Up North Lowdown

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 about how a storm-related power outage devastated efforts to stock Michigan's steelhead fishery.

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 worrying. The Bellaire Dam has more water behind it than in its recorded history right now, and officials are warning people to pay attention to local updates.

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 conditions may have changed. ***

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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 we can keep local news on the airwaves. If you like the Lowdown, we'd love your support.

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 Series and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Doors open at 6:00pm at the Alluvian in Traverse City.

Click here to RSVP for this free event.

Local entrepreneur John Velis joins us to talk about how his company is giving Alzheimer's patients access their past.

Using pictures, videos, and audio stories 'Memory Bright' gives people suffering from Alzheimer's and their caretakers an easy place to store and play memories from their past, before the disease took hold. It's called 'reminiscence therapy' and a Northern Michigan business is bringing it to the world.

Learn more here.

When you flush the toilet, it has to end up somewhere. That "somewhere" is the Traverse City Regional Wastewater Treatment plant. The plant, which has been at the north end of Boardman Lake since 1932, is undergoing millions of dollars in upgrades over the next few years. We took a fascinating — and, yes, at one moment quite smelly — journey inside to learn what's going on and why it matters.

It's been about three years since millions of dollars started flowing into Michigan — and other states — to help fight the opioid crisis. The money came from settlements with drug makers, distributors and pharmacies. The funds are starting to make a difference but many communities have been slow to spend much of it. Or any of it. That includes Grand Traverse County. Ron French from Bridge Michigan explains what's going on. Also, repeated drives down U.S. 31 make one of our reporters wonder: When will that freestanding Dunkin' location open? She's not alone, as it happens. An update.

Around one in six people in northern lower Michigan has a concealed pistol license, or CPL. That's the highest concentration in the state. Soon, they might not need it. A bill in the Michigan Legislature would allow eligible gun owners to carry a concealed weapon without a separate license or training. Plus, springtime in Michigan means orange barrels on the roads. We take a look at some big road construction projects here in northern Michigan.