The party was in full swing Saturday night at the Surfside Club when Douglas County sheriff’s deputies arrived.
Live music, booze, dancing, crowds.
Sheriff’s Capt. Wayne Hudson described it as “the most egregious violation” of the state’s directed health measures that he’s seen.
Here are some of the coronavirus violations he said he and deputies saw:
- The band Taxi Driver was performing, even though large gatherings like concerts are banned. (Deputies arrived about 8 p.m.; Taxi Driver’s advertised start time was 5 p.m.)
- People in the outdoor area were drinking but not eating. Alcohol is permitted only while served with a sit-down meal.
- People were at the bar, which is prohibited.
- Large groups were crowded around tables. Seating is limited to six per table under the state’s coronavirus rules.
- An estimated 300 patrons were scattered across the popular, indoor-outdoor venue north of Omaha along the Missouri River. With a rated capacity of 350 and state COVID-19 restrictions limiting crowds to 50% of capacity, no more than 175 people should have been there.
When told of the violations observed by the deputies, and the fact that people were drinking without eating, Hudson said the owner offered to buy everyone in the crowd corn fritters.
“We said, ‘No, that’s not going to be allowed,’ ” Hudson said.
Representatives of Surfside and Taxi Driver could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening. Surfside had initially advertised Taxi Driver’s performance on Facebook as a “band practice,” but then promoted the music and club as a destination for boaters taking advantage of Saturday’s good weather and the newly reopened, nearby N.P. Dodge Marina.
“He knew the rules,” Hudson said of Surfside’s owner. “He told me the (rules) were hurting his business.”
Surfside, Hudson said the owner told him, is a seasonal business and needed to capitalize on Saturday’s nice weather in the middle of a rainy holiday weekend.
Hudson said he issued the owner a warning, in accordance with county policy. And he sent a tavern report to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, which will put an account of the incident on file.
“We’re going to do everything we can to not cite someone,” he said. “We’re going to give them time, we’re going to talk to them to do what we can before we take enforcement action.”
Hudson said that as he and the owner were talking, someone went to the microphone at the club and announced: “They’re telling us we have to close.”
“We didn’t tell them that,” Hudson said. “But that’s fine with us. They closed.”
The penalty for violating coronavirus restrictions is a $100 fine and a misdemeanor citation, Hudson said.
“We don’t want to spoil anybody’s fun,” Hudson said. “We understand the weather is nice and people want to have fun. You just have to wait until the directed health measures say you can do these things.”
Beginning Monday, the rules will be loosened, allowing some concerts and for bars to reopen, with restrictions. Hudson said the county is awaiting guidance on the loosened restrictions.
Our best staff photos of May 2020
May Rain

Rain drops gather on a peony that is close to blooming in a yard near Schroeder-Vogel Park on Tuesday in Omaha.
Memorial Day

Andrea Williams, left, and Linda Simmonds walk through Forest Lawn Memorial Park to lay flowers on the grave of Robert Simmonds on Saturday.
Memorial Day

Pat Brown and her son Daryl Brown Sr. make their way to decorate a grave on Sunday at Mount Hope Cemetery in Omaha.
Memorial Day

Cindy, left, and Greg Blome lay flowers at the graves of numerous relatives buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park on Saturday.
Memorial Day

Pat Brown holds great-grandson Maxwell Carter’s hand while decorating a grave Sunday at Mount Hope Cemetery in Omaha.
The King is watching

Morgan Smith, right, gives James Anderson a haircut at The Men’s Salons – Aksarben.
Fence Message

A message for students graces a fence at the Bryan Elementary School in Millard.
Flights of Honor

The Flights of Honor free exhibit, commemorating Honor Flights for Nebraska veterans and military families, runs through Memorial Day at the VFW Post 2503 in Omaha.
Restaurants Reopen

Shirley’s Diner is one of the many restaurants in Omaha welcoming back customers. Restaurants must space tables six feet apart among several restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus.
Musicians for Healing

Christina Klem serenades a resident at Fountain View Retirement Community. Klem was part of a group of mostly medical students giving a window concert. For many, it’s the first entertainment they’ve had in months.
Fill a Growler

Dawn Campbell, left, sells Megan Rerucha two growlers at Zipline Brewing Co. in downtown Omaha on Thursday. Bars can take a step toward normal service on June 1.
Salvage yard fire

Firefighters battle a fire at U-Pull It Used Auto Parts north of downtown Omaha.
Salvage yard fire

People watch as firefighters battle a fire at U-Pull It Used Auto Parts north of downtown Omaha.
Spring Storm

A thunderstorm that prompted a tornado warning moves over Interstate 29 on Saturday near Glenwood, Iowa.
Eagle

A bald eagle prepares to take off from a tree on Lambert Avenue southwest of Pacific Junction, Iowa after watching a storm to the north that spawned a tornado warning on Saturday.
Grad Surprise

Jennifer Peck, left, shows her son Jack Wilkins his surprise graduation party at their west Omaha home on Friday.
First Patient 1

Emma Hutchinson and her father, Ralph Hutchinson, stand for a photo in his Omaha home. They were the first and second confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Nebraska. Emma spent weeks in the hospital and was put on a ventilator as she recovered.
First Patient 1

