Austin news

• Vegas shooting victim’s life saved when bullet hit phone

  03-10-2017 22:45 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The stories of survival from victims of Sunday night’s mass shooting continued to emerge Tuesday.
  For instance, one woman’s life was saved by a very popular device.
  The woman’s taxi cab driver said the woman showed him how her cell phone was damaged when he drove her from the scene that night.
  The iPhone was completely shattered by a bullet during the attack, but the woman was unharmed.
  A total of 59 people were killed during the shooting; 527 others we
  
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• Woman accused of bringing infant to prostitution sting

  03-10-2017 22:39 via kxan.com
  ODESSA, Texas (KMID) — One woman has been charged after police say she brought a child to a prostitution sting over the weekend.
  Odessa police were conducting an undercover operation on a website known as Backpage. During the sting, an officer made contact with a woman who posted an advertisement on the page, according to a release.
  The suspect, later identified as Lynn Speich, and the officer reportedly agreed to exchange sex for money. When Speich arrived at the location, police say
  
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• 20-year-old East Texas soldier dies from IED blast in Iraq

  03-10-2017 22:35 via kxan.com
  TYLER, Texas (KETK) — On Tuesday, the Department of Defense announced the death of an East Texas soldier who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
  Spc. Alexander W.  Missildine, 20, of Tyler, died Sunday, in Ninawa Province, Iraq, as a result of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy. The incident is under investigation.
  Missildine was assigned to the 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light
  
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• Think twice before you switch to an unlimited cellphone plan

  03-10-2017 21:19 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (NBC News/KXAN) — Cellphone bills can easily climb as families add more lines and more data options. While carriers are offering more unlimited option plans, do you really need it?
  Scott Peterson, a senior analyst with Gap Intelligence, says when you study all the unlimited offers on the market — including a new one being offered by Verizon — you quickly discover they are not all the same.
  “My best advice for individual consumers would be to monitor their personal
  
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• Rock-throwing victim sues for $6,800 owed from benefit

  03-10-2017 20:46 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In June 2014, a rock that came crashing through Kenneth Johnson’s windshield changed his entire life. He suffered severe brain damage and is still recovering. It’s difficult for Johnson to talk after suffering a stroke.
  An August 2015 fundraiser was supposed to help cover the cost of that recovery, but Johnson never received the $6,800 he was owed. He decided to take the person who organized the fundraiser to court.
  Johnson filed a petition for a small claims ca
  
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• How to talk to kids about the Las Vegas shooting

  03-10-2017 20:24 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting, school districts like Eanes ISD in Austin are supporting students who may have questions or concerns about the events. For staff at Bridge Point Elementary School, the news hit close to home.
  Eanes ISD said a staff member was at the concert where a gunman opened fire. She is safe and home with family, according to Superintendent Tom Leonard.
  “The tragedy in Las Vegas has touched every person in some way; the images are inescapabl
  
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• WHAT’S HAPPENING: Vegas gunman had arsenal in hotel, at home

  03-10-2017 19:35 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — The retired accountant who opened fire on country music concertgoers in Las Vegas had an arsenal of 23 guns in the hotel room he used as a sniper’s perch. Authorities found more guns, ammunition and explosives in a search of his Nevada home. The rampage by Stephen Craig Paddock killed at least 59 people and injured 527, some from gunfire and some from a chaotic escape.
  More about the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history:
  THE INVESTIGATION
  Some of the guns f
  
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• Vegas gunman had arsenal in hotel, at home

  03-10-2017 19:35 via kxan.com
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — The retired accountant who opened fire on country music concertgoers in Las Vegas had an arsenal of 23 guns in the hotel room he used as a sniper’s perch. Authorities found more guns, ammunition and explosives in a search of his Nevada home.
  The rampage by Stephen Craig Paddock killed at least 59 people and injured 527, some from gunfire and some from a chaotic escape.
  More about the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history:
  THE INVESTIGATION
  Some of the guns f
  
