Up North Lowdown

The state Bureau of Elections has suspended Victoria Bishop's ability to see or modify the qualified voter file, or QVF. State officials wrote that she was told not to alter the file, but did anyway. We hear from two voters who went down to their township clerk's office to make sure they were still registered. Also, could the waves of Lake Michigan provide reliable power to Beaver Island? A test t...

The proposal to bury oil and natural gas liquid pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac has been a lightning rod for years. A virtual hearing on a state permit is set for Thursday. But there are lots of moving parts: state permits, federal permits, legal challenges and more. We thought it would be useful to walk through some of the details.

The potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare settings was a big subject at the bargaining table for union nurses at northern Michigan's largest hospital. Now that they have a deal, what does it say? We have some details. Also, we have a look at IPR's Sound Garden Project and its residency in Glen Arbor.

The Grand Rapids-based Native News Online is doing a variety of things this year to bring Native voices to the forefront as the United States marks 250 years as a nation. Native News Online Editor and Publisher Levi Rickert talked to IPR about how the project got started and the complicated mix of feelings he and many others feel around occasions like the semiquincentennial of the United States.

It's never too late to learn something new. That's the idea behind Act 2, a program of the Traverse City Philharmonic that lets adults who are new to music learn how to play an instrument. Some, like Jennifer Wesling, participated in music in their youth and are learning a new musical instrument. Classical IPR has been checking in with members of the Act 2 band. On this episode, we get an update a...

On Monday, a Grand Traverse County jury convicted Steven Gary Koon, 64, of the killing of Linda Meteer in 1989. Key to securing the conviction, the prosecutor said, was mitochondrial DNA evidence demonstrating Meteer had been in Koon's vehicle. Journalist Mardi Link explains how recent science secured a conviction after 37 years.

For about 20 years, people in Antrim County have piled unwanted goods along the side of the road. People spend time picking it all over, taking what they like, and often find some real treasures: furniture, art, a hot tub. But MDOT says the trash needs to stay out of the right-of-way or the Spring Cleanup could end. And one township is hoping a small sign might save the tradition.

It's a regional roundup today on the Up North Lowdown. We'll hear about a crucial millage vote in Benzie County, solar array concerns in Wexford County and how rainfall doesn't necessarily tell you much about wildfire danger.

Union nurses and Munson Medical Center in Traverse City have reached a tentative agreement after months of negotiation. Artificial intelligence was among the issues on the table during those talks. We hear why. Plus, other stories from northern Michigan.

Last year, you might recall, northern Michigan experienced three tornadoes on the same day. In 2022, Gaylord was hit by a deadly twister. And southwest Michigan suffered deaths and injuries after tornadoes earlier this year. What do you do if you live in a home with little shelter, like no basement, or lots of windows? More and more, people are turning to tornado safe rooms. Bridge Michigan's Nate...

Prison workers in the Michigan Department of Corrections have been upset about working conditions — including thin staffing, safety concerns and mandatory overtime — for a while. IPR, WCMU and the Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative produced a series of reports about this back in April. Now, those workers are about to get a raise. Will it assuage any concern? Reporting for this episode came...

Some groups that do research and collect data on the Great Lakes face existential threats as the federal budgeting process gets underway. The president wants to cut their funding. That’s worrying scientists who say the work they do is the foundation of weather observations, water quality, maritime safety and recreation on the Great Lakes. IPR climate solutions reporter Vivian La tells us more. And...

How do you tell the story of a complicated country, for people you'll never meet? Hear our conversation with Interlochen resident Tom Medema, project manager for America's Time Capsule, part of the official celebration of the nation's semiquincentennial. The capsule will be buried in Philadelphia until 2276.

Michigan needs new farmers. So does the nation. But it's a hard business. There are big challenges, including high costs and access to land. That's to say nothing of fickle weather and a changing climate. Just south of Traverse City, an incubator farm is working to solve some of these issues. IPR climate solutions reporter Vivian La takes us there. And Austin Rowlader has details on a new investig...

Five children from Grand Traverse County were sent out of state for mental health treatment — to a Missouri facility with a history of allegations of sexual and physical abuse. Now, the mother of one of those children speaks out, telling IPR she warned the court about the facility's past, but her son was sent there anyway.

We first met Leslie Meyers, aka "the Dam Lady," back in October — long before rising waters this spring that flooded many households downstream of the dam in Bellaire. When that happened, in April, it was Meyers who was tasked with orchestrating the emergency response, issuing evacuation preparedness orders, handling media contacts, and overseeing repairs to the 100 year old earthen berm that hold...

The Traverse City Pit Spitters begin their season today in Kalamazoo. After two games there, the team comes to Traverse City for a Wednesday home opener against the Rockford Rivets. Last year the team had the second most wins in franchise history. But it's hard to how what will happen this year. Pit Spitters Manager Todd Reed explains why and talks about the importance of building a team around mo...

A 12-hour concert this weekend will celebrate the life of Holly T. Bird, a lawyer, activist, tribal judge and former TCAPS school board member. Also: Our gardening segment returns, and we hear about more data center angst.

The state accuses Antrim County's clerk of mishandling voter registration data. The clerk, Victoria Bishop, says she's doing what voters elected her to do. Township clerks seem largely frustrated by the changes. Voters seem confused. And the state Bureau of Elections has threatened legal consequences. Votebeat reporter Hayley Harding joins us to talk about the laws governing how voter registration...

Gas prices are up and plane tickets are more expensive. For many, a summer vacation — the sort of thing northern Michigan's economy counts on to get by — might be in question this year. But some say high overall travel costs might actually help local tourism. Plus, what happens if you want to stay here? We take a look at northern Michigan's housing market as we head into summer.

IPR has learned that Antrim County Clerk Victoria Bishop canceled voter registrations, despite denying it to the state. Also, we visit the set of northern Michigan filmmaker Rich Brauer's latest movie — set at a retirement home. Brauer has been making films for decades and says he's quite far from retirement, thank you very much.

It’s election season for races you’ve probably never heard about — but can impact your energy bill. Michigan’s rural energy cooperatives set rates, manage multi-million dollar budgets and decide reliability standards. They're board of directors are voted in by co-op members but annual elections for these positions have low voter turnouts — as low as 10% for some energy co-ops. This could be the ye...

The Up North Lowdown is all about bringing you the news from your own back yard. But sometimes it's important to leave our back yards for a while and experience how the rest of the world operates. That's exactly what our host Ed Ronco did this week. He was at the BBC, learning how they put together the Newshour. While he was there, he ran into BBC World Service host James Coomarasamy on the street...

Due to recent closures of mental health facilities across the state, children experiencing mental health issues are being sent out of state for care. In 2025, three children from Grand Traverse County were placed at the Lakeland Behavioral Health System in Missouri. Abuse allegations were made against the facility every year from 2011 until 2024. They now have multiple lawsuits filed against them...

The Antrim County Clerk, Victoria Bishop, owns a radio station where her husband airs a daily three-hour-long conservative talk radio show. Producer Austin Rowlader takes you inside one of his recent episodes where Trucker Randy raises money so the Antrim County Clerk's office can sue Michigan elections officials. For more information about the Antrim County Clerk and the recent allegations from t...