A sweep of alcohol compliance checks at businesses in Lovell resulted in two instances of alcohol being served to a minor along with four instances when the minor was denied the sale of alcohol.
The compliance check was carried out Thursday, Nov. 19, by the Lovell Police Department, with help from the Powell Police Department and a college student acting as an informant. A Lovell officer drove with the underage informant to each of the six businesses in Lovell that serve liquor, wine or beer. The informant was given funds to purchase the alcohol and went inside, attempting to purchase beer with her regular (underage) ID.
On two occasions the informant was sold a six-pack of Bud Light Lime. The beer was sold at CR Liquor and Maverik Country Store. The two employees who sold the beer were in the process of being cited for supplying alcohol to a minor as of Tuesday, according to Chief of Police Nick Lewis.
Businesses that didn’t sell liquor to a minor included the Conoco Country Store, the Diamond J Bar, the Four Corners Bar and the Shoshone Bar.
During the last round of compliance checks, which was around June of this year, Lewis said he was pleased when none of the liquor establishments in town served to a minor during those checks.
Lewis said he would like to see complete compliance of the law and said periodic compliance checks help to remind businesses and their employees of the need to always check identification of people trying to purchase liquor.
“I believe that all of our local businesses don’t want their employees to sell to minors,” Lewis said. “The compliance check is there to make sure employees don’t get lax while checking IDs.”