BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

DAVELLA — Fiber optic thieves interrupted cable service for residents in Floyd and Johnson counties wanting to watch Eastern Kentucky’s Noah Thompson crowned as the “American Idol” winner Sunday night.

An investigation is ongoing concerning the theft of 1,000 feet of Suddenlink’s fiber optic cable from County Line Road on Greasy in Davella.

Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Billy Patrick reported that he responded to a dispatch at 9 p.m. Sunday.

The deputy says the estimated time of the theft was 12:30 p.m. when Suddenlink began receiving reports of an outage in the Prestonsburg and Paintsville areas, mostly from residents eager to watch Thompson in the “American Idol” finale at 8 p.m.

As frustration grew, Prestonsburg Mayor Les Stapleton found a consolation.

“If your Suddenlink is out, come to the MAC,” Stapleton posted on Facebook at 7:41 p.m. “We are trying to get it on right now. Pass the word.”

Stapleton cast “American Idol” on a TV screen and then went live on Facebook so residents could watch the highly anticipated show.

Suddenlink technicians reported they went to work to resolve the issue as soon as reports came in and located the problem about 8-1/2 hours later.

Meanwhile, Thompson was crowned the “American Idol” winner.

Residents began reporting cable was restored around 11:30 p.m.