Whiteclay's four beer stores will find out next week if state regulators will let them stay in business.
The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission plans to rule Wednesday on whether the four stores can renew their liquor licenses. Commissioners denied the stores' request to automatically renew due to concerns over whether there is enough police presence in the area.
Whiteclay is across the border from South Dakota's Pine Ridge reservation, where alcohol is banned. In 2015 the stores sold the equivalent of 3.5 million cans of beer despite the town only having nine full-time residents. It has been known for decades as a gathering place for Native Americans who get drunk, loiter, panhandle, and sometimes fight.
Whatever the commission rules, the decision will likely be appealed.
