New law about to claim first Houston County adult club

By next month, Houston County will have one less gentleman’s club.

Michael Conway, owner of the Champagne Lounge, pleaded guilty on Friday to a lewd and indecent violation that went against his state alcohol license.

Lt. Jean Turner, supervisor of the Dothan office for the state Alcohol Beverage Control Board, said as part of Conway’s guilty plea, he agreed to change the ownership of the business, which will lead to it no longer serving as a gentleman’s club, due to a recent change in local law.

“By him pleading guilty, he got to pay the fine,” Turner said. “As part of the guilty plea, he is allowed to transfer to a corporation with the knowledge once he changes ownership there will no longer be a gentleman’s club because of the new law.”

Turner said Conway received the club’s current alcohol license in January 2006, for the Champagne Lounge’s 512 North Foster Street location. She said Conway agreed to change it from a single ownership business to a corporation.

As of Oct. 1, when Conway’s alcohol license expires, Turner said a new Houston County law approved by Gov. Bob Riley will prohibit Conway from running another gentleman’s club under new ownership.

Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver said the bill was aimed at prohibiting new adult entertainment businesses such as bikini bars from opening in the county, which includes the city of Dothan. Culver said there are two other similar businesses in Dothan that were approved by the city before the prohibition became law.

“We wanted to prohibit any new operations from opening,” Culver said. “If they’d been licensed already ... we certainly don’t want to create any financial hardship on anybody that had invested a lot of money. It’s directed at any new ones.”

Turner said ABC agents investigate possible alcohol license violations, including any lewd and indecent incidents at the seven Houston County gentleman’s clubs, including Champagne Lounge, Jolly’s Bar and Lounge, the Bonfire Club, Runway Lounge at Drifters, Taboo, Mel’s Lounge and Teasers.

Turner said the state ABC Board keeps track of the number of violations within a four-year period, with the first two normally resulting in a fine. A third violation could come with a fine or a hearing to suspend the alcohol license. She said Conway had planned to contest his third violation at a hearing in Montgomery today.

“They suspend or revoke on a fourth offense, historically, on a lewd and indecent violation,” Turner said. “I think they made the right decision in pleading guilty. They already had a fourth offense, and they definitely would’ve been suspended had they been found guilty at the commission hearing in Montgomery.”

Conway testified last year about how he saw a gunman open fire at his nightclub during a robbery that later led to a man’s death.

Dothan police charged two men earlier this year during an undercover operation involving felony distribution of marijuana at the Champagne Lounge.