The Latest News Headlines From Across South-Central Texas

Topping our list of South-Central Texas news: The EAA has finalized the hiring of its next General Manager. Plus, a man in Seguin was tasered 3 times before he was finally put in jail this past weekend. And a contractor in San Antonio didn’t come up with 140-thousand dollars in restitution, so he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The Edwards Aquifer Authority Board of Directors has officially hired their next General Manager, and he starts next week. Karl Dreher will take over the reins of the EAA, bringing more than 30 years of water resource management experience with him. He’s a former director of water resources for the State of Idaho, and, most recently, he owned his own environmental and water resource management consulting company. Dreher beat out 150 other applicants for the job to take over as the General Manager, where he will oversee the management and protection of the Edwards Aquifer, which serves 1.7-million people in South-Central Texas.

In other news: An investigation into one of the nation’s leading identity theft protection service providers has been resolved. Texas, 34 other states, and the Federal Trade Commission reached an agreement yesterday with LifeLock Inc. The Arizona-based company agreed to more accurately describe its ID theft protection services in its nationwide commercials. They also agreed to provide 11-million dollars in restitution to some customers that may have been misled by previous rounds of advertising. The joint investigation revealed that LifeLock unlawfully exaggerated its range of services and its ability to prevent ID theft.

Now to Seguin: The Gazette reports that a man was arrested this past weekend on multiple charges, but not before he was tasered by local police. In fact, police say it took 3 rounds of the taser to bring 32-year old Daniel E. Newman under control enough to place him into custody after officers responded to the scene of a disturbance call this past Sunday morning in the 700 block of South Austin street. Newman was allegedly intoxicated and became belligerent when officers arrived, and eventually made what officers called very aggressive moves toward them, so they used their taser…but just once. Newman was then transported to the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center for a quick exam, but as he was being taken out of the patrol car he struggled with officers again, and he was shocked by the taser again. Later, Newman also reportedly struggled with officers once at the county jail, while being booked, and he was tasered a 3rd time before he was finally brought under control. He spent the night at the Guadalupe County Jail, posted a 6-thousand dollar bond the next day, and was released. He still faces charges of public intoxication, resisting arrest, and interfering with the duties of a police officer.

Out of San Antonio: The Express News reports that a San Antonio-based contractor couldn’t come up with the 140-thousand dollars in restitution to pay back the elderly victims he scammed money from, so he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 45-year old Scott Hardin, owner of Hardin Builders and 5-H Remodeling, originally pled guilty to 2nd degree felony charges of theft from the elderly and misapplication of fiduciary property from the elderly. Under the terms of that original plea agreement, Hardin was released from custody, but he had to pay back 140-thousand dollars to his victims in order to avoid a prison sentence. Hardin didn’t pay up, and prosecutors asked for and received the full 10-year prison sentence for Hardin yesterday in front of a Bexar County District Court judge.

And finally: It looks like San Antonio will be well represented at the 2010 World Expo, being held this May, in Shanghai, China. The city of San Antonio will be front and center, featured inside the USA Pavilion at the Expo from May 25th through May 27th. A delegation of city and business leaders will be on hand for that presentation, and to work on relations with China-based businesses. The expo is expected to draw more than 70 million people worldwide, from 192 countries and 42 international organizations, making San Antonio’s presence a unique and potentially profitable experience.