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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 51 • No. 6 • $1.00
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Contenders Judge denies George defense’s motion to disqualify DA make their cases at packed County Judge forum By Ken Fountain
KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
A Fort Bend County judge last week denied a motion by defense attorneys for County Judge KP George to disqualify District Attorney Brian Middleton and his prosecution team from George’s upcoming felony trial on two counts of money laundering. Barring an appeal of the ruling, that clears the way for George’s trial to go forward in March. In a January 30 hearing, Jared Woodfill and Terry Yates, George’s lead defense lawyers, told 458th District Court Judge Maggie PerezJaramillo that Middleton was the
A packed audience listens to 10 candidates for Fort Bend County Judge at a forum at Safari Texas Ranch last week. Photo by Ken Fountain
By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Budget pressures, rapid population growth, mobility and government transparency emerged as key themes during a crowded candidates’ forum for Fort Bend County Judge held February 5 at Safari Texas Ranch in Richmond. The March 4 primary season is in its final stretch, with early voting set for to begin February 17 and lasting through February 27. All 10 contenders – five Democrats and five Republicans – addressed a packed audience, doing their best to distinguish themselves with concise responses and pointed remarks. While several participants emphasized cooperation across party lines, some criticism was directed toward current county leadership. University of Houston political science professor Jeronimo Cortina served as moderator of the event hosted by the Fort Bend Business Partnership (formerly the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce).
Ten candidates vie for county’s top post Incumbent KP George is one of five Republicans on the ballot, alongside businessman and former Sugar Land City Council member Daniel Wong; certified public accountant Kenneth Omoruyi; attorney Melissa M. Wilson; and attorney and U.S. Army veteran Daryl Aaron. On the Democratic side, voters will choose from Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy; 434th District Court Judge J. Christian Becerra; attorney and Sugar Land Municipal Court Judge Rachelle Carter; political consultant Eddie Sajjad; and Houston Community College Trustee Cynthia Lenton-Gary. McCoy and George highlighted recent initiatives and decisions to support their campaign promises. “From 2022, onwards, we are able to bring more than 1 millionplus dollars in hotel taxes,” said George. “I just had a conversation with the economic development director. He said around $2.1 billion worth of projects are in the pipeline right now…And also he said, more than $2.7 million are people just looking, not yet committed. These all are going to bring jobs in our community.” Newer contenders, meanwhile,
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subject of a “criminal investigation” related to the prosecution of George. But in neither their motion to disqualify the district attorney nor in Friday’s hearing did they disclose the agency conducting the purported investigation nor its nature. They did indicate it intersected with allegations they had already made about Middleton’s use of the messaging app Signal and his purported knowledge of and participation in a “fake hate” social media campaign allegedly conducted by George’s former chief of staff. The lawyers argued that under
SEE GEORGE PAGE 2
A judge last week denied a motion by defense attorneys for Fort Bend County Judge KP George to disqualify District Attorney Brian Middleton from his felony money laundering trial, which is set to begin March 10. Here, George, center, is seen with attorneys Jared Woodfill, left, and Terry Yates after a court hearing. File photo
COMING UP ROSES Sugar Land teen wins national entrepreneurship contest, attends Rose Parade By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A Sugar Land teen is gaining national attention for creating a card game that teaches financial literacy to children across Fort Bend County. Trisha Bhatnagar, a senior at online public school Texas Connections Academy, won The UPS Store’s 2025 Start Small, Grow Big contest in partnership with nonprofit Junior Achievement. “We started looking into creating the card game in November of 2024, and while we did create a prototype of the game by February of 2025, full development and creation took until July of 2025,” Bhatnagar, 17, said. She received an all-expensespaid trip to Pasadena, Calif., where she attended the 137th Rose Parade on January 1 with VIP access and tickets to the Rose Bowl. “It was amazing being able to see behind the scenes and the collaboration that goes into the Rose Parade,” Bhatnagar said. Moreover, the UPS Store float, titled “Sharing Skills for Success”, set a Guinness World Records title for the largest animatronic fish with
its 34-foot-tall seahorse centerpiece, making it the tallest float in the parade. The float also received the Tournament of Roses Director Award for outstanding artistic design. The theme for the 2026 Rose Parade was “The Magic in Teamwork.” Bhatnagar said one of her favorite moments was watching the official Guinness certification. “A Guinness official… unfurled a giant measuring tape to measure the height of the float,” she said. “After the award was presented, I had the privilege of holding the official certificate and transporting it to their staging area.” The experience also gave Bhatnagar rare access to corporate leadership. She said she was surprised by the level of personal attention from The UPS Store team, including a chauffeured airport pickup and time with company executives. “As a student of business, it was a treat to interact with the executives… and learn from them,” she said. The float highlighted The UPS Store’s partnership with Junior Achievement USA
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Trisha Bhatnagar, 17, of Sugar Land, stands in front of the UPS Store float, titled “Sharing Skills for Success”, at the Rose Parade in January. Bhatnagar received a trip to the event as part of winning the 2025 Start Small, Grow Big New Year’s Contest. Contributed photo
Emotions run high as FBISD board weighs elementary closures By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Approximately100 people, allotted three minutes each, spoke out against proposed Fort Bend ISD elementary school closures during both a special called meeting and an agenda review meeting of the school board Monday as the district bears down on an expected March 9 vote on the proposed closures. A good deal of the speakers, which included parents and many students, wore brightly-
colored T-shirts emblazoned with their respective campuses’ names. The emotions ran high in the always-charged issue of closing neighborhood schools and sending students to other campuses, which hold the potential disrupting friendships and relationships with beloved teachers and the shifting of special programs. The schools proposed in the district’s current round of rezoning, which is focused entirely on elementary schools, are Austin Parkway, Dulles, Fleming, Glover, Mission
West, Ridgegate, and Sugar Mill. The proposed closings and consolidations are necessary, district officials and outside consultants say, primarily because after peaking at around 80,000 students a couple of years ago, enrollment is now declining due to a number of factors, and there are areas of the district where schools are either surpassing capacity or are underutilized. At the special called
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A packed audience listens as the Fort Bend ISD board listens to information about the district’s proposed closures of seven elementary schools. Photo by Ken Fountain
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