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Environment
Man plans topless contests at bar near Bear Butte


In addition to serving beer, an Arizona man is planning to hold topless contests at his biker bar near sacred Bear Butte in South Dakota.

Jay Allen bought the land near Bear Butte for $1 million. He's going to spend $3 million creating the bar and concert venue for the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally in August.

The plan has brought together an unusual coalition of Native activists, ranchers and Christians. Worried that the noise and crowds will disrupt ceremonies at Bear Butte, they are fighting the Meade County Commission over beer and liquor licenses issued for Allen's bar and another biker venue nearby.

But Allen isn't worried. "I'm not doing anything to degrade a mountain," he tells The Wall Street Journal. "I'm not backing down."

Get the Story:
Development in South Dakota Prompts Unlikely Coalition: Christians, Indians, Ranchers (The Wall Street Journal 7/14)

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

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Major gathering slated at sacred Bear Butte (7/4)
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