¶ Grand Traverse Opioid Settlement
This is the Up North Lowdown from Interlochen Public Radio. I'm Ed Ronco. Coming up, arsenic, old lace, and a whole bunch of yarn in Manistee. And we will check Up North headlines. But we are starting today's episode of The Lowdown with a story and a conversation, really, about opioid settlement money and how to spend it. Grand Travers County, like a lot of local governments across the country, is receiving millions of dollars in settlement money.
from opioid makers who were sued over the addictive properties of their drugs. And now, Grand Traverse County wants help figuring out how to spend that money. It has nearly $2 million in hand and is expecting millions more over the next 15 years or so. And it is meant for treatment and prevention and recovery and harm reduction. A seven-member committee will help guide how that money is spent, and it is accepting applications. So...
IPR's Maxwell Howard spoke with Mike Leahy, health officer with the Grand Traverse County Health Department, to learn more. I assume you guys already have an idea of how you want to spend the money. Why is this board important? One, we wanted to make sure that everyone had an opportunity right now to take a look at exactly how the county anticipated spending these dollars. But second, providing additional perspective, I think.
important and we may not have all of the perspective here at our health departments so I want to make sure we have some folks who are living it eating sleeping and breathing it some ideas and insight to those recommendations that are ultimately going to go to the board. Let's talk about this spending committee. You have seven seats that you're going to fill with people. What are you looking for in applicants? things jump off the page.
today about really searching for an individual that may have experience providing medical services to those in recovery will give this committee great perspective. some of the services that we anticipate reviewing in the RFP process. Yeah. I know in another part of this conversation, we were talking about how you want to create.
programs that are sustainable with this new opioid settlement money. Could you give me an example of programs before that, you know, had worked well, but maybe just had fallen to the wayside because of A good one that we're living right now is a program called Community Connections in Public Health. I often refer to it.
is more of like a referral-based process in which those community members are falling through the cracks. That was a program that was established through an array of MDHHS grants. that the budget prioritization changed a bit. I think it was two years ago now. So we locally at the local health funding mechanisms to keep that program going and i think we've done a really good job at it but it creates significant strain on your departments thanks mike take care thank you
¶ Up North Local Headlines
Mike Leahy is the health officer with the Grand Traverse County Health Department. He spoke with IPR's Maxwell Howard. Okay, let's check some up north headlines. Our first one today is also about an organization seeking public feedback, but for a very different reason.
A nonprofit wants your help, wants your input on its effort to connect Detroit to Petoskey by train. This latest phase of their planning includes an in-depth study alongside the survey, which officials say will help them hammer out.
things like demand and possible routes and travel patterns to say nothing of cost of course officials say they are enlisting the public's insight because without this data they can't provide a timeline or cost for the project that's groundwork that is providing that study.
More sustainability measures are coming to Traverse City area public schools this year. The school board on Monday discussed plans to reduce cafeteria food waste and work toward earning a green school status. The ticker also reports that the TCAP's board approved... the superintendent's new contract. John Van Wagner has a new three year deal that includes a salary of just over $214,000 for the first year with incremental raises in future years.
A 22-year-old woman from Boyne City will be on Team USA at the Olympics next month in Milan. Kayla Kuhn is a skier and was at the Games in 2022 as well, making her Olympic debut just one year after graduating from Boyne City High School.
¶ Manistee Library's Classic Film Event
The Manistee County Library is inviting you to come to the theater and learn about two old ladies who go on a killing spree. Oh, and by the way, you should bring some yarn. This is part of a Screen and Stitch event. Rebecca Barker with the library explained it to us and said there is a certain magic to bringing people together, whether it's for crafting or an old film, or in this case... No matter how many times you watch a movie at home, it just hits different on the big screen.
I remember going to see North by Northwest on the big screen, and I'd seen it a million billion times at home. But it was like it was a brand new movie, watching it with an audience and hearing everybody gasp and seeing everybody duck when the plane flew at the screen. So we are showing a favorite of mine, which is Arsenic and Old Lace with Cary Grant. And it's a great classic screwball comedy.
Arsenic and Old Lace is the story of two very proper old ladies who live in Brooklyn and happen to be serial killers. Nonsense. But there's a body in the window seat. Yes, dear. We know. I mean, in my opinion, it's one of the funniest screwball movies to ever come out of Hollywood in the 1940s. It's a little bit dark and a little bit twisted. The gentleman died because he drank some wine with poison in it. Well, how did the poison get in the wine?
In wine because it's less noticeable. When it's in tea, it has a distinct odor. But very sunny and it's just a good time. People can bring... They're knitting, crocheting. We've had people bring pictures to color, just whatever crafty item they're working on, and they can enjoy a classic movie at the same time. Arsenic and Old Lace, part of a screen and stitch event held by the Manistee County Library. at 10 a.m. Friday at the Vogue Theatre in Manistee. And that is the Up North Lowdown.
for January 14, 2026. Support for Interlochen Public Radio is provided by you and by Comfort Keepers. For over 20 years... Comfort Keepers have been providing in-home care services and keeping seniors living independently in the comfort of their own home. Learn more at comfortkeepers.com.