Jackson Free Press

Last week, Jackson residents Dylan Broone and Larry Zoss held a soft opening for their locally owned and operated craft beer store, LD's Beer Run, at 5006 Park Way Drive at Colonial Mart Shopping Center, inside the former location of Harvest Bread Co.

LD's carries the largest possible collection of craft brews from Mississippi breweries, and the selection will continue to grow, they said. The store features a large walk-in cooler, a wide selection of dry beers and a dozen craft growler stills. LD's also has a variety of wine coolers, white wine and cider.

In addition, LD's carries Route 11 kettle-cooked chips, made organically from potatoes grown on-site at Route 11's headquarters in Virginia. Broone and Zoss also give away 8-pound bags of ice with purchases while supplies are available.

LD's is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For information call 769-208-8686.

Ace Hardware Soon to Close

Montgomery Ace Hardware, in Maywood Mart Shopping Center on Northside Drive, which has been in business in Jackson for 60 years, will close its doors Jan. 17.

"The store's lease has run out, and Time Equities, the company in New York that owns the building, just wants too much money for rent for it to be worth renewing," store owner Sherrell Thornton said. Thornton also owns Ace franchises in Fondren and Petal, Miss. They will remain open, and the Maywood hardware items will be moved to those stores.

Thornton said that the store will not reopen in a new location.

From now until the store closes, Ace is liquidating its houseware and gift departments, marking all items in those departments 50 percent off.

Ace Hardware will be maintaining its normal hours of 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Courthouse Fitness to Become UMMC Wellness Center

The University of Mississippi Medical Center will soon take over a chain of fitness centers in the Jackson area. The College Board approved a plan where UMMC will pay $9.26 million for Courthouse Racquet & Fitness, which has a real-estate value of $10.5 million. Courthouse owner John L. Black Jr. of Madison will give $4.8 million as a cash gift immediately to the medical center and $500,000 a year for 10 years, for a total of another $5 million.

Dr. James Keeton, UMMC's vice chancellor for health affairs, said in a release that the six Courthouse locations will become the UMMC Wellness Center. UMMC will own locations in Brandon, Byram, Flowood and north Jackson, while taking over leases for locations in Madison and downtown Jackson. The idea, Keeton said, is that the wellness centers will be medically integrated with the university's hospitals, physicians, schools and clinics.

Power Wellness will get a flat fee of $144,000 a year, plus 12 percent of the monthly operating profits from the centers. The company will be paid a total of $3.5 million over 10 years. UMMC projects that the facilities will run at a loss in 2015, but will turn a profit after that. Power will employ about 100 workers at the six locations, which bring in $5 million to $5.5 million in revenue in a typical year.

Current Courthouse employees will become employees of Power. UMMC said in a release that the number of employees is expected to increase in the changeover to the wellness model. UMMC expects to spend $1.3 million on upgrades in the first year.

In the Jackson area, Baptist Health Systems has locations in Jackson, Clinton and Madison. St. Dominic Hospital is aligned with a multi-unit operation called The Club.

Hideaway In Full Force

Two months ago, Jackson residents Pete Suther and Jeremy Self opened the Hideaway music venue, located at 5100 Interstate 55 North in Deville Plaza, and Fourth and Goal Sports Bar, located inside the Hideaway.

Locally owned and operated, the Hideaway is a 10,000-square-foot venue offering live music on Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. with local DJs playing dance music in between sets.

Regular admission is $10 Friday and Saturday. Admission is free on Fridays for members of the service industry that wear their uniforms, and the first 50 ladies to arrive get in for half price. The Hideaway also has $3 fireball shots all night Friday.

On Sunday, the Hideaway is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and has no cover charge. The venue hosts Sunday Jam, where visitors can sing and participate with the band on stage.

Fourth and Goal is open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

This week, the Hideaway features Guilty Pleasure on Friday and Miles Flat with Liz Davis from "The Voice" on Saturday.

For information, call 769-208-8283 or visit www.hideawayms.com.