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Marijuana decriminalization measures in San Marcos, Austin get early court wins
Read full article: Marijuana decriminalization measures in San Marcos, Austin get early court winsThree other cities have passed similar measures but the Texas AG and others question whether they can be enforced because of conflicts with state law.
Ken Paxton sues five Texas cities that decriminalized marijuana
Read full article: Ken Paxton sues five Texas cities that decriminalized marijuanaTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing five cities ā Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Denton ā to block their ordinances decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession.
Killeen police investigating third murder of 2023 after man found shot, killed
Read full article: Killeen police investigating third murder of 2023 after man found shot, killedA 42-year-old man was found fatally shot in his home, and Killeen Police said they are working to find the suspect responsible.
A second soldier at Fort Hood died in March but Army didnāt disclose death, reports say
Read full article: A second soldier at Fort Hood died in March but Army didnāt disclose death, reports sayFort Hood soldier Spc. Katerina Weikel died on March 13 in Killeen. She died a day after her 29th birthday.
Man arrested in Austin hookah lounge shooting that killed 2 high school students
Read full article: Man arrested in Austin hookah lounge shooting that killed 2 high school studentsPolice say a 19-year-old has been arrested in a January shooting at a hookah lounge in Austin, Texas, that left two high school students dead and three other people seriously injured.
Voters in five Texas cities approved decriminalizing marijuana. Now city officials are standing in the way.
Read full article: Voters in five Texas cities approved decriminalizing marijuana. Now city officials are standing in the way.Some local leaders say they worry the changes violate state law, while residents who supported decriminalizing marijuana say the pushback disrespects democracy.
Five Texas cities vote to decriminalize having small amounts of marijuana
Read full article: Five Texas cities vote to decriminalize having small amounts of marijuanaVoters in Denton, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Harker Heights overwhelmingly supported the local ballot propositions to decriminalize low-level possession. These moves followed Austin votersā similar decision in May.
Fort Hood set to be renamed after Richard Cavazos, Texasā first Hispanic four-star general
Read full article: Fort Hood set to be renamed after Richard Cavazos, Texasā first Hispanic four-star generalDefense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin accepted the Naming Commissionās change and announced it would take place by Jan. 1, 2024.
Vanessa Guillenās family seeks $35 million in the Army specialistās 2020 wrongful death at Fort Hood
Read full article: Vanessa Guillenās family seeks $35 million in the Army specialistās 2020 wrongful death at Fort HoodArmed with a new federal court ruling that allows a former Army colonel to pursue a sexual assault lawsuit, the family of Vanessa GuillĆ©n has filed a wrongful death and assault case against the federal government.
Texasā Fort Hood likely to be renamed for first Hispanic four-star general instead of Confederate general
Read full article: Texasā Fort Hood likely to be renamed for first Hispanic four-star general instead of Confederate generalThe Armyās largest active-duty armored post is named after Gen. John Bell Hood. A commission has recommended naming it for Gen. Richard Cavazos, a native Texan.
Texas Democratic Party leadership election roiled by accusation that a candidate shoved a staffer
Read full article: Texas Democratic Party leadership election roiled by accusation that a candidate shoved a stafferWitnesses say Kim Olson pushed the partyās top staffer during a bus tour in 2018. Olson denies the allegation.
Four people injured after shooting outside Killeen nightclub, officials say
Read full article: Four people injured after shooting outside Killeen nightclub, officials sayFour people were injured after being shot outside of a nightclub in Killeen early Saturday morning, according to the Killeen Police Department.
How a doughnut-shaped district breaks up voters of color near Fort Hood and helps House Republicans
Read full article: How a doughnut-shaped district breaks up voters of color near Fort Hood and helps House RepublicansThe doughnut district would be in Bell County, a traditionally red area that has trended blue in recent years as the diverse community around the nationās biggest military installation grows.
Texas man gets 3-plus years in prison for stealing guns from pawn shop
Read full article: Texas man gets 3-plus years in prison for stealing guns from pawn shopFederal prosecutors say a man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for his role in the theft of firearms from a Mississippi pawnshop.
Fort Hood soldier drowns in Central Texas lake while swimming after float
Read full article: Fort Hood soldier drowns in Central Texas lake while swimming after floatA Fort Hood soldier who went under while trying to grab a floatation device at Stillhouse Hollow Lake over the weekend has been found dead.
New suspect arrested in Austinās Sixth Street mass shooting in Killeen, police say
Read full article: New suspect arrested in Austinās Sixth Street mass shooting in Killeen, police sayKilleen police say they have arrested a suspect connected with the mass shooting that happened in Austin on June 12, in which one person was killed and 13 others were injured.
