Johnson County's neighbors to the north and east have seen a rash of copper thefts from poultry and hog houses in their counties and Johnson County growers shoud be aware and take precautions.  Theives in Newton and Pope counties are stripping copper wiring from working poultry and hog houses.

The thieves will enter the houses during night-time hours, turn off the power and systematically strip all the copper wiring from inside the houses.  This has led to thousands of dollars in loss and damage as well as severe loss to poultry.

Johnson County growers are cautioned to keep an eye on their operations as much as possible and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff's Office.