Tonight, the South Bend, Ind. Common Council voted 5-4 to oppose a proposal that would ban smoking in bars, private clubs and all other indoor places, preserving the ability of business owners to decide what is best for their businesses.

The vote comes 60 days after the council decided to table the matter in order to allow time to gain more public input on the matter.

The Common Council’s recommendation will be passed on to the full council, but by most interpretations the proposal is now dead. A final vote on the matter is still yet to be scheduled.

ABC 57 was among the first to report the council’s vote.

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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.