  Read more

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• Born in same hospital, on same day. Now they’re married

  03-10-2017 19:31 via kxan.com
  TAUNTON, Mass. (AP) — A couple born on the same day at the same Massachusetts hospital have exchanged vows more than two decades later.
  The Taunton Gazette reports that Jessica Gomes and Aaron Bairos got married Sept. 9. Each was born on April 28, 1990, at the same hospital in Taunton, about 40 miles south of Boston.
  The two grew up in communities a few miles apart before meeting through mutual friends in high school.
  Gomes says she and Bairos figured out they were born on the same day &ld
  
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• Journalist Sydney Benter will join KXAN as new weeknight anchor

  03-10-2017 19:11 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN-TV announced today broadcast journalist Sydney Benter has been named anchor of the station’s weeknight newscasts. Starting mid-December, Ms. Benter will anchor KXAN News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., and KXAN News at 9 p.m. on The CW Austin.
  In her new role, Ms. Benter will join Austin’s leading, most experienced weeknight news team of veteran news anchor Robert Hadlock, chief weathercaster Jim Spencer and sports director Roger Wallace.
  “I’m lo
  
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• Whataburger adds new chorizo burger to menu

  03-10-2017 19:07 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Whataburger is spicing up its menu with a limited-time offer: a chorizo burger with creamy chili sauce.
  “Mexican-style chorizo makes this burger unique with its deep red color, fresh blend of spices and bold, flavorful profile,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Vice President of Marketing and Innovation. “The flavors on this burger blend nicely for a balanced but savory taste we think our customers will enjoy.”
  The burger starts with two beef patties
  
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• PHOTOS: Suspect accused of using stolen credit cards at Best Buys

  03-10-2017 19:06 via kxan.com
  NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) — Police have released surveillance photos of a man they say have been using stolen credit cards at several stores in New Braunfels.
  Authorities say the credit card abuse cases have been happening for the past several months. New Braunfels police say the suspect has used the stolen credit cards at several Best Buy locations.
  The Comal County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect. Anyone with i
  
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• West Nile Virus detected in Cedar Park mosquitoes

  03-10-2017 18:31 via kxan.com
  CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — A single sampling of mosquitoes in a Central Texas city tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to Cedar Park officials.
  There are six traps throughout Cedar Park, and the mosquitoes that tested positive were collected from the one set up in the southwest part of the city, near the intersection of Cypress Creek Road and Sun Chase Boulevard. The insects can fly about a mile.
  No human cases of the disease have been reported in the Cedar Park area and William
  
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• Playtex recalls some plastic plates, bowls due to choking hazard

  03-10-2017 18:26 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Families that have plastic children’s plates in their cupboards should check for a possible recall item.
  Paytex has issued a voluntary recall of the Playtex Plates and Bowls with printed graphics due to the potential risk of choking. The company says the clear plastic layer over the graphics can bubble or peel from the surface of the plate or bowl.
  The impacted products have been sold in a variety of printed designs from October 2009 to August 2017, including cars, co
  
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• Nonstop flights from Stockholm to Austin added for SXSW 2018

  03-10-2017 17:27 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Another European airline is offering temporary flights to Austin during next year’s South by Southwest.
  On Tuesday, Scandinavian Airlines SAS announced it’ll run two nonstop, round-trip flights between Stockholm, Sweden’s (ARN) Arlanda Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in March of 2018.
  The two flights are scheduled on March 8 and 12, 2018. These flights will be operated using Airbus 330 aircraft with 262 total seats, equipped with 3
  
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• In face of Las Vegas shooting, congressional inaction

  03-10-2017 16:40 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas renewed Democrats’ calls Monday for gun safety legislation, but their pleas fell on deaf ears in the Republican-controlled Congress. At the same time GOP legislation aimed at loosening gun rules stood in limbo, facing an uncertain future.
  Before the shooting that killed at least 59 people — the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history — House GOP leaders had been moving forward with bills to ease regulations on gun
  
