Bar near sacred Bear Butte a headache for owner

Owning a bar near sacred Bear Butte in South Dakota has been a headache for entrepreneur Jay Allen but he's not willing to give the business up.

Allen faces thousands of dollars in unpaid bills for construction work at the Sturgis County Line venue near Bear Butte. He plans to put up two other bars -- one in South Carolina and the other in New Hampshire -- for sale and has taken on partners in an effort to settle his debts.

He won't be closing the Bear Butte bar though. The Meade County Commission voted to renew his beer license, although he holds a full liquor license

Lakota activists and Plains tribes opposed the venue, saying bikers who come for the annual Sturgis rally would disturb their prayers and ceremonies at Bear Butte.

Get the Story:
Broken Spoke license renewed (The Rapid City Journal 6/19)

Relevant Links:
Bear Butte International Alliance - http://matopaha.org/wp
Defenders of the Black Hills - http://www.defendblackhills.org

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