By By Robbie Byrd, News Editor
Other business on the agenda for Monday's city council meeting included an approval for a liquor license that was table at the last meeting.
In an unanimous vote, the council elected to approve the lounge liquor license transfer for Andrew and Martha Stabler, new proprietors of the Stabler's Country Club Lounge, from Cliff Blackburn, the previous owner.
Randal Shuttlesworth, store manager for the Atmore Kmart, reassured council members and attendees that his store was here to stay.
Shuttlesworth said that Kmart has announced it will be closing 200 of its 2,100 stores nationwide, but only those which are non-profitable. Shuttlesworth said to the best of his memory Atmore's Kmart has been profitable every year.
"Basically everything that we've been told (from the Kmart corporation) is to get back to our normal routine," Shuttlesworth said. "And that's what we're doing: managing our finances and taking care of our customers."
Shuttlesworth said that shipping to Kmart stores resumed last week, and that most products will continue to be in stock as normal.
Shuttlesworth said that customers may notice some changes particularly in merchandise return policy, but counters that those measures were already in place and are now being more strictly enforced.
Shuttlesworth assured customers that regardless of the changes, he was confident Atmore's Kmart would not be closed.
The council also approved the minutes from the last meeting, and Mayor Howard Shell expressed his sympathies to W.G. Johnson on the loss of his wife.
Dr. Lillie Mary Adams Johnson, 66, died Jan. 19 at West Florida Regional Medical Center in Pensacola. Services were held Sat., Jan. 26 at Greater Mount Triumph Missionary Baptist Church.
The council had planned to review the city planning board's recommendation, but the board did not make a recommendation to the council on the issue (see story, this page).