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• Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler talks health after tour cut short

  03-10-2017 16:36 via kxan.com
  Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is disputing rumors about his health after an early end to the band’s tour, saying he “certainly did not have a heart attack or seizure.”
  The 69-year-old Tyler says in a statement posted on the band’s website that he’s sorry for cutting the tour short, but he had to have a medical procedure that only his doctor in the United States could perform.
  Aerosmith announced last week that it was canceling the tour’s final four shows in
  
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• Some agencies cancel National Night Out due to rain

  03-10-2017 16:19 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — People will take to the streets tonight to promote community throughout the nation, although several law enforcement agencies are canceling Tuesday night’s event due to rain.
  The City of Manor announced its celebration will happen Friday, Oct. 20 instead of Tuesday. Cedar Park police and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office have also canceled.
  During National Night Out, people are encouraged to turn on their porch lights, lock their doors and spend time w
  
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• National Night Out postponed in Manor, still on elsewhere

  03-10-2017 16:19 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — People will take to the streets tonight to promote community throughout the nation, although at least one event in Central Texas will be postponed because of rain.
  During National Night Out, people are encouraged to turn on their porch lights, lock their doors and spend time with their neighbors, police officers, EMS and firefighters at a block party. It’s meant to help reduce crime and improve relationships between first responders and residents.
  The City of Manor an
  
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• ACL Fest offering optional refunds after Vegas shooting

  03-10-2017 16:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — While thousands of people are expected to attend the Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend and next, some might be reconsidering following a shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas. ACL says it is offering refunds to those fans who no longer wish to attend in light of that event.
  Ticket holders will need their Front Gate Tickets order information, and can either send an email or call 512-674-9300 to begin the refund process.
  General admission tickets range
  
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• Koala gets stuck on drilling rig

  03-10-2017 15:31 via kxan.com
  ADELAIDE, Australia (KXAN/NBC) — A Koala in southern Australia found itself clinging to a drilling rig instead of a tree Tuesday morning.
  Australian media report the creature was rescued after it climbed up the drilling rig at a construction site. A driver apparently chased it off a busy road so it wouldn’t get hit. Rescuers hoisted themselves up using another piece of heavy equipment to get to where the koala was sitting. They then covered it using a specially-designed bag and carri
  
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• What you can and can’t bring to ACL this weekend

  03-10-2017 14:28 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Limits music festival begins this weekend and continues the weekend after that, bringing with it thousands of people. Depending what you bring with you, you may be able to get through the lines and into the venue more quickly. ACL released information about what you can and can’t bring to the festival.
  Allowed
  Bags must be 18 L (about 10 inches x 10 inches x 10 inches) or smaller. Those with no bags can go through a separate line to get into the festi
  
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• Loved ones mourn victims of Las Vegas shooting attack

  03-10-2017 13:43 via kxan.com
  They were school teachers and youth football coaches, real estate agents and local business owners.
  They were parents, siblings, husbands, wives, neighbors and friends.
  They traveled to Las Vegas to see their favorite stars, posting videos and photos to social media.
  At least 59 of them never made it home after a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel onto a crowd of more than 22,000 below at a country music festival.
  Details emerged Monday about the lives of those who died,
  
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• Trump to Puerto Rico: ‘They have to give us more help’

  03-10-2017 13:31 via kxan.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that local officials in Puerto Rico “have to give us more help” in responding to devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, a defiant response to criticism that federal recovery efforts have been sluggish.
  Trump told reporters at the White House that “it’s now acknowledged what a great job we’ve done.” He added that at “a local level, they have to give us more help.”
  Added Trump: “in Tex
  
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• Trump: Puerto Rico put budget ‘out of whack’ but lives saved

