Maybe not next time, but soon when you head to Wal Mart to grab groceries and other goods you may need, you’ll also be able to pick up beer and wine thanks to a new Class C Liquor License granted at Tuesday night’s Carmi City Council meeting. Alderman Tracy Nelson had some concerns about how granting Wal Mart a license would affect the two package stores in town. Store manager Justin Grogan says,
“It’s hard to say. We don’t know what the sales impact would be. I don’t think that’s necessarily always the same customer…the one that goes to the package store versus the customer who picks up a bottle of wine while shopping for dinner.”
Alderman Steve Winkleman and Alderwoman Lacey Bradshaw voted no; the remainder of the council voted to approve the license however.
Also Tuesday night, council officially passed Ordinance 1614 which formally annexes property into the City of Carmi to connect Burrells Woods. That action was necessary for the city to be able to apply for grants that will help further develop Burrells Woods.
Council also heard from resident Bill Newman who says he’s not receiving Light and Water bills.
“As bad as I hate to say it, I’d just like to get a bill…(laughter)”
The James Avenue resident says it’s been 8 months since he last received a bill. Council says the problem is that bills (about 3,000 of them per month) go to the Carmi Post Office and then have to make the trek to St. Louis to get sorted before they get rerouted back to Carmi and go out to customers. Mayor Jeff Pollard the hitch in the gitty up is somewhere in that transit. Anyone with issues receiving statements is encouraged to reach out to the city office.
Just me
January 3, 2024 at 1:04 amI honestly think it’s a great idea.
bob
January 3, 2024 at 7:59 amthat’s just what White county/Carmi needs is more places for the drunks to buy the stuff at or kids etc. to steal it…how come they can’t get real business in town….long john silvers…golden corral…Lowes/home depot…bakery…dollar tree…hobby lobby…people are tired eating hamburgers and pizza…don’t forget most of all a HOSPITAL even if you have to build onto the Ferrell clinic out by Walmart which needs to stay open 24/7 and have cat scan etc. in it…nice clean places to go besides bars , not even one in the county wants to go to the bars and get drunk or eat pizza and hamburgers all the time…clean up the river or build a big lake so people can go fishing and make it disable accessible so people with disabilities can fish too …another indoor theater …just a few things that people needs and wants in carmi
bob
January 3, 2024 at 8:16 amsome nice place to go to hear for decent music..
Blondie
January 3, 2024 at 10:46 amPopulation is too small to support most of these businesses. Too close to Evansville for a hospital but we definitely need a 24 hour urgent care with testing availability.
Darrel Kiefer
January 3, 2024 at 8:24 amBob, those are all good ideas, but it all comes down to the lack of population
Concerned mother
January 3, 2024 at 8:34 amWe DO NOT NEED anymore places to get a liquor license! Alcoholism is bad enough in this town! It tears families apart! Don’t Walmart make enough money? How many people in go into Walmart that are recovering from alcoholism? That’s the last thing they need is to see it and relapse.
Bob
January 3, 2024 at 9:19 amWish you had tied the walmart liquor lic. to a walmart bakery at the Carmi store.
mary
January 3, 2024 at 11:15 amspeaking of the mail…I mailed a money order off to pay a bill on July 5th 2023 and the company has never got the money order and it can’t be found so I’m now behind one payment thanks to the mail…neither can the money order company find it….I also sent my brother a get-well card back in Oct.2023 while he was at ICU in Barnes Hospital in St. louis, and he is home now and never got the card and the hospital never found it either.
mary
January 3, 2024 at 11:16 amdo we need pony express again?
Concerned citizen
January 3, 2024 at 11:37 amAnother dagger (liquor) in the soul of this city. Just what the good people of this city need… more drugs.
We need new management… some common sense leadership.
Friend of Jesus
January 3, 2024 at 12:54 pmThank Louis DeJoy, United States Postmaster General, for the efficiencies of the mail service. Hamilton County’s water bills were lost by the service as well. I’ve seen his former company’s semi-trucks in Carmi picking up the mail “XPO Logistics”, isn’t that a fine conflict of interest? While passing through Salem the other day, I noticed that there is a large XPO Logistics truck yard.
Speaking of Salem, they have a great Walmart with a deli and bakery that rivals what one would find at Kroger.
People turn to alcohol because they are unhappy, lonely, and most have had some sort of trauma in their background. If you want to reduce the problem, rather than complain about businesses that sell booze, treat your neighbor, family, and friends the way Jesus would, not the way Christians in southern Illinois do (with judgment, hate, and disdain).
Stacey
January 3, 2024 at 3:32 pmIt is not the fault of the store that people are alcoholics………a drunk will get her drink.
Also not the fault of the local elected leadership that businesses will not move into a small place where they will not be supported and be able to make a profit.
Concerned citizen it sounds to me like your idea of common sense leadership would be people who think like you do and would gladly strip away my legal rights and my freedoms.
If my neighbors and I want to sit out on the back deck on a Saturday afternoon and drink beer and have a good time, then that is our business and not for anyone else to regulate. If we can save a couple bucks and some time by purchasing it from Walmart, even better. Walmart is a good store in this town and we would all be worse off without it.
bob
January 3, 2024 at 6:10 pmwonder when the city is going to remove the other speed b**p on outer sycamore street…it hurst my back every time I drive over them and not mention it tears up your vehicle.
Kp
January 3, 2024 at 6:33 pmThank you Steve Winkleman and Lacey Bradshaw for your no votes!
LibertarianLasagna
March 3, 2024 at 3:28 pmThe continued prohibition of alcohol sales on Sundays is nothing more than fascism. Last time I checked this was America. It’s enough to make the majestic and proud bald eagle shed a tear. If I can die defending my country I should be able to get a six pack on Sunday and watch gods greatest sport, the NFL. These colors don’t run.