2 arrests made in first day of city ordinance

Vicksburg’s new alcohol restrictions kicked in Thursday with two alcohol-related arrests, but no apparent problems, officials said this morning.

“We did some compliance spot checks and found none in violation,” said Lt. Bobby Stewart of the Vicksburg Police Department. “Since the ordinance (was announced), people (at the stores) had already moved their ice coolers so they could get used to it before it took effect.”

The broadest effect of the change is that groceries and convenience stores may no longer sell beer and light wine 24 hours a day.

Police Chief Tommy Moffett and Deputy Chief Richard O’Bannon, citing 2007 crimes where late-night drinking was a factor, made suggestions for the changes to Mayor Laurence Leyens and Aldermen Sid Beauman and Michael Mayfield earlier this year. Originally slated to begin April 10, an extension was given to give merchants more time to purchase time-sensitive software for their cash registers and train employees. Many also replaced the iced tubs of beer with mechanical refrigeration units, which are allowed.

Stewart said one arrest was made Thursday for public drunkenness and another under the open container law. Those laws have been on the books for a long time.

Moffett and O’Bannon have said having a stricter ordinance will make laws easier to enforce.

“We know it’s going to be a learning experience for everyone, but it seems to be falling into place. Our guys have been going around to the different stores. People understand what they’re supposed to do and not do,” O’Bannon said. “It’s going to be a growing experience.”

Steven Tzotzolas, owner of F&G Beverages on Washington Street, said he purchased two freestanding coolers for his convenience store as soon as he heard about the required changes to continue to provide cold single beers. And, although his customers had a few complaints in the beginning, he said everything has gone smoothly.

“Personally, I never liked the ice. These coolers get down to 33 degrees. Ice melts,” he said. “They did us more of a favor.”

Purchasing the coolers cost Tzotzolas $4,000, but it was a price he was willing to pay. The coolers hold twice as much beer and, besides what it cost to purchase them, will not require any more expense, such as 40 pounds of ice daily. And, most of the customers don’t mind the change — as long as the beer is cold.

“It keeps it colder — this is best,” said customer Charles Qualls as he pulled a cold, 24-ounce beer from the cooler.

Another customer, Percy Harris, said he sees no difference in pulling a beer out of the cooler rather than the ice. Most of the coolers are in the same location as the tubs were. William Howe, in Vicksburg Thursday afternoon from Monroe, seemed surprised to see the refrigerated coolers. He’s used to buying his singles ice-cold, he said.

Customers at BP on U.S. 61 South, which, since the beginning of April, has disposed of all of the ice tubs, have been more vocal about the change, said clerk Kinjal Patel.

“They want them back. They want to know why and what happened,” she said. “They want it really cold. They don’t like the cooler.”

Officials have said limiting the convenience factor on single beers is a way to keep people from drinking and driving, as well as breaking open container laws, which make drinking alcohol in public or while driving illegal, but, according to police, impossible to enforce. Tzotzolas said most of his customers buy only one or two single beers, which he doesn’t think to be a problem — especially as it relates to crime.

“Most people who buy singles are buying exactly that,” he said.

Sales clerk Angela Smith, who sells to a steady stream of customers buying singles every day, said it’s not the alcohol that’s encouraging crime.

“There are bad people in the world. Everybody drinks. You can’t stop crime by (limiting) alcohol,” she said.

In addition to changing the way beer is sold at stores, the law also limits the hours during which it can be sold, not allowing sales between the hours of 2 and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and between the hours of 2 and 11 a.m. on Sunday. Before the new ordinance, the city didn’t have any laws limiting the sale of beer or light wine at convenience or grocery stores. Even though some convenience stores, such as F&G and BP, lock their doors before midnight, others offer 24 hours of service in which case signs stating the hours of sale have been posted.

Other changes to the law require bars in the city to close between 2 and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and between 2 and 11 a.m. on Sunday unless the building has resort status. The status, granted by the Mississippi State Tax Commission, applies to most of the bars downtown along Washington Street and all four casinos and allows beer and liquor to flow 24 hours. Brown-bagging, or carrying beer, light wine or alcohol into a public or private establishment, continues to be legal, but is no longer allowed after the hours beer can legally be sold. Another stipulation to the law is that people younger than 21 may no longer enter any businesses serving beer or light wine, except where permitted by state law, which means they’re allowed in most restaurants. In Mississippi, the sale of whiskey and wine is from state-licensed and state-regulated stores. No changes have been made addressing their days and hours of operation, which are restricted by state law.

Anderson’s Cafe will perhaps feel the most heat from the new ordinance, which requires it to close at 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday and will not be allowed to reopen until 1 p.m. Sunday. The club on First North Street is the last remaining neighborhood bar — defined as being within 300 feet of a neighborhood — in the city. It was one of about five in 2004 allowed to change its hours to close at 2 a.m. as opposed to the 10 p.m. shutdown required under a previous ordinance. Crime in the area and complaints of noise by neighbors has caused city officials to require it to close at 10 again. Its owner, Charles Clark, has said he doesn’t believe problems with crime are a result of his establishment.

O’Bannon said this weekend, when more people will be out on the town consuming alcohol, will be a good time to see how well people are responding to the new law.

“Everything seems to be going OK. We have our first weekend coming up, so we’ll see how that goes,” he said.

New beer lawGrocery and convenience stores in Vicksburg may not sell beer or light wine between the hours of 2 and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and between the hours of 2 and 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Bars or establishments where beer and light wine are sold will not be allowed to remain open between the hours of 2 and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and between the hours of 2 and 11 a.m. on Sunday.

People younger than 21 may not enter businesses serving beer or light wine, except where permitted by state law.

Grocery and convenience stores may not sell single beers or light wine from ice tubs.

Brown-bagging, as defined as the act of carrying beer, light wine or alcohol into a public or private establishment, is legal except between the hours of 2 and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and between 2 and 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Neighborhood bars or clubs within a residential zone must close by 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday and not reopen until 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The new laws do not apply to casinos, businesses with resort status and businesses governed by the state Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control.