Up North Lowdown

In this episode, a short conversation with the author Katie Yee. She is known as a short story writer, but Yee is appearing later this month at the National Writers Series in Traverse City to talk about her debut novel. t’s called “Maggie; or, a Man and a Woman Walk into a Bar.” Ahead of her visit to town, Yee spoke with IPR’s Ed Ronco.

Cindy Monroe has been around music for decades. Fifty years, she figures. But never a marching band. So she showed up to play cymbals with the National Cherry Festival Marching Band. That's it. No audition, just a conversation with the director. She even gave him an out — offering to go on home if it didn't work out. But so far, so good.

Michigan's Attorney General is going after the Twin Flames Universe, a spiritual organization based in Leelanau County that's widely considered to be a cult.

In May, authorities in Traverse City cleared out an encampment from part of town known as "the Pines." What happened to those who left?

In Lake County — population 12,000 — a new ICE facility is opening in a shuttered private prison, promising to create hundreds of jobs in the poorest county in the state. Many residents have doubts about whether the jobs will last.

Just one story for you this week, and it's about deer, money and big piles of carrots. Or apples. Or whatever else deer are interested in eating.

An earful from those who experienced the ice storm. An interview with abuse survivor Tina Talbot. Hiring nurses for Munson Healthcare. And Elberta's Turtlefest.

This week, an interview with immigration attorney Marcelo Betti. He tells us about the different communities that have migrated to northern Michigan, and what their future might hold under the drastically different immigration policy of the Trump administration. Plus, a Bellaire woman's journey to becoming an American citizen. Ping He-Pridemore took her citizenship oath last month in Grand Rapids....

A wooded area near Traverse City held an encampment for people who are unsheltered, until this past week, when police cleared out the area. We'll hear what happened. Plus, we walk around the centerpiece of the Grand Traverse Commons with two composers who were tasked with writing music about an old psychiatric hospital.

It’s a big dose of nature on this week’s Up North Lowdown: How storm debris can turn into electricity, our gardening expert guides us through good fertilizer for northern Michigan soil, and we receive a shipment of bees!

This week on the Up North Lowdown, we’ll meet the host of a new podcast from Classical IPR called Intermezzo ... plus OUR host Ed Ronco goes on stage in Traverse City and dies. But on purpose.

How damaged trees spell economic hardship for many in northern Michigan. Plus, funding cutbacks for regional arts groups, and we hop through some Easter egg traditions.

After the ice storms, the conversation is shifting from response to recovery, and utilities are figuring out how to prepare for the next storm. Also, Marc Maron talks to us about his career in comedy, podcasts, film and more.

An ice storm wreaked havoc on northern Michigan this week, leaving thousands without power and heat and littering the region with the debris of snapped trees and downed power lines. We'll hear voices from the storm. Also, a look at how tensions between the U.S. and Canada could impact the Great Lakes, a look at 50 years of service from Traverse City's Women's Resource Center and we go into the gar...

This week, we check in with our environment and climate reporters about two big northern Michigan stories, with significant updates on both. We also speak with filmmaker Rich Brauer about his "Dogman" series of movies and the magic of cinema. And a local musician is about to tour with a superstar.

A business in Empire puts energy improvements on hold amid a federal funding freeze. Still, the owner of the Lively NeighborFood Market is hoping the money — which he wants to use to install solar panels and reduce electrical costs — will eventually come through. This week, we'll also talk about a new project we're calling "The Next Four Years." We've been asking people in northern Michigan what t...

Why a Leelanau County township's cease-and-desist notice had little effect on the use of sewage as farm fertilizer. We'll also hear about the competitive race to get kids registered for a summer camp in Traverse City, and what it says about child care in northern Michigan. And we talk with author Howard Lovy about his debut novel — partly set at Interlochen in the mid-1980s.

As Traverse City's airport expands, officials see an opportunity to address climate change. Also, the difficulty of tracking how opioid settlement dollars are spent. We'll hear how an old asylum in Traverse City inspired a new novel. And we meet the journalist behind a newsletter that's by, for and about the Indigenous people of Michigamiing (Michigan).

This week we have three conversations we think you need to hear. A lawsuit against Benzie County in federal court alleges that sheriff’s deputies could have prevented a murder. We hear from the victim’s son, who is bringing the case. And, federal job cuts hit close to home. A conversation with a Cadillac woman who lost her job at the Forest Service. Also, in his career as a freelance trumpeter, In...

Our stories this week are about finding community. Come with us to Death Club, a gathering of people in Traverse City who meet to talk about loss — and to find human connections and maybe even joy along the way. We'll also preview Sauna Fest, which begins Feb. 28. The organizers say they're hoping to bring together an increasing number of sauna enthusiasts in our region and maybe even appeal to so...

Much of the money for wildlife management at Michigan's Department of Natural Resources comes from people paying for hunting and fishing licenses. But the system might not hold up much longer. We'll also try our hand at the card game "Spitzer," a northeast Michigan classic with a dedicated band of folks trying to keep it alive. We hear from Matthew Fletcher, whose new collection of short stories,...

As whitefish numbers decline in lakes Michigan and Huron, researchers are hoping to get them to spawn in rivers for the first time in about a century. They're using what is basically a waterslide to help. Also, we catch up with former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. The Michigan Democrat is a private citizen now, but not taking a backseat on matters of public policy. And the author Geraldine Brooks tal...

Northwestern Michigan College made a big plane purchase in hopes of chipping away at a waiting list for its popular aviation program. Also, a local film — "Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)" — had its world premiere at Sundance this week. We take you out on frozen Black Lake for a state of northern Michigan culture. Oh, and the results of our State Bird CAWcus. Stories included in this episo...

As Michigan continues its push for clean energy, how does nuclear power factor into that? Northern Michigan could soon get some of its electricity from a restarted nuclear plant several hours south of here. We’ll explore the debate. Also, a journey to the bottom of the Great Lakes … by robot.

This week on the Up North Lowdown ... a walk through the garden. Yes, it is the dead of winter, but we are going to hear a little history of the Botanic Garden and a little more about its past and future at the Historic Barns Park. We will also dive into the question of Michigan’s state bird. Is the robin cutting it for us anymore? Your thoughts … in the latest episode of the Up North Lowdown, fro...