A year after Vanessa GuillĆ©nās death, lawmakers and advocates call for Congress to pass military sexual assault reform bill
Read full article: A year after Vanessa GuillĆ©nās death, lawmakers and advocates call for Congress to pass military sexual assault reform billA federal bill was recently reintroduced, proposing sweeping changes to the way the military investigates sexual assault and harassment allegations. Texas lawmakers are urging Congress to make it law.
Mural honoring Vanessa Guillen outside of Fort Hood defaced again, nonprofit officials say
Read full article: Mural honoring Vanessa Guillen outside of Fort Hood defaced again, nonprofit officials sayA mural honoring slain Texas soldier Vanessa Guillen was defaced again, according to a social media post from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).
Family calls for arrest of Texas officer who fatally shot man during a mental health call
Read full article: Family calls for arrest of Texas officer who fatally shot man during a mental health callBELTON ā Family members of a Black man fatally shot by a Killeen, Texas, police officer who was responding to a mental health call are calling for the officer to be arrested and charged for the shooting. Patrick Lynn Warren, 52, was shot Sunday by Officer Reynaldo Contreras, who was responding to what has been termed a psychiatric call, police said. āInstead of that same resource officer who had helped before, they sent Reynaldo Contreras,ā Merritt said. āThe officer had a hostile demeanor and was not prepared to deal with a mental health crisis ... (the incident) continued to escalate. āWe expect Officer Reynaldo Contreras to be arrested immediately.
"Significant number" of U.S Army officers and soldiers at Fort Hood expected to be fired, AP reports
Read full article: "Significant number" of U.S Army officers and soldiers at Fort Hood expected to be fired, AP reportsA memorial for Specialist Vanessa GuillĆ©n outside the Fort Hood U.S. Army post in Killeen. A āsignificant numberā of U.S Army officers and soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas are expected to be fired in an effort to correct a years-long culture of sexual assault and a pattern of violence at the base, the Associated Press reported. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy is expected to remove soldiers from their jobs and trigger investigations that could lead to wider punishments, according to the AP. GuillĆ©n was the victim of sexual harassment, her sister said, but she didnāt report the sexual harassment out of fear of retaliation. Between 2014 and 2019, an average of 129 felonies were committed annually at Fort Hood, including murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.
Man booked in slaying of 3, including Fort Hood soldier
Read full article: Man booked in slaying of 3, including Fort Hood soldierA suspect in the March shooting deaths of three people, including a Fort Hood soldier, was arrested Friday in Mississippi, according to police in Central Texas. Officers with the U.S .Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested the suspected man, identified as Barnard Lnell Morrow, in Newton, Mississippi, Killeen police said in a statement. Morrow, 21, is being held at the Lauderdale County Jail and is expected to be extradited to Bell County in Texas. Freddy Delacruz Jr. A justice of the peace suggested that, if arrested, Morrow's bond be set at $2 million. Delacruz was stationed at Fort Hood, near Killeen.
Family: Soldier believed dead was happy until recently
Read full article: Family: Soldier believed dead was happy until recentlyElder Fernandes, 23, was found late Tuesday in Temple, according to local police. Natalie Khawam, who is representing the Fernandes family, said Army police told family members about the discovery late Tuesday night. Fort Hood officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. Army officials confirmed in a statement that Elder Fernandes reported an incident of abusive sexual contact and that investigation is ongoing. According to Isabel Fernandes, the family was told by Army officials that a different superior signed her nephew's hospital release.
Fort Hood soldier killed assisting at accident site IDād
Read full article: Fort Hood soldier killed assisting at accident site IDādKILLEEN, Texas ā The Army has released the identity of a Fort Hood soldier killed while directing traffic at a vehicle accident scene. Cole Jakob Aton, 22, of Science Hill, Kentucky, had been a Patriot missile operator with the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade since August 2018, according to a Fort Hood statement issued Tuesday. Aton had stopped the night of Aug. 12 at a minor traffic accident scene on Interstate 14 in Killeen, near Fort Hood, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Col. Ethan Hall, commander of the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, offered Aton's family his condolences and paid tribute to the soldier. āHis selfless service and care for others are in keeping with the highest traditions of the āLightning Brigadeā and our Army,ā he said in a statement.
Man charged in fatal shooting of Fort Hood soldier who was left on secluded road
Read full article: Man charged in fatal shooting of Fort Hood soldier who was left on secluded roadFort Hood soldier drowns; 4th from base dead in monthsThe body of Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas, 24, was recovered Sunday after he went underwater while being pulled on an inner tube behind a motorboat on Stillhouse Hollow Lake, according to Fort Hood officials. According to a federal complaint, she was bludgeoned to death at the base by a fellow Fort Hood soldier, Army Spc. Following that case that has received national attention, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said Thursday that he ordered an independent review of the command climate at Fort Hood. On June 21, officials authorities discovered skeletal remains in a field in Killeen, near Fort Hood, which were subsequently identified as 24-year-old missing soldier Gregory Morales.
