Board assesses $1,000 penalty on Thunder Alley for second underage alcohol sale

The Dickson Beer Board assessed a civil penalty of $1,000 against Thunder Alley for a second offense in underage alcohol sales, but still has not taken action regarding a third alleged violation. Following a brief hearing Monday night, the board voted 7-1 to assess the $1,000 penalty for a citation issued following a Feb. 24 compliance sweep by area law enforcement. Thunder Alley’s parent company, Dickson Bowling Company, was assessed a $500 penalty in December after being cited in a September compliance sweep. Det. Brian Beasley testified Monday that a 20-year-old informant purchased a beer at the bowling alley even though the bartender looked at his identification showing that he was underage. As a second offense, the beer board could suspend the beer permit for a minimum of 30 days or a civil penalty of up to $2,500. Pointing out the board previously assessed a $1,000 penalty against a business facing a second offense, Councilman Dwight Haynes made a motion to set the same penalty against Thunder Alley. But Councilman Bird Armstrong countered in the previous case there was almost a 10-year period between offenses, while this was Thunder Alley’s second – and possibly – third offense in under six months. Armstrong cast the lone vote against the motion. City attorney Jerry Smith said “allegedly there’s another one out there,” referencing a citation issued in November after a 20-year-old male arrested for DUI claimed to have purchased alcohol at Thunder Alley. That case has yet to be heard in Municipal Court and Smith said the bowling alley’s owners have not been notified to appear before the beer board on that violation. Thunder Alley has seven days to pay the $1,000 penalty and no date has been discussed for a possible hearing on the third alleged offense.