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An establishment up for an alcohol license renewal before the Kosciusko County Alcohol and Tobacco Commission Thursday had it renewed as a violation they had was for tobacco, not alcohol.
Near Me Smoke & Grocery LLC, doing business as Near Me Smoke & Grocery, 1009 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, went before the commission for the renewal of their beer and wine dealer - grocery store license.
Commission member and excise police officer April Tackett, reading the violation report for Near Me, said, “It actually shows a notice of warning and a notice of violation. But with just reading the bottom part here, it says that the notice of violation was for the self-service tobacco, and the notice of warning was for not having proper signage. But, under the license number, the alcohol and tobacco permits are both on there. So, if it was a tobacco violation, we wouldn’t hear it and they wouldn’t have to appear.”
She said she needed to figure out if the violation was written on the alcohol license or the tobacco license, but didn’t necessarily want to continue the hearing on it for a month because if Near Me needed an extension on their license, they would have to pay for it. Tackett made a motion if Near Me didn’t have an alcohol violation, the license renewal would be approved, but if the violation was for alcohol, then the renewal would be continued.
No one representing Near Me was present at the time she made the motion and the motion was approved, but the owner, Jyodinder Singh, did show up a couple minutes later and said the violation was for the tobacco license because a box of tobacco was “outside.” As they’re considered a grocery store, they can’t have self-serve for the tobacco. He said he received a warning and a $500 ticket and he’s paid that.
The board unanimously approved a favorable recommendation to the state commission for renewing the alcohol license for Near Me.
Renewals before the commission Thursday without any violations approved included:
• 1330 Deli Mart LLC, doing business as Old 30 Deli Mart, 7487 E. Old 30, Pierceton, beer and wine dealer - grocery story license.
• Brook Pointe Holdings Inc., dba Brook Pointe Inn, 4906 E. CR 1200N, Syracuse, beer, wine and liquor - hotel license.
• Hermila Mendoza, dba Taqueria El Comal, 828 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor - 210 supplemental license.
• JA4K LLC, dba The River Coffeehouse, 1000 Park Ave., Winona Lake, beer and wine retailer - restaurant license.
• Jay Petroleum Inc., dba Pak A Sak #34, 2124 Ind. 13, Pierceton, beer and wine dealer - grocery store license.
• Lassus Brothers Oil Inc., dba Lassus Store #045, 1900 Plaza Drive, Warsaw, beer and wine dealer - grocery store license.
• Lassus Brothers Oil Inc., dba Lassus Store #036, 777 Parker St., Warsaw, beer and wine dealer - grocery store license.
• Lassus Brothers Oil Inc., dba Lassus Store #040, 4987 N. Ind. 13, Leesburg, beer and wine dealer - grocery store license.
• Lassus Brothers Oil Inc., dba Lassus Store #033, 702 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, beer and wine dealer - grocery store license.
• Rozella Ford LLC, 1700 Rozella Road, Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor - restaurant (210) license.
• Warsaw Indiana Lodge #802 Benevolent and Protective Order, dba BPO Elks Warsaw, Elks Lodge #802, 310 E. Center St., Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor - fraternal club.
