Up North Lowdown

Grand Traverse County is moving ahead with new building projects, plus the state Natural Resources Commission could consider enacting a "one-buck" rule on deer hunters this week. We also talk with Matthew Burtner, a composer and sound artist who records soundscapes from different environments and makes them into music. Burtner is completing an artist residency sponsored by the Elberta Labor Herita...

The pink salmon first entered the Great Lakes when a small number were discarded into a sewer. They eventually made their way into Lake Superior. That was 70 years ago. The population has just experienced a sharp increase in numbers worldwide. Ellie Katz discusses possible Great Lakes implications. Also, a popular local restaurant is hoping to open a cafe and bakery in a vacant space in downtown T...

Isiah Smith was astonished when an author shared some of his research — a bill of sale that enslaved Smith's great grandfather, just a boy at the time. The retired attorney and northern Michigan author talks tonight with that author — Orice Jenkins — whose book, "The Early County Massacre: Goolsby vs. The State of Georgia" is set in the county where Smith was born. We hear from Smith in this episo...

The Father Fred Foundation food pantry in Grand Traverse County served 47,000 people last year. That's in a county of just over 90,000 people. We look at the demand on one resource in Grand Traverse County. Also, a newly restored barn just opened at Traverse City's Historic Barns Park and, when it did, the public got a look at a message left behind nearly 70 years ago by a grumpy worker who wrote...

Northern Michigan wineries are leaning on hybrid grape varieties to withstand less predictable winters and other obstacles brought on by climate change. Reporter Miles MacClure takes us to a winery in Charlevoix to learn more. Also, we hear about a conference planned for Traverse City that aims to prevent threats facing children — things like campus safety, internet predators, bullying and AI-driv...

We're talking about representation today. In one sense, it's literal representation — who will fill the open state Senate seat in Michigan's 35th District? It's far away from Up North, but the ramifications of today's special election could be felt statewide. We also hear from Classical IPR's Isabel Li, whose new podcast — AAPI Classical Musicians of Interlochen — looks at the musical contribution...

Bellaire, Michigan. People gather in a bar on a Saturday. Sports? No. Beverages? Maybe. Probably, really. But the main reason they're here is to copy the United States Constitution, every word of it, by hand. These events have been going on for a while now — and IPR's Austin Rowlader went to see what it's all about. He found some pondering over the document itself (why the weird capitalizations?)...

Taped LIVE from Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City, Ed kicks off the first full day of the Fresh Coast Film Festival. Traverse City Mayor Amy Shamroe joins us to talk about the film industry. Rachel Felder, producer of "Detroit to Gloryland," talks about the experience of taking a group of students to see the Yosemite National Park. Also a preview of "An Autumn Summer" — a coming of age romance...

Julie Cordier keeps a binder filled with notes on each person’s name, some details about them, and how often she’s seen them. She guesses she's visited between 15 and 20 detainees at the North Lake Processing Center. Today, we hear her story, plus we meet a composer who takes inspiration — and sound — from the natural world to make his music.

Michigan dams are not built for climate change. Many of the state's 2,500 dams were built more than a century ago and updates have not kept up with the warming world. So as waters continue to recede across northern Michigan from historic flooding, several close calls have renewed a push for dam upgrades, maintenance and even removal. In this episode, we also check in with Shannah Vergote of Northw...

Christian clergy in northern Michigan and around the state are holding a 'solidarity fast' with a Traverse City man detained by ICE and on hunger strike at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin. They spoke to reporters and others in Suttons Bay. Also: Antrim Co. Clerk Victoria Bishop has responded to state demands for information, after the Bureau of Elections questioned her methods in handl...

Northern Michigan needs a facility to help people with mental health issues. That's the recommendation of a Michigan House report. The region has a severe lack of psychiatric hospital beds. We'll hear what local mental health advocates say about it. Also, we look in on construction at FishPass, a big project along the Boardman-Ottaway River. And the monarchs are coming! The butterflies, we mean, m...

Understaffing. Mandatory overtime. Physical danger. Michigan's prison workers face serious obstacles and the issue is especially acute in the Upper Peninsula. A special report from the Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative explores what's happening, how we got here and what officials are doing about it. IPR's Claire Keenan-Kurgan walks us through the details and brings us some voices.

