City Weekly February 26, 2026

CITY WEEKLY salt lake FREE

Driver's ed is tricky for Utah homeschoolers, so a new bill would let parents teach it.

By Benjamin Wood

By Benjamin Wood

S AP

BOX

Upside Down

President Trump is doing a spectacular job of standing the American government on its head. ICE, Border Patrol and the FBI are supposed to stop crime, but instead they are creating an entirely new form of crime.

The National Guard and U.S. Armed Forces are supposed to keep the peace wherever they go, but instead are promoting civil and international war. Congress is supposed to “make all laws,” but instead can be heard making snoring noises. The Supreme Court is supposed to be the linchpin of an independent judiciary, but is now the pinnacle of a captive

judiciary. States are supposed to serve as servants of counties, cities and the people, but instead are serving as arms of a White House in an alien capital city.

KIMBALL SHINKOSKEY

Woods Cross

“Rights and Wrongs,”

Jan. 19 Small Lake City

Coloring your hair, getting your nails done, makeup, botox, Viagra, estrogen for menopause, eyelashes—all forms of gender affirming care.

ALLISON SCHLK Via Facebook

I don’t care at all about science … I care about people and how they are treated. These proposals are cruel and calculating efforts to allow government action into private lives.

TYLER AYRES Via Facebook

Science deniers be damned, and don’t take us with you.

MAXWELL MOLINA Via Facebook

It’s so weird to see Republicans pick this group as their campaign hate target. They want to make wearing the wrong clothes the hill they want to die on. Why do they only freak when males do it? Women have been wearing pants for decades. I guess we should be happy they are not going after any Muslims and brown people anymore ... Well, I guess they just expanded who they hate.

SUZY APPLEGARTH Via Facebook

We should submit a bill restricting Viagra.

GAIL HANSON Via Facebook

So use the science in court to get it struck down. All these people understand is lawsuits.

STEVE P. CROWTHER Via Facebook

Under 18, gender affirming care is another name for child abuse. Child abuse has no place in Utah. Nowhere else in mental care do people tell you to lean into your diagnosis.

STEVEN LOOSLE Via Facebook

The government needs to just get the hell out of medical decisions that are between a patient and their doctor.

KENT FULLMER Via Facebook

Get rid of Utah’s own little neo-Nazi hate monger, Trevor Lee, first, followed by the rest who vote for the hate crap he proposes.

JERRI ANNE LAKE Via Facebook

Trans-ing children is a tool to destroy civilization and the family. Every long term study shows that the butchering surgeries don’t help with preventing self deletion.

JOSHUA LARSEN Via Facebook

Science is wrong! Keep them Measles coming!

JEFFREY MANGRUM Via Facebook

Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER COOLER

What’s a completely irrational opinion you will defend forever?

Zach Abend

The Dark Knight is the weakest movie in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

Scott Renshaw

Dramatized movie biographies should not show pictures/footage of the real person at the end. If you’ve done a good enough job over the course of two hours convincing me that the actor was capturing the essence of that person, that stuff just becomes a distraction from the performance. Either that, or it’s a pose by the filmmaker trying to nudge you into being more impressed with the transformation.

Mike Ptaschinski

After teaching high school for over 30 years in a state with the largest class sizes, I statistically contend that if there is one troublemaker in a room of 20 students, there will three in a room of 30, and five in a room of forty.

Eric Granato

Fry sauce goes on almost anything.

Paula Saltas

If I cut a brownie or a donut in fourths and eat them 30 minutes apart for instance, then it is less fattening. It’s true.

Benjamin Wood Cars are bad.

PRIVATE EYE

BY JOHN SALTAS

The Jimsonweed Party

I’m a terrible planner. I couldn’t plan a decent picnic if you spotted me a blanket and a bed of Wasatch penstemon and Silvery lupine. I’d forget the cork or the bottle opener. I’d forget the matches and the bug spray.

My best bet is to stop at Tony Caputo’s for some Stella brand Kasseri cheese and Kalamata olives. I’d still forget the napkins. As a Greek, I painfully admit that there are few miseries more annoying than olive juice fingers.

Still, I see a big day ahead and I’m committed to doing the best I can to plan properly. That day is November 4, 2026. It follows the previous night’s mid-term election and, if all goes well, it marks the first day in the life of a new and improved Utah. Let’s celebrate.

For the first time in recent memory, a Democrat will enter the election as the favored candidate in the new Utah First District of the House of Representatives, which is basically made up of solidly-blue Salt Lake County. I thus have an honest chance to be represented on the national level by a United States Congressperson.

Over the last 30 years, only two Democrats (Jim Matheson and Ben McAdams), were sent to Congress by winning their seats in the barely-less-gerrymandered districts that preceded the garbage can of political maps adopted by the state in 2021. Indeed, McAdams was basically gerrymandered out of his seat.

Since 2018’s public referendum—which should have assured that Utah create fair voting district boundaries—it’s been mayhem. The Nazca Lines in Peru make more sense. Party politics above country beliefs, big money, dirty players, broken promises and weak spines have all conspired to make sure that Utah’s Democrats were diluted

and marginalized. At the same time, Utah also elected terribly inept Republicans, turning Utah into a political piss puddle.

Does anyone really think that Burgess Owens or Celeste Maloy represent the best and brightest among us? Neither is a resident of Salt Lake County and both are rooted far from it. I live in the Burgess Owens district. The City Weekly office is in the Celeste Maloy district. Neither appear anywhere except on scripted social media posts and neither has done a damned thing for Salt Lake County. Zip. Nada. Tipota.

I take that back. It’s possible that each may have paid the sales tax on a dirty soda at a Utah Jazz basketball game—assuming it, like the probable ticket, was not a freebie. Their cups runneth over. Yours? Not so much.

Soon after the 2018 voter referendum, Utah lawmakers began the game of map rejection, finally settling on their nonsensical maps and resulting in what is fairly called taxation, fixation and vexation without representation. Whoever was behind those voting maps—and there were plenty of bad dudes and dudettes chewing their bubble gum cigars—they verifiably destroyed all notions of fairness. The slicing of Utah’s voting districts is often compared to cutting up a pizza. But the knifing was messy and all the anchovy pieces fell in Salt Lake County. Some residents of Millcreek have three different reps in Congress but basically share backyards.

Like an office party, the anchovy pieces were ignored, while all the good crusty pieces were hogged out and taken to their pie-eyed remote constituents who hate both anchovies and Democrats. Pizza isn’t fair.

Even really smart farm kids like Spencer Cox seem to enjoy screwing neighbors out of their pizza. If only Spencer—farm mind that he has—might consider how Utah has more than 9,000 independent alfalfa growers like himself. How about somebody, someday, begin to treat the alfalfa growers like coffee growers instead? Over 80% of coffee output is controlled by only three entities worldwide, you know.

Would Cox like to sip on a cup of that decaf for a while? That’s how the Republican Party in Utah treats Utah’s Democrats—same as how the major coffee entities treat independent coffee farmers.

If Cox were wearing a different shade of boots, would he just sit back silently, knowing that no matter what he did, and no matter how hard he worked, the entities controlling his life cared about him as much as a cow cares for jimsonweed?

Thanks to the never-ending fight by Utah’s most diligent voting citizens, the League of Women Voters in Utah (LWVU) and Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG), Utah’s coffee and jimsonweed monoliths were beaten back by judges, courts and outside influence peddlers at every level.

This fall, Utah will have a voting map that actually reflects the true nature of the state’s population—younger and bluer.

A Democrat should be able to carry what will be the new First District, and even the Second District—encompassing Utah County—at least becomes nearly equitable per party line.

Can you imagine a world without Celeste Maloy and Burgess Owens mooching on the streets? I can.

It’s been a long time coming that a Democrat in Salt Lake County will be counted as a full person, not onefourth of one. And by every appearance, there are plenty of willing candidates ready to step up.

I’m so giddy that I’m going to plan a picnic. I promise not to invite Spencer Cox, who has cemented himself as a jimsonweed, not growing into a mountain sunflower as his provenance once dictated.

