First beer sales allowed at Coliseum in October

State News

Discussion

August 18, 2010

The Associated Press Associated Press Wed Aug 18, 2010, 06:00 AM CDT

JACKSON —     On Oct. 16, Hank Williams Jr. will be in Jackson to perform at the Mississippi Coliseum. Joining him will be country music acts Jamey Johnson, Colt Ford, Josh Thompson and The Grascals.

   But perhaps the star of the show will be something that’s never appeared — at least legally — at the four-decade-old coliseum: beer.

   The Mississippi Fair Commission voted to allow beer sales this year at the coliseum.

   The lack of beer availability at the facility has long been a contentious issue. Economic development groups have said it keeps the coliseum off the list of potential sites for large-drawing acts like Williams, and have cited it as the impetus behind the failure of minor league sports teams that once called the facility home.

   Beer opponents have argued that since the coliseum sits on state property, the sale of alcoholic beverages shouldn’t be allowed.

   ‘‘There’s never been any law against it. It’s just strictly been up to the Fair Commission. We finally did it,’’ said Billy Orr, the Fair Commission’s executive director.

   Beer has been sold at other facilities on the fairgrounds. Horse and livestock shows at the Fordice Equine Center have traditionally made it available, as has the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo, the biggest and most lucrative annual event at the fairgrounds.

   ‘‘It’s been done everywhere else,’’ Orr said. ‘‘It’s just never been done at the coliseum.’’

   Orr did not have an estimate of the economic impact beer sales would have on the coliseum, but acknowledged it would provide a financial jolt. What he was certain of was that Williams, who has become a cultural icon with his music that centers on drinking and partying, wouldn’t be coming to Jackson without it.

   ‘‘He’s sponsored by a beer company,’’ Orr said. ‘‘One thing is competition and sponsorships. We were the only building of this size in the whole South that we could find that didn’t sell beer. It’ll help. I don’t know how much. Of course, it will all depend on how much beer (concertgoers) drink. It’s already helped get the concert here.’’

   Though it is not the crux of their argument, economic development groups in Jackson have said the coliseum has outlived its competitiveness because of its age and its lack of alcohol availability.

   Led by Downtown Jackson Partners, the groups have been pushing for about a year and a half for a new arena downtown. They point to the success Little Rock, Ark., has had with its Alltel Arena, which in the past two years has hosted the Rolling Stones and a regional in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and has played a significant role in that city’s downtown revitalization.

   Jackson’s arena efforts are still in the planning stages, with nothing settled for financing or location.

   Ben Allen, executive director of Downtown Jackson Partners, said his organization would be meeting with stakeholders this week in an effort to raise funds to pay for a feasibility study for an arena downtown.

   The need for a new arena similar to the one Little Rock has is not lessened by the Fair Commission’s decision to allow beer sales at the coliseum, Allen said.

   ‘‘It has nothing to do with it,’’ he said. ‘‘If we compete with what they can get at the Mississippi Coliseum, we have failed. We’re not trying to be in competition with them. They’re going to keep doing what they’re doing. We’re going for (events) that they simply can’t handle. I’m sure there will be some spillover, but (the idea of building a new arena) has always been independent of the coliseum.’’

   ———

   Information from: Mississippi Business Journal, http://www.msbusiness.com

Text Only

State News

House panel snubs Hood’s effort to testify
A state House committee voted Tuesday to push forward a bill that would cut Attorney General Jim Hood’s authority, turning down Hood’s request to speak to the group before it voted.
Hood, steaming mad that he couldn’t speak, claimed the bill is unconstitutional. The lone Democrat in statewide office, Hood said he made a personal plea to House Judiciary A Committee Mark Baker to have extra time to study the bill.

February 8, 2012
Davis says he won’t resign as Southaven mayor
Fourth-term Southaven Mayor Greg Davis said Monday he plans to remain on the job amid continuing state and federal scrutiny of his spending of city money.

January 31, 2012
Miss. AG: Pardoned killer found in Wyoming
A convicted killer pardoned by former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was in Wyoming with his fiancie and initially drove off when he was located Sunday by investigators seeking to serve him with a court summons, authorities said Monday.

January 31, 2012
Gov. Bryant trims staff salaries
Gov. Phil Bryant is saving taxpayers at least $200,000 by cutting spending in his office.
According to documents obtained by The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/zT7zi3 ) through an open records request, the amount Bryant will spend on salaries in his office is 10 percent less than former Gov. Haley Barbour. Bryant achieved that through a reduction in posts as well as salary cuts.

January 23, 2012
Attorney: Miss. AG knew of governor’s pardons
The state attorney general’s office was involved in getting pardons approved by former Gov. Haley Barbour but has hidden its involvement in the process, according to an attorney for four of the former inmate trusties who received a pardon.

January 23, 2012
Miss. AG: Some Barbour pardons might be invalid
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says he believes former Gov. Haley Barbour might’ve violated the state Constitution by pardoning some inmates who failed to give sufficient public notice that they were seeking clemency.

January 12, 2012
Barbour budget proposes education changes
    Republican Gov. Haley Barbour calls for reducing the number of school districts and merging some universities, reviving many of his past recommendations in his final Mississippi budget proposal.
   He also suggests spending the $97.4 million remaining in a health care trust fund that was created before he took office.
   Barbour released his nearly $5.5 billion budget Tuesday. His second term ends Jan. 10, nearly six months before fiscal 2013 begins on July 1.

December 21, 2011
Mississippi governor defends proposed offshore drilling regs
    Allowing oil and gas drilling 10 to 12 miles south of Mississippi’s coastline in the Gulf of Mexico is a good idea because it could generate state revenue, Gov. Haley Barbour said Tuesday.
   The Mississippi Development Authority on Monday published proposed regulations to lease state waters in the Gulf for the drilling.
   The regulations are open for public comment until Jan. 20. If they’re approved, a lease sale could take place in 2012, MDA spokesman Dan Turner said Monday.

December 21, 2011
Man gets life in fatal shooting of girlfriend
December 8, 2011
Junior colleges seek fair funding
Mississippi’s junior colleges are hoping the Legislature can make progress on a four-year-old promise to fund the schools at a pre-student level halfway between K-12 students and students at regional universities.
That might seem optimistic given that the first estimates for the fiscal 2013 budget are based on only 0.7 percent revenue growth. A state economist has said that cuts are inevitable for some agencies.

November 25, 2011
More State News Headlines

State News

Search Results

Discussion

First beer sales allowed at Coliseum in October

Site Map

Contact Us