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Points North

Points North, Ep. 1: Teen dads

Taylor Wizner

In the first episode of Points North, a teen parenting program called "Generations Ahead" in Grand Traverse County expands to include dads. It helps parents day-to-day and encourages them to stay in school. Plus, we look at new harvest limits for lake trout fishers in Grand Traverse Bay and visit a wood baseball bat craftsman in the middle of his busy season. 

Teen dads stay afloat with help from parenting program

Austin Duff is 15 years old and a father. His girlfriend's pregnancy was unplanned. 

"Seeing his first steps and hearing him say dad ... brings a whole new purpose," says Duff.

Duff relies on a teen parenting program in Traverse City. In the fall, the program restructured and started providing support to dads like him.

Learn more about Duff's life and how the program helps.

Grand Traverse Bay anglers forced to catch fewer lake trout in 2019

Credit Michigan Sea Grant
Lake trout caught in the Great Lakes.

Last year, recreational anglers exceeded the harvest limit on Grand Traverse Bay by 15,800 pounds. This year there will be a penalty, and they won't be able to catch as many fish.

Read more about the penalty and how the limit was exceeded.

It's the busy season for a wood baseball bat craftsman

Brad Lightfoot shows off one of his finished baseball bats in his workshop in Traverse City.
Credit Dan Wanschura
Brad Lightfoot shows off one of his finished baseball bats in his workshop in Traverse City.

Traverse City's Brad Lightfoot has sold his baseball bats to Major League Baseball players before, but right now he’s focusing on amatuer markets. He says wood bats help train hitters to have better fundamentals.

web_mds_baseball_bats_ftrette_pn.mp3
Brad Lightfoot is an engineer who moved to Traverse City from Ohio a few years ago. He bought a baseball bat company in 2011 as a retirement gig.

Tune into Points North Fridays at 6:50 and 8:50 a.m. on IPR News Radio.

We want to hear from you:

If you are a craftsperson Up North who makes something unusual, we want to hear from you. Call our comment line 231-276-4418 and tell us about it.

Morgan Springer is a contributing editor and producer at Interlochen Public Radio. She previously worked for the New England News Collaborative as the host/producer of NEXT, the weekly show which aired on six public radio station in the region.