Hutchinson with a note she made for the staff of the Nebraska Medical Center. She spent 30 days at the hospital.
Last day of school 1

Dawn Zumbrennen, an eighth grade American history teacher, waves to students in the bed of a truck during a summer send-off parade at Elkhorn Valley View Middle School on Friday. It was the last day of virtual classes after the public school had to close because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Last day of school 10

A summer send-off parade at Legacy School on Friday. It was the last day of virtual classes after the private school had to close because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Recovery

Immanuel health care workers who cared for Ruby Jones in the ICU and in rehab gather to cheer her as she is discharged.
Rain

Tire tracks are left in the ribbons of rain in an Omaha parking garage on Wednesday, May 13, 2020.
Kosher BBQ

Rabbi Yoni Dreyer and his children Lavi, Tchiya and Eitan watch Peter Brunette entertain families in their vehicles with a juggling routine at a Lag B’Omer celebration with a drive-thru kosher barbecue at Chabad House in Omaha on Tuesday.
Kosher BBQ

Rabbi Mendel Katzman dances with his grandson, Yitzchak Baumgarten at a Lag B’Omer celebration with a drive-thru kosher barbecue at Chabad House in Omaha on Tuesday. Lag B’Omer is a holiday of Jewish pride and unity, often celebrated with a bonfire, emblematic of the soul rising up as flames do.
Nebraska Primary Voting

Sharon Beverly waits for voters at a downtown Omaha precinct on Tuesday during the Nebraska primary. Precinct sites had social distancing measures in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Nebraska Primary Voting

A voter fills out a ballot at Nathan Hale Magnet Middle School in Omaha on Tuesday.
Roadmaster

A 1949 Buick Roadmaster is lifted into the Redfield building in downtown Omaha on Monday, May 11, 2020. The building was once Nebraska’s biggest Buick dealership, and is now being refurbished with space for offices and a restaurant.
Online Graduation

Matthew Meacham steps outside for photos while wearing his cap and gown after watching the University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduation celebration.
Online Graduation

Matthew Meacham wears his cap and gown while watching the University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduation celebration with his mom, Jeanette, sibling Kai and their miniature Australian shepherd, Ryder, at his family’s Omaha home on Saturday.
Sunday services return

Parishioners pray during Mass at Saint Cecilia Cathedral on Sunday in Omaha.
Sunday services return

Deacon James Tardy reads during Mass at Saint Cecilia Cathedral on Sunday in Omaha.
NorthStar

Scott Hazelrigg can’t bring kids to NorthStar, so he’s going to their homes to make sure they are doing okay during the pandemic.
NorthStar

William Sherrod, top, hugs his mother Rhonda Scott in their front yard Wednesday while talking with NorthStar president Scott Hazelrigg. Hazelrigg is visiting youths who used to attend NorthStar enrichment programs but can’t because of the coronavirus.
Sunday services return

Ron Helms hands out masks at Saint Cecilia Cathedral on Sunday in Omaha.
Mariachi music

Emmanuel Saunz performs mariachi music for healthcare workers outside OneWorld Community Health Center in Omaha on Friday, May 8, 2020. The clinic has been testing potential novel coronavirus patients in the parking lot of the south Omaha location.
A letter of praise

A letter of appreciation for those on the frontlines of the novel coronavirus pandemic outside a home in Omaha on Wednesday, May 06, 2020.
A sign of hope

A message of hope during the novel coronavirus pandemic from a home in Omaha on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.
Nebraska begins to reopen

People dine at Harold’s Koffee House on the first day of loosened coronavirus restrictions on Monday, May 04, 2020.
Test Nebraska begins in Omaha

A worker uses a swab to test someone for coronavirus at a drive-thru testing site in Lot D of the CHI Health Center.
Test Nebraska begins in Omaha

CHI Health medical professionals applaud a child who underwent testing for the novel coronavirus on Monday outside Omaha’s downtown arena.
Test Nebraska begins in Omaha

Medical workers wait for people at a tent at a drive through testing site in Lot D of the CHI Health Center on Monday, May 04, 2020. This was part of the TestNebraska initiative launched two weeks ago by Gov. Pete Ricketts.
Volunteers help Food Bank for the Heartland

Volunteers and members of the Nebraska National Guard unload donations at the Food Bank for the Heartland 10525 J St., on Saturday, May 02, 2020.
Volunteers help Food Bank for the Heartland

A member of the Nebraska National Guard directs traffic during a food drive at the Food Bank for the Heartland 10525 J St., on Saturday, May 02, 2020.
Volunteers help Food Bank for the Heartland

Volunteers and members of the Nebraska National Guard unload donations at the Food Bank for the Heartland 10525 J St., on Saturday, May 02, 2020.
Free Ice Cream Friday

Arthur, 5, and Romona McIver, 9, pick up free eCreamery ice cream being given out for First Friday in the drive-thru at Dundee Bank in Omaha on Friday, May 1, 2020.
Free Ice Cream Friday

Free eCreamery ice cream is given out for First Friday in the drive-thru at Dundee Bank in Omaha on Friday, May 1, 2020.
Free Ice Cream Friday

Allie Schima picks up free eCreamery ice cream is given out for First Friday in the drive-thru at Dundee Bank in Omaha on Friday, May 1, 2020.