Thunder Ridge nightclub has shut its doors pending a Jan. 9 closing date on the sale of the Maggie Valley bar.

Thunder Ridge will become a family-oriented business operation that will not seek a liquor license, officials said last week.

Thunder Ridge has been at the center of a growing controversy since Dec. 7 when a Western Carolina University football player was charged with second-degree murder after a shooting in the parking lot. District Attorney Charles Hipps promised at that time to try and have the club shut down as a public nuisance.

According to Hipps, the deal for the club has been in the works for a while but the shooting hastened the process.

Hipps had vowed to close the nightclub because of the number of incidents that had taken place there over the last several years. He said it was strapping the resources of law enforcement to handle the fights, drunken driving woes and drug problems that were occurring as a direct result of the nightclub’s patrons.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News