Convenience Big Store: Sugar Land, Fort Bend team up on $60M plan to fix troubled spots along Brazos

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Fort Bend Insider

I wish you a happy and prosperous new year.

Dear Fort Bend Insiders,

I hope you all had a peaceful holiday season.

The year 2023 is officially here. (Such a futuristic date -- I feel like the '90s were 10 years ago.)

Every January, we feel compelled to make changes, start fresh, turn over a new leaf and say goodbye to old habits and worries. I wish you luck with your resolutions.

I believe the year started on a fairly hopeful and positive note in Fort Bend County. There were no fatalities and only six DWI arrests over the New Year weekend — four on Dec. 30 and two on Dec. 31. The Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office says these are encouraging statistics.

Fort Bend hospitals welcomed some very cute babies into the world early Sunday morning.

Also, Sugar Land residents will see changes on their first utility bill of 2023. Water bills will rise by $7, the solid waste fee will go down to $19.85 per month, and a new monthly stormwater fee of approximately $3 has been introduced.

Residents of Rosenberg and Richmond will see no changes on their utility bills.

Unfortunately, there is a new omicron COVID-19 variant on the loose. The new strain, XBB.1.5, has begun to make its presence felt in Houston. I have started wearing masks again. It's better to be safe than sorry.

I hope that 2023 brings you peace and joy. I pray that good sense, science and skilled leadership will see us through the tripledemic and XBB. 1.5.

Happy New Year.

Juhi Varma
Fort Bend reporter
juhi.varma@hcnonline.com

Need to know

There is new omicron variant to watch out for. The fast-spreading variant XBB.1.5 has arrived in Houston, and infectious disease experts are urging the public to get updated booster shots.

January is national blood donor month.The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is asking for donations to help replenish its supplies. "The nation's blood supply is still struggling to keep up with the need," said Brian Gannon, president and CEO at GCRBC. "Millions of patients wouldn't have the blood they need for treatments or surgeries without your help."

Shout out

Salutations to the nonprofit Arc of Katy, which offers activities for adults with special needs. The local charity is hosting its fundraising gala on Jan. 13. Once individuals with special needs age out of the public school system, they often spend their days in solitude, said Amy Campbell, co-chair of the Arc's program committee.
"There's a lot of need in Katy for programs like ours," she said. "There's so much westward growth, and we want to offer our programs to as many people as possible."