Instead, I’ll share my blanket, cheese, wine, olives and all the goodies with my friend Katharine Biele of LWVU and all her pals, plus the fighters of MWEG. Mark it. Party time next November 4. The first ever City Weekly Thumb Snub, Bite Me and Alfalfa Crawl. Bring your own corkscrews. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele BY ANDREA G. HARDEMAN

MISS: Primary Colors

Conservative sweetheart Sen. Dan McCay has a Republican challenger. Don’t get too excited. They’re both pretty MAGA. But if anything, this race will show us more about the magnetic influence of Donald J. Trump, whose name has yet to be added to the Utah state flag. The challenger is legislative up-and-comer Rep. Doug Fiefia. It’s no small feat for a newcomer to challenge an incumbent, let alone an established legislator who clawed his way from the House of Representatives to the Utah Senate. McCay’s bona fides include bans on transgender health care and abortion, while Fiefia is pretty much a tech bro. Fiefia’s most recent actions include HB286, his AI child safety bill, which DJT does not like at all. “United States AI companies must be free to innovate without cumbersome regulation. But excessive State regulation thwarts this imperative,” a 2025 executive order said. Maybe Fiefia is delusional, but he believes the White House will collaborate on AI transparency.

HIT: Junk Food

While the Legislature continues its plan to make life unbearable for the poor, at least it has hit one roadblock. First, lawmakers decided to ban soda from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. You know, they want to Make America Healthy Again, even though lawmakers may be hovering on the unhealthy side. Still, they don’t want to see any poor, obese families coming for government handouts. Now, Rep. Kristen Chevrier’s HB569 would restrict ultra-processed foods from food stamps. Utah should address obesity, diabetes and cancer among the low-income because it’s bad. Utahns Against Hunger reminds that the lowincome cannot always afford healthy foods and often have no access to cooking facilities. You may notice there is no effort to help SNAP recipients buy healthy foods. Still, the bill has stalled, not for health reasons, but because the federal government can’t decide on a definition of “ultra-processed foods.”

MISS: Flow Chart

One thing is certain—Utah wants education in the hands of parents, or at least in the hands of the wealthy elite. “Public education” is a bad word as the state government moves more and more money into vouchers. Enter the charter school movement—public schools that are privately run. While charters are required to report finances and maintain a state-aligned curriculum, American Preparatory Academy has a different idea. APA’s network of public charters—with six campuses in Utah—is run by a management company. They’re not happy with the state auditor asking for the salaries of top administrators. APA gets a lot of money—$55 million in 2025—and like all public schools, those finances should be public and reviewed. But APA calls itself a government contractor and while it defied the auditor’s subpoena, it finally agreed to turn over the figures. One lawmaker is trying to change the law to keep payments to “an independent contractor” private. CW

Aging While Queer

Irealized later in life that I was queer and started to explore the local LGBTQ community more intentionally. I appear younger than I am (Black don’t crack), so when I showed up to these spaces, it looked like I fit in with the mid-20s and early-30s crowd. Often, I was either the only Black person or one of a small few, and felt doubly out of place. I was like Lady Amalthea in Peter Beagle’s novel, trying to figure out whether she was the last unicorn roaming the earth.

W here were my people hiding? It got me thinking that if I feel this way, how many others feel the same?

I tried a queer sports league and made one true friend. But at the time, the league was mostly made up of white cis men who were 8 to 10 years younger than myself. There was also a queer poetry event I attended a couple times, where most attendees were ages 18 to 25.

Then I met True Blood actor Lindsay Pulsipher, who told me about finding community through Elder Queers. I w as intrigued and laughed at the event title, because 30 is the minimum age.

Pulsipher left behind a robust queer community when relocating here from Los Angeles. Finding a community of peers was a top priority and along the way she stumbled across Elder Queers, started by Carling Mars. Mars had founded Speedy Queers (@speedyqueers on Instagram) and later created Elder Queers as a dedicated space for folks over age 30. It’s speed dating, but with a twist. Think Bumble Friends meets Tinder meets OKCupid and Feeld—but in person, with 4-minute rounds.

“Queer relationships are about community and are about building the networks that we weren’t necessarily granted that other people may be born into,” Mars said.

There are people who think 30 is a little young to be called an “elder.” Some may even take offense to the name, but there’s deep history— queer history. Mars chose the term to honor those who didn’t make it to age 30 during the height of the AIDS crisis. The choice was also a personal one for Mars, as two of their cousins passed away at age 29 and 31 after not being accepted for their queerness. For Mars, getting older is a privilege and surpassing 30 years on this earth isn’t guaranteed.

“In my family, I’m the elder queer,” Mars said. “I should be the youngest.” Curious to know how Elder Queers works? Mars’ business partner Karren Shamo gave me the 411. Payment for the event operates on a sliding scale, the events are capped at 20 people and everyone meets everyone. Attendees receive a form, where they select the type of connection they’re open to (e.g., friends, play partners, roommates, monogamy, polyamory, etc.). Shamo emails the matches out the following week.

You only see who mutually chose you for the same type of connection. Then, it’s up to you to take the reins. Ready to give it a try? CW

A&E Big Shiny Robot

The Soul of Storytelling

Why a computer can never generate the kind of story that truly matters.

BY BRYAN YOUNG @comments@cityweekly.net

There are few things I find more thrilling than a great story well told. Whether film, novel, comic book, epic poem, painting, cave drawings, whatever the medium that is employed, well-told stories are magic. In a day and age of generative AI where soulless tech-bros want to rob you of the beauty of stories and creation by convincing people that these stories are possible at the press of a button thanks to their climate-destroying plagiarism machines, built wholly on the stolen art and stories of others—it’s important to know why great stories are important.

The best stories are told with curiosity fused with the soul of those forging it. The hallmarks of great storytelling include a singular vision, a wide vocabulary of the history of the medium that’s being worked in and something to say that’s rooted in personal experience. A computer can’t do these things, even at the direction of someone posing as an artist.

Ray Bradbury—the writer who gave us Fahrenheit 451, and may have been the first to imagine VR in his short story “The Veldt”—extolled the virtues of finding a flow state for telling stories. He believed you had to allow your subconscious to col-

late the stories you’d consumed, the memories you’d repressed, the curiosities you’d held and come up with something unique and special.

Sometimes, inspiration might come from places a computer could never go. When William Goldman conceived of his masterpiece The Princess Bride, it was as a bedtime story for his daughters. One daughter asked him to tell a story about a princess, the other about a bride. What came out was a novel that starts with Goldman himself racing through New York, searching through bookshops for a copy of S. Morgenstern’s classic novel to read to his own daughters, and realizing that the book itself wasn’t as good as his memory of it, so he had to edit it down for them to just “the good parts.” The ensuing film version was just as incredible.

When I spoke to Rian Johnson about Knives Out, we talked about how his process meant writing to theme. He chooses one that allows him to grapple with an issue he’s dealing with in his own life, and that his storytelling allows him to explore. With The Last Jedi, he explored dealing with those whose reality is different because their truth is predicated on their own, certain point of view. With his latest Benoit Blanc mystery, Wake Up Dead Man, he explored the facets of empathy, faith and disbelief through Daniel Craig’s Blanc and Josh O’Connor’s Reverend Jud—something Johnson felt compelled to use storytelling to explore.

Harper Lee was driven to explore justice and racism in the south for To Kill a Mockingbird. Orson Welles was driven to explore the excess of wealth and influence with Citizen Kane. Graham Greene explored the nature of jealousy and the tug of war between faith and atheism in The End of the Affair, or faith, duty and self-preservation

in The Power and the Glory. Paddy Chayefsky and Sidney Lumet pushed the boundaries of cinema to explore what a toxic media landscape meant in Network. Artemisia Gentileschi explored her own trauma and challenged the establishment with her painting “Judith Slaying Holofernes.”

Behind each work was a person trying to understand the world around them, finding meaning in themselves, and bringing new understanding to the world with a stunning work of art and story.

Can a computer do that? No. All generative AI can do is guess what someone might want based on what had come before, and produce pabulum.

It’s probably not high art (it could be, I haven’t seen it yet), but I searched for the new He-Man: Masters of the Universe trailer the day it came out, and clicked the first YouTube link. Twenty seconds in, all I could think was how boring and inert it appeared. It looked dead and soulless. That’s when I realized I’d clicked the wrong link; some slop-slinger using AI

had manufactured a fake trailer to make a quick buck. I quickly found the real trailer, and found myself pleasantly surprised; the teaser had a story, character and actual humans in it. Maybe the film won’t be amazing, but it had so much more soul than any AI facsimile.

