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A millage that would fund early childhood development for young children in Leelanau County passed in a close vote Tuesday.

The tax won by just about 100 votes, with 3,343 votes in favor and 3,244 against, according to unofficial election results as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Leelanau County will continue to provide services for families with children under the age of five for the next five years. 

Jim Carruthers, 56, will remain the mayor of Traverse City.

He won Tuesday’s election against Shea O’Brien, 32, an employee at Burritt's Fresh Market, who had never run for office before.

Voters denied a bond proposal for Benzie Central Schools today by a vote of 1,674 to 1,573, according to unofficial election results from the district.

A similar bond proposal failed by a slim margin in May, but turnout was higher this time around with nearly 700 more votes cast, according to District Superintendent Matt Olson. He says the district isn't sure if or when they will put another bond proposal to voters.

"We gotta sit down and do some reflection, we know there needs to be a path forward," Olson said. "The specifics of that path? We gotta digest and figure out."

Ten communities will decide Tuesday whether they want businesses to be able to sell recreational marijuana. Last November, the state passed a law legalizing recreational marijuana. Since then, the issue has slowly been debated in communities at the ballot box. 

“I would expect to see for the next several years many local ballot initiatives opting into recreational cannabis businesses in their communities,” said Robin Schneider, executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association. The organization advocates for marijuana businesses.

The Michigan Court of Claims ruled on Thursday in favor of Enbridge and its plan to house the Line 5 oil pipelines in a tunnel under the straits of Mackinac.

In 2018, former Gov. Rick Snyder signed a law authorizing the Mackinac Bridge Authority to oversee the construction of a tunnel for Line 5. Earlier this year Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a suit for state agencies to stop work on it. Enbridge also filed suit and now the court knocked down Whitmer and Nessel's order.

The former superintendent of Traverse City Area Public Schools got $180,000 as part of a separation agreement with the district. Ann Cardon resigned Oct. 17 after allegedly clashing with several school board members.

The online application process for the state’s new Independent Redistricting Commission is now open. People can now apply to be on the 13-member Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced the launch of the online application process Thursday.

It's been a rough couple of weeks for Traverse City Area Public Schools. Recently hired Superintendent Ann Cardon resigned last week. Now during the ensuing controversy, social media chatter has turned into efforts to recall several members of the district school board.