Intro

Erika Malone 0:00

This week on Beyond the Headlines, the Johnson County Animal Shelter tests a return to owner fee grace period. A local man finds a mammoth tooth in Union Township. A look at where students can get free meals this summer, and new businesses open in Franklin and Greenwood. From the Daily Journal, this is Beyond the Headlines, a local news podcast focused on story shaping Johnson County. Hello everyone and welcome back. It's Eric Malone back on the mic. And we have uh today my colleague Hallie. How are you doing? I'm doing good. How are you? I'm good. It's glad to be back. Uh I was on vacation. I went to Gulf Shores, Alabama. How fun. Yeah, got a little crispy. Um and yeah, I had lots of seafood, so it was lots of fun. Lots of fun.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Spent on the beach. How was your weekend? Uh it was good. I didn't really do much, but I I got some cleaning done. I went thrifting, so hey. That's a good weekend in my books. What's like your go-to thing you look for when you go thrifting? Um I mostly look, I I like to look at uh the DVDs and VHS tapes um and see if they have anything more more like rare or unique compared because there's a lot of Disney movies and stuff, and you can find those anywhere. That's true.

Erika Malone 1:09

I like uh going and finding uh Funko Pops. I don't know if that's still like a gen that people collect, but I like collecting those.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

So well, I know there are a lot of antique stores around here that have those. Yes. Like have booths.

Erika Malone 1:22

Yeah. Well, uh, let's just jump into the news, shall we? What and see what we got going um this past week.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

So take

Johnson County Animal Shelter to test return-to-owner fee grace period

SPEAKER_00 1:29

it away. All right. Uh so the Johnson County Animal Shelter is now testing a return to owner fee grace period. All right. Um, so the county commissioners uh approved the plan this week after uh rising shelter stays and mounting costs. So kind of tell me a little bit about why they're deciding to do this now. Yeah. So the five-day grace period, this will now waive all return to owner fees if pets are picked up on the f within the first five days. Uh shelter director Carrie Kwashi uh said that costs have become a major factor or major barrier for families trying to reclaim lost pets. And their average stay time is have nearly doubled in the past couple years. So dogs went from 20 days, spending 20 days in the shelter on average in 2023 to 38 days in 2025. Wow. And cats have gone from 22 days on average to 37 days. Oh wow. And she said even that some dogs have been in the shelter for over a year. Oh, yeah. So they're wild. Yeah. So most incoming animals, they show no signs of abuse. They're friendly, they're healthy, they're cared for, uh, clearly owned. So, but the issue is fees. Uh-huh. Most a lot of owners are finding themselves unable to pay those fees because for the first day that they're in the shelter, it costs $25 to reclaim them. And for each additional day, it's $10. So that can rack up quite a bit then. Yeah, and that that's not including medical fees too, if they if they need that. Yeah. So the counties spend roughly uh $395 per dog and $385 per cat, and that does not include spay and neutering either. Oh wow. Uh so Clashy emphasized uh the goal to get animals home where they originally came from. Um but it the problem is just m many owners can't find can't pay those fees. Yeah.

Erika Malone 3:22

I mean, especially with other rising costs and stuff. Uh so can you uh kind of talk a little more about the policy details and what the commissioners had to say about uh this?

SPEAKER_00 3:32

So the fee waiver applies only if the animal has not been at the shelter before. And if they pick up the animal within five days, all fees are waived. After five days, all accumulated fees apply. Okay. Yeah. And there are exceptions for extraordinary circumstances, uh like the owners at a state, things like that. Uh Clash actually said that that happens quite a bit.

Erika Malone 3:55

Oh, okay, yeah. Well, tell me a little bit about what the commissioners had to say about this.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

Yeah, so they approved the trial period. Uh so Kevin Walls requested uh a six-month update to see results. To see results and shelter staff began using the grace period immediately and they helped several owners on the same day. Oh, that's nice, yeah. So plus she says um she called the initiative a good first step to um reduce shelter crowding and reunite families sooner. Um but if things don't improve on return to owner fees, uh she said that they'll look at other options.

Erika Malone 4:30

Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, it'll it's uh interesting policy. Uh as far as uh I don't have that much experience with animal shelters, but it seems like an interesting policy to have for an animal shelter and see how it goes.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Yeah, hopefully it works. Yeah. But we'll see.

Local man finds mammoth tooth in Union Township

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Switching from um alive animals to extinct animals, I guess you could say. I heard that a uh local man found a mammoth tooth uh in Union Township.

