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Helen police shut down girls' lemonade stand

Lauren Nelson and her friends in Helen have a tradition: every Independence Day, they set up a lemonade stand. But this year, that lemonade stand drew a visit from the police.

ID=29792163HELEN, Ga. -- Here are three girls, spending their 6th of July giving thanks, after their 4th of July left them thirsty.

Lauren Nelson and her friends in Helen have a tradition: every Independence Day, they set up a lemonade stand. But this year, that lemonade stand drew a visit from the police.

"We have legalities and legal things we have to do to protect the public and public health," said Chief Jim Couch.

When the girls set up on the sidewalk, they were technically breaking the law. A Helen police officer pulled up to shut the stand down.

Said Couch, "He told them they had to have an actual permit to do this."

"We did this every year, and I thought we already had a permit," said one of the girls, Lauren Nelson.

The girls took a picture of moping faces and a deflated 4th of July. But one stranger changed that.

"I just thought it was kind of wrong," said Patrick Kenny, who drives a bus at Helen Tubing. He saw the shut-down and pooled his fellow drivers to raise $115 for the girls, which he delivered that day.

The stand has become a story in Helen. Two days later, Chief Couch stopped over to personally apologize.

Then the girls delivered their thank-you notes to Mr. Kenny. A lemon-like situation had turned into lemonade, indeed.

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