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TC Dollar General closed again over safety issues

Stock carts block aisles in Tabor City’s Dollar General Thursday. (TCFD photo)

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     Dollar General’s store on East 5th Street in Tabor City was closed for safety violations Thursday, the second time this month, Tabor City Fire Chief Jeff Fowler said.

     Fowler, also the town’s fire inspector, said his actions resulted from repeated violations of safety regulations, specifically aisles blocked by merchandise.

     Dollar General closed the store voluntarily on Nov. 2 and 3 as a result of similar violations, Fowler said earlier this month. Aisles were cleared when the store re-opened on Nov. 4.

     An e-mail to Dollar General’s public relations office earlier this month was not returned. Another e-mail, and a phone message, were left at the public relations office Thursday, with neither returned as the story was written.

     A return visit to the store Thursday resulted in the Fowler’s order closing the store to the public.

     Fowler said his decision was supported by Columbus County Fire Marshall Shannon Blackman.

     “Exit doors were blocked, and you couldn’t get down the isles for so much stuff in them,” Fowler said following the store closing earlier this month. Photos provided by Fowler Thursday told a similar story. A series of photos showed aisles completely blocked by carts filled with boxes of merchandise not yet put no store shelves.

     Blackman, earlier this month, said he’s seen similar problems in other Dollar General stores in the county, and issued a $500 fine for one store recently

     “They build those stores with not enough space in the stockroom, so it’s in the isles, and they don’t have enough employees to keep everything put up,” Blackman said.

     Look for updates on this story as events warrant and in the next Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.