Erika Malone 4:55

Yes, so a little bit about that. There was an interesting discovery in Union Township, um, where a local man he found what turned out to be a 10,000-year-old mammoth tooth. Wow, yeah, that's that's pretty that's pretty awesome uh find, especially uh in a backyard. Uh so the artifact is now being preserved by the Indiana State Museum and will soon be part of the Johnson County Museum of History collection. So yeah, it's gonna be preserved there as well. Awesome. How did he come across this? Yeah, so Justin Griggs, he was out metal detecting near his home, kind of a hobby of his and he spotted two odd cylindrical shapes in the dirt, and he was like, Well, what is this? Um so he bent down, brushed away the soil, and realized that the object wasn't stone, but a woolly mammoth tooth again, more than like two 10,000 years old. Like, can you imagine how old that is? No, yeah, that's incredible. Yeah, that's crazy. Uh and then museum experts say it's the most complete mammoth uh tooth remain ever found in Johnson County. So it makes me wonder what others what kind of other mammoth teeth they found. Yeah. Um in the county before. But Griggs, um I said he's been metal detecting since high school, so he usually found found like pull tabs or cans or the occasional silver dime. And this is uh metal detecting has kind of become a family hobby for them. So his wife Hannah actually scouts locations using this uh thing called the lidar map. The one promising area that uh they hope to kind of go to is some land near the edge of the last glacier in Union Township. And during their February outing, um, when Greg's found uh a wheat penny, underneath it was a mammoth tooth. Uh at first he thought it was a Macedon, but after checking images and running through AI identification, he realized it was a mammoth. Yep. And so again, he took it to Indiana State Museum, which verified um the find. And staff says they often receive fragments of this, but this tooth is full and intact, roots included. So the roots were still attached to this tooth. Wow, wow, that's what I find. Yeah, absolutely. So the museum is gonna preserve the tooth, but they won't add it to their collection just yet, since they already have larger examples. So Griggs actually um decided to donate the tooth to the Johnson County Museum of History. Oh um, said he doesn't want it sitting in his house collecting dust, um, and he wants the people, the public to enjoy it. Yeah. And then uh just a little fact about mammoths and mastodons. They once roamed Indiana actually long ago. Fossils have been found in all 92 counties. Um, but the key difference in the teeth is mammoth, uh, mammoth teeth are flat groove surfaces for grinding grasses, and mastodons have cone-shaped cusps for chewing shrubs and trees.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Oh, interesting. Yeah. So that's a pretty cool find. It is. Yeah, that sounds really cool. Um, that's such a cool find, and I can't wait to see it when it's at the museum.

Erika Malone 7:55

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Well, we're gonna take a short break and we'll be back with our round table. Want your business to reach our listeners in Johnson County and beyond? Reach out to the Daily Journal by calling 317-736-2730 to ask about our advertising opportunities.

Roundtable: Local schools offer free summer meals to students

Erika Malone 8:17

All right, welcome back. Uh, let's look at some other news that we have. So, families across Johnson County will have access to free summer meals this year, uh, and this is through part uh participating school districts. So, multiple school districts are participating in the federal Sun Meals Program, part of USDA's long-running summer food services program. Again, this has been going on for years as well. So, Sun Meals provides free breakfasts and lunches to kids while school is out, and it's open to all children 18 and under no registration or paperwork required. Meals uh are available at schools, parks, and neighborhood sites. And these this program actually dates back to 1968, the fund by the USDA and administration, and it's kind of now administered by the states. Um, and how many how many safe added that? Well, I mean, let me tell you, yeah. So in 2025, India served 3.5 million meals at more than 1,000 sites statewide. Awesome. Yeah, so it really helps um kids able to get breakfast and lunch um during the summer months when they're out in school. Yeah. Um participating districts in Johnson County at least are Franklin Community Schools, Greenwood, and Clark Pleasant. The ones not participating is Center Grove, Indian Creek, since they're not eligible due to low um free and reduced meal numbers. Um, because that kind of factors in. Yeah. And then Edinburgh's they're not doing the sun meals either, but they will feed summer school students. Is it? Yeah, they do offer that. So where do you get these meals, right? Yeah. So Franklin uh community schools, they will have a location at Northwood Elementary from June 1st to July 24th, Monday through Friday. Breakfast is from 8 to 9. Lunch is 11 15 to 1 p.m. And meals must be eaten on site, and parents and families can go through door 5 in. If you have any questions, you can uh contact the school at 317-363-2451. So that's at Franklin. Greenwood, they have two locations, Southwest Elementary School and Northeast Elementary, uh from May 26th to July 24th. Monday through Friday, they are closed July 3rd. Um so the day before uh July 4th. Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 12 30 p.m. Again, um on-site dining only. And for any questions, you can contact them at 317-889-4090 and Clark Pleasant. They actually have a few locations. Their times are starting from June 2nd to July 10th. Monday through Friday, they are closed July 2nd and July 3rd. So at Breako Day Elementary, which I love the name. Me too love that name. Um such a unique name. I know. Their sites, uh, site and meal times is from 11 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. Um, and families can enter through door nine. Then there is uh a site at Grassy Creek Elementary from 11:30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. You can enter through door four, and Pleasant Crossing Elementary is from 11.45 a.m. to 12.45 p.m. And you can enter through door six. Um, and then they have a little uh some fun little extras. Uh families can enjoy a frozen treat on Fridays at all locations. Oh awesome. Adults can actually purchase meals for only three dollars, so this will allow the opportunity for parents to or guardians to eat as well. And the JCPL Bookmobile will visit weekly as well. So you can get breakfast and a book. Yeah, breakfast and a book and a frozen treat on Fridays. Yeah. Yeah. So uh if you have any questions, you can contact the school at 317-535-3105.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Well, that's awesome that kids are uh still getting meals uh even outside of school. Yeah. Well, and then you also have some food news as well. Yes. Um tell us a little go tell us a little bit about that. Yeah,