  03-10-2017 13:31 via kxan.com
  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — President Donald Trump highlighted Puerto Rico’s relatively low death toll compared with “a real catastrophe like Katrina” as he opened a tour of the island’s devastation Tuesday, focusing on the best of the reviews he and his administration are getting rather than criticism of the federal response to Hurricane Maria.
  Trump pledged an all-out effort to help the island but added: “Now I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’v
  
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• Trump comes face to face with stricken Puerto Rico

  03-10-2017 13:31 via kxan.com
  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — President Donald Trump came face to face with hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico on Tuesday after denouncing critics of the federal relief effort as “politically motivated ingrates” who need to step up their own response to the crisis.
  Puerto Ricans who have called Washington’s work on the island insufficient “have to give us more help,” he said before leaving Washington, without explaining how they have come up short in his eyes.
  Air F
  
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• Tom Petty, down-to-earth rock superstar, dies at 66

  03-10-2017 12:11 via kxan.com
  Tom Petty, an old-fashioned rock superstar and everyman who drew upon the Byrds, the Beatles and other bands he worshipped as a boy and produced new classics such as “Free Fallin,’ “Refugee” and “American Girl,” has died. He was 66.
  Petty died Monday night at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles a day after he suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California, spokeswoman Carla Sacks said.
  CBS published Petty’s obituary earlier Monday after tweetin
  
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• Pulse survivors gather to show support for victims of Las Vegas tragedy

  03-10-2017 05:12 via kxan.com
  ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) – More than a year after the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, survivors woke up to the news of a mass shooting in Las Vegas – now the largest in modern American history.
  Pulse survivors were instantly flooded with horrific memories of the night a gunman stormed the Pulse club, killing 49 people. Many of the survivors called each other and decided to gather at a memorial at the former club to show support for the survivors in Las Vegas.
  One survivor sai
  
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• Joe Biden speaking at LBJ Library Tuesday to full crowd

  03-10-2017 04:51 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you’re willing to take a chance, you could wind up with free tickets to see former Vice President Joe Biden speak at the LBJ Presidential Library Tuesday evening.
  Biden is speaking as the fifth annual Tom Johnson lecturer, which offers lectures to the UT student body and general public free of charge.
  The lecture will be held in the LBJ Auditorium, in the lower level of the LBJ complex at 2313 Red River St., at 6 p.m.
  However, seating is limited, and tickets are re
  
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• Austin-area hospitals: ‘We are ready for mass casualty situations’

  03-10-2017 03:57 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 500 injured people flooded into Las Vegas hospitals overnight Sunday, leaving doctors and surgeons overwhelmed with patients. In Austin, some hospitals say they are ready to respond if something were to happen closer to home.
  Outside Dell Seton Medical Center on Monday, the flag flew at half-staff in honor of the Las Vegas shooting victims. Inside the building is where doctors say practice makes perfect.
  “It’s always going to catch you by surprise, it&
  
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• $8 million of liquid meth found by K9 Lobos, partner in Fayette Co.

  03-10-2017 03:27 via kxan.com
  FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — It’s a massive haul for Central Texas’ most famous K9 deputy, Lobos, and his partner, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Randy Thumann.
  Liquid meth with a street value of $8 million was found during a traffic stop on Interstate 10 near Flatonia on Sept. 28.
  Sgt. Thumann pulled over a vehicle around 1:55 p.m. and noticed several things that pointed to narcotics trafficking while speaking with the driver and passenger.
  Around 20 pounds of li
  
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• H-E-B issues recall for Mi Tienda Pollo Casero

  03-10-2017 03:22 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — H-E-B is issuing a voluntary recall for Mi Tienda Pollo Casero due to the item being mislabeled and not declaring the product has wheat in it.
  The product is sold in the market department at 114 stores company-wide with a freeze by and sell by date of 10/12/2017. The UPC# is 23841700000 and item code of 364185.
  The packaging ingredient list was mislabeled at Mi Tienda Al Pastor Pork and lacked the wheat allergen declaration. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity
  
