SMOKE LEADS TO COPPER THIEVES

A trio of copper wire thieves have been arrested after a farmer reported wire was stolen from an irrigation pump.The theft was from an orchard at Lerdo Highway near Buttonwillow. While the Rural Crimes Unit was investigating Wednesday, they got word of people in Taft burning insulation off wire. Taft residents Jason Gibson, 30, James Wilson, 45 and William Bingham,54 were all arrested.