Copper Thieves Cause Headaches For Frontier And Put Pendleton County Residents At Risk
Franklin, WV – Phone service in Franklin and Brandywine, WV was disrupted on the afternoon of September 20th when copper thieves stole several hundred feet of copper cable used by Frontier Communications. Reta Griffith, General Manager for Frontier, says the thieves also cut the fiber optic line during the theft.
The theft left residents of those areas unable to contact 911 or to make long distance calls. The 911 center was still in operation, but residents were advised to go to their nearest fire station in case of an emergency.
Griffith says partial restoration of service was complete by 1:30am September 21st, with full restoration completed by 3:00am. The investigation of the theft is being conducted by the West Virginia State Police.