A car stolen from a Parkside Street resident was found later the same day in New Brunswick, police said. The resident told police that he parked his black 2000 Honda Civic in the building’s north parking lot around 6 p.m. on Jan. 27.

Jan. 28 Damiano DiFlorio of Princeton was cited for careless driving after his car ran off the road on Route 27 and landed on its side in a ditch. DiFlorio told police that he was trying to pass a stopped bus on the right when his car’s tires caught the snow and he car left the road.

The design of a new recreation park, to be built by the developer of the Summerfields housing project, was approved Jan. 28 by the Township Council. And although a concept plan shows two bocce ball courts, they’re not included in the final design.

Somerset County’s pilot single-stream recycling program could begin in Franklin in July, the Township Council was told at its Jan. 28 meeting. That’s if the county feels its outreach program to residents and businesses is working, said Paul McCall, the county’s Director of Public Works.

A host of contracts for the year for services and supplies were approved by the Township Council at the Jan. 28 meeting. Many of the awards were for state and shared purchase contracts.

The DeForest B. Soaries Jr. Senior Residences at Somerset building was officially opened on Jan. 28. Located at 630 Franklin Blvd., the 64-unit building is geared toward senior citizens and veterans.

[wpgmappity id=”10″]   Mylar balloons released near an overhead transformer at Pine Grove and Highland avenues the afternoon of Jan. 29 sparked a power outage that affected more than 1,200 customers in the township and New Brunswick.

The school district has launched an internal investigation as to why a child left on a school bus for five hours Jan. 28 was reported as being in school. Franklin Township police are also investigating the incident, said department spokesman Sgt. Philip Rizzo.

The Board of Education has called a special meeting for 7 p.m. Jan. 31 for an executive session to “discuss the Superintendent’s separation agreement and the appointment of an acting superintendent,” according to the meeting’s notice. The notice says that public action will be taken after the executive session.

A proposed ordinance that would give to the Township Council  all meaningful power over the renovation of the Hamilton Street business district – and relegate business owners to an advisory board – is being opposed by a group of those business owners. The ordinance was introduced at the Jan. 28 council meeting, but not before Councilman Carl R. A. Wright …