2003 Year in Review

State Police arrest 3 for delivery of alcohol to minors

During the evening hours of Thursday, December 4th, the Illinois State Police in District 01 conducted Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement surveys at various businesses throughout Whiteside County. The purpose of these surveys was to determine which businesses might be selling alcoholic beverages to minors (persons under 21 years of age).

Altogether, twenty businesses in Albany, Erie, Fulton, Lyndon, Morrison, Prophetstown, Rock Falls, Sterling, and Tampico were surveyed. Of these twenty businesses, only three businesses were involved in the sale of an alcoholic beverage to a minor. The following is information pertaining to those businesses and business employees involved in the sale of an alcoholic beverage to a minor.

Kelly’s Food Mart, 202 South Main Street, Albany. Business employee Sarah E. Graham was arrested and then released on a notice to appear in court.

Mr. G’s Grocery, 214 Washington Street, Prophetstown. Business employee Jennifer S. White was arrested and then released on a notice to appear in court.

Casey’s General Store, 2510 West Fourth Street, Sterling. Business employee Matthew D. Martin was arrested and then released on a notice to appear in court.

The charge of Unlawful Delivery of Alcoholic Liquor to a Minor is a Class A misdemeanor. All three of the persons noted above, who were arrested for this offense, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Morrison Businesses: Casey’s General Store, Sullivan’s Foods, Beck’s Convenience Store, and Express Lane Gas & Food Mart were also surveyed on December 4th. Employees at all of these businesses declined to sell alcohol to the minor after requesting identification from the minor and realizing that the minor was under 21 years of age.

The Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement surveys are funded through a grant from the U. S. Department of Transportation, National Traffic Safety Administration. The grant is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety.

by Barb Benson, theCity1.com
December 18, 2003