by Liberty Best
lbest@cherryroad.com
New management plan to reopen the state liquor store in Duchesne, even though controversy surrounds the contractual situation.
The store has been closed for the past four months. Closing shortly after the death of the previous manager, Scott McKinnon.
The business was put on pause while the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABS) discussed the continued contractual control of the store.
The discussion was held in public meetings with presentations by Ginger (Virginia) McKinnon, Scott’s wife, and included an application by Heather and Ryan Sorensen, who also are contracted to run the state liquor store in Roosevelt.
The contract for the Duchesne store was awarded to the Sorensens after two meetings of discussion, one meeting on Feb. 29, tabling the decision and March 28, when the decision was made by a majority vote.
The Sorensens are looking to open the store in Duchesne in mid-May and offering new hours, Monday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m.
“We are super excited to bring what we feel is a good selection to another community,” Heather said. “We look forward to meeting new people and getting involved in both [Roosevelt and Duchesne] communities.”
The City of Duchesne is full of residents that are not thrilled about the new management at the State Liquor Store in town, with over 920 signatures on a petition that will be presented to the DABS Commission during the April 25 regular meeting during public comment period.
The Duchesne liquor store has been contracted and managed by Scott McKinnon for the past 12 years. Shortly after Scott’s death, his wife Virginia was informed by the state, the store would be shut down and no longer operational under her management.
“The contract and all business documents solely named Scott McKinnon as the business owner. Because Mr. McKinnon was the legal sole business owner, there was no legal way for Mrs. McKinnon to carry on the contract after his passing,” Michelle Schmitt, DABS Director of Communications and External Affairs, said.
The contract held by Scott will be finished out by Heather and Ryan Sorensen, and the store will be up for application again in June 2025.
Karrie McKinnon, Scott and Ginger’s daughter, said her mother was on all the contracts for the past 12 years, was listed with Scott on the state issued business license, and should have been given the opportunity to at least finish out Scott’s contract.
Schmitt said the business license with both Scott and Ginger’s names was a clerical error, since Ginger was not on the most recent contract.
“A former employee, without the knowledge of anyone else working for the DABS, mailed an unofficial, misprinted license document to the package agency that erroneously named Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon as license holders.That employee no longer works for the department. Following that incident, approved staff drove to Duchesne to hand deliver the approved, accurate, and official license which named the actual business name: Scott’s Liquor. All legally binding documents and the contract solely named Scott McKinnon as the owner of Scott’s Liquor,” Schmitt said.
Karrie is not happy about the proceedings with the state decision, and neither are over 900 residents in and around Duchesne, who have signed the petition for Ginger to be able to run the store.
“The state should care more about who is in the store, they should listen to what the people who live there want,” Karrie said. “The process is wrong.”
Morgan Fabrizio started the petition, not because she patrons the Duchesne liquor store but because she saw a disservice being conducted by the state.
“I get that it was all within the rules,” Fabrizio said about Ginger not being awarded the remainder of the contract. “But this is a perfect example of just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s moral or ethically right… All she needed was the paperwork put in her name.”
