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Claire Goodman | Staff writer
Fort Bend County leaders will be hosting a massive cleanup of a cemetery of formerly enslaved people, including the first Black Texas lawmaker, in honor of Juneteenth this weekend.
Organizers are asking volunteers to join them this Saturday, June 17, at 8:30 a.m. to clean the graves in Bates Allen Park in Kendleton. The graves are the final resting place of some of the first residents of Kendleton, one of the first freedmen’s towns in Texas.
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On Saturday, June 17, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., there will be a volunteer event to clean tombstones and remove brush overgrowth that restricts access to historic gravesites of former slaves and prepare the area for a new African American Memorial at Bates Allen Park (Historic Newman Chapel Cemetery and Historic Oak Hill Cemetery), 630 Charlie Roberts Ln., Kendleton.
The event is hosted by Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy, former U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, the Exchange Club of Sugar Land, the Missouri City/Sugar Land Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Christ Church Sugar Land, and the Alexander Hodge Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
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BY SCOTT REESE WILLEY swilley@fbherald.com
The culprit who torched the Fort Bend County Probation Office in Richmond in April covered his tracks pretty well. The only thing arson investigators had to go on was a grainy image caught on security camera. That didn’t deter Fort Bend County Fire Marshal Justin Jurek and his staff.
BY BRANDON NORVELL bnorvell@fbherald.com
Work on the Front Street project in Richmond has halted due to possible future maintenance issues, authorities reported.
The project calls for expanding Front Street between Richmond Parkway and Austin Street, which is also FM 762. Presently, Front Street is a small two lane street between the parkway and Austin Street with a stop sign on each end.
Author: Lauren Talarico
RICHMOND, Texas — Richmond residents are not the only ones infuriated with Fort Bend County's plan to take private land using eminent domain. The idea is not sitting well with Richmond city officials either.
Richmond Commissioner Alex BeMent said he too doesn’t want to see the historic homes on the S. 5th Street block and old oaks knocked down for a possible parking lot.
Author: Lauren Talarico
RICHMOND, Texas — Some property owners in Richmond, Texas are preparing to fight after they say Fort Bend County has threatened to take their land for public use. The land is in Historic Downtown Richmond.
It’s called eminent domain - the right of the government to take private property for public use with fair payment. However, the owners of one of the properties under consideration say there’s nothing fair about it and aren’t interested in selling.
Fort Bend County Commissioner, Precinct 4 Dexter L. McCoy is collaborating local non-profit Solar United Neighbors (SUN), to announce the launch of the newly created Richmond Solar Co-op serving central Fort Bend County. The group is forming to help residents in central Fort Bend County learn about solar and leverage the power of group buying.
“I am committed to combating the climate crisis and believe that the Richmond Solar Co-op will help expand clean energy in Fort Bend County. The electricity rates in Texas are among the highest in the US, and solar panels can reduce monthly costs,” said Fort Bend County Commissioner, Precinct 4 Dexter L. McCoy. “I am willing to do my part to help make energy more sustainable for our families and businesses while lowering carbon emissions and ensuring reliability and affordability.”
After recent approval by Fort Bend commissioners, work will soon begin on the $4 million development of an expanded Bates M. Allen Park which will include a memorial to honor the contributions of African-Americans to the county in Kendleton, a historically Black community.
Kendleton was founded shortly after the end of the Civil War by formerly enslaved people and quickly became one of the most prominent African-American communities in Southeast Texas, according to Fort Bend Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy.
By Asia Armour
Fort Bend County Commissioner amended its schedule between April 2023 to September 2023 and will now meet two times a month instead of three. The change to assembly every second and fourth Tuesday of each month will occur after the court’s March 28 meeting.
KP George said this change was more cost-effective to taxpayers.