The hallmark of an incredible story is a human—a puppet master, crafting strings for their puppets like the Fates themselves. A master storyteller learns as much about the world and their own inner life while crafting their story as they do imparting that empathy and wisdom on the audience. Computers simply can’t do that. All AI can do is take what’s come before and rearrange it, like deck chairs on the Titanic. All its human operator can do is tell it where to put those chairs on that sinking ship they’re both aboard, and what color they’d like the iceberg.

For anyone who cares about story, soul and integrity, human-made stories are the only way to go. CW

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

FEB 26-MAR 4, 2026

Guest Writers Series:

Miranda Mellis

While it’s accurate to refer to Miranda Mellis as a “writer,” it’s also incomplete. A multidisciplinary artist who also works as a painter, Mellis—currently a faculty member at Evergreen State College in Tacoma, Wash.—has explored an interest in the environmental humanities through novels, short stories, prose poems and more. And it certainly plays a significant role in her new novel, Crocosmia

The story is an apocalyptic fiction of sorts, following a woman growing up in a time of upheaval as the daughter of an activist environmental artist. In an interview for the book’s publisher, Mellis describes the way Crocosmia addresses our world, and dismantling some fundamentally broken societal structures: “Of apocalypse Fredric Jameson said, ‘It’s easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.’ Jameson uses the word ‘easier’ pointing to the difficulty. For those culture workers, for those whose terrain is seeding possibility through the imaginative, this despairing refrain could be interpreted as a call to action: How to make it ‘easier’ to imagine the end of capitalism? … What can the imagination facilitate? In the imaginary of Crocosmia, capitalism comes to an end, so that the world can stop ending. How do we awaken from the bad dream of patriarchal paranoia and earth-devouring consumerism?”

Miranda Mellis appears at the Clubhouse on South Temple (850 E. South Temple) on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. as part of the University of Utah Guest Writers Series. The event is free and open to the public; visit wellerbookworks.com for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

City Weekly Winter Soirée

In terms of feeling like a Utah winter, this season of 2025-2026 has been pretty … underwhelming. Yet despite the lack of snow, there are still different vibes in the colder-weather months. The need to emerge from hibernation for some form of social interaction was what led City Weekly to launch its inaugural Winter Soirée in 2025, and the event returns this year for another chance to gather in gaiety.

The cocktail-attire festivities bring together all of the best things in life: food & drink, friends, music and art. Cocktail pairings will be provided by local vendors including Beehive Distilling and Neighbors Bar; Holystone Distilling and The Tasting Room; Ogden’s Own Distillery and Spritz!; Simplicity Spirits and Citizens Cocktails & Kitchen; and more, in a great opportunity to sample offerings created in partnership. Chocolate tastings by Ritual Chocolate and small bites by Shugarlandia (the latter at an additional cost) provide a complement to the beverages. Local artists including Alicia Hanson, Thomas Embley, Scott Tuckfield and Genevieve Reynolds will be selling work on site, and guests can even participate in their own art experiences courtesy of SLC Lunatics and Workshop SLC. Add some live music by The State Street Stompers and a photo booth to commemorate the night, and you’ve got a real evening to remember.

The 2026 City Weekly Winter Soirée comes to the Clubhouse on South Temple (850 E. South Temple) on Friday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. Tickets begin at $10 for entry only, with $40 Top Shelf including cocktail tickets. Visit cwstore.cityweekly.net for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

DRIVER WANTED

2026 Day of Remembrance

Between 1942 and 1946, more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent were forcibly relocated and incarcerated in the wake of Executive Order 9066 on Feb. 19, 1942. It was a cruel, dark chapter in American history in which people were presumed to be a threat strictly based on their national origin and rounded up into concentration camps—a history from which, if the past year in particular has been any indication, we have learned exactly nothing. That doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t continue to commemorate those events, as will be taking place this week in Utah to acknowledge the Day of Remembrance, created in 2022 by the Biden administration to ensure that we never forget.

The main local event is sponsored by the Japanese-American Citizens League and Plan-B Theatre Company, taking place at the Utah Museum of Fine Art. The featured presentation will be performance of Kilo-Wat, the 2025 play by local actor/playwright Aaron Asano Swenson that premiered at Plan-B. It tells the story of Wat Misaka, a member of the 1944 NCAA champion University of Utah basketball team who broke the color barrier in 1947 as the first ever non-white player in the NBA; a post-show discussion will include Misaka’s children, Hank and Nancy. Guests are then welcome and encouraged to tour the gallery exhibits after the performance.

The 2026 Day of Remembrance event at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (410 Campus Center Dr.) begins at 10:30 a.m. The event is free to the public, but reservation is recommended to guarantee admission. Visit umfa.utah.edu for registration link. (SR)

Short Stuff

Predicting winners and reviewing the Oscar-nominated short film programs.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Academy Award nominations provide a rare showcase for short films—and an even rarer opportunity to see them in a theater. This week, the Oscar-Nominated Short Films program comes to the Broadway Centre (my prediction for winners are starred).

Animated Shorts

The Three Sisters: Sisters living on an isolated island find their dynamic upended after they rent one of their houses to … a man. Director Konstantin Bronzit’s simple animation style and wordless storytelling allow for a focus on the humor—more droll than hilarious—and a solidly satisfying resolution. Grade: B

Forevergreen: There’s unexpected emotion in Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears’ tale of an orphaned bear cub adopted by a tree. A unique texture to the CGI animation seems almost like folded paper, and it features a beautifully emotional evocation of unconditional love. Grade: A-

The Girl Who Cried Pearls: A wealthy man (Colm Feore) shares with his granddaughter a story from his impoverished youth about encountering … well, it’s there in the title. The stopmotion animation provides a distinctive aesthetic, but the “lesson” of this fable ultimately feels pretty abrupt, almost like a millionaire’s self-justifying mythology. Grade: B-

*Butterfly: Florence Miailhe tells the true story of Algerian-born Jewish Olympic swimmer/Holocaust survivor Artem Nakache in a lovely portrait of memory and history. The serious sub-

ning images conveying what Artem has lost. Grade: B+

Retirement Plan: Writer/director John Kelly’s premise is slight but funny: A middle-aged guy (Domhnall Gleeson) shares ambitious ideas for what he will do upon his retirement. Rudimentary hand-drawn animation still serves the jokes, a couple of which are out-ofthe-blue hilarious. Grade: B+

Live-Action Shorts

The Singers: Sam A. Davis adapts an 1850 Turgenev short story, set in a dive bar where a few regulars participate in a singing competition. There’s a great sense of atmosphere, but it’s unclear what it’s all supposed to add up to beyond “music hath power to soothe the savage breast.” Grade: B-

A Friend of Dorothy: Lee Knight’s drama flashes back from the reading of the will of wealthy widow Dorothy (Miriam Margolyes) to how it was changed by her befriending teenager JJ (Alistair Nwachukwu). The story gets unnecessarily busy by making JJ a closeted gay youth (yuk yuk that title), but Margolyes and Nwachukwu both nail a meeting of lonely souls. Grade: B

*Butcher’s Stain: An Israeli Arab/supermarket butcher Samir (Omar Sameer) finds his job endangered by anonymous accusations that he’s tearing down posters of Israeli hostages in the workplace break room. It tries to pack a lot of backstory into Samir’s desperation to prove his innocence, but the timely tale of bigoted assumptions really sticks the landing. Grade: B+

Two People Exchanging Saliva: A genuinely weird black-and-white dystopia about a department store salesgirl (Luàna Bajrami) and a customer (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) connecting in a society where any kissing is punishable by death. The potential allegory for forbidden queer love gets muddled in the other world-building—like all transactions being paid for by getting slapped in the face—making it stylish but lacking emotional punch. Grade: B-

Jane Austen’s Period Drama: It’s a single pun-based joke, but a well-exe-

cuted one: Young Regency-era woman Estrogenia (co-writer/co-director Julia Aks) has to explain menstruation to her uninformed gentleman suitor (Ta’imua). The genre-based gags are good ones, but it even manages to transcend its era in conveying certain facts of life young men rarely learn from reliable sources. Grade: B+

