Lonigro’s Supermarket has been closed by the Franklin County Health Department. Employee cars block access to the store’s parking lot, but customers are still coming to the door to try to gain access to the locked building.

A spokesman for the store says the major problem was coolers that were not keeping food at the proper temperature. She explained all coolers were on the same electrical circuit, thus when one went down, the others followed suit.

Other problems were listed by the Health Department inspectors. These included things like not enough trash dumpster space and burned out light bulbs. The store will remain closed for at least seven days to address the issues. Owner Larry Lonigro says it might take longer than that to reopen.

In the meantime, the garden center will be open and “Produce Row” will be added to the tent. Lonigro says he is also able to sell things like bottled water, soda, and cleaning supplies, just not from the store itself.

Store employees are at work, helping to resolve the issues they can. They are also brainstorming ideas on how to still serve the public as repairs are made.

This is a new and evolving situation. More details will be made available as we learn of them. A complete story will be printed in the next issue of The Republican.