A Nicholas County church should be able to ring in the new year after the recovery of its stolen bell, but now the search is on for the thief or thieves who snatched it.

The bell was stolen from a church near Leivasy in Nicholas County and was found in Crichton in Greenbrier County, according to a Facebook post Wednesday from the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies from the sheriff’s office, West Virginia Natural Resources Police and West Virginia State Police were involved in the investigation and recovered the bell.

Anyone who has information that could help in the investigation is asked to contact Deputy L.R. Kessler at the Lewisburg detachment of the Greenbrier County Sheriff's Office at 304-647-6634 or by contacting the Greenbrier County 911 Center at 304-647-7911. Information can also be sent to Crime Stoppers of West Virginia.