The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office arrested one man and is on the lookout for a second man suspected in the theft and destruction of newspaper boxes in and around the Blacksburg area.

Johnny Pennington, 29, of Dye Road, Blacksburg, was arrested Monday night on three counts of pettit larceny and was awaiting a bond hearing Tuesday afternoon, according to the sheriff's office.

Sheriff Bill Blanton said officers are still looking for a second suspect, Brian Mark Smith, 37, of West Cherokee Street, Blacksburg, who also is charged with three counts of pettit larceny and felony Three Strikes Law. Anyone who knows Smith's whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's office Detective Division at (864) 487-2507; or 9-1-1.

The charges stem from the recent discovery of stolen newspaper boxes along the Broad River near Blacksburg. While the investigating officer was unavailable Tuesday afternoon, Blanton said the newspaper boxes found along the Broad River included boxes owned by The Cherokee Chronicle, The Charlotte Observer and likely The Gaffney Ledger.

Other newspapers including The Blacksburg Times and the Spartanburg Herald Journal have lost newspaper boxes to theft in recent months, but it wasn't immediately clear Tuesday if any of their boxes were found along the river.

In addition to the costs of replacing the boxes, the newspapers lose whatever money has been spent by their customers as well as revenue from lost sales. The boxes used by The Gaffney Ledger cost about $300 each to replace.