Fort Bend County Sheriff’s office awarded traffic safety grants

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s office has launched a comprehensive traffic safety initiative, funded by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation, to address increasing numbers of vehicle crashes and fatalities in the county.

The Strategic Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) provides funding for qualified traffic safety programs designed to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities. The $124,990 grant will help the sheriff’s office deploy more personnel and resources to actively seek drivers who violate traffic laws, such as speeding, distracted driving, DWI and seat belt violations.

Sheriff Eric Fagan says the STEP grant funds will be used to create safety initiatives to help enforce traffic laws to improve public safety within Fort Bend County in areas where several crashes and fatalities have been reported.

“It's simple, driving the speed limit and wearing a seat belt can prevent injuries and save lives,” Fagan said. “These much-needed grants will increase our efforts of enforcing traffic laws and keep our community safe, especially now during the holidays.”

Cinco Ranch Branch Library adds new programs for infants and families to weekly youth activities

The Cinco Ranch Branch Library, 2620 Commercial Center Blvd., is adding several new programs to its regular schedule of youth activities.

Mother Goose Time is for pre-walking infants from age 1-12 months. It is set for 10:15-10:45 a.m. Tuesdays. This activity provides caregiver/infant multisensory circle-time activities—including simple sign language, folksongs and lullabies, and finger plays—that are especially designed to stimulate babies’ social, emotional, and physical development through rhythm and music. Attendance is limited and registration is required.

Stretches & Stories is for families with children of all ages. It is from 4:30-5 p.m. Jan. 5 and Jan. 19. Families will enjoy stories, participate in gentle yoga and dance, and learn calming breathing techniques. Families may bring yoga mats.

Family Game Night is from 6-6:45 p.m. Jan. 9 in the meeting room. Families with children of all ages are invited to play a variety of strategy and classic board games. Hear tips and tricks to help advance skill levels.

Family Build Night is from 6-6:45 p.m. Jan. 23 in the meeting room. Families with children of all ages will enjoy a fun-filled building challenge using LEGOs and other mixed materials during this free-play time.

Creative Connections are activities for school-aged children in grades 4-8. It will take place from 4:30-5 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday. The schedule of activities is as follows:

• Jan. 12—Hour of Code. Students will learn about coding and improve their skills by playing coding games. This activity will take place in the computer lab.
• Jan. 26—Game Day. Students will explore different strategy board games. This activity will take place in the multipurpose room.

In addition to these new activities, the library will continue to present its regular schedule of free children’s programs—Family Story Time, Pajama Night Story Time, Kinder Korner, and After-School Breaks—throughout January.

Family Story Time begins at 10:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the meeting room. Families with children of all ages will enjoy stories, songs and action rhymes. Craft packets will be given out at the end of each program, so that children may take them home to enjoy. The schedule of Family Story Time activities is as follows:

• January 4-5–Colors
• January 11-12–Monkeys
• January 18-19–Baby Animals
• January 25-26–Dance Party

Pajama Night Story Time is an evening alternative for families unable to attend during the day. It is from 6-6:3o p.m. on the first and third Thursdays. The themes will be “Colors” and “Baby Animals.”

“Kinder Korner: Back-to-School Activities” is from 4:30-5 p.m. Jan. 11. Kinder Korner is a time for kindergartners to enjoy stories, movies, crafts, and other activities. This month, students will learn about freezing weather and snow, and they will make their own fake snow.

“After-School Break: Homemade Lava Lamps” is from 4:30-5 p.m. Jan. 11 in meeting room 2. This activity is for students in grades 1-5.

These programs are free and open to the public. For more information, or to register for Mother Goose Time, see the online calendar of “Classes & Events” at the website fortbend.lib.tx.us.

Ellis to join Association of Water Board Directors

Rick Ellis, Katy Area Chamber of Commerce vice president, is leaving that organization to join the Association of Water Board Directors. His last day at the chamber is Jan. 13.

Ellis came to the chamber in 2019 after serving as Katy Area Economic Development Council vice president.

According to its website, the association was formed in the early 1970s to promote unity and education among the various water districts in Texas. The association is an advocacy group for utility districts and has more than 900 members. The membership is made up of different types of districts, including municipal utility districts (MUDs), public utility districts (PUDs), special utility districts (SUDs), utility districts (UDs), and water control & improvement districts (WCIDs). Each of these districts is governed by at least a five-member board of directors who live or own property in the district that they govern.

Levee Improvement Districts (LIDs) are also part of the association membership. Its directors are grass root public officials. Consultants to the industry also may join. Many of these firms or departments of firms that handle the day-to-day operations of districts are already members of AWBD. This group is made up of attorneys, developers, bookkeepers, engineers, operators, financial advisors, auditors, and so forth.

The association headquarters is in Houston.

Cuddle Buddies Rescue seeking cat food, litter donations

Cuddle Buddies Rescue said it is seeking cat food and litter donations to care for all the cats and kittens they have saved from Katy Animal Control.

The organization has complied a wishlist through Amazon detailing the supplies needed. To see the wishlist, visit the website, the abbreviated URL for which is amzn.to/3jHFTJr.

Items can also be purchased at local retailers and dropped in the Cuddle Buddies Rescue donation box at MKT Distillery LLC, 5373 1st St.

For more information, call Cuddle Buddies Rescue at 832-594-7705.