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• Real estate broker sues for copy of county-owned downtown property lease

  03-10-2017 03:09 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A local real estate broker is suing Travis County, alleging it has refused to release a 99-year lease for a prime plot of downtown land the county owns.
  Plaintiff Daniel Tristan alleges the Travis County commissioners voted to give County Judge Sarah Eckhardt the power to negotiate leasing the property without bringing it back to the court for final approval, according to the suit filed in Travis County’s 250th Judicial District.
  Travis County bought the undeveloped l
  
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• Craig Way uses voice to support Hospice Austin

  03-10-2017 03:03 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Craig Way is known to many people as “The Voice of the Longhorns.” He has been part of University of Texas sports for 30 seasons and does play by play for Texas baseball, basketball and football games.
  In that time, he’s only missed one Texas football game. It was the day his wife, Laurie, died after a long battle with cancer.
  “It was the hardest day of my life,” Way said of saying goodbye to his wife of 30 years. “It was the hardest thin
  
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• Access to fully-automatic weapons a long, extensive process

  03-10-2017 02:44 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Following the deadly shooting in Las Vegas, questions remain about the weapons used by the gunman.
  Officials said Stephen Paddock, 64, opened fire on a crowd of concert-goers, killing at least 59, and injuring more than 500.
  Law enforcement reports indicated that Paddock had more than 16 guns in his hotel room, as well as 18 in his Nevada home.
  Experts say getting access in Texas to the kind of weapons the shooter may have used is an extensive process.
  “It takes 6
  
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• Hotels across Texas explore new ‘Do Not Disturb’ policy after shooting

  03-10-2017 02:15 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the nation mourns and seeks answers in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, there’s a new sense of urgency in Austin to promote safety and security at hotels as the city prepare to welcome tens of thousands of music festival fans to Austin City Limits.
  Nearly 500,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival. Many of those tourists will stay in area hotels, and some will stay in high-rise buildings with a view of the crowds
  
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• Austinites recount moments surrounding Las Vegas shooting

  03-10-2017 01:02 via kxan.com
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Bryce Wellman was with friends in a VIP tent at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas when the shots rang out. Knowing they couldn’t stay in the tent, Wellman said he and several others started running when the gunman would stop to reload.
  While running, he called his mother and stayed on the phone with her until he got to a hiding spot. He also shot video on his cellphone of the chaotic scene around him.
  “I thought back to the videos that I saw during the
  
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• GM to offer 2 more electric vehicles in next 18 months

  03-10-2017 00:57 via kxan.com
  DETROIT (AP) — Even though gasoline-powered SUVs are what people are buying now, General Motors is betting that electric vehicles will be all the rage in the not-too-distant future.
  The Detroit automaker is promising two new EVs loosely based on the Chevrolet Bolt in the next 1 ½ years and more than 20 electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2023. The company sees its entire model lineup running on electricity in the future, whether the source is a big battery or a tank full of h
  
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• Tense moments for Georgetown dad waiting to hear from daughters in Vegas

  03-10-2017 00:54 via kxan.com
  GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — “My heart just dropped, it sunk,” said Michael Valencia.
  Valencia woke up in his Georgetown home Sunday night to the news of another mass shooting. When he looked a little closer, he realized the shooting happened at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas; the same place where his daughters had been all day. Moments later, Valencia checked his phone and saw a message from his youngest daughter saying they were safe in someone’s apartment.
  &l
  
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• 3 things you should be prepared to do in an active shooter situation

  03-10-2017 00:45 via kxan.com
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Experts with the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) center through Texas State University train for active shooter situations throughout the year. The organization has trained more than 115,000 law enforcement officers throughout the country including those in Las Vegas.
  The center teaches a two-step process for officers, first to stop the killing and second to stop the dying.
  “If we allow officers to be stopped by the first injured p
  
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