Documentary Shorts (March 6)

Perfectly a Strangeness: Alison McAlpine’s mood piece—with a trio of donkeys wandering the grounds of observatory complexes in Chile—is certainly the most cinematic entry, with striking images and Ben Grossman’s terrific score. It’s also a bit too abstract to be a real contender. Grade: B

The Devil Is Busy: Effectively concise portrait of a day in the life of a women’s health center/abortion clinic in Atlanta, with a focus on head of security Tracii Wesley. While it evokes the challenges of offering such care in these times, it also feels the most like a feature desperately wants to break out. Grade: B

Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud: Craig Renaud offers a tribute to his brother/filmmaking partner Brent, who was killed while covering the war in Ukraine in 2022. The attempt to cover a lot of ground in Brent’s 20-year career bumps a bit awkwardly against the grieving of friends and family. Grade: B-

*All the Empty Rooms: Joshua Seftel’s emotional bombshell follows CBS news journalist Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp documenting preserved bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. Devastating as a chronicle of lost potential, while presenting a great portrait of the two journalists not taking their own children for granted. Grade: A

Children No More: Were and Are Gone: Could steal the award strictly for the subject: Israeli peace activists holding silent vigils for Palestinian children killed in Gaza. Earnest and effective when addressing the nuts-and-bolts of the planning, including how to avoid counter-protest confrontations, but also a bit one-note. Grade: B CW

Amoving car is a uniquely destructive force, capable of breaking through walls and barriers, and more than capable of ending the lives of people caught in its path. Each year, more than 250 Utahns die on the roadways, with a disproportionate share of those incidents involving teen drivers.

But to the House Transportation Committee, driving is not so much the specialized operation of a dangerous motor vehicle in public spaces as it is a “right of passage,” as fundamental to a child’s development as learning to tie shoes, fry eggs and cut grass.

“We train our children on so many things,” said Rep. Nicholeen Peck, R-Tooele. “We teach them how to work with knives in the kitchen, how to start fires, how to cook things, how to shoot guns—some of us, who love the Second Amendment. We teach them how to mow the lawn and sharpen knives.”

Peck made that comparison over the course of two committee hearings last week, arguing in favor of her bill to allow children to opt out of formal driver’s education and instead be instructed on motor vehicle operation by their parents. The bill, HB464, is geared toward homeschooled children, who Peck said are of-

Driver's ed is tricky for Utah homeschoolers, so a new bill would let parents teach it.

By Benjamin Wood bwood@cityweekly.net

ten excluded from traditional school-based driving courses, forcing them to rely on the higher-cost offerings of private providers.

“This is going to remove a huge barrier for a lot of families who are trying to help their children be able to learn to drive,” Peck said. “When it comes to driving, the parents have been doing that for a long time.”

Committee members ultimately agreed with Peck, voting 10-1 to advance HB464 to the full House. But that vote followed a lengthy debate, as homeschooling families seeking expanded options traded microphones with a chorus of driving instructors who stressed the safety implications of removing trained professionals from the licensing equation.

Formal driver’s education vehicles are equipped with safety features like internal and external cameras, additional mirrors and passenger-side braking controls. Several of the instructors who testified shared common anecdotes of children who had ostensibly practiced driving with their parents, only to freeze in live traffic or confuse the accelerator and brake pedal.

Ted Paulson, an online learning provider who developed driver’s education modules for the state, said

that adults may have day-to-day experience behind the wheel, but that does not equip them to provide quality instruction to minors.

“This is not skiing. This is putting an undeveloped brain in a car that’s 4,000 pounds going down the freeway at 70 miles an hour,” Paulson said. “As a general rule, that child is going to take two people with them when they get into a fatal accident.”

Changing Lanes

Peck’s bill originally sought to lower the minimum driving age to 15, with children able to obtain a learner’s permit at 14. Those elements lacked support on Capitol Hill, prompting Peck’s pivot to a “parent-led” driver’s education model.

An online course is available to any teen through the Utah Board of Education, at a student cost of $50, which covers the classroomand textbook-based portions of driver training. Children are also required to complete practice hours with a parent after obtaining their learner’s permit, though enforcement is minimal and largely subject to the honor system.

Where the rubber truly meets the road is the legal requirement that teens complete six hours of logged, supervised driving with a formal instructor—either through a school district program or private provider—before they are able to test with the Driver License Division (DLD).

Mariann Wilkinson, president of A1 Driving School, said that her teen clients typically arrive with some level of experience, like driving around their neighborhood streets or a church parking lot, but with little exposure to the stress and complexity of a major thoroughfare.

“Most parents do not want to send their kids out into high-traffic and high-speed areas until they have worked with a professional,” Wilkinson said.

The crux of HB464 involves those six hours of formal instruction. If adopted, the bill would allow teens to indicate that they intend to complete that requirement with their parents and receive a log to be filled out and turned in prior to their driving examination. Their parents, in turn, would be required to log the specific content covered during each driving lesson and to complete an in-person or virtual Zero Fatalities training through the Utah Department of Transportation.

“This is not going to be a light lift for them. If they want to do this, then they’re going to have to jump through all those hoops,” Peck said. “I still think that lazy parents are probably going to want to go the public school track—that’s going to be the easiest.”

But the driving instructors who testified against the bill suggested that hoop-jumping isn’t enough to ensure safety on the roadways.

James Sackey, a driver’s education teacher at a Utah County charter school, said he’s been through two years of training in order to work as an instructor, and that much of his lesson time is spent

“This is going to remove a huge barrier for a lot of families,” said Rep. Nicholeen Peck.

“undoing the bad habits” passed down by well-intentioned parents.

“Driving has changed,” Sackey observed. “But often, parents have not.”

Many of those who testified against the bill—and who contacted lawmakers via email—were affiliated with private driver’s education schools, after the industry took note of Peck’s plans. That prompted multiple committee members to question whether opponents were motivated by safety concerns, or out of fear of losing business to home-based education.

Wilkinson acknowledged a potential loss of clientele if the bill passes. But she emphasized how she carries a $3 million insurance policy for bodily harm and property damage, and how many traditional insurers are unwilling to get into business with driving schools due to liability concerns.

“Even before I’m thinking about my own business, I’m thinking about the safety of the people on the road,” Wilkinson said. “I think it’s going to cause a public safety hazard, and I think it will change the look of driver’s education.”

Parallel Parking

Other states have experimented with parent-led driver’s education, to less-than-positive results. In Texas, children who learn to drive through that state’s parent-only route are more likely to be involved in serious collisions and more likely to commit traffic violations than those who receive professional instruction, according to studies by the Texas Transportation Institute and others.

Ken Wade, owner of Eco Driving Utah, reiterated that point to lawmakers during debate on HB464. He said the evidence is unambiguous that parents do not do as well as trained instructors.

“Most parents I know would not want to do this,” said Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo.

“I feel like we’re ignoring an elephant in the room,” Wade said. “We can all put our heads in the sand and pretend the evidence doesn’t exist—but it does exist.”

Committee members said that other states’ programs are not an apples-to-oranges comparison with Utah and HB464. Several lawmakers expressed confidence that, under the framework developed by Peck, only a small number of families would exercise the option of home-based driver’s education, whereas other states saw higher rates of participation due to widespread lack of access to formal programs.

Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo, said he had spoken with several of his constituents and friends and found little appetite for the alternative licensure route offered in the bill. “Most parents I know would not want to do this. They don’t want to get in their car with their kid and get onto the public street,” Thurston said. “They’re going to pay someone else to do it.”

He said his position on the bill had changed multiple times during the two days of debate held in committee—more than any other piece of transportation legislation this year—and that it shows how lawmakers are listening to all parties and working to craft a narrow solution that addresses unique circumstances.

“We’re trying to come up with something that is the best answer for people who need the government to come to their aid,” Thurston said.

Rep. Ariel Defay, R-Kaysville, echoed that sentiment. She said her own child is approaching driving age and is facing the choice of waiting for the next school-based offering or paying for a private provider. Even if the home-based option were available, Defay said, her family would not take it.

