Corner Stop fined $300 for selling tobacco products to minor

WASHINGTON - Corner Stop in Washington will be facing a $300 fine after an employee was caught selling tobacco products to a minor.

At the Washington City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 17, the council approved a resolution that would require Corner Stop pay a fine. According to the resolution the offense happened on Dec. 9, 2018. City Attorney Kevin Olson said the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (Iowa ABD) handles the licensing for stores that sell alcohol and tobacco products.

Olson said one program the Iowa ABD has involves providing money to local police departments to set up operations to ensure stores are following procedure and checking the ID of all who purchase products. An employee at the Corner Stop in Washington did not follow procedure. The employee who sold the product plead guilty on Dec. 27, 2018.

The city received a letter from the Iowa Attorney General's Office in July letting them know about the violation, he said. The city could then choose to prosecute themselves or have the state proceed.

According to the resolution, Corner Stop must pay the $300 fine within 30 days of the resolution being signed or they will have their cigarette permit suspended for 14 days. In that case, the $300 penalty will still apply.

The council voted 5-0 in favor of the penalty. Council member Fran Stigers was absent from the meeting.

In other news, the council approved a resolution to endorse a grant application for more water fountains in the county. Council member and Washington County Public Health Director Danielle Pettit-Majewski said the department tried for the grant in the spring but was unsuccessful.

If approved this fall, the county could see an additional 10 water fountains installed, including one in the City of Washington. The resolution was approved by a vote of 4-0. Stigers was absent and Pettit-Majewski abstained from voting.