Fort Hood soldiers body found near base; 3rd death in month
Read full article: Fort Hood soldiers body found near base; 3rd death in monthAUSTIN, Texas U.S. Army officials on Tuesday said that the body of a Fort Hood soldier was found near the Texas army base, marking the third time in a month that a Fort Hood soldiers body has been discovered. Mejhor Morta, 26, was found unresponsive July 17 in the vicinity of Stillhouse Hollow Lake, according to Fort Hood officials. Morta's awards and decorations include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. Then on July 1, U.S. Army officials found more human remains, which were later identified as 20-year-old missing Fort Hood soldier Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, near the Leon River in Bell County, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Fort Hood.
Preliminary autopsy report suggests Fort Hood soldier drowned in lake, Bell County Sheriffs Office says
Read full article: Preliminary autopsy report suggests Fort Hood soldier drowned in lake, Bell County Sheriffs Office saysThe death of a Fort Hood soldier the third in the span of a month is consistent with a drowning, according to a preliminary autopsy report. The Bell County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday stated a full autopsy report has not been finished or released by the medical examiners office in Dallas, but a preliminary autopsy report suggests Pvt. His awards and decorations include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. Lawmakers call for military changes after Vanessa Guillens deathThe case of soldier Vanessa Guillen, 20 garnered national attention when she disappeared in April from Fort Hood. Another Fort Hood soldier, 24-year-old Gregory Morales disappeared in August.
Complaint: Missing Texas solider was killed at Fort Hood
Read full article: Complaint: Missing Texas solider was killed at Fort HoodArmy investigators believe Guillen, a Texas soldier missing since April, was killed by another soldier on the Texas base where they served, the attorney for the missing soldier's family said Thursday. Human remains were found Tuesday near the Leon River in Bell County, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Fort Hood, in the search for Guillen. The criminal complaint released later Thursday said the civilian arrested in connection to the Guillen case is Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, Texas, near Fort Hood. From their text conversations, Mayra Guillen said she believed her sister was afraid during her time at Fort Hood. Guillen was last seen April 22 in a parking lot at Fort Hood.
Man wanted in connection with Fort Hood criminal investigation fatally shoots self, Killeen police say
Read full article: Man wanted in connection with Fort Hood criminal investigation fatally shoots self, Killeen police saySAN ANTONIO ā A person wanted in connection to a Fort Hood criminal investigation has died after he shot himself early Wednesday. Later Wednesday, an attorney for the family of missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen said she believes that suspect is tied to Guillenās disappearance. Body found believed to be Vanessa Guillenās, suspect killed himself, family attorney saysGuillen, a private first class, was last seen on April 22. Human remains found near Central Texas river during search for Fort Hood soldier Vanessa GuillenLast month, Army officials said they suspect foul play in her disappearance. The Army also said they launched a probe into sexual harassment allegations after Guillenās family said she was harassed by one of her sergeants.
Reports: Remains found near Fort Hood belong to soldier missing since 2019, mother says
Read full article: Reports: Remains found near Fort Hood belong to soldier missing since 2019, mother saysKILLEEN, Texas ā A missing Fort Hood soldierās mother told a Houston news outlet that the skeletal remains found Friday morning in Killeen are those of her son, who was last seen in August 2019. My missing soldier Greg Wedel,ā his mother, Kim Wedel, wrote in an email Saturday to KTRK, the ABC affiliate in Houston. He was seen driving a 2018 black Kia Rio outside Fort Hood in Killeen on Aug. 19, 2019, officials said. Fort Hood said Morales was last seen Aug. 20, 2019. Investigators said they do not believe Moralesā case is connected to Private Vanessa Guillen, who was reported missing from Fort Hood in April.
Officials asking for publicās help in finding missing Fort Hood soldier
Read full article: Officials asking for publicās help in finding missing Fort Hood soldierKILLEEN, Texas ā Fort Hood officials and Special Agents are asking for the publicās help in locating a missing soldier that was stationed at Ford Hood in Killeen, Texas. Vanessa Guillen, 20, was last seen at 1 p.m., April 22, in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters, according to officials. Her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet were found in the armory room where she was working earlier in the day, Fort Hood officials said. Guillen is described as being five feet, two inches tall, has black hair, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black t-shirt. Publicās Help Sought in Locating Fort Hood Soldier QUANTICO, VA (April 25, 2020) ā Fort Hood officials and Special... Posted by III Corps and Fort Hood on Saturday, April 25, 2020Fort Hood Military Police issued a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) notice to area law enforcement, civilian and military police to aid in the search.