Up North Lowdown

Lots of talk of millage spending ahead of the primary... it's fun I promise.

This week: A trip to the Ability Garden, in Traverse City, and a look at how it helps kids during the summer. Plus, new housing could be coming soon for school workers.

This week: Raising monarch butterflies in Interlochen, as climate change threatens the species. And a tribute in Northport to a band director with a powerful legacy.

This week: Crafting new rules for deer management gets more complicated than usual. Also, what your HOA *can't* tell you to do.

This week: Bob Moler has helped IPR listeners perceive the cosmos for 50 years. He talks about turning his teenage curiosity into a lifelong passion for astronomy.

This week: Hear from the Frankfort man sentenced for diverting the Platte River in 2022. A string quartet is popping up in unexpected places. And it was great spring for a tiny fruit fly that causes trouble for cherry farmers.

This week: Protips for composting in Leelanau County, and another episode of "Stories that Heal." Plus, some sounds from Juneteenth in Traverse City.

This week: Big plans for Cheboygan after September's devastating fire. How do we coexist with bears? And can waves provide electricity on Beaver Island?

Bird flu has begun showing up in cattle. We visit an Antrim Co. dairy farm to learn what's being done about it. Also: Microplastics, beach bugs and housing issues.

This week: A look at Michigan's guardianship system — its flaws and those who are trying to make it work. Plus, quillwork as seen through the lens of Minnie Wabanimkee.

This week: Some Michigan plant nurseries fight back against invasive species. Plus: "Stories that Heal" takes us to Benzie County. And IPR wins some awards!

This week: A Traverse City woman christens a Navy vessel bearing her father's name. A newspaper editor is abruptly fired. And growing up Chinese American in Detroit.

Before unionized nurses in Sault Ste. Marie even went on strike in April, they knew exactly when it would end. But that was about all they could predict.

This week: Local craft brewers on what it takes to survive, following a challenging 2023. And a judge allows a lawsuit to proceed against an Antrim Co. fruit processor.

This week on the Up North Lowdown: How a northern Michigan woman's effort to get people writing letters helped hundreds of people find pen pals ... and human connection.

This week on the Up North Lowdown: A natural gas expansion in Mesick, the perils of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes and a Petoskey architect's quest to build 100 houses.

This week, the Up North Lowdown is all about where you look: at a dark patch of sky, upward from the path of totality, in a vernal pool deep in the woods, or into yourself for exactly the right words.

Come with us this week to a pro wrestling event in Kalkaska. Also, a new film explores the quest to restore an old movie theater marquee in Marquette.

Why the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians did NOT tap their sugar maples this year. Also, get ready for "Maritime Time!" And we drop in on the Soo Locks.

This week: Dealing with construction along U.S. 31 in downtown Traverse City, new apartments get a warm reception in Boyne City, and impersonating Charlie Chaplin.

This week: An impasse over the future of the air show at the National Cherry Festival. And Elk Rapids high school students make the prom a little more climate friendly.

This week: Michigan tribes say a federal lawsuit out of Wisconsin could affect their sovereignty, summer roadwork already getting started in Traverse City, and Kate Botello takes us to the spelling bee.

Two stories about pressure: One on youth mental health in the Grand Traverse region, and the other about a local singer-songwriter feeling pressure to produce new work.

This week: Saving whitefish and what microplastics do to minnows — both important species for the Great Lakes. Also, art and cults. (Two different stories, to be clear.)

Are northern Michigan winters always going to be this warm? Ski areas and others are making changes to adapt. Plus: Microplastics, college scuffles, and the headlines.