Local News
Dalton to look at relaxing alcohol sales ordinance
Last December, the Dalton Public Safety Commission recommended a $1,000 fine and a 60-day license suspension for Chili’s restaurant after a second offense of serving alcohol to minors. After Monday’s City Council meeting, the restaurant may be looking at only a $1,000 fine.
The council is set to hold a second reading of a revised alcoholic beverage ordinance. The new ordinance gives the Public Safety Commission the power to revoke an alcoholic beverage license for up to 14 days if the license holder is found to have committed three violations in three years or if the PSC finds the license holder to have “willfully violated” the law. The proposed ordinance says a finding by the PSC of a violation or pattern of violations that “shows the licensee lacks operational control regarding the responsible sale of alcohol or that the licensee’s operations are contrary to the public safety or welfare of the community,” or that the licensee knowingly violated the law or that the licensee made false statements to city officials, creates a presumption of a willful violation.
“This ordinance basically just puts us on an equal footing with everybody else in Georgia. Ours was much harsher than anybody else in Georgia,” said Mayor David Pennington.
Current law allows the City Council to revoke a license for 60 days after two offenses in five years. City officials allowed Chili’s and others facing penalties to have their cases re-adjudicated under the new ordinance, if passed by the council, if they waived their right to have their cases judged by the City Council within 60 days. City administrator Butch Sanders said two weeks ago, when the council held the first reading of the ordinance, that Chili’s had accepted that offer. A manager at Chili’s, citing company policy, declined to comment Friday.
The council is also slated to designate several fire lanes at, among others, Hamilton Medical Center, Hamilton Diagnostic Center, the Bradley Wellness Center and Whitfield Place.
The council meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
- Local News
-
-
New Hope Middle awarded recycling cart
Recycling Ben, mascot for the Target Recycling program, presented the seventh-grade class at New Hope Middle School an award for having the highest recycling rate during the second quarter of the 2009-2010 school year.
-
Brochu: ‘They came to me and recruited me’
Whitfield County Schools Superintendent Katie Brochu didn’t apply to become superintendent of a South Carolina school district — she was recruited there, she said.
-
Murray high schools reach field use agreement
John Raley is not happy North Murray High School is being charged $200 per baseball game to play at Appalachian Community Bank Stadium, Murray County High School’s home field.
-
Dalton native earns Seabee honor
Cynthia Pendley said she and her family were “shocked” when her brother, David Akins, came home and told them he had enlisted in the Navy at age 19.
-
Name not released by Whitfield school system
The Whitfield County Board of Education is scheduled to hold a public hearing Thursday under the Georgia Fair Dismissal Act.
-
Residents wary of scams
Dalton Police cited two men on Wednesday for trying to sell magazine subscriptions for troops deployed overseas without a city license.
-
Dawn seeks to change guilty plea
A personal care home manager who was sentenced to prison for stealing drugs from senior residents has asked for a hearing to change his plea to not guilty.
-
Stephens says voters are concerned about future
Voters are very concerned “and even a little bit scared” about where the United States is going as a country, says former Georgia Senate Majority Leader Bill Stephens.
-
DPD looks for “hot” wheels
The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating and identifying a thief who stole a set of Ballistic-brand wheels worth $3,000 from the bed of the owner’s truck on March 3.
-
Habitat groundbreaking Saturday
The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 1791 Carter Drive on Saturday at 9 a.m. to launch the building of a home for the Edgar Gutierrez family. The George R. Johnson Foundation is sponsor for the building of this house.
- More Local News Headlines
-
