People who live in Ft. Meade in Polk County have been without a grocery store for months.

The only store sits vacant and boarded up, leaving Ft. Meade residents torn on how to lure a new grocer to the area.



City leaders are trying to find a replacement but in order to bring in a new business the city may have to allow them to sell alcohol on Sundays. Something that’s been banned in this city for years.

Some think that lifting a ban on selling alcohol on Sundays would bring a new grocery store to their town.

It’s something Linda Russ, who has lived in Fort. Meade all her life, is torn on.

“We need a grocery store bad. You can see the dollar store, both the dollar stores are very busy because that’s the only place really we can buy certain things,” she said.

Russ says it’s been that way for months, leaving residents with few choices.

“I’m torn because our city needs to grow. We need a grocery store and right now that seems to be the way to it,” Russ said.

Residents like Mary Smith agree with Russ.

“I’m not a drinker but if it will bring a grocery store into Fort Meade, I feel like that is what they need to do,” Smith said.

But there are some who don’t quite see it that way.

“It’s not worth it to me and it’s not worth it to some citizens in the community,” resident Ron Martin said.

The people who are opposed to allowing alcohol sales on Sunday say their reasoning is simple: they don’t want their church schedule to match the schedule at the liquor store.

“The ban is something would mean that we no longer care what people do during the church hour that they can do what they please basically,” Martin said.

For now Martin said he can’t support the city if they decide to allow alcohol sales on Sunday even though he admits the law is outdated.

“It probably is old fashioned but I consider myself an old fashioned guy,” he said.

Old fashioned or not, city leaders will have the final say.

Linda Russ is hoping that will include a new place to shop.

On Tuesday city leaders plan to meet and discuss a replacement for the grocery store. They’ll also discuss whether or not they should lift the Sunday alcohol ban.