“I will still do driving school. This is not worth it to me,” Defay said. “I think this [option] is for the dedicated parent.” CW

Mile Markers

With one week left in the legislative session, several transportation bills are racing toward the finish line, while others have already crashed out. Here’s where things stand on street laws, as of press time.

HB128—Both chambers passed this bill by wide margins, ending the requirement that Utah drivers use a turn signal when entering or exiting a roundabout. Many lawmakers were unaware that the current signal requirement exists (including the bill’s sponsor, until her friend got a ticket) and assuming this gets the governor’s signature, drivers can get back to learning how to yield properly.

HB196—This widely-reported-on bill from Layton Republican Rep. Trevor Lee would have forced Salt Lake City to change the name of Harvey Milk Boulevard (900 South) to Charlie Kirk Boulevard. Despite the media circus, the bill was dead on arrival and remains mired in the House Rules Committee.

HB381—This bill creates an ebike certification program for young Utahns, providing a lawful route for unsupervised minors to operate lower-speed, electric-assisted devices on public streets. It passed the House 55-15 and is awaiting consideration by the Senate.

HB575—Originally pitched as a tax shift from consumers to producers, this bill now uses more than $10 million dollars in sales tax revenue to temporarily cut the state’s gas tax, combined with permitting and process reforms that seek to improve the long-term supply dynamics that drive up costs at the pump. It passed the House 67-2 and is now in the Senate.

SB197—This under-the-radar bill would swap the Utah Transit Authority’s three-member Board of Trustees for a seven-member Transit Commission, reflecting the governance structure of the Utah Department of Transportation. This comes less than a decade after the last major restructuring of UTA, the state’s largest transit agency. It passed the Senate 27-1 and was transfered to the House.

SB242—Expanding last year’s attack on local street authority, SB242 would assign all of Salt Lake City’s streets to a tier classification (determined by UDOT), block the development of new transit facilities and actively ban safety enhancements on major city-owned corridors. It also requires “mitigation” of recently constructed bus and bike lanes on 200 South, 300 West and 400 South. An initial 23-6 vote in the Senate broke largely along party lines. CW

A Culinary Adventure Through Salt Lake’s Asian Food Scene

Diving into unique offerings with Thai, Chinese and Himalayan flavors.

BY AIMEE L. COOK comments@cityweekly.net

Agroup of local food enthusiasts— including me, food writer Heather King and CIA-trained former chef Jim Light—embarked on an Asian food tour, exploring five restaurants and a variety of authentic dishes. Organized by Anny Sooksri and Jeffrey Kelsch of Fav Bistro, the tour offered us a chance to experience diverse flavors and cultural traditions, not to mention just a good ol’ time. “Asian food is a reflection of big love, passion and care,” Sooksri explained. “Every dish is filled with big flavor, is colorful and a selection of healthy ingredients.”

Our journey began at Holladay’s Fav Bistro (1984 E. Murray Holladay Rd.), where we participated in a traditional food-offering ceremony and a blessing from Buddhist monk Phramaha Suphat Sukyai of Wat Prayurawongsawas Temple in Ogden. The cultural introduction set the tone for the day, immersing us in Thai traditions. Afterward, we enjoyed seven off-menu dishes, including moak pla, catfish nuggets wrapped in a banana leaf and topped with Asian herbs; Laos sausage; and keang som malakore, a clear, sour Thai curry with young papaya. Sooksri herself prepared all of these dishes, so I bet if you asked for any of them at Fav, she would be

happy to make them.

Next up was Murray’s Hart Yai Thai Express (6014 S. State St.), a small takeout restaurant on State Street. The owner, Noot, formerly worked at Chabaar, which is another one of Sooksri’s local restaurants, known for its Thai desserts. We were served nine different sweet treats, including a steamed banana leaf dessert and a bright orange creation known as Golden Threads made from egg yolk and sugar. The desserts, ranging from gelatin-based to rich and coconut-flavored, offered a glimpse into Thailand’s unique culinary artistry.

Next, the group visited Zhu Ting Ji (5486 S. 1900 West), a Chinese restaurant in Taylorsville renowned for its authentic selections. This meal featured crispy fried pork belly served on a hanging skewer that you cut with scissors, and a large bowl of boiled fish in hot sauce. The lineup also included chive, egg and shrimp dumplings, which were a light variation of traditional dumplings. Sooksri curated this meal to introduce us to lesser-known Chinese specialties, which were a nice break from more familiar options. Another captivating feature of Zhu Ting Ji was its enclosed glass kitchen. This setup allowed us to watch the chefs prepare each dish, showcasing their techniques and dedication to traditional cooking.

The fourth stop brought the group to Ying’s Thai-Sushi (9414 S. Union Square) in Sandy, which was owned by Nok, another former employee of Sooksri’s for more than a decade. Our experience included pla som, a fried fermented fish dish; pad cha, a stir-fry with krachai, young peppercorns and basil; and a steaming bowl of mussels. The fermented fish dish was my favorite—a fatty piece of salmon that just melted in your mouth. The meal included five courses, ending with perfectly ripe mango sticky rice.

Next, we met Kiki Sharma at the familyrun Bhutan House Restaurant (1241 E. 8600 South), which offers Indian, Bhutanese and Nepali cuisine. The group drank hot Indian milk tea and sampled momos, vegetable

DINE

pakora and both garlic and sweet naan, which is stuffed with raisins, cashews, coconut and cherries before getting baked in a tandoor oven. The menu also featured a special yellow curry dish that wrapped the experience up with a hint of heat. Despite being fairly full from the day’s indulgence, we found room to embrace the flavors of the Himalayan region.

As the day wound down—we ate from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.—our group made a final stop at the New Golden Dragon (1716 S. State St.). This meal featured hot tea and Queen Yang chicken, which is a whole steamed chicken—head and all—served Peking duck-style and accompanied by XO noodles, which proved to be a crowd favorite. Pro tip: Watch for bone fragments throughout the Queen Yang dish. I was surprised by how many I bit into! I think Jim Light said it best: “Of the 30 dishes we ate, only two were familiar. Exciting new flavors and a learning experience. Bless you, Anny!”

Heather King and I have shared many adventurous meals together as food writers, but being guided by Sooksri and Kelsch—and sharing dishes I would probably never have ordered without her and her knowledge of each culture—will be a lasting memory of dining in our hometown. This food tour highlighted the rich diversity of Asian cuisine available in the Salt Lake Valley.

“Enjoying food from around the world is all about the context, conversation, and connection that comes with each bite,” King said. “When I sit in a restaurant and taste dishes the way they’re meant to be served, I’m not only learning something about the ingredients and perhaps the recipe; I’m gaining an understanding of the culture. I’m thrilled that when I travel, I can recognize flavors and traditions and be a thoughtful, interested and excited guest at the table.”

Be sure to let me know if you try any of these restaurants! Instagram: @gathernoshandsavor CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

New Release: Timberline West Coast IPA

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: White Out - White Stout

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Pink Boots - Pink Pony Pilz

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

NEW Releases: Kölsch, Dusseldorfer “Alt” Bier

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street

Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Pie Hole - Strawberry Rhubarb Tart Ale

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Paradise Lost - dry hopped rice lager

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Barrel-aged Imperial Brown Ale

Heber Valley Brewing

501 N. Main Street, Heber City, UT hebervalleybrewing.com

Freshly Canned: 8th Continent IPA 7.2%

ABV (loaded with New Zealand hops)

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Coffee & Cream Stout

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Draft: Japanese Style Rice Lager

Kiitos Brewing Sugar House Bar 1533 S. 1100 East, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Draft: Japanese Style Rice Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Vienna Lager

OgdenBeerCompany.com

On Tap: 11 rotating taps as well as high point cans and guest beers

Park City Brewing 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Meet Me at the Provo IPA

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com

On Tap: 302 Czech Pilsner

Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com  On Tap: Orange you Glad (Hazy pale ale)

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Orange you Glad (Hazy pale ale)

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Grand Bavaria

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: Edge’s Special Bitter ESB

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Tropical Chasing Ghosts IPA

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey EttaPlaceCider.com

On Tap: All-American Blend Cider, MangoHabanero Session Mead

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  “Big Drop” West Coast Pilsner

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Nuts About Cherry (cherry almond hard cider)

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Bramble Brown

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Dunkel Dan

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Draft: Oenobeer

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: OPEN ROAD SERIES #3

BEER NERD

Going For The Gold

Two golden lagers that take different paths.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Templin Family Brewing - Stark Imperial Pilsner: This Imperial pilsner is slightly different from, say, malt liquors. Pilsners like this generally aren’t made with a massive amount of corn to up the ABV; they just rely on malt.

