[BoCash3]

We briefly enjoyed some relief from some of the vehicle break ins on the South Holston and the Watauga. This occurred for a period after some of the press we got which basically embarrassed the Johnson County Sheriff, Carter County Sheriff, and TVA Police.

Unfortunately, I just now got a call that wasn't pretty. One of my friends who lives in Lenoir, NC launched his boat from the weir parking lot on the South Holston sometime in the last two days and came back to discover his truck and trailer gone. His wife's pocketbook was in the truck.

I do not have all the details yet but I only hope that he notified all possible agencies over there.

If any of you have access to TVA or Sullivan County records, or write for a newspaper in that area, would love to hear if this came out in the news. If not, it needs to be in the news for all to see. Front page news is what prompted stepped up patrols and more enforcement action last time and it's time to keep those areas patrolled again.

[Flatlander]

Bo,
Was he in the main lot at the grates or was he parked in the new lot at the concrete ramp? The new lot makes me nervous...not enough people walking around in there. I guess the best practice is to drive down to Jack's, pick him up, drive back up and launch the boat and let him take your truck back down and look after it.

Man that stinks.

[BoCash3]

Flatland, On the guy that was the victim, we have a mutual best friend that called me so I don't have all details yet. However, I think his truck was taken from the big parking lot, the same place where I had my break-in 8 years ago. This is the side that has the "dry launch." I use that side with my jon boat by shoving the boat straight off the trailer into the drink without putting the tires in the water.

Several of us use motor boats over there when the water is up and sulphurs are hatching so we launch from up high and return to the same spot. Therefore, our vehicles stay in that same place all day. Such was the same scenario when the scumbags cleaned out my pickup in 1999. There were a number of serious break-ins that year and the next at every access on the river all the way down to Rockhold Church. Watauga was not much better.

[River Man]

Things are really getting bad up here on the South Holston. Bo, your friend had his truck and trailer stolen from the parking lot(canoe launch) area adjacent to the fish ladder. He is currently down at Jack Praters house waiting for someone from Lenoir to come get him and his wife and son. At about the same time, a Harley Davidson motorcycle was taken from the parking lot next to the weir. Two days ago, one of our mutual friends had his Toyota Forerunner stolen from the paring lot in Bluff City. About a week ago, one of the guides had his truck broken into at this same location and lost many rods and tackle valued at $5000. In the last month, a truck was taken from a parking lot on the South Holston Lake ( two more were taken several months ago). There have also been other breakins of cars and trucks. If anyone has a Toyota, Nissan or Z series truck, use extreme caution.

River Man

[Marmot]

Man I hate to hear of this starting back up again...

[Beetle]

I think the Economic Development Commission up there needs to know that they stand to lose (or already losing) thousands of dollars in tourism, etc.

How many of you can honestly say this doesn't affect your choice of where to take your next trip? I know a lot of people have shuttles and safe parking areas- but most people like me don't and I am unlikely to risk it just to fish there.

This stinks.

UPDATE- I just sent an email to Andy Burke who is President of the EDC Alliance in NE TN and SW VA. Andy is a good man and used to be head of the Greensboro EDC. I linked this site so he could read more about it.