Alcohol board officials reject recommendations on rehiring of 'retired' workers

Liquor control officials are divided over an audit that shows its staffers may be manipulating hiring policies by holding open slots to allow retired colleagues to reclaim their old jobs.

A legislative audit released earlier this month showed that 12 of 18 retirees in the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control returned to the same job immediately after their six-month waiting period had expired. In addition, the department did not recruit for at least seven of the positions during the waiting periods, and when it did advertise, from 25 to 198 outsiders unsuccessfully applied.

Alcohol sales get green light - Palmetto's blue law, which prohibits alcohol sales on Sundays, lifted for New Year's Eve

PALMETTO -- If you live in Palmetto, New Year's Eve will be a rare opportunity to buy alcohol on a Sunday within city limits.

The City of Palmetto's so-called "blue law" prohibits the sale of alcohol on Sundays, except for when Christmas or New Year's fall on a Monday. The law does not effect restaurant owners with a liquor license or others with a special license issued by the city.

Merchants in downtown Palmetto say the exception resulted in higher liquor sales last weekend, and they anticipate higher sales again this weekend. They question the ordinance, however, and say all their customers have to do is cross the border into Bradenton or Ellenton to buy alcohol on Sundays.

Store near middle school has alcohol permit revoked - South Dallas - County clerk rejects renewal, citing risk to students

The Dallas County clerk Friday revoked the alcohol sales privilege of one of 10 alcohol businesses near the South Dallas middle school at the center of a decades-long fight to shutter the stores.

In one of her final acts before leaving office, Cynthia Calhoun wrote in a 10-page ruling that the Buy N Save Discount Beer & Wine, across from Pearl C. Anderson Learning Center, poses a danger to students and a detriment to the community.