THE CAROLINA SCOOP EXCLUSIVE

AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING THEFT OF GROUND
CABLE FROM CITY UTILITY POLES

By Jon Mayhew

LINCOLNTON -- Utility workers with the City of Lincolnton noticed something disturbing to them Monday afternoon. While driving down South Poplar Street, a city crew noticed the ground cable missing from a utility pole around 2 p.m.

By the close of business Monday, a city crew had identified at least 50 utility poles on Cedar and South Poplar Streets -- as well as some poles on Jonas and Kennedy Streets -- where ground wires had been pulled from the ground and cut from the pole.

According to Chris Wilson, electric superintendent for the City of Lincolnton, said the ground wires were in place to ground city utilities, telephone and cable service.

And while there will be minimal effect on homeowners, the repairs to the poles will be costly to the city. Taxpayers, in turn, may feel effects in the future with the possibility of increased utility rates.

According to Wilson, the city has to pay $640 per 1,000 feet of replacement cable.

"It's nothing dangerous although the ground wires tie back to the electric substations," said Wilson, adding residents could experience occasional static receptions.

WIlson said the public works department planned on investigating how many poles were affected and planned on filing a police report Tuesday morning.

Wilson said his department will press charges against the suspect or suspects to the fullest extent of the law.

In several cases, whoever cut the wires reached up as high as possible before making the cut, which Wilson said was about eight feet.

Wilson encourages people to watch for any suspicious activity at or near utility poles.

"If a resident sees anyone hanging around a utility pole or messing around with a utility pole, please call public works and let us know," said Wilson.

Wilson said work to replace the ground cable will start sometime Tuesday.

"I've not seen anything like this previously," said Wilson. "People in this day and age will steal anything with the economy being bad."