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New EpiCenter expansion still in early stages, officials say By Juhi Varma A later phase would add retail partnership space. “We’re excited about this projannounced to A proposed $235 million ect for not all the citizens of Fort expansion of the Fort Bend Coun- Bend County, but for the growth could bring a major and the citizens of Rosenberg,” combat human tyhotelEpiCenter and convention center to said Fort Bend County Precinct but county officials 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales. trafficking in Rosenberg, say the plan is still in the discusThe Fort Bend County EpiCension phase and far from finalized. ter Hotel and Convention Center The plan, presented to the project is expected to boost local Fort Bend Rosenberg City Council during economy, attract major events, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Building on a collaborative announced earlier this year, the Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement on Monday announced a new partnership with a nationally known organization that combats human trafficking designed to “eradicate” the crime in Fort Bend County. In January, District Attorney Brian Middleton, flanked by members of law enforcement and others, announced the formation the Fort Bend Anti-Trafficking Collective, headed by a three-year grant of $888,888 (with matching local funding of about $400,000) from the prosecutor’s office) from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. The grant expires in September 2027 but can be renewed, authorities said. The task force is headed by Rhonda Kuykendall, a member of the prosecutor’s office who previously led its Human Trafficking Community Awareness Team. It was already in partnership with the regional nonprofit United Against Human Trafficking, which focuses on providing services to survivors of human trafficking in its many forms. On Monday, the task force announced a new partnership, with the Virginia-based Human Trafficking Institute, which according to its website “exists to decimate trafficking by stopping traffickers.” The announcement was made in conjunction with a half-day seminar presented by HTI to the leadership of law enforcement agencies across Fort Bend County at the Gus George Law Enforcement Academy near the Fort Bend County Center in Richmond. “We’re serious about combating human trafficking. The United States abolished slavery in 1865. Yet, it still continues to persist which is irreconcilable with our religious beliefs, our laws, and the tenets on which this nation was founded,” Middleton said. “We intend to eradicate and combat human trafficking in Fort Bend County, Texas, and that’s what you see here,” Middleton said as the heads of most of the county’s law enforcement agencies standing beside him. “Fort Bend County is moving against human trafficking and we want traffickers to know: get out of Fort Bend County. We will not tolerate it. We will hunt
SEE TRAFFICKING PAGE 2
a workshop on September 23, outlines a 254-room full-service hotel, a 70,000-square-foot convention center, and two parking garages with more than 2,600 spaces. The west garage will provide 1,527 spaces, and the east garage will include 1,087 spaces.
and potentially lower tax rates for residents, according to the presenters at the workshop. The Fort Bend Epicenter, a $120 million multi-purpose
SEE EPICENTER PAGE 2
A proposed $235 million expansion of the Fort Bend County EpiCenter could bring a major hotel and convention center to Rosenberg. Courtesy City of Rosenberg
9,000-PLUS GATHER FOR DIWALI-DUSSEHRA CELEBRATION AT CONSTELLATION FIELD
Traditional dancers perform at the 14th International Diwali-Dussehra Festival at Constellation Field last weekend. Contributed photo
By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Shri Sita Ram Foundation hosted its 14th International Diwali-Dussehra Festival at Sugar Land’s Constellation Field last weekend. On Saturday, more than 9,000 people came to the ballpark, making this one of the largest Diwali-Dussehra gatherings in the country. Founded in 2012, the Shri Sita Ram Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the cultural and social aspects of
the Indian community in the United States. “I am humbled that we were able to spread the message of our ancient and proud civilization not only to the Indian diaspora but also to all other communities in the Great Houston area, showcase our culture, our brotherhood and moral values,” said Arun Verma, founder of the Shri Sita Ram Foundation. Families strolled along the wide concourse, exploring more than 50 vendor booths, cultural exhibits, and activity zones. The open layout offered clear views of the field,
allowing visitors to enjoy the stage performances as they wandered. For many people in the region, especially non-Indians, the festival is an opportunity to learn about Hindu traditions, Verma said. Several nonIndian families join in every year, enjoying the cultural traditions in an accessible and welcoming way. “My favorite part was seeing the satisfaction, smiles on the faces of the people who attended the event,” Verma said. A major highlight of the celebration was the grand parade around Constellation Field fea-
turing 37 floats, music, and dance performances by local cultural organizations. This year, there were two parade marshals: Dawn Buckingham of the HoustonGalveston Area Council and Consul General of India in Houston, DC Manjunath. “We took Rama and Sita in a pickup truck around the stadium the first time in 2012 and people stood up to clap,” said Verma. “That started the idea of getting other
SEE CELEBRATION PAGE 5
Community turns out for dedication of FBISD’s Aldridge Elementary By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The cafeteria/auditorium of Fort Bend ISD’s new Allen Aldridge, Jr. Elementary School was filled Sunday with people expressing their admiration for the school’s namesake, a Fort Bend ISD football standout who went on to play in the NFL (including as a Super Bowl champion) and coach for two decades at the district’s George Bush High School. Aldridge, a 1990 graduate of Willowridge High School, played for the University of Houston and was drafted as a linebacker in 1994 by the Denver Broncos, with whom he helped win Super Bowl XXXII in 1997. He later played for the Detroit Lions. After retiring from a professional football career, he returned to his
roots in Fort Bend ISD, first as a volunteer at George Bush High School. He officially joined the staff as athletic director and head football coach in 2008, a position he held for 20 years. He died in September 2024 at age 52. The new, 127,200-square-foot campus sits on a sprawling 9,567-acre site in the heart of the Briargate community where the former Briargate Elementary School once stood. The new $45.5 million building, part of the $1.2 billion bond program approved by voters in 2023, combined the former Briargate campus with another elementary school that was previously planned for the area. The new school opened its doors this fall. Last year, after Aldridge’s death, the district’s board voted to name the new campus after him. The turnout and testimonials heard at Sunday’s
event indicated the choice was fitting. The dedication ceremony got off to a rousing start with fifth-grade students, directed by music teacher David Watkins, sang the classic Kool & The Gang song “Celebration.” Superintendent Marc Smith, who came back to Fort Bend ISD in January 2024 after serving at other districts for several years, noted that he first met Aldridge shortly afterward at one of the annual gettogethers he hosted for the mothers of former professional football players. “He was so gentle, he was so warm to me coming back to the district. And we had a really good conversation. He showed me his [Super Bowl] ring. Just a really gentle man. He cared, he
SEE ALDRIDGE PAGE 2
Cleothia Aldridge, mother of the late Allen Aldridge, Jr., is greeted by a well-wisher at the conclusion of the dedication ceremony for the Fort Bend ISD elementary school named for her son. Photo by Ken Fountain