On Monday, the Elk Rapids Village Council passed an ordinance expanding an existing smoking ban to cover a number of areas within the small municipality.

The expansion of the smoking ban now covers parks, beaches, trails, as well as a portion of city sidewalks. The revision also makes it illegal to smoke within 25 feet of the main entrance of any government building within the village boundaries. The council passed the proposal by a 4-2 vote with one member absent. Violators will be subject to a municipal civil infraction.

Elk Rapids is located in the northwestern corner of the lower peninsula and is home to approximately 1,600 residents.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.