Up North Lowdown

The controversial project planned for Gogebic County was considered for a huge state grant, but that never came through. Now it's starting to get nibbles from other funding sources. IPR's Ellie Katz gives an update. Plus, Interlochen hosts "Winterlochen" this weekend.

Winter Vinecki, from Gaylord, and Boyne City's Kaila Kuhn didn't medal in freestyle aerial skiing this week, but journalist Ed Klajman says they have a lot of reasons to be proud. Kuhn's hometown fans have been following Klajman's coverage in the Boyne Citizen. He talked with IPR about the athleticism and artistry needed to compete in aerials, and the backstories of the two northern Michigan athle...

Two members of Congress visited Michigan's largest immigrant detention center this week and they say they want more oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. Reps. Haley Stevens and Hillary Scholten, both Democrats, said they spoke with four of the 1,500 detainees inside North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin. We also speak with Joe Beyer, one of the organizers behind the Fresh Coast Film...

Politics, whether national or local, has become a game of camps. You’re either in the red camp or the blue camp. And most people stay pretty entrenched. Today on the Up North Lowdown, we introduce you to a third camp: Purple. Tina Allen is one of the founding members of the Purple Assembly, which has a kickoff event tonight at the Traverse Area District Library. She talks with the Up North Lowdown...

When someone buys an illegal drug, there can be a difference between what they’re told they’re buying and what the drugs actually contain. That's because drugs on the illegal market are often mixed with other substances that pose an even greater risk for users. A lab in Traverse City works to sort it all out. IPR's Maxwell Howard spoke with the people who run those labs and know exactly what’s in...

John James Witherspoon was 28 when he died while fighting Russian forces in January of 2025. His remains were recently released and returned to the United States. Witherspoon was a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. His mother is the band's chairwoman. She and Witherspoon's father reflect on their son's life. We hear from one of his friends, too.

Today, we have two stories about how we use ice — from temporary caves along Lake Michigan to 'cryofarming' in the Upper Peninsula. First, Brian Freiberger from the Leelanau Enterprise tells us about the beauty and danger of ice caves, which have formed in our robust winter. And while this winter has indeed been pretty potent, the season has become less predictable over the years. Journalist Roxan...

Last month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced plans to make Michigan a hub for geologic hydrogen. So what is it? IPR climate solutions reporter Vivian La dug deep into what this potential clean fuel source is and why Michigan might be a pretty good place to look for it right under our feet.

As far as anyone knows, there's no data center eager to locate in Hayes Township, north of Charlevoix. Still, community officials have imposed a 180-day moratorium on such projects. Why? IPR's Claire Keenan-Kurgan listened in on a township meeting and heard what members of the public have to say. Some even worried that just talking about the topic might pique the interest of developers. We'll also...

Michigan is losing farms. Farmers are retiring and there are fewer people to take over their work. A new program wants to change that by acting as sort of a matchmaker. The idea is to pair retiring farmers with people looking to advance in farming. The farms create a sort of dating profile, and prospective farmers see if they're a good fit. Today, we talk with reporter Miles MacClure, who looked i...

Every four years, everyone goes crazy over curling. It shows up in the Olympic Games, which seems to give it a boost in popularity (at least in the countries where it's not already popular). And, since the games get underway tonight, we sent Austin Rowlader out on the sheet at the Traverse City Curling Club, to see what all the hype is about.

Data centers could be big business for communities in Michigan. They also raise serious concerns about their impact on energy grids and the environment. Today, we talk with the planning director in Garfield Township, just outside Traverse City, about the prospect of data centers there. Also: Deer baiting is a hot topic here in northern Michigan. That’s when you leave a big pile of, say, apples or...

Each year, volunteers fan out in northern Michigan — and around the country — to try and take a data snapshot: How many people are living without shelter? The point-in-time, or PIT, count provides data that informs federal funding. But where the government sends that money might soon change. Also: Grand Traverse Bay has frozen over for the first time since 2019. We hear how scientists are going ba...

America's groundhogs (and other creatures) have weighed in. But how accurate are they? And what do, you know, the actual meteorologists at the National Weather Service say about our long-term forecast?

Fred Birdsee was born in Empire in 1899 and was still telling stories when IPR met up with him in January of 2000. We listen back to a story from Michelle Corum. Plus, forget Punxsutawney Phil! Michigan has its own weather-predicting rodent, thank you very much. Woody issued her proclamation this morning. And, of course, we wrap up the headlines.

On this episode, invasive species mitigation and a ride in an intergalactic snowplow. To limit invasive species in Michigan forests, state regulators are hoping to ban the transportation of firewood from across state lines. But are these bans effective? We'll hear from IPR environment reporter Ellie Katz. But first — we're going to a galaxy far far away...to plow snow.

Michelle Jokisch Polo visits the North Lake Processing Center with a retired pastor. Headlines include data centers, snowplowed mailboxes, and a new book store in TC. 1300 people are being held in the North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin. Most have not been charged with a crime. "We don't know these people," said retired pastor Dale Dalman. "But we care for them because they're our neighbor...

We talk with Suzanne Mettler, political scientist and author of "Rural Versus Urban."

Native American boarding schools have a long history of physical and sexual abuse, but there is no accounting of how many children were taken from their homes and brought to these boarding schools and how many died while they were there. There were five official boarding schools in Michigan, with many more unofficial schools. The boarding school in Harbor Springs didn't close until 1983. Soon afte...

2000 people gathered in downtown Traverse City on Sunday to protest the killing of 37 year old Alex Pretti by federal agents. IPR's Maxwell Howard was there. Also, the Northern Michigan Policy Conference attracted top names in the states' 2026 gubernatorial race. IPR's Claire Keenan-Kurgan sat down LIVE in-studio with guest host Dan Wanschura to talk about the candidates' opening moves as they joc...

Vivian La covers climate solutions for IPR and Grist, and she recently sat down with Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson. They talked about large-scale renewable energy projects and the future of data centers in Michigan, among other things. We also hear from IPR's Claire Keenan-Kurgan with a short preview of the Northern Michigan Policy Conference — an annual gathering of community...

A task force looking at homelessness issues in Traverse City is considering the possibility of combining the area's two big overnight shelters. What would that actually look like? IPR's Maxwell Howard details the possibilities. And our music director, Amanda Sewell, has an invitation for those of you love concerts but don't want to go it alone. Our Concertino Club might be just the spot for you.

In the late 1990s, nearly half of Michiganders who had been in prison reoffended after their release. Today that number has fallen to a historic low … about a fifth of people now return to incarceration. Still, people leaving prison or jail face steep hurdles rebuilding their lives — from finding housing and work to overcoming stigma. In this episode, we hear from someone trying to start over and...

There have been reported sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents throughout northern Michigan. This place, like many in the country, is watching Minneapolis and wondering whether similar scenes could play out here.

There are a few places in northern Michigan where you can spot Confederate flags flying in windows, or posted up on fences. Ahead of her Traverse City visit on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we ask the Detroit Poet Laureate jessica Care moore what she makes of that.