Up North Lowdown

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 Northwestern Michigan College, about the upcoming Campus Day.

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 handling the county's voter rolls. And state officials appear in Traverse City to talk about dam safety.

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, migrating back to Michigan. (King Charles and Queen Camilla are in the U.S. today, but that's someone else's story to cover.)

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 future of the pipeline should stay in state courts, not federal. Reporting by Vivian La, Austin Rowlader

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 of solidarity for immigration detainees on a hunger strike at North Lake Processing Center.

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 weather and the disasters that result, including the recent flooding and ice storms we felt here in northern Michigan.

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 been cleared in the fatal shooting of a man in Traverse City. And Democratic Party hopefuls gathered in Detroit over the weekend to give endorsements for statewide office — and to hear from some possible 2028 presidential contenders.

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 to find out.

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.