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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 51 • No. 5 • $1.00
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Motiva Juice George’s felony trial postponed to March 10 Bar to open Defense attorneys say DA under ‘criminal investigation’ first Texas location in Sugar Land By Ken Fountain
KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
In a hearing last Friday, a Fort Bend County judge agreed to postpone the felony money laundering trial of County Judge KP George – which had been set to begin this week – until March because one of George’s lawyers had a conflicting trial in San Antonio. In the same hearing, defense attorneys added the latest wrinkle in the saga, asserting that District Attorney Brian Middleton is himself the subject of a criminal investigation related to
Healthy juice and smoothie brand Movita will soon open its first Texas location in Sugar Land at 3344A U.S. Highway 6. Contributed photo
By Juhi Varma
George prosecution. In the two felony cases, George is accused of tampering with campaign finance reports during his 2018 campaign while moving money between his campaign and personal bank accounts. Separately, George is facing a May trial on a misdemeanor charge of misrepresentation of identity by a public official. The trial had been set to begin on February 3 at the Fort Bend County Justice Center. But late last week,
SEE GEORGE PAGE 4
Fort Bend County Judge KP George, center, talks to reporters alongside defense attorneys Jared Woodfill, left, and Terry Yates following a hearing in his felony money laundering cases on Friday. The trial has been reset to March 10. Photo by Ken Fountain
MATHEW REITERATES ‘NO PROPERTY TAX’ GOAL AT STAFFORD TOWN HALL
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
California-based Movita Juice Bar will soon debut its first Texas location in Sugar Land, the organic health juice and smoothie brand confirmed. Franchisee Javier Campos said the new store at 3344A U.S. Highway 6 is slated to open in March. Movita is known for its fresh juices made with raw fruits and vegetables, acai bowls, meal replacement smoothies and hot healthy teas. “Obviously I love the company, and I knew that I wanted to kind of sell something that I believed in,” Campos said, adding that he wanted to bring healthy food and drink options to the community. The Sugar Land Movita will be located next to an EOS Fitness location. It will span about 1,300 square feet and have six-to-eight indoor seats, and six-to-eight outdoor seats. Campos said a healthy juice bar and a fitness center naturally complement each other. “I was introduced to Movita in high school,” said Campos, who is originally from Texas but moved to Santa Clarita, Calif. as a child. “I found Movita just rolling through and I loved the healthy environment.” The juice bar was located near his gym and became a regular postworkout stop, Campos said. Campos moved back to the Fort Bend area in 2022 and now lives in Richmond. When the opportunity to franchise with Movita arose in September of last year, Campos said he jumped at the chance. “My favorite menu item is the Mucho Mango,” said Campos. “The most popular smoothie would be one of the MR Originals, where ‘MR’ stands for ‘meal replacement.’” Previously, Campos has worked as a manager at a Houston-area Dutch Bros Coffee shop and brings experience in managing a franchised coffee business. Movita Juice Bars first started operations in 2015. It operates 28 locations across California, with another 14 in development. The brand is now expanding outside the state, with new locations planned for Florida, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. A second Texas location is slated for Houston, though its opening date and location have not yet been announced. Varma can be reached at juhi.varma@gmail.com.
Stafford City Council member Tim Wood, center, speaks while Mayor Ken Mathew and other council members appear at the city’s annual Town Hall Meeting. Courtesy City of Stafford
By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
At the City of Stafford’s annual town hall meeting last week, Mayor Ken Mathew reiterated his longstanding pledge of maintaining the city’s “no property tax” identity while highlighting the city’s successes in 2025. The city’s key achievements in last year included increased police visibility, the addition of new pa-
trol vehicles, and the clearance of a 22-year-old murder case, Mathew sad during the January 28 meeting at Stafford City Hall. “Currently, we have a total of 254 employees,” Mathew said. “The employees are our real asset of the city. They go above and beyond to make things happen.” At the beginning of last year, the Stafford Police Department replaced old patrol vehicles with new models that are safer, more fuel-efficient,
and equipped with updated technology. The department also cleared a 22-year-old murder case in collaboration with the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, arresting Jody Johnston (Humphrey) in connection with the Dec. 22, 2003, homicide of her husband, Jerry Don Humphrey. Her case is pending in a Fort Bend County court. “The Stafford Police Department under Chief Richard Ramirez had a productive year, received apprecia-
tion from residents and businesses for enhanced police visibility,” said Mathew. The Stafford Fire Department under Chief Jose Magana responded to 44,253 incidents, of which 58% were EMS-related and 42% fire-related. Their average turnout time was 1 minute 23 seconds. The IT department, under director
SEE STAFFORD PAGE 2
TEA Commissioner Morath to discuss future of eduction Community Reports The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce will host Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath for a luncheon focused on the future of Texas education and its impact on workforce readiness and economic growth. The event will take place on Friday, February 6, 2026 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Safari Texas Ranch, 11627 FM 1464, Richmond. Morath leads the Texas Education Agency, oversee-
ing pre-kindergarten through high school education for more than 5.5 million students statewide. His remarks will highlight statewide education priorities, talent development, and the critical connection between strong schools and a competitive business environment. This timely discussion will provide Fort Bend County business and civic leaders with insight into how education policy shapes the future workforce and supports longterm economic vitality. This event is sponsored
by VLK Architects, Houston City College – Southwest, Rogers, Morris & Grover, LLP, Wharton County Junior College, Wilbanks Law, PLLC and AUTOARCH Architects | Satterfield and Pontikes | Texas AirSystems. For more information, contact Rebekah Beltran at 281-566-2158 or Rebekah@ fortbendcc.org. The Education & Workforce Alliance of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce is under the leadership of chair Jennifer Henrikson.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath will speak on the future of education at a Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Feb. 6. File photo
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