Roundtable: New salad restaurant in Franklin

SPEAKER_00 12:18

so some a new restaurant has uh opened in Franklin, a new salad restaurant. And that's just one of uh two businesses that recently opened. So first we have a salad palette bringing color in its food, culinary color, I guess you could say. Yeah, uh to downtown Franklin. So the salad palette eatery opened on May 11th on East Court Street, and business has already been booming. I've seen it, yeah. For the owner, Christy Well.

Erika Malone 12:44

Our editor, uh one of our uh editors, her editor for this podcast, I guess. He's uh gone to the salad place quite a bit.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

Oh yeah.

Erika Malone 12:52

I have uh I've been once, yeah, or and I'm gonna definitely go back. And if you look really closely in the picture that Hallie took for the story, you can see Noah in the reflection. So it's kind of a little Easter egg. Yeah, I guess. A little Easter egg if you want to spot a Noah somewhere. Like I spy, or where's Walter House? Right?

SPEAKER_00 13:08

Where's Noah?

Erika Malone 13:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

We ask that question every day. Anyway, continue. Um, so Christy Locke, the owner, uh, she said that the crowds were nonstop within the first few days, and she's now just settling into a routine. But I guess that's really good news for a starting business. So it's like a good problem to have. Yeah, absolutely. So Locke moved to the area in 1987. She spent 34 years bartending. Uh then she worked in long-term health care and she earned a cert certified dietary manager license. Oh wow. Uh so she returned to the food service through catering and managing the Franklin Elks Lodge Bar for 12 years. Okay. Uh, and when Courthouse Coney's closed, uh, she saw the space open up and she took a chance on a new concept and it worked out. Yeah. As you can see.

Erika Malone 13:54

I says it seems like, and I've I've been in the restaurant before, but it kind of seems like the salad palette, it's kind of like a bar for salad. Yeah. So this this concept of her being a bartender is kind of funny because it's like, oh, she's like doing kind of the similar things.

SPEAKER_00 14:12

But it's funny because she didn't go to school to uh be in the culinary world. She actually went to uh she went to Illinois State University and studied graphic design. Oh wow. So that's why it's kind of the salut. She brings her art into her restaurant. So she still sells and creates artwork, uh, and even around the restaurant you can see um the core that she's painted herself and the menu has um all of her designs. Um, like she's designed each part of the menu with like these really cool doodles. That's so cool, yeah. She said that uh making those actually uh helped her get through the renovation process. Oh nice. So kind of bit of art, but it was already serapining up. Yeah. So everything at the salad palette eatery is made fresh daily, and salads are priced by weight. Uh so the menu includes green salads with customizable toppings, protein salads, including two chicken salads, uh, egg salad, and tuna salad, uh daily specials like soups or hot sandwiches, rotating sides, including potato salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, coleslaw, and broccoli salad. And salad. Yep. And uh the cake of the day uh baked by Locke, and she said that's one of their more popular items. I can recommend the pasta salad. It's so good. Oh, really? I make a good pasta salad, but it's so it's so good.

