Local Establishments Sell Alcohol to Underage Person

On Friday, January 29, 2010, the Barron County Sheriff’s Department conducted the third round of alcohol compliance checks at local liquor establishments in Barron County; this time adding liquor and convenience stores to the mix. Seven of 14 establishments sold alcohol to a 17 year-old working with the Sheriff’s Department.

“This is the third time we have checked for people serving youth in Barron County in the last six months,” commented Sarah Turner Drug Free Communities Grant Coordinator. “This is proving to be a bigger problem than we once thought. We really need the full support of the communities in Barron County to help us combat the issue of putting alcohol into our kids hands.”

Those caught selling to the 17 year-old include: Holiday Station, and Warren G’s Liquor Store in Barron; Marketplace Foods Liquor, Stump Lake Liquor, and Liquor Depot in Rice Lake; Barron VFW and G & G Pub in Barron.

Those refusing to sell to the 17 year-old were: Kwik Trip in Barron; Wild Bill’s Sporting Goods and Northwoods Liquor in Cameron; Village Dell and Wine Shop in Rice Lake; Kate’s Bar and Rolling Oaks Restaurant and Lounge in Barron and the Coach Bar in Poskin.

Compliance checks are a proven strategy to help reduce youth access to alcohol. The Barron County Sheriff’s Department, along with local law enforcement, will continue to conduct alcohol compliance checks at random throughout the county.

Also following the compliance checks, deputies arrested an 18-year-old for operating while intoxicated, and also cited three juveniles for underage drinking who were riding with the 18-year-old at the time.

“Together we can keep our kids safe,” states Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald. “Communities need to help by limiting youth access to alcohol.”