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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Monday, April 24, 2017

FOLLOW UP TO LAST THURSDAY'S POST ABOUT 1836 CLUB

Last week we sent a request to the ABC for information about complaints and compliance checks concerning the 1836 Club.

This is what we received.



The 1836 club is a members only private club.  You have to be 21 years of age or older to purchase a membership. According their application with the ABC there was to be cigar smoking in the building which would not permit anyone under 21 years of age to enter. 

If a member cooperated with the ABC and let the an ABC Enforcement Agent  use their membership number/card to gain access to the club and the agent took a cooperating individual in with them as a guest to tried and entrap a server or bartender that might get the member kicked out for violating club policies.

Not to mention that the use of an underage individual by the ABC to attempt to or actually purchase an alcoholic beverage is against the law as there are no exceptions for law enforcement in the statue.

Perhaps a member took an ABC Agent and a cooperating individual, perhaps even the members own child, that still could place the member's membership in the club in jeopardy.

Maybe club management gave the ABC a bogus membership using a fake name for compliance operations.  Readers will remember that tainted ABC Enforcement Director wanted to get a SNAP card to use in compliance operations, trying to wriggle investigate powers from the USDA, a federal agency that has no problem conducting its own compliance operations without the assistance of a rag-tag bunch whose leader has issues with honesty and credibility. 

If the ABC was given such a membership by the 1836 Club, don't think for a minute that every employee knows about it and with such a small, elite,  and mostly white membership, club employee practically know all the members and recognize them.

That Good Ole Boy system has it's perks.

 

 

Thursday, April 20, 2017

THIRSTY THURSDAY TIDBITS

Eric Harrison with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Donnie Ferneau, Jr. has had enough of the 1836 Club and is leaving to open a new joint possibly in the Pulaski Heights area of Little Rock.

DONNIE FERNEAU, JR. - NO LONGER COOKING UP EATS AT 1836 CLUB



Readers will recall the many posts we made about the 1836 Club and the sketchy history of the individuals that were involved in organization and daily operations of the entity.

 
CAMP, HUTCHINSON AND DAMON







We posted our opinion that tainted ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet would be extremely reluctant to have his agents to conduct any compliance operations at the 1836 Club.

We have asked the Department of Finance & Administration  and the ABC for documents regarding compliance operations conducted at the club.

Look for an update next week.

****** 
Also in the news are reports that State Senator Scott Flippo (R) is not finished with his efforts to limit ABC Enforcement's powers related to gaming devices.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arkansas/articles/2017-04-19/arkansas-leaders-mull-over-gov-asa-hutchinsons-vetoes 

Readers will recall that Governor Hutchinson vetoed the bill passed by the legislature that limited ABC Enforcement powers.


******
A source inside the ABC told us yesterday that Hooter's of Arkansas had filed an application for a permit for a new location in Little Rock near Dave & Buster's near the I-30/430 interchange. No doubt tainted ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet will take charge of the application investigation himself.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Monday, April 17, 2017

ABC FAILS TO INVESTIGATE OUTLETS THAT OVERSERVED FORMER STATE SENATOR GILBERT BAKER AND SUSPENDED CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE BILL PEARSON

We posted several stories about the DWI arrest of former state senator Gilbert Baker last year.


http://badaralcoholcontol.blogspot.com/2016/08/former-state-senator-gilbert-baker.html

http://badaralcoholcontol.blogspot.com/2016/09/gilbert-baker-update.html

http://badaralcoholcontol.blogspot.com/2016/09/gilbert-baker-pleads-not-guilty-court.html

http://badaralcoholcontol.blogspot.com/2016/09/gilbert-baker-enters-guilty-plea-to-dwi.html

http://badaralcoholcontol.blogspot.com/2016/09/gilbert-baker-tested-positive-for-meth.html

According to information in Baker's case file, he drove from Little Rock to Conway plastered from sipping Margaritas and using Meth.

We question at that time if the ABC would investigate and determine which licensed outlet had over served Baker and cite them for violations of ABC rules and Arkansas laws.

The arrest of Circuit Court Judge Bill Pearson in Clarksville back on January 20th for fleeing and DWI is another case that demands an ABC investigation.

