Franklin Police are searching for the suspect in an alleged stabbing that took place early Wednesday morning inside of a city park. A spokesperson with the Franklin Police Department says that officers responded to the scene, in the 100 block of Washington Street, at 2:12 a.m.

Officers reported finding 19-year-old Christopher L. Jones suffering from three stab wounds to his abdominal area. Witnesses told police that the stabbing took place at Scott Park after Jones intentionally met with his alleged assailant to settle a dispute over a mutual female acquaintance. The witnesses say that a fight eventually broke out, which led to the stabbing. Investigators say they have identified a suspect whom they are looking for.

Franklin Police are asking for anyone with information in this case to come forward. You are asked to contact Detective Sergeant John Borges at (317) 346-1142. Tips and information can be left anonymously.

A Columbus restaurant will get statewide television exposure in the coming weeks.

Vicki Michael, with Skooter’s Family Restaurant, says that the restaurant came in first in a recent Facebook poll by Indianapolis television station WISH-TV Channel 8. Michael says that representatives of the station told her that Skooter’s was mentioned more than any other restaurant in the poll, which asked viewers to name the best place for the ideal breakfast dining experience.

Michael says that Channel 8 will be broadcasting live from Skooter’s on the morning of Monday, Jan. 4 as part of meteorologist Randy Ollis’ “Randy on the Road” segment from 5 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. She says that Ollis is expected to “help out” at the restaurant and deliver breakfast to patrons’ tables, as well as his usual weather duties.

You are encouraged to visit Skooter’s on the morning of Jan. 4 and take part in this event, as well as a nice breakfast. The restaurant is located at 1602 State Street on the east side of Columbus.

The Franklin police are reporting that they have a suspect in custody in a bomb threat against Franklin Community High School.

The schools closed Friday after the bomb threat. The police department says that the suspect is being referred to juvenile authorities for review of the case.

The town of Hope has a law on the books regulating livestock within the town limits, but town officials can’t find a signed copy of that law.

When the law was first passed by a previous council in 2011, no signed copy was put on file. To cover their bases, the town council voted earlier this week to reauthorize the law on the advice of town attorney Cindy Boll.

The council intended to pass the reauthorization by waiving a second reading. While the four council members present voted unanimously to suspend the rules, allowing for the law to be passed immediately,  Councilman Jerry Bragg voted against the final ordinance. Boll said that the accelerated schedule required two thirds of the council voting in favor to approve it with the second reading rules suspended — which meant all four members present had to approve. Because there weren’t enough members present voting in favor to meet the legal requirements the reauthorization only passed on first reading. A final approval has been scheduled for next month.

Boll said the issue came to light after several people came in looking for copies of the law.

Hope resident Tim Saylor was recently cited for having chickens on his property. Several neighbors came to Saylor’s defense at Monday’s Town Council meeting. Nancy Banta suggested that with the problems finding a signed copy of the law, that Saylor’s chickens be considered as grandfathered in. Another neighbor cited Purdue statistics that show Saylor’s chickens had a negligible smell from 14 feet away.

The council assured Saylor that his chickens could stay on his property through the start of the year while the issue is worked through.

Taylorsville will be getting a new tornado siren. William Tapscott is the Coordinator for the Taylorsville Crime Watch. He says that the town’s original sire, which was approximately 50-years-old, stopped working about six-months ago. Due to the age of the siren, fixing it was not possible.

Tapscott says that his group worked with Bartholomew County emergency management director Dennis Moats and Bartholomew County’s Emergency Operations Center Director Ed Reuter to get the specs for a new siren. The original plan was for the Taylorsville Crime Watch to raise the money needed for an updated siren system, possibly utilizing used parts.

Tapscott says that his group got a nice surprise a few weeks ago. He says that Moats, Reuter and German Township Trustee Chris West met with the Bartholomew County Commissioners. Tapscott says that the Commissioners pledged $10,000 from the county’s telecommunications fund to purchase, install and maintain a new tornado siren. He adds that the siren will be synched with the county’s emergency system to provide the most advanced warning available for Taylorsville residents. Tapscott says that the new siren is expected to be installed on a cell tower in March.

Tapscott went on to say that Taylorsville Crime Watch is raising money for a second siren that would be installed at the Edinburgh Outlets. If you would like to donate, he says you can simply stop in any local Main Source Bank and offer a deposit to the organization.

Investigators from the Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, with the assistance of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Hope Police Department, served six of eight warrants on Tuesday. Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department Spokesperson Judy Jackson says that these warrants came about after investigations that took place throughout the year.

Jackson says the following people were arrested without incident and booked to the Bartholomew County Jail:

Travis Satterfield, 26, 2248 McKinley Ave., Columbus. Satterfield was arrested on two counts of Dealing Methamphetamine. He remains in jail on $55,000 bond.

