Up North Lowdown

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.

Today, we talk about changes to hunting regulations and coyote management. And we hear about some budget numbers that made our reporter's jaw drop.

Northern Michigan's ice storm in March 2025 caused staggering damage to forests. Getting federal aid to make up for the losses has been a waiting game for many here. Now, things are starting to move forward — but not soon enough for many.

Grand Traverse County is getting millions of dollars from opioid lawsuit settlements. County officials want your help figuring out how best to spend that money. Plus, Arsenic and Old Lace and a whole bunch of yarn, in Manistee.

A new season of "Pints North" trivia is coming up, so "Points North" host Dan Wanschura tests our mettle. Also, why the wild swings in the weather? A battle of the air masses, says a local meteorologist.

In the first winter after Traverse City's ‘no camping’ ordinance, people endure winter out of view. IPR looks at where they're ending up — from shelters to shacks. Homelessness in Traverse City hasn't gone away. It's just become less visible.

The Up North Lowdown returns Jan. 12 as a daily podcast. New episodes Monday through Friday.

Over the last few months, we’ve been thinking a lot about how we serve you, our audience, and pouring a lot of energy into some new ideas. That’s taken a lot of our focus and attention. And so we took a pause here. But we'll be back!

There are a handful of traditional sailing vessels that depart from the shores of Michigan. These boats are wind-powered and look like relics of the past. Sailing on one of them was voted No. 3 on the Michigan Dreaming bucket list, which the nonprofit news organization Bridge Michigan put together with reader suggestions. Bridge Michigan’s Laura Herberg boarded one of them — Manitou, a schooner ru...

In the summer, in the Upper Peninsula, there’s a place where you’ll find sled dogs running around. Bridge Michigan's "Michigan Dreaming" series takes us there.

President Trump wants the U.S. maritime industry to have more vessels under the flag of the United States. That will tap into a short supply of merchant mariners.

Cheering all night long was rated No. 4 on the Michigan Dreaming bucket list, which the nonprofit news organization Bridge Michigan put together with reader suggestions. Come with us to the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon.

In the last eight years, the number of cars traveling through Mancelona has gone up by 47 percent. And this has created some unique challenges for local police.

Last week, dozens of canoe teams made their way down the Au Sable River in an all-night marathon. But come morning, all that remains is the trash that people left behind. One conservation group is continuing a decade-long program to clean the river — while also teaching troubled kids to value the pristine waters.

Traverse City Police Officer Krista Fryczynski is the department’s Community Officer, a position focused on outreach to unsheltered residents in the city.

On July 26, a man started stabbing people inside the Walmart near Traverse City. We look at what transpired that day, where the story stands now, and what we know about the suspect. Reporter Eli Newman joins us to talk about his reporting into suspect Bradford Gille's history of mental illness and a conversation he had with Gille's older brother, Shane.

What’s on your summer bucket list? The nonprofit news organization Bridge Michigan asked readers that question this spring. The result is a list of ten under-the-radar adventures that can be completed in our state during the summer. One of the items on that list is to climb Mount Arvon, the state’s tallest natural point. Bridge Michigan’s Laura Herberg is checking off items on the list this summer...

We'll get back to our usual stories in short order — a couple good ones coming later this week, in fact. But this episode is all about us. You've probably heard that Congress voted to take back federal funding already promised to public broadcasting. For Interlochen Public Radio, it's a $300,000 budget hit. Still, IPR Executive Director Peter Payette says despite the bad news for our federal fundi...