On Hand

Coming in with a little something extra for you this weekend. Today, a story from one of our producers about a city in Michigan with a new plan to revitalize their downtown. 

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Music from  Blue Dot Sessions.

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Stateside's Studio Visits introduces you to artists across Michigan–and their workspaces. When you spend time where artists work, you can pick up a lot about what makes them tick, and what shapes their creative process.

In this episode, we take you to the west side of the state to meet an artist whose work is transforming the landscape of public art–and making visible the lives of Michigan’s Indigenous people. 

GUEST: 

Jason Quigno, Saginaw Chippewa tribal member and stone sculptor 

You can find photos of Jason at work in his Grand Rapids studio here. 

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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One year ago this month, Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, was fatally shot in the back of the head by a white Grand Rapids police officer. 

It’s yet another instance of a officer using deadly force against a Black individual. Yet another reason to continue the conversation around training, racial bias, and accountability in our police departments. 

Today, one year after that tragedy, we ask what Grand Rapids’ policing looks like, what change has happened, and what one advocate turned city leader wants next.

GUESTS:

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Music from  Blue Dot Sessions.

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Over 700-thousand customers of DTE and Consumers Energy lost power in an ice storm earlier this year. There’s since been a public outcry for state leaders to hold the power companies accountable. That pressure ratchets up as DTE faces scrutiny for its political spending. 

We examine the relationship between the investor-owned utilities and state lawmakers. Plus one Democrat in the State House shares what he wants accountability from DTE to look like.

GUESTS:

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Music from  Blue Dot Sessions.

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Walking in Michigan’s prairies, you may have seen a poweshiek skipperling – a small silvery butterfly – and not even known it. But the reality is their population is dropping at an alarming rate. We talk to a biologist who's trying to change that.

GUESTS:

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Music from  Blue Dot Sessions.

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How do you stage authentic looking intimacy in film and theater? How do you do this while advocating for the people starring in these roles? Today, a conversation with two Michigan State University professors who a book on the intimacy direction. It's called “Supporting Staged Intimacy: A Practical Guide for Theatre Creatives, Managers and Crew.”

GUESTS:

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Music from  Blue Dot Sessions.

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Jimmy Lee Hill is the executive chef instructor of Lakeland Correctional Facility's food service and culinary arts program. The training program, Hill, and his students are the subject of a new film called Coldwater Kitchen. The documentary offers a lens on modern corrections, and also the power of food in our culture.

Today on the podcast, we revisited our original trip to Lakeland's kitchen back in 2019. We also spoke with chef Jimmy Lee Hill and filmmaker Mark Kurlyandchik. Coldwater Kitchen debuts at the Freep Film Festival on April 26th. Hear more about the film and its making on this episode of Stateside.

GUESTS ON TODAY'S SHOW:

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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.

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In the debate over so-called "red flag" laws in the state, the subject of suicide is centered. Rural Michigan - as in the remote regions throughout the nation - suffers from the highest rates of suicide. And many of those deaths are caused by guns. Just as most gun-related deaths are self-inflicted. Advocates for red-flag laws say the change could help prevent many of those deaths.

GUEST: 

If you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, please seek someone out to talk to. The Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 9-8-8.

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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.

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Democrats in control of the state Legislature think they can start to turn the tide of preventable gun death here in Michigan. But the thing about laws, is they have to be enforced to work. And not all county commissions want new laws on the books.

GUEST:

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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.

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This weekend, UAW members elected the next UAW president: Shawn Fain. And Fain’s taking a strong stance out of the gate – promising a more aggressive approach with automakers. So what does this new era of UAW leadership mean for auto workers, and for the automotive sector at large?

GUEST:

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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.

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