Erika Malone 15:32

I might have to give that a try. I'm not much of a pasta salad person, but it it depends on what it's really fun.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

I definitely give it a try. Yeah. Uh so Locke's a pescatarian. Um, so she wanted a place where non-meat eaters could have real options. Uh, and she believes that uh salads are underrated and deserve to be treated as a main course. They are so underrated.

Erika Malone 15:51

Sometimes you'd like go into a restaurant and you're like, I just want like a good chicken salad, which isn't like a good salad in general.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yeah. And or sometimes you go in and you ask for it before the main course and you're like, I can't eat too much of this because I've still got a whole another whole other meal to eat. So I can see where she's coming from. Um she said that uh customers appreciate the light, bright, clean atmosphere. And she noted that uh many women feel comfortable dining alone while waiting for friends, uh, which she said is something that isn't always the case in larger alcohol-focused restaurants. Right. Yeah. Uh but yeah, early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and I hope nothing for the best for a restaurant. I know I'm definitely gonna go back. No, that's great. And you know what?

Erika Malone 16:33

It's actually like right like not far from us at all. Like you just have to walk downstairs and down the street a little bit, and it's right there. So, yeah. Well, tell us a little bit about uh this other store that's opening.

Roundtable: New vintage media store in Greenwood

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Mm-hmm. So we were we were talking earlier about uh DVDs and VHS tapes, and now I have a new place to go. So vintage media lovers like me have a new destination in Old Town Greenblood. So Retro Paradise has opened on West Main Street and they offer everything from VHS tapes to classic video games. Uh so they specialize in VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, laser discs, and records. Oh, awesome. In addition to re vintage toys and collectibles. Yeah, that might be a place for me too. I love going to those types of stores. Me too. Yeah, me too. They also have video games and consoles dating back to the 1980s. Oh wow. So I definitely before our time. Yeah. I grew up on the Wii.

Erika Malone 17:26

Yeah, same here. I grew up on the Wii and then uh Nintendo uh Nintendo BS.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

That was for my first. That was my generation, yeah. He also sells uh the owner also sells curated retro items and apparel. Awesome, yeah. Well, tell me a little bit about how this started. Yeah, so owner Gary Medley uh co-owns the nearby Main Street Vintage, which is another place I need to check out then. That store outgrew its space and shifted uh towards clothing. So Medley wanted a dedicated spot for retro media, and when the former tattoo shop became available, he jumped right on it. But the space needed a full remodel, including walls being removed, permits approved. That run. Old building issues addressed, um, an opening was delayed uh from March to May due to construction hurdles. Yeah, but they also offer a buy-sell trade option for video games, collectibles, and select DVDs and VHS tapes, but only unique or in-demand titles.

Erika Malone 18:22

That's awesome though. I mean, if you have some extra like rare DVDs or something that you're like, oh, this is taking up too much space in my home, you can go and see if he can buy, sell, or trade it.

SPEAKER_00 18:31

Yeah. Yeah. So Medley described uh the shop as a curated store, not a bulk reseller. He also runs the Old Town Marigold tattoo studio and a private studio above Frevery. All of his businesses uh share the same welcoming atmosphere, he said, with friendly staff and a relaxed, nostalgic vibe. Medley and other old town business owners hope to revitalize bed traffic in the area and say Old Town has been quiet in recent years, and shops like Retro Paradise aim to bring people back. So hope they succeed in that.

Erika Malone 19:01

Yeah. Well we'll have to we'll have to take a weekend or something, or maybe a day after work, and we'll we'll check it out. You can uh find some beauty's and uh video games, and I can look for some more Funko Pops for my desks. Yeah. And for our readers that don't know, I do have three Funko Pops on my desk, all with the last name alone. That was like a um thing. Oh, okay. Yeah, I was wondering about that. Yeah, so it was like a thing that I tried to collect. I was like, how many Funko Pops can I collect with the last name alone? Cause my last name's funny that there's three. There at least only three, at least so far. That's what I found. So I have Kevin Malone from the office. I have Carl Malone from and please forgive me, sports fans. I don't know what team he's from. I just saw Carl Malone and I was like, put in the cart. Um, and then I have obviously yeah, I wish I was um unfortunately no relation, but post Malone. Uh that makes sense. Yeah. But

Intro

Erika Malone 19:55

yeah, well, thank you so much, everyone, for uh listening on this uh to this episode of Beyond the Headlines. And let us know what you would like to hear by submitting your thoughts to news tips at dailyjournal.net and follow us wherever you get podcasts and leave a review. So we hope you tune next time. Yep, and have a good rest of your day.