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Suspicious Package At George W. Bush Library Not A Threat

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Emergency officials say a suspicious package has been found at the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University.

Update, 12:09 p.m.: A suspicious package found on some grass at the George W. Bush Presidential Center has been examined and determined not to be a threat.
 
Emergency officials did not immediately say what was in the package discovered around 8 a.m. Tuesday at the complex at Southern Methodist University. The package was found when the presidential museum and library were not yet open for the day.

A spokesman for University Park, where SMU is located, says a Bush center security employee found the wrapped package near a lamppost. Steve Mace says the item was safely removed by a bomb squad and inspected.

Update, noon: SMU posted this update on Twitter: "Police action at Bush Ctr. safely ended. Bush Ave. open, campus returned to normal activities. Mustang Exp resumes normal ops."

Update, 10:35 a.m.: SMU just posted on Twitter: "Situation resolved re: suspicious pkg at Bush Center. Continue to avoid area."

Original post: Emergency officials say a suspicious package has been found at the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University.
 
Center spokeswoman Hannah Abney says the package was discovered around 8 a.m. Tuesday when the presidential museum and library in Dallas were not yet open. She had no details on who found the item or where. SMU police and other emergency personnel responded.

Abney says no special programs were scheduled Tuesday at the George W. Bush Institute, part of the complex that usually opens at 9 a.m. but was closed amid the investigation. An SMU advisory says nearby streets were closed.

A spokesman says Bush was out of town Tuesday.

SMU's websiteposted a notice, alerting people to avoid the area of Bush Avenue and SMU Boulevard. "The Bush Center, Moody Coliseum and Crum Basketball Center have been temporarily closed. The Mustang Express route has temporarily changed -- there will be no stops on SMU Boulevard or Airline Road but regular stops on Bishop Boulevard will continue. Classes and all other university operations are continuing as normal."

The George W. Bush Presidential Center was dedicated in April and opened to the public May 1. The library had been closed during the partial government shutdown earlier this month.

We've compiled this report based on KERA News reports and The Associated Press.

 

Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.