Some of the stories we've chosen for this post were arguably the top stories of 2022. Others are just nice moments we think are worth revisiting.
Listen to our Year in Review special via the audio player above (it aired Friday, Dec. 30) or scroll down to link to some of the stories we chose to highlight:
The Gaylord tornado: In May, a deadly and devastating tornado hit Gaylord. Two people died, scores were injured, and the community continues to rebuild from the devastation. Reporter Taylor Wizner brought us some initial reactions, and chronicled how a mobile home park was dealing with the damage and loss of life. And IPR’s Michael Livingston went back this past November, to see how the recovery was going six months after the storm. The Otsego Community Foundation's Tornado Response Fund exceeded its $1.5 million goal, and continues to receive donations.
Juvenile justice: This year, IPR News teamed up with the Traverse City Record-Eagle on a three-part series called “Kids in Crisis.” It looked at Michigan’s troubled, patchwork system of juvenile justice and youth mental health, and the people trying to help fix it. Reform efforts continue to play out. Just this month, the state announced new steps to make more inpatient treatment beds available for kids who need them.
Housing debates: The scramble to find attainable housing in our region is no joke. In recent years, housing prices have gone up and available housing has gone down. People who come here to work struggle to find a place to live, as many homes are now short-term rentals for vacationers and tourists. But there are also efforts to address the crisis. We’ll continue following that story in 2023.
Environmental battles: There are a lot of strong opinions about Enbridge Energy’s controversial proposal to build a tunnel underneath the Straits of Mackinac, to house its Line 5 pipeline. For now, the project is under federal review. And of course there’s the proposal to more than double the size of Camp Grayling, a training area for the Michigan National Guard. Many neighbors, organizations and local governments are vocally opposed to the idea. We broke down the debate for you in a recent episode of Points North.
Speaking of Points North: Our premier podcast had a busy 2022. We learned about the cultural and environmental importance of wild rice, went looking for secretive birds, were riveted by a harrowing rescue, and most recently, heard an incredible and emotional story of human endurance and achievement. This year also included a special series called [Un]Natural Selection, about how humans interfere with the environment, for better or worse. Look for “Pints North,” coming in 2023. That’s spelled correctly. “Pints.” All we’ll say now: It’ll be in person and extremely trivial.
Stories that Heal: In the spring, we brought you Stories that Heal, a podcast about making meaning out of pain through storytelling and music. Hosted by Kendra Carr, the series was born out of a community project led by composer Molly Sturges. “I do believe that by being willing to share our stories, it helps us,” Sturges told us. We were grateful to share powerful stories from so many in our community.
A few grins: The news kept us busy this year, but we also found time for some fun. We met some city goats that like to eat invasive plants and stayed up all night for a canoe race on the Au Sable River. Max Copeland crashed a gathering of Santa Clauses. Cheryl Bartz, our Sunday news host and a member of IPR’s Red Pine Radio group, told us about the mighty paw paw (which sounds delicious), and our summer intern, Lily Guiney, introduced us to some local bison (which are also, apparently, delicious).