RICHLAND COUNTY, SC (WIS) - Someone has vandalized at least a dozen fire hydrants in Columbia.

Officials say someone is taking brass parts from the hydrants and selling them. The problem is - once those parts are gone - the hydrants don't work anymore, meaning they won't be any help to firefighters during an emergency.

So far, authorities say they've fixed six of the hydrants. They're working on the others.

Meanwhile, if you know who the vandals might be, call Columbia police.

So far, authorities say they've fixed six of the hydrants. They're working on the others. But they say there's no way to know if they've found all of the broken hydrants.

LEXINGTON, SC (WIS) - Lexington County deputies on Wednesday arrested two Lexington men on charges that they stole 28 steel manhole covers from storm drains across Lexington County and took them to metal recycling companies to try to sell.

A news release states that at 11:25am on Wednesday, the Lexington County Communications Center received a call concerning two men who were riding in a burgundy Ford pickup truck and removing steel manhole covers from storm drains

At about 1pm on Wednesday, an employee at a metal recycling company contacted authorities and told them that two men had arrived at the recycling center in a truck that's bed was full of manhole covers, Metts said.

Metts said the 28 stolen manhole covers were worth about $100 each, in the bed of the truck, Metts said.

The two were arrested without incident at about 2pm on Wednesday. Master Deputy Shannon Lovell determined that the Georgia license plate on the truck was registered to a Honda car that Shirley owns. Shirley also was charged with improper use of a license plate.

Last year we had a couple dolts stealing electrical wiring (for the copper). Their last heist involved one of them using an ax to hack through a big cable at a substation... the surviving idiot was arrested.

Monday, Feb 25, 2008 - 10:43 AM Updated: 12:58 PM

Richard Croker, 36, was taken to VCU Medical Center with burns over 65 percent of his body, authorities said. He was listed in stable condition this morning.

Richmond police said officers were on patrol just before 9 p.m. Saturday when they saw a large ball of fire and explosion at a Dominion substation in the 4300 block of Hull Street Road.

When they pulled up to the fenced-in substation, they found Croker inside with his clothes on fire.

Police said Croker had climbed over the fence and was trying to steal copper wiring.

Police have obtained warrants charging Croker with trespassing, felony destruction of property and larceny. He has not yet been served with the warrants, police spokeswoman Wendy Jenkins said.