The sun rose Tuesday on a different kind of day for restaurants that once permitted customers to light cigarettes over food, alcohol or cups of coffee. Area restaurant owners braced themselves for all kinds of responses from patrons on the first day of a statewide ban on smoking at food establishments. Tuesday’s early morning breakfast crowd was slightly thinner at the Bedford Restaurant, a country-cooking style eatery on U.S. 460 in Bedfo ... Jump to full article >>

LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan lawmaker says local governments should be able to ban smoking in restaurants and bars since a proposed statewide ban is stalled in the Legislature. A bill sponsored by Rep. Gary McDowell would let each county, city, township and village decide if people can smoke in local bars and restaurants. Michigan law allows only the Legislature to ban smoking in food establishments. McDowell says the law should be changed beca ... Jump to full article >>