For the first time in more than a decade, bars in downtown Carbondale will be allowed to open on Halloween.
City Council members voted 4-2 on Tuesday to let bars in an area known as "The Strip" operate this year. City officials say they'll allow the bars to open for business as part of a one-year experiment.
The bars have had to shut down for the past 12 years after rioting and vandalism in the college town in far-southern Illinois.
Councilwoman Jane Adams says she supports the change, which will allow three bars to operate.
She says the new regulations won't lead to a "street party."
But Mayor Joel Fritzler voted against the move. He says any Halloween mayhem could hamper development.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
