The discerning reader may have noticed that, despite my having used this space some five weeks ago to announce its imminent demise, FortBendNow somehow refuses to go away.

I understand an explanation is in order. For the moment, the best one I can offer is this: The Hand of Providence apparently had other ideas.

While details still are being worked out, and that process for the moment prevents the sort of full disclosure to which you are accustomed and deserve, I can now say this:

FortBendNow is going to stay open for a long time to come.

Not only that, good fortune and the backing of some very talented visionaries will allow for what I believe will be a greatly expanded and improved FortBendNow - with more mobile journalists to provide broader, deeper and even more instantaneous coverage of news, issues and information important to the people of Fort Bend County.

While fate or something like it played a role in this turn of events, so did the outpouring of support from so many FortBendNow readers. You helped prove that there’s a strong demand for a service that can provide objective, useful neighborhood news and information the instant it becomes available.

With the advent of the Internet and the web, we at FortBendNow have always felt it was kind of silly for people to wait several hours for a time slot to free itself up on the local TV channel, in order to find out whether a major storm system is on the way, or what might have happened in the special school board meeting 45 minutes ago. Let alone having to wait for a printing press to warm up and spit something out on paper so that it can be folded and tossed into your front yard tomorrow - or next week.

Our premise here has been that news happens now - so why settle for later? It’s gratifying to learn that, in increasing numbers, you agree.

There’s much more to tell you, after the obligatory T’s and I’s are crossed and dotted, but until then let me just say thanks for your continued support and your patience.

I think you’ll find that both will be rewarded soon.

I understand an explanation is in order. For the moment, the best one I can offer is this: The Hand of Providence apparently had other ideas.

While details still are being worked out, and that process for the moment prevents the sort of full disclosure to which you are accustomed and deserve, I can now say this:

FortBendNow is going to stay open for a long time to come.

Not only that, good fortune and the backing of some very talented visionaries will allow for what I believe will be a greatly expanded and improved FortBendNow - with more mobile journalists to provide broader, deeper and even more instantaneous coverage of news, issues and information important to the people of Fort Bend County.