transferred campaign funds during the 2018 campaign to pay property taxes and make a down payment on a new house. In the more recent filing, on August 21, prosecutors list a raft of new allegations they say will introduce during a penalty phase of the trial. Among them is
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File photo
New allegations against Fort Bend County Judge KP George have emerged in a recent court filing in his felony money laundering case.
Is Sugar Land ready for its close-up?
City takes the stage with World Cup agreement
Photo by Ken Fountain
City of Sugar Land officials and others strike a pose at the announcement of the city’s agreement to be a host city supporter during next year’s FIFA World Cup events in Houston.
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
A massive hangar at the Sugar Land Regional Network was the setting last week for an announcement of global reach – a partnership between the City of Sugar Land and FIFA, the organization that runs the World Cup, in which Sugar Land will serve as a “host supporting community” during the soccer tournament’s seven-game stand in Houston next year. The Wednesday event followed the City Council’s 6-1 vote at its meeting the night before to pay a total of $2.5 million to the FIFA Houston 2026 World Cup Committee
to act as the sole suburban city in the greater Houston region to serve as an official host of the festivities. According to officials, the games are estimated to bring 500,000 fans from around the world and generate approximately $1.5 billion in economic benefits for the region. The city’s funding of the agreement will come from hotel occupancy taxes and other funds, not property taxes. At Large Position 2 Council member Robert Boettcher, who had questioned how specific “deliverables” in the agreement would be measured, was the sole vote against. Houston is one of 11 cities in the United States that will host games in the worldwide 2026 World Cup, a
total of seven matches for a 21-day period beginning in mid-June. According to Chris Canetti, president of the Houston 2026 World Cup Committee, in terms of economic benefits, that would be equivalent of seven Super Bowls. Matches will also be held in four cities in Mexico and Canada. Around the globe, each of the Houston matches will be viewed by more than 200 million people, Canetti said. The Houston games will be encompassed by a 39-day “Fan Festival” held in the EaDo area outside downtown Houston, but the festivities will be extended to events in many Sugar Land venues, Canetti said.
“This partnership provides a global platform to highlight Sugar Land’s diversity, strong economy, and vibrant community during one of the largest sporting events in history,” Mayor Carol McCutcheon told an enthusiastic crowd of officials and civic leaders at the event. “It also reflects our city’s readiness for something sweeter - a community with the energy, infrastructure, and vision to deliver world-class experiences as a host city supporter. “Sugar Land is proud to partner with Houston to make this historic event a success for our entire region. Together, we’ll extend the World
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Missouri City native pursues bachelor’s degree while serving aboard Navy warship By Ashley Craig NAVY OFFICE OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH
MAYPORT, Fla. - Petty Officer 1st Class Nia Henderson, a native of Missouri City, Texas, serves aboard USS John Basilone, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Mayport, Florida. Henderson graduated from Thurgood Marshall High School in 2017 and is working toward a bachelor’s degree in business administration at American Military
University. The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Missouri City. “Growing up, I learned that if you work hard, you play harder,” Henderson said. “That mindset has led me to many achievements in the Navy, things like picking up rank pretty fast.” Henderson joined the Navy six years
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Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew Hanchar
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Nia Henderson, a native of Missouri City, serves aboard USS John Basilone, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Mayport, Fla.