Vandals left hundreds of Tug Valley residents in the cold recently and prompted Appalachian Electric Power (AEP) to offer $5,000 for the arrest and conviction of the person(s) who shot the Dingess Station transformer.

The act of vandalism on Nov. 3, caused a massive oil leak and cost AEP about a $1 million to get the power back on for the hundreds who went without electricity for nearly 24 hours. AEP had to order another transformer to replace the one Communications Manager Jeri Matheney said someone shot with armor-piercing ammunition.

A Williamson Daily News reader from the Dingess area called and complained she had been without electricity two out of the last three days and was about to freeze. Vandals cut a tree across a three-phase line near Laurel Creek and knocked down three strands of wire near Dingess on Nov. 1, an AEP outage report shows. On the same day, a wire was cut down in Crum and someone stole primary and neutral wire at Van.

Vandalism resulting in power interruption has escalated recently for the company, AEP Corporate Communications Manager Phillip A. Moye said. Although copper theft was previously a frequent cause of service interruption, Matheney said theft has declined with the cost of copper.

“It still happens, however,” said Moye, pointing out several pieces of equipment and wire containing copper has disappeared in many of the more than 20 incidents causing outages since Oct. 6, which affected nearly 5,000 customers.

Many of the cases are strictly act of vandalism where trees are cut over power lines, which Matheney said she thinks is the result of a power trip for someone who derives satisfaction out of controlling the flow of electricity.

AEP takes tips via a toll-ree and confidential hotline — (866) 747-5845 — set up for customers to report acts of vandalism.

The power company is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for vandalizing or stealing AEP property, Moye said.

The theft of company property is expensive for the power company, but can cost the person taking the equipment their life, Moye warned.

A Majestic, Ky., resident was killed in 2007 in Mingo County’s Vulcan community, where he climbed a telephone pole while apparently trying to steal copper, and slipped and fell on an active line which zapped him with 74,000 volts.

This is a list of acts of vandalism and/or theft in the Tug Valley area in one month.

• Oct. 6 – A cut tree tore down a line affected 505 customers.

• Oct. 9 — A cut tree near Panther took down a line which affected 59 customers.

• Oct. 16 — A cut tree near the Dingess Tunnel affected 873 customers.

• Oct. 20 — Vandals cut a tree, tearing a line near Naugatuck.

• Oct. 23 —Thieves stole a conductor near Panther.

• Oct. 24 — Vandals cut a tree tearing a power line near Marrowbone Creek.

• Oct. 26 —Thieves stole two customer power meters near Lorado.

• Oct. 27 —Thieves stole a primary wire near Big Ugly Creek.

• Oct. 28 — Thieves stole a wire near Big Creek, while vandals cut a tree and broke a pole in McDowell County and cut down a wire near Vulcan.

• Oct. 29 — Vandals cut a tree on a line on Laurel Creek and cut a tree and broke poles near Breeden, stole a customer’s meter and robbed their home.

• Oct. 31 — Vandals cut a wire down near Jennies Creek.

• Nov. 1 — Vandals cut a wire down in Crum, cut a tree across a three-phase line near Laurel Creek, knocked down three strands of wire near Dingess and stole primary and neutral wire at Van.