This lager pours a rich, glowing gold, mostly clear despite being sampled fresh off the packaging line. There’s a slight youthful haze if you look hard enough, but it only reinforces the sense that this beer is lively and full of energy. A dense white head rises easily and lingers, leaving behind streaks of lace that hint at both strength and structure.

The aroma leans boldly malt-forward right out of the gate. Cracker and toasted bread dominate, warm and inviting, with a depth you don’t often find in a pilsner— especially one associated with ultra-dry profiles. There’s a noticeable sweetness here too, surprising in the best way. It’s rounded and rich rather than sugary, suggesting a confident malt bill designed to stand up to the beer’s elevated strength. On the palate, that malt character flexes. Big crackers, toast and light honeyed grain roll across the tongue, delivering a fullness that feels almost indulgent for the style. The sweetness is real, but it never tips into cloying territory. That’s where the hops step in—and they have to. The hop character is assertive and unapologetic. Grassy and deeply herbal, they come across almost chewy, with a lightly resiny edge that grips the palate. Bitterness is firm and purposeful, clearly designed to keep the malt in check rather than steal the spotlight. The interplay between rich malt and aggressive hop structure is what defines this beer. At 7.5 percent, the alcohol is well hidden. The body is mediumlight, the carbonation crisp enough to keep things moving, and the finish dries just enough to invite another sip.

Verdict: This is not a delicate, lawn-

chair pilsner. It’s a bold, muscular lager that still respects the style’s roots. Big, balanced and deeply satisfying, it’s an undeniably tasty pils.

Kiitos - Japanese Rice Lager: While the lager above doesn’t feature additional adjuncts, this Japanese-style lager does. It features a notable amount of rice to provide added sugars that are fermented out, which dries out the beer, creating a highly crisp and crushable lager.

It pours brilliantly golden and crystal clear, the kind of beer that looks sharp before it even hits your lips. Tight carbonation streams upward, forming a clean white cap that dissipates quickly, signaling exactly what’s coming next: precision, restraint and refreshment. The aroma is subtle but inviting. Sorachi Ace hops lead the charge with bright lemon zest—fresh, clean, almost sparkling—followed by a soft herbal note that adds depth without shouting. There’s a faint suggestion of rice and lightly crackery malt underneath, but everything stays dialed back and composed—no fluff, no distractions.

The first sip is crisp AF. This thing snaps across the palate with razorsharp cleanliness. It’s dry—bone dry— but not hollow. A hint of rice-driven sweetness and delicate malt character briefly shows itself before vanishing, just enough to provide balance without dulling the edge. The body is light, the mouthfeel is sleek and the carbonation lifts everything effortlessly.

Hop character remains focused and refined. Lemon zest dominates, clean and bright rather than juicy, with a restrained herbal smack that adds structure and keeps the beer firmly in lager territory. Bitterness is precise and restrained, acting more as a drying agent than a punch, pushing the finish even further. The finish is of course fast, clean and refreshingly ruthless, with no lingering sweetness or palate fatigue—just a snap of citrus, a whisper of herbs and a thirst that immediately demands another sip.

Verdict: This is a 5.0 percent lager that understands its mission and executes it flawlessly. Technical, refreshing and endlessly drinkable, it’s proof that simplicity, when done right, is anything but boring.

Japanese Rice Lager is available on draft at Kiitos, while Stark Imperial Pilsner is only in cans, available at TF Brewing. As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Award-winning Japanese Restaurant Coming To Granary

I recently got word that James Beard Award-winner Chef Tyson Cole and Hai Hospitality have set their sights on downtown’s Granary District for Utah’s first Uchi (uchirestaurants.com). The Austin-based Hai Hospitality has overseen the expansion of Uchi all over the country, and plans for the brand’s Utah expansion are underway. Uchi will be setting up shop in Granary’s Bissinger & Co. Building at 739 S. 400 West in 2027, and the space will feature covered patio seating in addition to its indoor restaurant space. Its arrival is still a little bit out there in the future, but I’ll be keeping tabs on this one.

Priscilla’s Pizza Pop-Up at Picnic Cafe

There are few combinations of words that lighten the mood better than “pizza pop-up,” and I’m happy to spread the word for one happening this weekend. Picnic Cafe (picnicslc.com) has been collaborating with Priscilla’s Pizza (@priscillas_pizza) for the past few months, and the next pop-up will be on Feb. 28 starting at 11 a.m. Priscilla’s Pizza has become known for its made-to-order pies with kimchi tomato sauce and topped with Vietnamese pork sausage, and this in-person pop-up is a great way to sample Priscilla’s unique pies. The event will last until the pies sell out, so make sure you get there early.

Japanese/Peruvian Restaurant Killa Opens Downtown

I will forever celebrate any restaurant that seeks to dig deeper into Japanese fusion, and a new downtown spot called Killa (killanikkei.com) has got me all kinds of curious. Killa touts a menu that celebrates nikkei, which is traditional Peruvian cuisine prepared through the lens of Japanese flavors and techniques. I’ve spent a bit of time drooling over the online menu, and I have to say that a restaurant where I can get both lomo saltado and sushi rolls makes me all fluttery on the inside. Killa also has a sexy cocktail list that features seasonal variations along with plenty of Peruvian and Japanese flair. At the moment, Killa is reservation only, and visits can be booked online.

Quote of the Week: “Pizza makes me think that anything is possible.” – Henry Rollins

Blue Man, No Group

Joshua Boyette—aka The Boy in Blue—emerges as a solo artist with For What It’s Worth.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

Our teens and early 20s are some of the most formative times of our lives. A lot of self-discovery happens, and some of the memories made during these years last a lifetime. Those who grow up in Utah’s local music scene make a ton of incredible memories, including Ogden’s Joshua Boyette, also known as The Boy in Blue.

Boyette’s debut EP For What It’s Worth will be out in its entirety on Wednesday, March 4, although there are a few singles from the EP you can listen to right now. The project chronicles Boyette’s journey over the last several years in the local music scene.

“The census of the EP is just kind of how my life has been in the last six years trying to pursue music, and it’s definitely made me learn a lot about myself, and relationships in my life and just trying to navigate to get to where I’m at now,” he explained. “And the whole premise of the name, For What It’s Worth, is just, ‘For what it’s worth, here’s this story.’ And I’ve been involved in the scene for so long, but I’ve never stepped out into my own realm as a solo artist.”

Boyette is 23, but got his first guitar around the age of 11 and started writing music when he was 16 or 17 years old, which is also when he joined his first band in the local scene. Going from being in a band to a solo artist was a little tricky, however. “It was difficult because I

was relying too much on other people,” he said. “I just decided, ‘You know what? I’m just going to write songs and put them out anyways.’ So it was hard at first, but it’s gotten very, very easy.”

After years of playing in a group, Boyette has found not only his voice as a solo artist, but as The Boy in Blue persona. The inspiration for the name came from an idea of a band that didn’t pan out, but was solidified when a friend gave Boyette a blue poncho. “Blue’s always been my favorite color too, so I was like, ‘Might as well,’” he laughed.

Boyette didn’t specifically set out to write about his experiences in the last several years, they just started flowing out as he began writing music as a solo artist. “‘The Songs We Sang,’ it’s about my old band that I was in. And, by God, we had such a good blast. There were many nights where it kind of got taken too far and stuff like that,” he recalled. “There were times where I couldn’t clean up after myself, so somebody else had to. It’s kind of just about recognizing that those are good memories, but they also could not be— sometimes that’s just what the ride does, it takes you on this whole experience.”

Boyette recorded with fellow Ogden musicians The Proper Way to put the EP together. “They’ve just been so great. It’s honestly quite emotional for me because I can’t believe these songs are the way that they are, and it’s because of their guidance, their tutelage and they were just so willing, and they believed in the project as much as I did,” he said. “I’ve never thought about songwriting in the way that they were telling me.”

