A decision was made Wednesday morning on whether four beer stores in Whiteclay will have their liquor licenses renewed.

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WEBVTT HAS THIS NEW STORY FROM LINCOLN.SARAH: -- TAYLOR VICTORY, SONGS, ANDPRAYERS HERE AT THE LINCOLNINDIAN CENTER.PEOPLE HERE CELEBRATING ADECISION THEY SAY IS A LONG TIMECOMING, BUT THE FIRST STEP INMAKE WHITE CLAY A BETTER, SAFER PLACE.THE BANGING OF A DRUM ECHOESTHROUGH THE HALLS OF THE LINCOLNINDIAN CENTER, A SOUND OF JOYAFTER DECADES OF HOPING THIS DAYWOULD COME.I WAS ECSTATIC, I COULDN'THAVE BEEN HAPPIER.>> I STARTED CRYING BECAUSE INEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN.TAYLOR: MECHELLE AND ALLEN, JUSTTWO PEOPLE WHO SPENT YEAFIGHTING LIQUOR SALES INWHITECLAY, NOW FOCUSED ON THNEXT STEPS.OTHERS HOPE THE SMALL TOWN, WILLGROW AND BUSINESSES WILL COME.THEY ALSO SAY IT WILL BE SAFER,THE LIQUOR COMMISSION CITING ALACK OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AS ITSREASON FOR SHUTTING DOWN THELIQU STORES.>> WE WERE APPALLED AT SOME OFTHE ATTITUDES IN SHERIDAN COUNTYTHAT "WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM."WE FOUND THAT TO BE BOGUS.TAYLOR WITH THE FOUR BEERSTORES LIKELY TO APPEALWEDNESDAY'S LIQUOR LICENSEREJECTION, OTHERS REMAINCONFIDENT THE DECISION WILLSTAND.>> NOW THAT THIS LIQUORCOMMISSION HAS SEEN ALL THEEVIDENCE AND TESTIMONIES, IT'SPROBABLY GOING TO BE PRETTY HARDFOR THEM TO GET THOSE LIQUORLICENSES BACK.>> THIS IS A HUGE STEP IN THERIGHT DIRECTION TO BRINGING BACKTHE PRIDE OF WHAT WAS ONCEGREAT NATION, AND I'M VERY HAPPYABOUT IT.TAYLOR: AGAIN, THE LIQUORLICENSES FOR THE FOUR YEARSTORES IN WHITE CLAY ARE NOW SETTO EXPIRE APRIL 30THE ATTORNEY FOR THE STORES SAYSTHEY PLAN TO APPEAL IN DISTRICT

Advertisement License renewal denied for Whiteclay liquor stores A decision was made Wednesday morning on whether four beer stores in Whiteclay will have their liquor licenses renewed. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A decision was made on whether four beer stores in Whiteclay will have their liquor licenses renewed.The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission voted to deny the license renewals for the four beer stores in the town of eight people.The three-member panel cited inadequate law enforcement in the unincorporated village of eight residents. Most of that beer, amounting to almost 4 million cans annually, is sold to residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation, located a mile away across the South Dakota border where alcohol is banned.The decision comes after more than 10 hours of testimony during the hearing two weeks ago. At the hearing, some of the residents described seeing numerous liquor violations, assaults, human trafficking and slow or sometimes nonexistent emergency response times. A Sheridan County commissioner and sheriff testified there was adequate law enforcement but admitted to doubling this year's sheriff's budget to try to increase its five-deputy force. The licensed establishments will be allowed to continue to sell beer until their current licenses expire in May. They are also likely to file court action to challenge Wednesday's decision by the Liquor Control Commission.Victory songs and prayers were heard Wednesday night at the Lincoln Indian Center as people there celebrated a decision they said is a long time coming, but the first step in making Whiteclay a better place."I was ecstatic," Allen Schreiber said. "I couldn't have been happier. It's long, long overdue.""I started crying because, you know, I never thought this would happen," Mechelle Skywalker said. "We got rid of the alcohol now, but we still need to start healing our people."Others hope the town will grow and businesses will come.They also said it will be safer."This is a huge step in the right direction," Schreiber said. "To bring back the pride of what was once a great nation. I'm very happy about it."Whiteclay activists John Maisch and Frank LaMere released the following statement last week:"License denials will result in a financial windfall for Sheridan County. Residents will finally get their local law enforcement back. The hundreds of thousands of additional dollars that county commissioners have proposed spending on Whiteclay law enforcement can be repurposed by the county for more important projects."The NLCC decision won't really affect us one way or another. If the Commissioners deny re-licensure, we roll up our sleeves and get busy providing whatever help we can provide to the Oglala Lakota Nation in its efforts to restore their communities. If the Commissioners re-approve the licenses, then we're back to work collecting testimony and evidence about the lack of enforcement and lawlessness that exists in Whiteclay."