Michigan diner reopens six months after owner was jailed over COVID-19 violations
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/michigan-diner-reopens-six-months-after-owner-jailed-over-covid-rulesA Michigan restaurant that closed in March reopened on Tuesday, six months after the owner was charged with breaking COVID-19 precautions.
Marlena's Bistro and Pizzeria in western Michigan reopened at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday to hungry customers waiting outside. The reopening came months after the owner completed a four-day stint in jail for alleged violations of COVID-19 protocols.
The diner's customers came to show their support for the owner because "she has stood for her values, and she loves Jesus, and we love Jesus," a diner identified as Julie told FOX 17 .
"I was in here at 5:30, and it has been nonstop. People have been rolling in and out," Jon Rocha, a Republican candidate for Michigan's 6th Congressional District, said of the large crowd.
Marlena Pavlos-Hackney, 55, was arrested on March 19 for refusing to comply with local mandates, such as requiring customers to socially distance and wear face masks, according to the state attorney general's office. Pavlos-Hackney's husband paid two fines totaling $15,000 before she was released on March 23, the report added.
Marlena Pavlos-Hackney should of never went to jail.
