Up North Lowdown

After their father was detained at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, two sisters from Grand Rapids committed to helping other detainees. When people are released from North Lake, they offer rides through a network of volunteers. They also help reconnect people with their families. We hear about it from journalist Jacob Wheeler, of the Glen Arbor Sun. We'll also hear about an old-but-newly-released report that has sparked renewed concern among opponents of the Line 5 tunnel project in the Straits of Mackinac. And a brief word about why IPR News avoids April Fools' stories — not that everyone should.

The 1st District of Michigan has been represented in the U.S. House for nearly a decade by U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet). He's running for reelection. The best known Democrat in the race is Callie Barr. And neither plans to be at a "Meet the Candidats" event held by the group Traverse Indivisible Education & Solidarity. Still, organizers hope people will come see the two Democrats, one Republican and one Independent who will be there, in a conversation focused on civil discourse.

A year ago — in the throes of an ice storm that had scattered tree limbs and power lines across northern Michigan — Wanda Whiting suddenly needed to get her husband to a hospital. So she drove through the storm's aftermath, right across the power lines. Would any of that have happened if the lines had been buried? And one year later, do we have any plans to do that? IPR's Vivian La digs into that question.

The 850 members of the Michigan Nurses Association who work at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City have been working without a contract since March 10. They took their message to the public this week. Their concerns include staffing issues, mandatory overtime and other working conditions. They're planning what's called a "practice strike" on April 9. IPR's Claire Keenan-Kurgan explains what's going on.

Two years ago, homelessness advocates in northern Michigan made a longstanding ideal a reality. Goodwill Northern Michigan bought an apartment complex in Traverse City called East Bay Flats and turned it into what’s called “permanent supportive housing,” for people who were homeless. IPR’s Maxwell Howard visited the Flats to see how that idea is actually working in practice. We also have some news as baseball season begins: Unlike last year, you'll actually be able to hear the Detroit Tigers on the radio in Traverse City!

Maple season is in full swing here at Hidden Acres Sugar Bush in Gaylord, a business run by Jennifer RiChard and her husband. But it wasn’t so long ago that none of this seemed possible. A look at how the sugar bush is recovering a year after an ice storm devastated tens of millions of trees across northern Michigan, including many sugar maples.

Most of the time when you hear about real estate investment, you hear about big banks or private equity firms. They are becoming some of America’s biggest landlords. One group in Emmet and Charlevoix counties is trying to reverse that trend. It’s starting up a community investment fund — with a focus on housing — that would let community members invest in housing in their home towns. We also hear from reporter Daniel Schoenherr at the Cadillac News about how an elementary school in Mesick is trying to teach without screens, in an effort to raise test scores.

A review of court documents shows a disturbing trend — contractors taking money without performing any work. Some of them rack up complaint after complaint but continue to find "work." The court system hasn't been able to keep up. Reporter Mardi Link fills us in.

Also, state legislators hope to combat high housing costs by restricting local control over zoning and land use laws.

Our colleagues at Michigan Public, Lindsey Smith and Adam Yahya Rayes got a hold of emergency calls coming out of the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin. 56-year old Nenko Gantchev died in the facility in December. Michigan Public shares some of the 911 calls from the detention center to emergency dispatchers. We'll hear how a legislative holdup in Lansing put medical licenses in peril. And Steve Veatch with the Benzie Area Historical Society previews their annual Artifactory event.

Today, we look at government transparency with a primer on how to access your local government, and how adept Up North governments are at keeping in touch with their constituents. We also have the latest on the storm. Lights are coming back on. And an Olympian returns home to Boyne City.