The long-discussed and controversial revisions to Starkville’s beer ordinance went into effect Friday but apparently without the fervor many had expected. Rick Welch, owner of Rick’s CafZ, said the new regulations didn’t have much impact on his business but that the changes are good for the city.
“I didn’t see a significant increase in numbers. This was a bad weekend, with the football game on Thursday.”
“I definitely think it’s a positive change for the patrons and the community. Being able to stay open later looks good for a college town.”
Welch said he heard a lot less talk of late night after-parties being held at houses and apartments. He says that is a major benefit to the community and that it will cut down on the number of drunken driving cases and arrests for various alcohol-related offenses.
Callie McClure, a senior communication major and employee at the Blue Marlin restaurant, echoes Welch’s sentiments.
“I know that some people did stay (at the Blue Marlin) until 1 a.m. There weren’t very many, though,” McClure said.
McClure says the new law has its good and bad points.
“It’s good for people who do go out and drink, but then there are the restaurant workers who have to stay that extra hour. Sometimes they are there until 3:30 a.m. cleaning up and clearing out bar tabs,” McClure said.
City officials do not expect many problems to arise from the new beer ordinance, however many precautions are being taken to help control traffic.
“We primarily will have the same amount of officers on patrol in the city,” Lt. Terrence Christian, shift commander for the Starkville Police Department, said.
“Our duty during the midnight hours will be basically to control traffic along University Drive,” Christian said. “We do not want anybody to get hit by a car or have any serious traffic problems.”
“The only problem will be people who go from place to place and cross the street,” Christian said. “It is those barhoppers that we are concerned about.”
Mayor Rutledge, however, is more concerned about safety of police officers during the extended sales hour.
“With the extended hour of sales also extends the hours our police officers have to be on duty,” Mayor Mack Rutledge said. “We want to keep our officers safe while around the bars and parties.”
Rutledge said that the city has “contingency plans” set aside for any problems that might arise in the future.
As for retailers, the new law doesn’t seem to have made much of a dent in sales or generated any excitement for them either. Management at Kroger and Wal-Mart did not have any sales figures and would not comment on the revised ordinance.
An employee at Corky’s Package Store and Party Place said “it doesn’t have an effect on retail sales.”
In fact, the new regulations have the potential to impact retail and restaurant sales. Under the revised ordinance, both types of establishments can now sell beer and light wine until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Cold beer can be sold for consumption on the premises of an establishment, so long as that establishment has kitchen facilities and the ratio of food to beer sales is 25 percent. The former regulations set that number at 50 percent.
Grocery and convenience stores are still prohibited from selling refrigerated beer. Other prohibitions that remain in the revised ordinance include the ban on drive-in sales, open containers on city streets and any alcohol sales on Sundays.
The Starkville Board of Aldermen adopted the new standards on Aug. 20.
The final approval came after years of fighting amongst the members of the board. A previous version of changes to the ordinance was passed by the board and then vetoed by Mayor Mack Rutledge. Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore’s office was also consulted on the matter.
Students feel that the beer ordinance will not increase the amounts of arrests around Starkville.
“I don’t think that it makes much of a difference . It’s just one hour,” sophomore business major James Strachan said.
“I think it’s a good step in the right direction for MSU but more importantly for the relations between MSU and Starkville,” Matt MacLachlan, junior graphic design major, said.
“I don’t think it’s going to make a difference. People are going to drink, whether it’s in the bar or their house,” senior secondary education major Matt Turner said.
“The ordinance should not hurt anybody’s schoolwork. Plus it’ll bring more revenue to the town,” Andy Cobb, junior fisheries science major, said.

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Grant Holzhauer