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Just before 4 a.m., Portsmouth officers were called to the Alexandria House Apartments after someone reported strangers sleeping in the building’s common area. Police found several individuals bedding down for the night and ordered them to leave and not return.  This isn’t the first time the apartment complex has seen uninvited guests. As we’ve reported before, Alexandria...

A worried couple walked into the sheriff’s office this week with disturbing claims about the way their grandchildren are being raised.  They told deputies the kids are living in what they described as “horrible conditions” — a filthy home where the children are often left unsupervised. One child, they said,...

Portsmouth Police and Firefighters were called to Walnut Street just after 7 a.m. Friday for reports of a structure fire. Fire crews quickly responded, while dispatch also notified AEP and Columbia Gas to shut off utilities. The State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to investigate, and the Red Cross was brought on scene...

A Mabert Road woman called 911 after accusing someone inside her home of using drugs and demanding that officers search the guest before kicking her out.  When police arrived, the woman accused of using drugs was already preparing to leave. The resident insisted officers search both the woman and her belongings. But officers...

The Scioto County Jail is currently housing 158 inmates. An arrest is not a conviction. All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Keshia Cook Arrest Date: 10/17/2025 Charges: Tampering w/ Evidence Kelsy S Copas Arrest Date: 10/16/2025 Charges: Domestic Threat Sean R Delong Arrest Date: 10/16/2025 Charges: Assault (2...

A Scioto County grand jury has indicted a Portsmouth substitute teacher and junior high football coach on shocking sex crime charges involving a student.  The grand jury handed down indictments against Damion Quaza Coleman Jr., 33, of Kent Street, Portsmouth, during its most recent session. According to the indictment, the charges stem from incidents...

Wheelersburg residents got more than they bargained for when they spotted a man passed out at a stop sign, a strange scene that ended with an OVI arrest.  Concerned passersby woke the man, but instead of being grateful, he became combative. Witnesses say he staggered to a nearby creek, relieved...

A McDermott woman who phoned deputies for help in a domestic dispute ended up in handcuffs herself when officers discovered she had an outstanding warrant.  The call came in just after 9 a.m., with the woman reporting a physical fight with a man and claiming a gun was involved. She...

She wasn’t after steaks for dinner. Deputies say the latest shoplifting arrest shines a light on how the region’s drug crisis drives even the most bizarre crimes.  According to sheriff’s reports, store security stopped a woman after she tried to walk out with over $260 worth of packaged meat stuffed in her purse. When...

Portsmouth Police are investigating a disturbing report of threats involving local teens, a reminder of why every threat against kids must be taken seriously.  Officers say they received a call from a school in Illinois about two boys who had once attended school in Portsmouth. The boys told an adult...

Law enforcement across Gallia, Scioto, and Lawrence counties are searching for a woman who never returned from a court-approved jail furlough.  The Gallia County Sheriff’s Office contacted Portsmouth Police for help tracking down Makayla Curtis, who had been temporarily released from their jail on furlough but failed to come back as ordered. Deputies say they...

For more than a year, Scioto County’s economic development efforts have been overshadowed by scandal—the indictments of former Economic Development Director Robert Horton and more recently, Commissioner Bryan Davis. But at Thursday’s commissioner’s meeting, there were signs the county might finally be charting a new path forward.  Reappointing Stability at SOPA  The Southern Ohio...

Shane A. Tieman, Scioto County Prosecutor announced today that the September term of the Scioto County Grand Jury met on October 3, 2025, and returned 15 Public Indictments.    An indictment is not a conviction. All Defendants are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. The Defendants Indicted are charged as...

The Scioto County Jail is currently housing 154 inmates. An arrest is not a conviction. All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Jacob N Altman Arrest Date: 10/15/2025 Charges: Violate Protection Order or Consent Agreement Linda Anderson Arrest Date: 10/13/2025 Charges: Failure to Appear; Issuance of Warrant, Criminal Damaging/Endangering...

You can’t make this up — Scioto County deputies didn’t even have to leave their block to find their latest domestic violence case.  Just before 1 a.m., officers walking out of the Sheriff’s Office spotted a car stopped in the middle of Findlay Street. A man and woman, later identified...

A Lucasville woman’s worried texts about her boyfriend led deputies straight to a domestic violence arrest.  According to the sheriff’s office, the caller said she’d been getting alarming messages from another woman who claimed her boyfriend had just gotten out of prison a week ago, was on drugs, and had...

A string of brazen thefts targeting school buses has now been linked to a neighborhood in Wheelersburg,   What started as a routine morning check by a Lawrence County bus mechanic quickly turned into a major criminal investigation. Arriving at the Rock Hill bus garage to prep vehicles for the day,...

Portsmouth Police officers responding to a tense domestic call ended up dealing with more than they bargained for — including a suspect who urinated in the back of their cruiser.  Just before 4 a.m., a woman called 911 to report that her husband had told her he’d cut himself and didn’t...

Local first responders once again proved they’re ready to step in when residents need them most.  Police were alerted after a man with a brain injury walked away from Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) against medical advice. Officers immediately began searching the Jackson Avenue area, patrolling streets in an effort...

The Pike County Sheriff’s Office has a new four-legged deputy joining the force. Sheriff Tracy Evans announced that the office has launched a K-9 team, pairing Deputy Joshua Gullett with K-9 Rex, a highly trained dog who will help with everything from finding missing people to detecting illegal drugs.  The...