private dams

What can a criminal trial in Grand Rapids can tell us about use of force in Michigan police departments? After that discussion, we uncover a new take on risotto. Then - what it’s like starting over after the worst happens following a dam collapse. And novelist Aram Mrjoian sets his sights on one family tragedy, and some much broader questions about time and distance.

In May 2020, the Edenville and Sanford dams in mid-Michigan failed following heavy flooding. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, and many homes were destroyed. A formal investigation followed, and the disaster has since led to an ongoing lawsuit seeking to hold the state of Michigan accountable for what happened.

Michigan’s two U.S. Senators are calling for more regulation of privately owned dams, in the wake of this week’s massive flood on the Tittabawassee…