Boyette’s sound on this EP is very sweet, genuine and full of heartfelt feeling. It’s obvious he and The Proper Way made a good group when putting these songs together. Tracks like “Still A Boy” are transportive with the lyrics and calming of the instrumentation. Each of the songs are contemplative, and will really get you thinking about important life changes

MUSIC

over the years.

Amazing things happen when communities come together, and the main aim of the release show for For What It’s Worth is to raise money for Utah’s Make a Wish Foundation. All of the proceeds from the show will go directly to the foundation, so Boyette is hoping for a big crowd.

Also on the bill for the evening is Cactus Tree, The Painted Roses and Sammy Brue. “I want this to become a big festival thing where all the homies come together for a really good cause, but we’re all just playing our music,” Boyette added.

The release show for For What It’s Worth takes place on Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15,

with all proceeds going to charity. The Boy in Blue hopes, for what it’s worth, that people come out for a good time to support a good cause, but while they do so, hopefully some of the songs about Boyette’s life will resonate with listeners, bringing up memories of their own. CW

THE BOY IN BLUE Wiseguys Ogden 269 25th St. Thursday, March 5, 7:30 p.m. wiseguyscomedy.com

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

MUSIC PICK S

Half Dive, Muskies, transmitter @ Urban Lounge 2/26

“February 26 at Urban Lounge is gonna be so special and can’t even tell you how excited we are,” Half Dive noted on Instagram. You know that when the bands are stoked and can’t wait for the show, it’s going to be a good one. Half Dive is an exciting prog rock/jazz group who offer a wide variety of sounds and vibes with their music. Their 2025 album a new journey was heavily influenced by video games, so a lot of the tracks sound like they could be epic themes for different levels in games. You’ll still find the prog/jazz aspects, but they mix incredibly well with the video-game vibes. Joining Half Dive is O-Town’s own Muskies, who always bring the fun shenanigans with them to each show. You can often find them costumed in some way while they interact with the crowd to make a memorable night. SLC’s transmitter is also bringing their electronic punk vibes to the occasion; tons of electronic effects mixed with heavy bass make for a crazy listening experience. Come hang out on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $13.35 in advance and $15.59 at the door. Grab yours at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

PT&C Group, LLC dba Platform Accounting Group seeks Senior Business Advisor in Holladay, UT. Email resume to hr@platformag. com. Provides bookkeeping and accounting services for individual and business clients, including financial reporting, payroll and tax filings, account reconciliations, and compliance support using accounting software. 3 years’ experience as an accountant and bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Business Administration is required. Must be proficient with tax and accounting software including QuickBooks, Lacerte, Reach Reporting, Tvalue, Screen Connect, and Microsoft Office Suite. $70,555 salary, 401(k)/medical benefits.

MUSIC PICK S

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Warren G and Xzibit @ Great Saltair 2/27

Musicians are required to be authentic, much more so than anyone else. The public has to believe you to be able to buy into your music and take it seriously. The hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s Ruthless Records debut Creepin’ on ah Come Up is as real a hip-hop record—beats, samples and rhymes-wise—now as it was when it was released back in 1994. Plus it has aged a hell of a lot better, and is still far more interesting musically, than most of the dime-a-dozen Horrorcore clones that dropped at that time. Bone’s longevity is a testament to their Freestyle Fellowship-esque sing-song style crafted in the early ’90s, and a contemporary sound that has adapted to the demands of the listeners. “We honestly never imagined it would be like this. We was so caught up in the thought of just making it—being able to make music. We wasn’t thinking about nothing else that came,” Krayzie Bone told Thrasher Magazine. “We were so in a spell just by Eazy-E coming to pick us up every morning.” The music spoke to me like the co-sign it got from Eric Wright. Impactful to this day, Bone’s influence can be felt in modern trap artists—spooky production, persistent triplet flows and melodic cadences. Also, their sophomore LP, E. 1999 Eternal, is extremely underrated, and should never be left out of any conversation. Warren G and Xzibit open. Catch these artists at the Great Saltair on Friday, Feb 27 at 6 p.m. Tickets for this all-ages show are $71.21 and can be acquired at eventbrite.com.

(Mark Dago)

MUSIC PICK S

The Infamous Stringdusters

@ The Commonwealth Room 2/26-27

Decidedly distinct, The Infamous Stringdusters pursue their own muse. Despite an allegiance to bluegrass basics, they’ve never felt obligated to stay within those parameters. That said, they’ve won the respect of the faithful courtesy of Grammy nods for Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Instrumental Performance, as well as recognition from the International Bluegrass Music Association. “We’ve always kind of been trying to sort of sprint forward in a manner of speaking, not necessarily away from bluegrass, but rather towards just taking everything we learned, and integrating it into our music,” dobro player Andy Hall said. “We’ve always been wanting to write our own music and let all the other influences that we have, like rock and jam band music and jazz and whatever, come through.” Of course, towing the line between a traditional template and contemporary credence does run the risk of alienating fans on either side of the divide. Hall, however, doesn’t find cause for concern. “I feel like we’re maybe a bit out of the loop when it comes to the world of traditional bluegrass. Ultimately, we’re kind of charting a lot of different courses at the same time. … The only pressure I feel is to show up and give 200% at every show.” Happily, the band never fails to deliver on that particular point. The State Room presents The Infamous Stringdusters with guests Nefresh Mountain at The Commonwealth Room at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 and Friday, Feb. 27. Tickets for the 21+ shows cost $38-$251 at axs.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Alison Wonderland @ Boxpac Project 2/28

The Ghost World tour—the highly-anticipated electronic music album and tour that was postponed this past December because DJ and producer Alison Wonderland (Ali Sholler) gave birth to her second child in November—is finally coming to Salt Lake City. According to the Relentless Beats online blog, the Australian artist’s “journey began with YouTube tutorials, leading her to become the highest-billed female DJ in Coachella history back in 2018, with over 1.1 billion global streams and more than 800,000 headline ticket sales across U.S. tours alone.” Evidently, she’s made her

mark on the EDM world with the albums Run (2015) and Awake (2018), which both topped the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Sholler, it seems, is also really only getting started, as her Ghost World album feels like the most personal of her discography. It showcases her signature trap production, but with futuristic bass and euphoric beats, notable in the songs “Iwannaliveinadream” and “Heaven,” featuring fellow Australian producer Ninajirachi. Sholler has always been pretty open about her mental health struggles, but it seems like she finally found a place—a ghost world—where she can escape to in those dark times. The best part is that she is sharing it with all of us. Mutiny Music Collective hosts Alison Wonderland at Boxpac Project on Saturday, Feb. 28. Doors open at 9 p.m. for this 21+ show. Tickets are now posted for resale only; go to eventim.us for exchanges. (Arica Roberts)

KT Tunstall @ Egyptian Theatre 3/4-7 Scotland-born and Grammy-nominated musician, singer and songwriter KT Tunstall burst onto the scene in 2004 with a bravura and revolutionary solo performance on popular UK program Later… With Jools Holland. Armed only with a guitar, microphone and looping pedal, she constructed the live arrangement of “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” in real time on live television. In the wake of that broadcast debut, Tunstall’s first single from Eye to the Telescope charted in the Top 40 on the U.K., Canada, New Zealand and United States. Quickly proving that she was no one-hit wonder, Tunstall placed three more songs from that album on the U.K. singles charts, with one of them—the catchy “Suddenly I See”—climbing to No. 21 on the Billboard singles chart. Subsequent albums have been critically well-received, and while Tunstall’s appealing, emotionally resonant and hooky folk-pop hasn’t stormed the charts in recent years, her studio work and live performances have earned her a dedicated following. Tunstall’s most recent full-length release is a collaborative album with pioneering female rocker Suzi Quatro, 2023’s Face to Face. KT Tunstall returns to the Egyptian Theatre for a four-night run, Feb. 4-7 at 8 p.m. Tickets for these all-ages shows are $45 and up at parkcityshows.com. (Bill Kopp)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

