Board OKs Liquor Stores For 3 In Madison County

Permits Granted After Alcohol-Law Change

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board approved three liquor-store permits Tuesday for Madison County, which hasn’t had a liquor store since 1946.

All three applications were approved by a vote of 4-0, said Michael Langley, Alcoholic Beverage Control director.

The permit recipients and their planned stores are: Mark Mancil of Harrison for Madison County Liquor near Marble; Brent Hargis of Huntsville for Booger County Spirits in Huntsville, and Charlie Haley of Huntsville for Sheen Liquor in Hindsville.

In each case, the buildings are being constructed,and the stores must be open within a year.

On Nov. 6, voters approved alcohol sales in three Arkansas counties that had been dry since the 1940s - Benton, Madison and Sharp. Grocery and convenience stores in those counties began selling beer and small farm wine earlier this year.

The board also considered permits for liquor stores in Benton County on Tuesday and will continue processing Benton County permits today.

A drawing was held June 11 among 10 applicants from Madison County at the Alcoholic Beverage Control office in Little Rock, and Mancil, Hargis and Haley were winners. One liquor-store permit is allowed for every4,000 residents of a county, so Madison County, with a population of 15,717, can have three stores.

Langley said Haley didn’t attend Tuesday’s board meeting, but his attorney, Heath Hasenbeck of Springdale, did.

“That was very unusual,” said Langley. “He should have had better sense than that. If he hadn’t had an attorney down here … it wouldn’t have been approved.”

Applicants occasionally send a lawyer instead of showing up themselves, but “usually you have a legitimate excuse and get prior permission,” he said.

Hasenbeck said it was his first time representing a client before the board.

“That could be partly my fault for being a little naive to the process of the board hearings,” he said.

Hasenbeck said his client’s presence wasn’t required under Arkansas law.

Langley said the applicant’s character is something the board considers during the approval process.

“His character is a consideration along with his background and history with alcohol can be relevant,” Langley said in an email.

Mancil said he was surprised Haley wasn’t there.

“I went first, and I was nervous, nervous,” Mancil said. “I wore a suit and a tie. I was going before a board, and I wanted to show some respect. And this other guy didn’t show up at all. It was fireworks, high courtroom drama for a minute there.”

Hasenbeck said Haley is 24 and works at the parts counter at Diamond International, a truck dealership in Lowell.

Haley plans to open a 2,000-square-foot liquor store just off U.S. 412 in Hindsville in a building that will be constructed by D&E Farms, said Hasenbeck.

Haley plans to get a Small Business Administration loan to start the store, Langley said.

Mancil, who works in the information technology department at Federal Express in Harrison, said there were no objections to any of the applications from Madison County. Under Arkansas Code Annotated 3-5-302(1), Mancil can own a liquor store in Madison County because it’s within 35 miles of his residence in Harrison.

Mancil said he’s not sure yet whether he will run the store or whether he will hire a manager to do it.

The store will be about 2,500 square feet and will be located at the intersection of U.S. 412 and Arkansas 21, about two miles east of Marble, he said.

Hargis and his wife, Betty Jo, already own four stores: Kings River Country Store in Marble, Basin Spring Gift Shop in Eureka Springs, and The Fuel Zone and Downtown Dollar Store, both in Huntsville.

Hargis’ liquor store will be at 654 Parrott St. in Huntsville, across the street from the Crossbow Restaurant. It will probably be between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet, Hargis said last month.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 07/17/2013