Government
BY RACHEL LELAND
Vehicle inspection to no longer be required in Texas by 2025 the program requirement in 1976. According to the professionals
League City roadway to be named after Black Civil War veteran League City will have a roadway named after Alexander Winfield, a Civil War veteran and one of the first African Americans to settle in League City. Two-minute impact On Sept. 25, League City council members met with Winfield’s descendants before voting unani- mously to name the roadway Winfield Parkway. While it’s not built yet, Winfield Parkway will eventually connect Landing Boulevard and Maple Leaf Drive, or McFarland Road. The backstory Winfield served in the Civil War as part of the Ohio Color Troops before he moved his family to Texas and eventually League City. In 1902, Winfield purchased 40 acres of land in
League City halts recycling due to fire The Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Environmental Services at 9172 Ley Road, Houston, which processes League City’s recycling, had a fire Sept. 29, resulting in a temporary shutdown. What happened According to the city of Houston’s website, the fire was caused by a heat source being too close to combustible material. Damages are estimated to be $25,000. What else? Residents can place recyclables out on the curb for regular pickup, but those items will be trashed. Officials told residents they could hold onto recyclables for now or drop them off at the Stella Roberts Recycling Center in Pearland.
Site of future Winfield Road
Incoming roads
LANDING BLVD.
MAPLE LEAF DR.
Beginning in 2025, Texas drivers will no longer need to get their vehicles inspected. The framework On Aug. 5, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3297 into law, which eliminates mandatory vehicle safety inspections for noncommercial vehicles. Drivers must still pay the annual inspection fee of $7.50 but will no longer need to take their vehicle in for inspection prior to registering it. If a vehicle was not previously registered, drivers will pay $16.75 instead and won’t be required to pay the $7.50 fee for the next registration year for the same vehicle. The 17 Texas counties that require annual emissions tests—including Dallas, Harris and Travis counties, along with several counties around Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston—will continue to do so. Only 13 other states have mandatory vehicle inspections since the federal government ended
INCOMING GRAND PARKWAY
BAY AREA BLVD.
Inspection program replacement fee The $7.50 fee supports the following funds:
While proponents—such as state Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, who filed the bill—have argued mandatory vehicle inspections are unnec- essary, one vehicle inspector said he worries doing away with the requirement could put drivers’ safety at risk and threaten the survival of his business. “I just think it defies logic,” said Larry Harris, owner of Larry’s Auto Inspection in Houston. “If nobody is making sure the vehicles are safe, there’s going to be some unsafe vehicles on the street.” Larry Harris said he was particularly concerned about people being able to drive without their steering wheel, brakes or tires up to standard. Community Impact reached out to several state representatives from its coverage areas, but they declined to comment.
Texas mobility fund ($3.50) : Finances the construction, reconstruction, acquisition and expansion of state highways
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NOTE: ALL ALIGNMENTS ARE DRAFTS AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
League City, near where Hobbs Road is currently located, which is named after Winfield’s son-in- law, Obie Hobbs, officials said. Winfield died in 1915, but many of his descen- dants still live in cities throughout the Bay Area. Quote of note “It is so appreciated, and it feels good to be seen, and it feels good to be acknowledged,” said Deborah Conrad, a descendant of Winfield. “We appreciate it so much for correcting something that went as an oversight for over 100 years.”
General revenue fund ($2) : Serves as Texas’ primary operating fund
Clean air account ($2) : Safeguards Texas’ air resources, recovers the costs of permitting new or modified emission sources and recovers the costs of permit reviews and renewals
SOURCES: TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, TXDOT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
BAY AREA 1033 Bay Area Blvd (281) 486-9558 LEAGUE CITY
KEMAH 243 FM 2094 (281) 538-9095 SEABROOK 3126 Nasa Pkwy (281) 326-5127
196 Gulf Fwy S (281) 316-2140
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