Regional news roundup: Benzie's millage, Wexford's solar and Up North's wildfire danger

Regional news roundup: Benzie's millage, Wexford's solar and Up North's wildfire danger

It's a regional roundup today on the Up North Lowdown. We'll hear about a crucial millage vote in Benzie County, solar array concerns in Wexford County and how rainfall doesn't necessarily tell you much about wildfire danger.

Why was A.I. part of contract talks for Munson nurses?

Union nurses and Munson Medical Center in Traverse City have reached a tentative agreement after months of negotiation. Artificial intelligence was among the issues on the table during those talks. We hear why. Plus, other stories from northern Michigan.

As Michigan's weather shifts, demand is growing for tornado safe rooms

Last year, you might recall, northern Michigan experienced three tornadoes on the same day. In 2022, Gaylord was hit by a deadly twister. And southwest Michigan suffered deaths and injuries after tornadoes earlier this year. What do you do if you live in a home with little shelter, like no basement, or lots of windows? More and more, people are turning to tornado safe rooms. Bridge Michigan's Nate Miller wrote about the growing trend and talks with the Lowdown about why demand is growing for the shelters.

At Michigan's prisons, is a raise enough to keep workers?

Prison workers in the Michigan Department of Corrections have been upset about working conditions — including thin staffing, safety concerns and mandatory overtime — for a while. IPR, WCMU and the Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative produced a series of reports about this back in April. Now, those workers are about to get a raise. Will it assuage any concern? Reporting for this episode came from Claire Keenan-Kurgan.

Federal cuts could limit data on Great Lakes

Some groups that do research and collect data on the Great Lakes face existential threats as the federal budgeting process gets underway. The president wants to cut their funding. That’s worrying scientists who say the work they do is the foundation of weather observations, water quality, maritime safety and recreation on the Great Lakes. IPR climate solutions reporter Vivian La tells us more. And, yes, it's been a buggy spring so far. We hear what might be happening, from IPR's Ellie Katz.