The Athens County Sheriff's Office was kept busy with a range of calls from last Friday, January 2, to January 4, 2026, handling situations from a no-contact order violation to an abandoned dog report, according to the Athens County Sheriff's Office their latest social media release. Deputies tackled issues across Athens County, addressing various complaints and conducting well-being checks, in an ongoing effort to maintain community safety and investigate reported crimes.
Among the incidents detailed was the arrest of Brian Whitcraft, 42 years old, who was taken to the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail due to a warrant out of Athens County after being found trespassing at The New Story School in Albany. Other service calls included responding to an abandoned dog report on West Bailey Road in Doanville, where deputies could not locate the animal and an animal abuse report on East Fourth Street in The Plains which after investigation, found the two canines in question to be in healthy condition and adequately cared for.
The Athens County Sheriff's deputies also navigated a verbal dispute on Ohio Avenue in The Plains yesterday, successfully returning personal belongings to the complainant that an occupant of a residence had reportedly refused to give back; the deputies ensured that no physical altercation had occurred and advised all involved parties to remain separated. Furthermore, their weekend activities comprised investigating a stolen vehicle report in Amesville, for which the vehicle was said to have been involved in an incident with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office before it was reported stolen – the matter is currently under investigation.
Other service calls saw deputies handling benign situations, such as a juvenile accidentally triggering a 911 hang-up call and providing assistance to the Perry County Sheriff’s Office with a missing juvenile case who was promptly located. Additionally, Deputies also checked on suspicious activity on South Plains Road in The Plains, leading to no further action, and documented a report of a threat at Movies 10 in Nelsonville. In an incident at Alexander High School, deputies took a report after speaking with the complainant over the phone about a threatening complaint.
