From brewing alcohol in pottery jars, to the harsh anti-liquor hammer of law coming down during the prohibition era, all the way to now, it seems the booze question has been relevant, and hotly contested, for as long as humans could drink.
The debate over alcohol is more important than ever, with Russellville projected to open a casino by the end of 2022. These issues go hand in hand in many aspects, which is why we at The Arka Tech feel it would be in the best interest of Pope county to become a wet county.
Russellville comfortably sits within one of the 35 dry counties in Arkansas. This means that the sale of alcohol is prohibited. Interestingly enough, according to Arkansas liquor laws, the sale of alcohol within restaurants and private clubs is completely allowed within dry counties. In fact, the city of Russellville alone hosts multiple bars and other places for alcohol.
Pope county has seemingly “dipped their toes” in the alcohol sales. With the selling of alcohol in businesses within the Pope county jurisdiction, the answer to the liquor question seems remarkably obvious.
The sale of alcohol would be another great way to boost our economy. By using the taxes from alcohol sales, Russellville will be able to improve things such as road maintenance, higher education, jobs and hospitals. More importantly, the sales could be used to improve parks, add event spaces and bring in more culture and diversity to the community.
The switch to a wet county, coupled with the projected casino, would help bring tourists, businesses and employment opportunities into the county. As well as allow students and residents to enjoy new restaurants and events.
This would mean good things for students of drinking age as well. Not to stray from the obvious, college students drink alcohol, whether they are hosting parties or relaxing. Driving southeast to Blackwell would be a thing of the past. This, in turn, would save off-campus students money on gas and time.
We at Arkatech overwhelmingly agree that it is time for Pope county to become a wet county.