 


Pearson was so drunk he could only mumble and burp and was only able to stand up when held by two individuals. Upon arriving at the Johnson County jail, Pearson pissed himself and puked all over the floor.  



You can read our story about Judge Pearson on our Bad Government in Arkansas Blog: http://badgovernmentinarkansas.blogspot.com/2017/04/judge-fails-to-stop-at-checkpoint-is.html

Surely the ABC would want to know which permitted outlet over served Judge Pearson and which store sold the clearly pickled jurist the six pack of Stella Artois (2 empties and 4 full bottles) that was found in the cab of his pick-up truck by Arkansas State Troopers.  Pearson did not get that drunk drinking just two beers.

Perhaps it is the failed leadership of tainted ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet that is to blame.  

Hamlet has been plagued with problems since his questionable appointment to the position which he is not qualified to hold was made.

He pissed off several state legislators to the point that they sought to limit certain enforcement powers of ABC Enforcement Agents.

 
The bill passed and the ABC and Hamlet were saved by Governor Hutchinson who vetoed the bill.

The ABC has a duty and responsibility to investigate these matters and take appropriate actions.

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After publication of this story a reader sent us a link to a story published in the Baxter Bulletin.

The story reports that tainted ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet made "outreach visits"  to  several of the organizations that his ABC Enforcement agents targeted and cited for illegal gambling devices.

The ABC is apparently trying to soothe the unhappy operators, the Bulletin reported.
 

Hamlet told the organizations that he is willing to personally make the call on whether or not area gaming machines are legal, he said Wednesday.  

Hamlet met with 15 representatives from Twin Lakes Area fraternal organizations and businesses on Wednesday at the Elks Lodge 1714 of Mountain Home.
 
 ...“If you have a question about a game, if you think it’s iffy and you don’t want the agent to make the determination, call me,” Hamlet said. “I can send a supervisor; I can come out and look at it myself. Now, it may be that I look at some of these machines, and I say you can’t have them. But I will be open and fair about it. I want you guys to be successful.”

 ... “If you’ve been treated unfairly, I apologize,” Hamlet said. “We don’t have an ax to grind with the charitable organizations. We want you guys to be successful and give back lots of money to the community.”
 
Hamlet has as much credibility as a turd

We bet he didn't tell those folks about his problems with telling the truth.

 

 

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Monday, April 10, 2017

CITY OF HOT SPRINGS DENIES ROB PRATT USE OF FACILITY FOR BEER FESTIVAL - PRATT TURNS FESTIVAL BACK OVER TO SPA CITY BLUES SOCIETY

We were forwarded an email that indicates that Robb Pratt's application to use the Hot Springs Farmer's Market for the beer festival was denied.  

When Pratt received the bad news, he contacted the Spa City Blues Society and gave the festival back to them so he could try and salvage what is left his reputation.

We have updated our original post and you can read the email by clicking on this link:

 http://badaralcoholcontol.blogspot.com/2017/03/hot-springs-promoter-stiffs-spa-city.html

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Sunday, April 2, 2017

LRPD KILLS ARMED ERNIE BIGGS CUSTOMER WITH HISTORY OF PUBLIC INTOXICATION CONVICTIONS

Little Rock authorities this past Monday identified the 54-year-old man fatally shot by police in a downtown alleyway early last Sunday.

Michael Hornibrook of Little Rock died after he was shot by Little Rock police behind the downtown bar Ernie Biggs, authorities said.


MICHAEL HART HORNIBROOK -  GUN TOTING CUSTOMER OF ERNIE BIGGS


Police said two Little Rock officers fired at Hornibrook after he reportedly raised a pistol toward the officers, Officer Brian Osmundson and Officer Samuel Hill.


LRPD OFFICERS BRIAN ORMUNDSON (LEFT) AND SAMUEL HILL (RIGHT)

In the lead-up to the fatal shooting, Little Rock officers were in the 300 block of President Clinton Avenue about 2:06 a.m. Sunday when they were approached by 29-year-old Charles Phelps, who reported that a man had pointed a gun at him, according to a police report.

