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Friday, 7 January 2000 21:32 (ET)

Reward offered in Y2K tower tipping

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 7 (UPI) -- The Bonneville Power Authority is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to a conviction in the toppling of a support tower on a major electricity transmission line in Oregon on the night before New Year's Eve.

The downing of the tower for the 1 million volt DC line running from Oregon to the Los Angeles area didn't cause any power outages, but it did come at a time when the United States was on alert for both Y2K power outages and acts terrorism or sabotage linked to the arrival of the year 2000.

Investigators, including the FBI, determined that the two-legged tower fell over after someone loosened the supporting guy wires, and decided that the culprits were likely local vandals rather than terrorists. The BPA said, however, it was anxious to see those responsible brought to justice.

"The tower sustained minimal damage and the line itself was not permanently damaged,'' Mike Berg, a BPA security specialist, said in a release Friday. `Nevertheless, significant costs were incurred in responding to this emergency.

"This is the first time in over 20 years that someone has deliberately disabled one of our towers," Berg said. "It was obviously an attempt to cause mayhem on the Northwest power system and that is why we are taking this criminal act so seriously and offering a $10,000 reward."

The incident occurred the night of Dec. 30 near where the transmission line crosses U.S. Highway 20, about 37 miles southeast of Bend, Oregon.

The BPA said tips could be phoned in to the FBI, Oregon State Police or the Deschutes County Sheriff.

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), January 08, 2000

Answers

Is this anything like cow tipping??

-- Bubba (Bubba@redneck.com), January 08, 2000.

If you have ever looked at one of those towers close up, you will realise that the 'vandals' had to have some serious tools and skills. Those cables are an inch thick at least. No mere teenage prank here.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), January 08, 2000.

Does delta force have an alibi? just kidding:)

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 08, 2000.

Actual transcripts of an F.B.I. wiretap, in connection, with this crime.

"Hey Beavith, wouldn't it be koowl to knock over thith tower?..uhuh huh uhuuhuhuh"

"Yeah Butthead! That would be cool! FIRE! FIRE! HEH HEHEHEHHEH HEHEHEHEH!."

The manhunt begins.

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja.com), January 08, 2000.

BUBBA..evidently there's a shortage of cows for tipping in Oregan...grin.

beej

-- beej (beej@ppbbs.com), January 08, 2000.