The man who runs a group called the Election Integrity Force … based in metro Detroit … says he just wants free and fair elections. But he’s flagging individual voters for investigation by their local clerks without verifying if there’s any reason to be concerned. And his sights are set on Antrim County. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court hands a win to opponents of Line 5, deciding that a lawsuit over...

The Michigan Bureau of Elections has sent a letter to the Antrim County Clerk demanding that she explain some actions she’s taken in the year-or-so she’s been in office. State officials say Victoria Bishop has been too zealous in her efforts to "clean up" Antrim County's voter roll and is acting outside her legal authority. Votebeat reporter Hayley Harding explains what's happening. Also, a show o...

The Civil Air Patrol in Traverse City actually keeps its plane in Cadillac. That slows the group down when its volunteers are called upon to help with search-and-rescue operations or other services. IPR's Claire Keenan-Kurgan learns what the group is all about and how it's working toward a new home in Traverse City. Plus, a Harvest Public Media story about how farmers are coping with extreme weath...

The flood waters are starting to recede in northern Michigan, but they have certainly left their mark. Near Cheboygan County's Black Lake, some homeowners say they've lost everything. The Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex is still churning away at the water backed up behind it. And in Antrim County, there might be renewed interest in efforts to repair the 120-year-old Bellaire Dam. Also: Police have...

Leslie Meyers, operator of dams in Antrim County, talks to IPR from the site of the Bellaire Dam. She says there are reasons to hope, but also plenty of reasons to stay vigilant as more rains are expected Friday night. Also, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visits the Cheboygan Dam. And at the end of a long week, a couple laughs with a renewed euphoniumist. Don't know what that word means? Listen to the end...

Today on the Up North Lowdown, IPR's Austin Rowlader takes us on a tour of the Bellaire Dam and then gives us the latest on its status — and what could happen if it fails. We also hear about a narrow escape for a road crew that was inspecting a bridge when it suddenly gave way in Grand Traverse County.

In today's episode of the Up North Lowdown, we look around the region at efforts to prepare for the worst while also hoping for the best. We'll hear the latest from Cheboygan, where authorities explained what a flood might look like if the dam there were to burst. We hear about sandbagging in Antrim County and get an update on the Bellaire Dam from IPR's Austin Rowlader. And Vivian La tells us abo...

The strain has increased on dams in Cheboygan and Bellaire as snowmelt and rainfall push huge amounts of water through northern Michigan. In Cheboygan, people are actively preparing to evacuate from their homes, and Consumers Energy is helping the Michigan Department of Natural Resources move water through its dam on the Cheboygan River. In Antrim County, the situation is less severe but no less w...

There were numerous reports of flooding across northern Michigan, and all eyes were on the Cheboygan Dam on Monday morning, where the water was just about a foot below the top of the dam. We'll hear the situation as of Monday morning from Cheboygan and Antrim counties. Austin Rowlader reports from the Bellaire Dam on monitoring efforts there. *** This was recorded at 8:42 a.m. Monday, so condition...

Put a short description of the episode here. You'll have a chance to do a longer description elsewhere. Focus here on the main item in the episode. Then use a second paragraph to talk about what else might be on offer today. That can include a secondary item or a couple of things from a headlines roundup. If the main event is the WHOLE event, go on just a little longer about what was said or what...

City manager Benjamin Marentette wants to know what Traverse City residents want their public spaces to look like. What kinds of ideas is he looking for? He told IPR's Austin Rowlader he wants ideas that "put a smile on people's faces." The best part? The survey asks only two questions. You can take it here. Also, our pledge drive begins today. A few times a year we ask our listeners to chip in so...

Employees from Traverse City's largest private employer are going back to the office. Almost 400 workers at Hagerty Insurance Agency are now making their way to the company's downtown headquarters. IPR's Maxwell Howard checks in with local businesses. Plus, Ed Ronco sits down with Parul Kapur whose debut novel Inside the Mirror will be the subject of a free event hosted by the National Writers Ser...