Up North Lowdown

It’s summer, folks. There are a lot of people going swimming. There are a lot of people going out on their boats. Then, of course, there’s a lot of people walking on the shoreline with their heads down.

Did they lose their keys?

Are they checking out their new toenail polish?

No. We'll tell you what they're doing in this episode.

Also, a local composting company is making their pitch at the NextCycle pitch competition.

Get the latest on Randy and Victoria Bishop's defamation lawsuit. Also, large scale solar array plans in Wexford County.

During a 2024 broadcast of "Our Defending Fathers," Randy Bishop's conservative talk radio program, he told his listeners an Onaway businessman, Tom Moran "shipped in illegal immigrants" to work at his metal fabrication business.

Moran sued Bishop and the radio station for defamation.

The radio station airing the comments was owned by Antrim County Clerk Victoria Bishop, who has recently come under scrutiny from the Michigan Bureau of Elections for making illegal changes to the state's Qualified Voter File (QVF).

Her access to the QVF was recently revoked by the bureau.

The Bishops are also under investigation from the Michigan State Police for a February incident where a member of the Antrim County custodial staff saw Trucker Randy at Victoria's computer unsupervised.

The Bishops have refused to cooperate with the courts in their defamation lawsuit and have spoiled evidence pertaining to the case.

This prompted Judge Aaron Gauthier [gaw-THeer] of Cheboygan’s 53rd circuit court to enter a default judgment, holding Trucker Randy and Victoria Bishop’s radio station liable for defamation.

This week, jurors will decide how much in damages will be awarded to Tom Moran and his business.

Also in this episode, Kate Grumke from Harvest Public Media tells us about the re-emersion of the serviceberry or Juneberry.

Data centers are popping up around the country, including in Michigan. So far, the projects have been downstate. What's the likelihood they'd come Up North?

Some immigrants detained inside Michigan detention centers have been held for over six months. For some, it’s been closer to a year. Mental health experts say that takes a toll. We hear the voices of some who have been held for what feels like an indefinite amount of time. Reporting by Claire Keenan-Kurgan and Michigan Public's Michelle Jokisch Polo and Adam Yahya Rayes.

IPR has obtained the 10-page complaint made against Leelanau County Administrator Jim Dyer, who was placed on paid leave earlier this month. In today's episode, IPR's Maxwell Howard walks us through some of the specifics, and we hear voices from Leelanau County commenting on the turbulence in their government. Plus, our occasional gardening segment, "Grow & Tell," explores rhubarb.

The state Bureau of Elections has suspended Victoria Bishop's ability to see or modify the qualified voter file, or QVF. State officials wrote that she was told not to alter the file, but did anyway. We hear from two voters who went down to their township clerk's office to make sure they were still registered. Also, could the waves of Lake Michigan provide reliable power to Beaver Island? A test this weekend could help find out.

The proposal to bury oil and natural gas liquid pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac has been a lightning rod for years. A virtual hearing on a state permit is set for Thursday. But there are lots of moving parts: state permits, federal permits, legal challenges and more. We thought it would be useful to walk through some of the details.

The potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare settings was a big subject at the bargaining table for union nurses at northern Michigan's largest hospital. Now that they have a deal, what does it say? We have some details. Also, we have a look at IPR's Sound Garden Project and its residency in Glen Arbor.

The Grand Rapids-based Native News Online is doing a variety of things this year to bring Native voices to the forefront as the United States marks 250 years as a nation. Native News Online Editor and Publisher Levi Rickert talked to IPR about how the project got started and the complicated mix of feelings he and many others feel around occasions like the semiquincentennial of the United States.