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•The commissioners voted to allow bars in Stearns County to apply for a special permit to stay open until 2 a.m. The Minnesota Legislature had approved such a change during their recent session.

The county board had originally expressed a desire to keep bar closings at 1 a.m., but following a public hearing, where the county board learned that several cities in the county had already approved the later closing time, the board reversed itself and approved 2 a.m. bar closings.

Closing time for the county will be 1 a.m. on Sunday nights. The county has jurisdiction over 34 bars in townships throughout the county but not within cities.

•The board also approved an application to stay open until 2 a.m. from Kozzie's Lakeside Club in Eden Lake Township.