Salem acquires Ace Food Market

The Chattanooga Beer & Wrecker Board approved on Thursday a change of ownership for Ace Food Market at 2100 E. Main St. and again delayed hearing a case involving The Signal on Chestnut Street because all parties involved could not be present at the meeting.

Rehan Salem is the new owner of the Ace store and the beer board authorized the change in the business’s alcohol permits.

But the beer board was unable to resolve a dispute regarding The Signal. At its May 5 meeting, the board had granted a two-week delay at the request of The Signal’s attorney in order to answer a possible beer permit violation related to allegations the business refused to allow access to law enforcement. Two Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputies working off duty as school resource officers at a high school prom were allegedly asked to leave the venue last month when they showed up because they had firearms, according to law enforcement.

The case was not on the agenda Thursday but board member Cynthia Coleman had questions about its omission from the meeting and whether all parties had been informed that the case would not be heard. City attorney Emily O’Donnell said the fact that the case was not on the agenda, which goes out a couple of days before the meeting, was notice enough. She said it was not on the agenda because the law enforcement officers involved, who were from city and the county, had other obligations. After some discussion, the board voted to delay the case until the June 2 meeting.