This week, voters in Kearney, Mo. will decide if it’s time to snuff out smoking in all of the city’s public places, though the effects will be felt primarily by a small group of bars and restaurants as well as the local VFW Post. The ballot measure seeks to do away for all exemptions to the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act, which also includes businesses that derive the majority of their revenue from tobacco sales.

The proposal does contain exemptions for up to 25% of a hotel or motel’s rooms to be designated as smoking, while  bars and restaurants would be able to have outdoor patios where smoking would be permitted.

In May, the city’s Board of Aldermen decided that it should be the voters who get to make the call as opposed to the ruling coming from them.

Should it pass, the changes would go into effect in 30 days and  violators would be subject to a $50 fine, with a maximum fine of $500 for repeated violations by business owners.

Kearney is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Kansas City and had a 2013 population estimate of 9,038 people.

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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.