Up North Lowdown

Each year, volunteers fan out in northern Michigan — and around the country — to try and take a data snapshot: How many people are living without shelter? The point-in-time, or PIT, count provides data that informs federal funding. But where the government sends that money might soon change.

Also: Grand Traverse Bay has frozen over for the first time since 2019. We hear how scientists are going back in time to figure out the history of ice cover on the Great Lakes.

And we remember a former U.S. senior diplomat who, in his retirement, called Traverse City home.

America's groundhogs (and other creatures) have weighed in. But how accurate are they? And what do, you know, the actual meteorologists at the National Weather Service say about our long-term forecast?

Fred Birdsee was born in Empire in 1899 and was still telling stories when IPR met up with him in January of 2000. We listen back to a story from Michelle Corum.

Plus, forget Punxsutawney Phil! Michigan has its own weather-predicting rodent, thank you very much. Woody issued her proclamation this morning.

And, of course, we wrap up the headlines.

On this episode, invasive species mitigation and a ride in an intergalactic snowplow.

To limit invasive species in Michigan forests, state regulators are hoping to ban the transportation of firewood from across state lines. But are these bans effective? We'll hear from IPR environment reporter Ellie Katz.

But first — we're going to a galaxy far far away...to plow snow.

Michelle Jokisch Polo visits the North Lake Processing Center with a retired pastor. Headlines include data centers, snowplowed mailboxes, and a new book store in TC.

1300 people are being held in the North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin. Most have not been charged with a crime.

"We don't know these people," said retired pastor Dale Dalman. "But we care for them because they're our neighbors."

Michigan Public's Michelle Jokisch Polo follows Dalman while he visits the people behind bars.

Then, guest host Dan Wanschura discusses data centers and snowplowed mailboxes.

We talk with Suzanne Mettler, political scientist and author of "Rural Versus Urban."

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 after the state attorney general's office decided not to publish a report on Native American boarding schools in Michigan, they opened up their own investigation. IPR's Austin Rowlader sat down with Bridge Michigan's Ron French to learn more about the buried report and what the AG's office hopes to find in their investigation.

Then, scientists want to know how thick the ice on the great lakes is this winter. Climate solutions reporter Vivian La profiles the citizen scientists that will be measuring the ice thickness.

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 jockey for position ahead of the 2026 election season.

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 leaders who talk about the region's economy and future. (She'll be back on the Lowdown Monday to discuss what actually happened.)

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.