Phelps told the officers that he was standing near Ernie Biggs when a man, later identified as Hornibrook, came out of the bar and began saying "racial slurs," according to the report.

Phelps, who is black, said he told Hornibrook that he did not want any trouble, the report said.

Hornibrook began to walk away, but then pointed a pistol at Phelps and said he was going to shoot, Phelps told police.

Phelps ran to several officers and informed them of the situation before identifying Hornibrook, who was standing in the middle of President Clinton Avenue, police said.

Osmundson and Hill told investigators they tried to stop Hornibrook, but he ran west and took a left onto Cumberland Street. Police said they told Hornibrook to stop numerous times.

Hornibrook fled south on Cumberland Street and the two officers chased him into the alley behind Ernie Biggs, according to the report.

Police said both officers were chasing Hornibrook in the alley when Hornibrook stopped and turned toward officers with a pistol in his hand, "raising it as if to fire at the officers," according to a statement from the department.

Both officers then fired at Hornibrook, according to a police report.

Hornibrook suffered "multiple gunshot wounds" and was taken to the UAMS Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Hornibrook's death is the second fatal officer-involved shooting in Little Rock this year. Online court records show Hornibrook did not have any felony convictions.

Pete Hornibrook, Michael Hornibrook's uncle, told the Arkansas Democrat- Gazette Monday that his nephew was a generous man and a father of three.

"He was a good father and a good man," he said.

Pete Hornibrook, who serves as the vice chairman of the Little Rock Water Reclamation Commission, described the shooting as a "senseless tragedy" and said his family has received hundreds of calls since his nephew's death.

"It's just hard for us to understand," he said.

It's not hard to understand that a gun is a bar is a bad idea.

It's not hard to understand that someone drinking in a bar at 2:00 a.m., carrying a handgun is a bad idea.

According to Hornibrook's family and his obituary he was a good man.





We found that Hornibrook had quite a history that calls his alleged goodness into question.

An early run in with the law was when he was 19 for engaging a prostitute for services.

  
 This was followed by a conviction for being drunk in public in 1984.

 
Then again in 1989.

Then again in 1990.


Then again in 2008, but he got lucky - he was arrested for being drunk in public but the case was not pursued.  Are you seeing a pattern???

 
Hornibrook had a multitude of other offenses, such as not wearing a  seatbelt, driving left of center, driving with no license plate parking in a handicapped zone, violations of Little Rock Ordinances, and several instances of failing to pay individual and business income taxes that resulted in the State of Arkansas placing liens on him.

Hornibrook also had issues with paying his child support obligations and even lost parental rights of a son.

In fact at the time of his death there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest.



As we mentioned, Hornibrook had issues with paying his taxes, but he also had problems paying fees related to businesses he operated.

The State of Arkansas actually revoked his ability to operate all the businesses he ever operated because he failed to pay the required yearly franchise tax.







The warrant that was active at  the time he was killed by LRPD was for failing to appear at Little Rock District Court over fees he owed the City of Little Rock for a business, Native Vapors, he was operating.

Because the Arkansas Secretary of State would not permit Hornibrook to operate a business in the state until he paid all the back taxes he owed, he used his son's (same one of which he was stripped of his parental rights) name to register the business.

 

Houston Hornibrook was in high school when this filing was made and upon graduation he moved to Louisiana to attend college and work at a grocery store.



Hornibrook also had a run in with the Arkansas Securities Department back in 2010 when he was found to be selling unregistered securities and had no license to sell any type of securities. 

http://www.securities.arkansas.gov/!userfiles/S-08-024-10-OR02(1).pdf 

Was this "good man" over-served alcoholic beverages by Ernie Biggs employees? Did Hornibrook have a concealed carry permit? Did Ernie Biggs security use a metal detecting wand and to ensure patrons did not bring weapons into the bar? What was Hornibrook's blood alcohol content at the time of his death?

These are questions the ABC and tainted ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet will have to answer.

Did Hamlet caution legislators and the Governor against passage of the bill that would allow concealed handgun carry permit holders the right to carry handguns into bars like Ernie Biggs?

Probably not.