By Scott Wright

CEDAR BLUFF — Attorneys for Cedar Bluff and William Geral Greene held a teleconference earlier this month to discuss the status of Greene's lawsuit against the town.

Under a tentative agreement reached by lawyers for the two sides, businesses in the town will be able to continue alcohol sales without further legal challenge from Greene until another wet-dry vote is held, possibly in 2012.

Greene's lawsuit will be placed on Judge David Rains' inactive docket pending the outcome of the new election.

Cedar Bluff Mayor Martha Baker said she has been advised that the town would be better off to hold another vote, despite the fact that over 70 percent of residents voted to allow alcohol sales the first time around, in August 2003.

Baker said another vote would further legitimize the town's alcohol sales policy because of a newly passed state law that allows towns with populations of 1,000 or more to hold alcohol referendums.

Alcohol proponents contend that the new law eliminates Greene's legal argument, which was that the local act that allowed the original vote was unconstitutional.

Baker said the new vote will likely take place in 2012 because there is not enough time to get the necessary number of signatures on a supporting petition before the town holds its mayoral runoff election sometime later this summer.