Blissfield resident Matt Menchaca put forth this question: is the Michigan Dogman real? On this episode of On Hand we learn the history behind the Michigan Dogman and how one podcaster uses his platform to create a safe place for traumatized witnesses.

GUESTS:

• Rachel Clark, education specialist with the Archives of Michigan
• Vic Cundiff, host of Dogman Encounters Radio

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form
• Call us: 734-764-7840
• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

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In Michigan sometimes when we are driving and we want to turn left we have to turn right first and it turns out that quirky traffic design can help prevent car crashes. Most people call it a Michigan Left or a Michigan U-Turn. But there are some Michiganders that have another name for it: the Banana Turn.

GUESTS & SIBBLINGS:

April Van Buren, producer for On Hand,
Chris Van Buren, attorney living in New York City

Find last week's On Hand episode here.

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Michigan, the left turn isn’t always a left turn. At certain intersections, you find yourself doing something counterintuitive. You turn right first in order to turn left. That's the notorious Michigan Left, but why does it exist?

GUESTS:

• Betty Nelson, 2025 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition
• Kirk Steudle, former head of the Michigan Department of Transportation

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a lot of us, Michigan’s iconic pop brands are tied into special memories from childhood. Maybe your mom would always give you Vernor’s when you had a tummyache. Or you can still remember the Faygo ads that played during your Saturday morning cartoons. Or you have fond memories of the Towne Club pop shop. We talked to one Michigander about the role that pop played in her childhood--and why she still loves those nostalgic flavors today.

GUEST:

Bobbie Bain, lifelong metro Detroiter

Find last week's On Hand episode here.

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pop has long been the accepted Midwesternism for a sweet carbonated beverage. But could that be changing? On this episode of On Hand, we dig into the history of the pop vs. soda debate—and take a look at Michigan's linguistic preferences today.

GUESTS:

• Steve Stamenkovich, national accounts manager for Intrastate Distributors, Inc.
• Steven Clark, quality assurance manager at the Intrastate Distributors bottling plant
• Anne Curzan, University of Michigan professor of English and co-host of the That’s What They Say podcast

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Parker brings us a summer camp story about a childhood friend's tumble down the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The incident resulted in bloodstained shirts and an ambulance ride.

• Find last week's episode of On Hand here.
• Find Ride of Passage, a podcast about Matt Parker's journey across the country on horseback, here.

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learned what goes into a rescue at the Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, what situations require a rescue, and how to not need one yourself. Plus, a secret hack if you want to experience the "dune drop" in a less intense way.

• See pictures of the old and new signage here
• Check out our handy travel map here
• Learn more about the Pierce-Stocking Scenic Drive (and #9 Overlook) here
• Learn more about the Dune Climb here

GUEST: Mike Kohl, preventative search and rescue ranger

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chad Livengood is a Michiganian. Like... he's never going to be a "Michigander". It doesn't ring true to his ear, and his employer, The Detroit News, doesn't recognize "Michigander" in it's style guide - it prefers "Michiganian". And it's this commitment to style that landed Livengood at odds with Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Here's Chad's Off Hand story.

GUEST:

Chad Livengood, politics editor, The Detroit News

Now we want to hear from you!

Do you have a highly specific Michigan story to tell? Tell us about it!

What questions do you have about Michigan? We'll investigate! Submit them here.

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