The following is from the Record:

County’s Walmart will get a June 13 hearing in Albany to determine whether it must close a portion of its supermarket on Anawana Lake Road while it deals with ongoing sanitary problems.

The state Department of Agriculture and Markets has scheduled the hearing to consider revoking the store’s food processing license, spokeswoman Jessica Ziehm said.

The store has failed four state inspections since January and has been cited repeatedly for critical violations that point to a rodent infestation. Specifically, inspectors have found thousands of rodent droppings, damaged packages and spoiled food during the inspections in January, March, April and last month. On May 22, the store was cited for 10 critical violations, nine of which were rodent-related violations.

A hearing officer will decide the license question.

The meeting is open to the public, Ziehm said.

Ziehm previously indicated Walmart might be forced to close sections of the store where food is handled and processed, such as the deli, bakery and produce areas. Agriculture and Markets plans to inspect the store within the next 60 days. If the store fails a fifth inspection, the department could seek a court order to shut down the store.

Utilizing the Freedom of Information Law, the Times Herald-Record recently requested inspection reports from Agriculture and Markets and the the state Department of Health, which regulates the store’s McDonald’s. Agriculture and Markets has supplied reports dating back a year. Department of Health sent a letter last month, indicating it is reviewing the request.

The store, which is the county’s largest retail outlet, has gained national exposure for the rodent problem, labeled by the Internet consumer magazine Business Insider, for example, as the country’s “most disgusting” Walmart.

Thompson Supervisor Tony Cellini said Thursday he spoke with the store manager roughly 10 days ago. Earlier this spring Cellini said the manager told him that rodents appeared to be migrating from a nearby stream, and there appears be more rodents this year because of a mild winter.

“They are working on correcting the problem,” Cellini said.