Jerry Williamson, Jr., 30, 5141 Willow Way, Columbus. Williamson was arrested on two counts of Dealing Methamphetamine. He is in jail on $75,000 bond.

Nathan Neely, 24, 1439 Pearl Street, Columbus, was already in the Bartholomew County Jail on an unrelated charge. He is now facing three counts of Dealing Methamphetamine and remains in jail without bond.

Danielle Hardin is currently in the Clark Co. Jail on unrelated charges. She is now facing drug charges and a “hold” has been placed on her.

Eric Froedge is currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections on unrelated charges and is facing drug charges.

Amanda Jacobs was found in the Jennings County Jail on unrelated charges. She now faces drug charges.

Jackson went on to say that the remaining warrants are expected be served soon.

The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team is a combined unit of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities say they are proactively targeting the manufacturing and abuse of dangerous drugs in Bartholomew County.

Several newly trained Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers were sworn in by Bartholomew County Juvenile Magistrate Heather Mollo as officers of the court last week.

Rick Scalf, with Advocates for Children, say the group was sworn in last Wednesday evening. He says that, as CASA volunteers, these individuals will serve “as the eyes and ears of the court, working directly with area victims of child abuse and neglect.”

Judge Mollo spoke to the necessity of volunteers just before the swearing-n ceremony. “I do not think I exaggerate,” Mollo said to the new CASA volunteers, “in saying that your work has never been more important.” The judge noted a sharp increase in Hoosier children in foster care from 2014 to 2015.

Scalf says that Advocates for Children has seen increases in their waiting list in all three counties they serve: Bartholomew, Decatur, and Jennings. He says that the children on these lists have already been removed from their homes, but do not yet have an advocate working on their behalf.

To place advocates with as many of these children as possible, Scalf says that Advocates for Children is already planning the next training class, which will begin in January.

Individuals interested in learning more about becoming a CASA volunteer, or the upcoming training session, should call Advocates for Children at (812) 372-2808, or visit the agency online at apowerfulvoice.org.

A Columbus restaurant was closed for several hours Tuesday after a fire. Captain Mike Wilson, Spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, says Firefighters were called to the Kentucky Fried Chicken on Brentwood Drive, after a chicken fryer caught fire when employees were preparing to open for the day.

Wilson says that store owner Kelley Poindexter told investigators that two employees were working in the store when the incident occurred. He said that part of their duties include turning on three deep fryers used to cook chicken. The fryers sit close together. Poindexter reportedly told investigators that an employee had just successfully turned on two of three fryers, which use natural gas. When an employee attempted to ignite the burner of the third fryer, flames reportedly erupted from under it.

One the employees reportedly told firefighters that he retrieved a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. He said that he extinguished the fire briefly, but it flared up again. The employee added that when the fire reignited, it spread to two more fryers that were nearby. He said that he made a second attempt to extinguish the fire, but was unsuccessful. The employee told investigators that he then turned off the power to all three fryers and moved to the rear of the store, while another employee called 911. As the flames intensified, both employees reportedly escaped the building through a rear delivery door.

Wilson says that investigators believe that the spread of fire was due to grease residue that was inside the internal fryer components. Along with some minor smoke damage throughout the restaurant, he says that the fire damage was confined to the three fryers. Wilson adds that the restaurant’s hood system fire suppression system did not activate. Investigators say they believe that was due to the fire being located within the fryers and not the actual grease that was located above the flames.

No injuries were reported at the scene and no damage estimate was made available. Wilson says the cause of the fire is undetermined and added that the investigation is ongoing. Wilson adds that the restaurant opened later in the day with a limited menu.

U.S. Highway 50 in Jackson County was closed for a time Monday evening after a multiple-vehicle crash.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department says that deputies responded to the crash, located at 3000 East Highway 50 at Crane Hill, at 5:42 p.m. Deputies say that a vehicle driven by 21-year-old Noah Hayes, of Seymour, was traveling west on Highway 50 and was attempting to turn left in to a driveway. Investigators then say that an SUV, driven by 21-year-old Randall Caudill, of Ladoga, stopped behind Hayes’ vehicle. A vehicle driven by 48-year-old Gregory Collier was behind Caudill’s vehicle and authorities say he was able to stop in time, as was the vehicle behind him, which was being driven by John Gorbett, of Medora. Deputies say that a vehicle being driven by Romona Cutter, of Seymour, struck the rear of Gorbett’s vehicle, setting off a chain-reaction crash.

Authorities say that Gorbett was taken to Schneck Medical Center for complaints of leg and abdominal pain. He was reportedly treated and released. The Sheriff’s Department adds that Gorbett’s and Cutter’s vehicles had to be towed from the scene. Both directions of U.S. Highway 50 were closed for approximately 20 minutes.