2023
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Pecan Harvest Festival draws crowds to Richmond - Page 4
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Sugar Land native Wu, 19, competes in global science competition By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Sugar Land native Isabella Wu, a 19-year-old freshman at Rice University, is one of just 30 students worldwide selected as a semifinalist in the prestigious Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global science competition. To reach this stage, Wu created a video explaining how the hormone leptin regulates hunger – and how ignoring the body’s fullness cues contributes to obesity. The topic is especially timely as the holiday season encourages eating in abundance. Wu’s video can be viewed at youtube.com/ watch?v=_b37w-gVfTo. “I was really interested in nutrition growing up, and I wanted to find a video topic that was applicable to everyone,” she said. “I was thinking about different questions that people kind of think of on a daily basis, like ‘why does everyone feel full?’ It’s actually due to a hormone called leptin.” A self-professed foodie, Wu credits her passion for food as the spark that led her to explore the science behind feelings of fullness and nutrition. Her video was produced over the summer, with Wu handling scripting, animation, and editing herself before submission in September. Now, Wu is competing in the Popular Vote Challenge. Online voting ended December 9. Afterward, there will be 15 finalists chosen and then a final winner. The winner receives a $250,000 college scholarship; $100,000 is awarded to the student’s high school and $50,000 to a teacher of their choosing. Wu has already selected hers – Clements High School biology teacher Caitlin Zuber. Wu grew up in Sugar Land, attending Fort Settlement Middle School and graduating from Clements last year. At Rice, she is studying biosciences and is also interested in exercise physiology or sports medicine. If she wins, Wu says the scholarship would help
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McCoy joins crowded field for county judge By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The 2026 race for Fort Bend County Judge, which already had gained intense interest, grew even more heated last week when Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy announced that he would be running in the March 3 Democratic primary. Election filing for many of the county’s elective offices, as well as state and federal representatives, ended Monday evening. McCoy made his announcement in a splashy video on his campaign website and on social
media. His virtually last-minute announcement puts him in the running against previously announced Democratic candidates 434th District Court Judge J. Christian Becerra, Sugar Land Municipal Court Associate Judge Rachelle D. Carter, U.S. Army retiree Ferrell Bonner (who ran unsuccessfully against KP George in the 2018 Democratic primary), and political consultant Muzzammil Sajjad. On the Republican side, the candidates for the county’s top elected office include incumbent George (who switched his party
affiliation in June in the midst of several criminal indictments), former Sugar Land City Council member Daniel Wong, certified public accountant Kenneth Omoruhi, and real estate agent Melissa M. Wilson. Jim Narvios, a Sugar Landbased attorney, is running as an independent. McCoy had served as George’s chief of staff before winning election to the Precinct 4 seat in 2023 after defeating incumbent Ken DeMerchant and
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Democratic Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy announced Thursday that he will run for County Judge next year. Here he is seen at the dedication of the African American Heritage Monument in Kendleton last month. File photo
HOLIDAYS AROUND THE BEND
Santa Claus arrives by horse-drawn carriage at Sugar Land City Hall during the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday, one of several holiday events held around Fort Bend County over the weekend. See more photos on Page 6. Photo by Ken Fountain
African Children’s Choir to perform in Needville on Dec. 11 By Juhi Varma
the choir’s lineup of Christmas music for the holiday season. The event is free to attend, with The African Children’s Choir will donations encouraged. Creekside perform on Thursday, December Christian Fellowship is located at 11, 2025, at 7 p.m. at Creekside 16628 TX-36, Needville. Christian Fellowship in Needville. The choir, part of the Music for Life What can the audience expect? charity, has spent 41 years helping The children’s performances, held Africa’s children today so they can four times a week, showcase a vihelp build’s Africa future. brant blend of traditional Ugandan “The African Children’s Choir costumes, African rhythms, and proves just how powerful music can English hymns. Each concert, be,” said Tina Sipp, choir manager. which includes a video storytelling “These concerts not only provide component, is an energetic 80-minhope and encouragement to our au- ute program that keeps audiences diences, but they offer the children engaged from start to finish. life-changing experiences that help This year’s choir comprises seven shape them into future leaders.” boys and 10 girls, all at the primaryThis year’s 25-state tour – the school level, ranging from first to 54th choir to visit the U.S. – began third grade. The children stay with in September and runs through host families during their tour. May and includes about eight “I want to bring up is just the Texas performances. After their stop in Needville they will go to San Antonio. Texans get a special treat: SEE CHOIR PAGE 2 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The African Children’s Choir will perform on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 7 p.m. at Creekside Christian Fellowship in Needville. Contributed photo
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