Thursday News Rundown (9-25-2014)

By Felicia DeInnocentis
News Reporter

Construction workers broke a gas line at the intersection of North LBJ and University Drive near Chipotle yesterday. San Marcos firefighters arrived at the scene at 3 p.m. to monitor the area in case the gas ignited. The marked area that is meant to alert workers of the presence of a gas line was too faded to be noticed. The area where the gas line was hit is also in a much older area of the city where usual precautionary signals, such as a layer of sand and gravel, do not exist. The workers immediately stopped and contacted the fire department. The gas leak was repaired around 7 p.m.

The City of San Marcos Parks Operation Manager Bert Stratemann has enlisted the help of 20 goats from Happy Herd Landscaping to clear underbrush throughout the city that present fire hazards during dry conditions. The goats are a part of the fuel reduction project within San Marcos that provide ecologically-friendly alternatives to traditional machinery. These goats will start a trial week to remove brush in different areas of the city.

Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested Tenencio “Dennis” Moraga III in North Austin today for an attempted kidnapping that occurred earlier this month. Officials say Moraga attempted to kidnap two girls, 11 and 10 years old, at the Wal-Mart off Hwy 80. When the father of the girls saw the suspicious activities Moraga fled the scene. Detective Robert Elrod and the Austin Regional Intelligence Center partnered with San Marcos Police to set up cameras on the 10000 block of Brownie Drive in North Austin and planned for Moraga’s arrest. Moraga remains in custody in Austin where he will soon be transported to Hays County Jail.