Rochelle Updates Liquor Sales Hours

ROCHELLE — The Rochelle City Council last week updated city code to align official alcohol sale hours with the schedule long observed by local businesses. The previous ordinance listed Thursday hours as closing at 1 a.m., though businesses had historically operated until 2 a.m. After a discussion, the Council chose to enact the end of alcohol sales at 2 AM Thursday – Saturday. Mayor Bearrows noted that this issue arose because one establishment had gaming machines that would automatically shut down at 1 AM, while another nearby would remain open until 2 AM on a Thursday. The change ensures consistency for both liquor and gaming operations.