In woodworking, “spalting” occurs when fungi colonize wood, creating dark lines and patterns that make the wood more valuable, not less. The decay creates beauty as long as it isn’t allowed to progress too far. Here’s the metaphorical moral of the story for you, Aries: What feels like a deteriorating situation might actually be spalting. Are you experiencing the breakdown of a routine, a certainty, or a plan? It could be creating a pattern that makes your story even more interesting and heroic. So keep in mind that an apparent decomposition may be transforming ordinary into extraordinary beauty. My advice is to play along with the spalting.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

I suspect you’ll soon be invited to explore novel feelings and unfamiliar states of awareness. As you wander in the psychological frontiers, you might experience mysterious phenomena like the following: 1. An overflow of reverence and awe; 2. Blissful surprise in the face of the sublime; 3. Sudden glimmers of eternity in fleeting moments; 4. A soft, golden resonance that arises when you hear arousing truths; 5. Amazingly useful questions that could tantalize and feed your imagination for months and years to come.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

If I were your mentor, I’d lead you up an ascending trail to a high peak where your vision is clear and vast. If I were your leader, I’d give you a medal for all the ways you’ve been brave when no one was looking, then send you on an all-expenses-paid sabbatical to a beautiful sanctuary to rest and remember yourself. If I were your therapist, I’d guide you through a 90-minute meditation on your entire life story up until now. But since I’m just your companion for this brief oracle, I will instead advise you to slip out of any silken snares of comfort that dull your spirit, cast off perks and privileges that keep you small, and commune with influences that remind you of how deeply you treasure being alive.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Biologist Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize by developing what she called “a feeling for the organism.” She cultivated an intimate, almost empathic relationship with the corn plants she studied. She didn’t impose theories on her subjects. She listened to them until she could sense their hidden patterns from the inside. When you’re not lost in self-protection, you Cancerians excel at this quality of attention. Here’s what I see as your task in the coming weeks: Transfer your empathic genius away from people who drain you and toward projects, places or problems that deserve your devotion and give you blessings in return.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Sufi writers describe heartbreak, grief and longing as portals through which divine love enters. They say that a highly defended ego and a hardened heart can’t engage with such profound and potent love. In this view, suffering that makes the heart ache strips away illusions and fixations, allowing greater receptivity, humility and tenderness toward all beings. I’m not expecting you to get blasted by an influx of poignancy in the near future, Leo, but I’m very sure you have experienced such blasts in the past. And now is an excellent time to process those old breakthroughs disguised as breakdowns. You are likely to finally be able to harvest the full power they offered you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

In traditional Balinese culture, Tri Hita Karana is a concept that means there are three causes of well-being: harmony with God, harmony with people and harmony with nature. When one is out of balance, all suffer. I’m wondering if you would benefit from meditating on this theme now, Virgo. Have you been focused on one dimension at the expense of the others? Are you, perhaps, spiritually nourished but socially isolated? Or maybe you’re maintaining relationships but ignoring your body’s connection to the earth? Here’s your assignment: Do a Tri Hita Karana audit. Which

harmony is most neglected? Add to your altar, call a friend, or go walk in the great outdoors—whichever one you’ve been shortchanging.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

You are a diplomat in the struggle between beauty and inelegance. Your aptitude for creating harmony is a great asset that others might underestimate or miss completely. I hope you will always trust your hunger for classiness even if others dismiss it as superficial. One of your key reasons for being here on earth is to keep insisting on loveliness in a world too quick to settle for ugliness. These qualities of yours are especially needed right now. Please be gracefully insistent on expressing them wherever you go.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

The bad news: You underestimate how much joy and pleasure you deserve—and how much you’re capable of experiencing. This artificially low expectation has sometimes cheated you out of your rightful share of bliss and fulfillment. The good news: Life is now ready to conspire with you to raise your happiness levels. I hope you will cooperate eagerly. The more intensely you insist on feeling good, the more cosmic assistance you will garner. Here’s a smart way to launch this holy campaign: Renounce a certain lackluster thrill that diverts you from more lavish excitements.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

In classical music, a “rest” isn’t the absence of music. It’s a specific notation that creates space, tension and meaning. The silence is as much a part of the composition as the sound. I suggest you think of your current pause this way, Sagittarius. You’re not waiting for your real life to resume. You’re in a rest, and the rest is an essential part of the process you’re following. It’s creating the conditions for what comes next. So instead of anxiously filling every moment with productivity or distraction, try honoring the pause. Be deliberately quiet. Let the silence accumulate. When the next movement begins, you’ll understand exactly why the rest was necessary.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Interesting temptations are wandering into your orbit. You may be surprised to find yourself drawn toward entertaining gambles and tricky adventures. How should you respond? Should you say “Yes! Now! I’m ready!”? Or is open-minded caution a wiser approach? Conditions are too slippery for me to arrive at definitive conclusions. What I can tell you is this: Merely considering and ruminating on these invitations will awaken uplifting and inspiring lessons. PS: To get the fullness of the blessings you want from other people, you must first give them to yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

The engineer Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) said he envisioned his inventions in intricate detail before building them. He didn’t need literal prototypes because his mental pictures were so vivid. I suspect you Aquarians now have extra access to this power. What scenarios are you dreaming of? What are you incubating in your imagination? I urge you to boldly trust your thought experiments. Your mental prototypes may be unusually accurate. The visions you’re testing internally are reconnaissance missions to futures that you have the power to build. Regard your imagination as a laboratory.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Sufi mystics tell us that the heart has “seven levels of depth,” each one bearing progressively more profound wisdom. You access these depths by feeling deeper, not thinking harder. Let’s apply this perspective to you, Pisces. Right now, you’re being called to descend past surface emotions (irritation, worry, mild contentment) into the layers beneath: primal wonder, the wild joy you’re sometimes too cautious to express, and the sacred longing that can lead you to glory. This dive might feel risky. That’s good! It means you’re going deep enough. What you discover down there will reorganize everything above it for the better.

urban LIVING

WITH BABS DELAY

Broker, Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

Lookin’ Good

The Utah Legislature will be done doing its dirty work on March 6. With hundreds of bills to pass or reject, lawmakers have got a lot of work to finish up before the deadline.

Most states, except Vermont, have some form of a balanced-budget provision. Other states, like Arizona, require the governor to propose an annual balanced budget, but the law doesn’t require its legislature to pass one.

In 2021, 45 states required their governors to submit a balanced budget to their legislatures, with 41 requiring their head of state to sign a balanced budget. Utah is a balanced budget state, and it’s one of the reasons I like living and working here.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. 70-Across’s U.S. equivalent

4. Newspaper section

10. Latest craze

13. Walk off with

14. Northern lights phenomenon

15. Indignation

16. Where words are formed letter by letter in dreams?

18. Pro hoops gp.

19. Words with “on TV”

20. Woeful sound

21. Japanese wheat noodles

22. Charlie Brown outburst

24. Hamilton bills, slangily

26. “I see it now!”

29. Droplets of water

31. “Galloping Gourmet” Graham

32. Football party entree, often

34. Long-standing

36. AL and NL divisions

39. Bored feeling

40. Sm¯rrebr¯d bread

The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released its annual economic report in January and we’re looking great! We have a diverse economy drawing from a variety of industries, low unemployment and a strong labor market. And we continue to see folks moving here. We saw a 1.5% increase in jobs here last year, with a 3.5% raise in average wages. Most growth was in education, health services and construction.

Something we hear very little about, but that affects our economy, is the oil we produce here in the Uinta and Paradox Basins. And last year we produced more oil than ever before—a whopping 70 million barrels of crude. We have five refineries that produce gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products.

The Deseret News reported that between 2019 and 2023, the state’s oil and gas industry produced a quarter of a billion dollars in Salt Lake County alone. Five school districts received $25 million during that time and the industry taxes amounted to $15.4 million. And then there’s the housing market. Prices haven’t been skyrocketing like they were during the crazy COVID outbreak era, but homeownership is declining because prices and mortgage rates aren’t compatible with many buyers’ budgets.

According to the Salt Lake Board of Realtors, 2025 was a grim year for our housing market, with data showing the lowest annual amount of sales since 1995! The National Association of Realtors reported that 71% of all members sold nothing—zero, zilch—in 2025, giving weight to the rule in sales: “10% sell 90% of the inventory.”

Annual home sales have fallen here for the past three years and “days on market” in some areas have gone from an average of 30 to 80. Prices were up less than 2% last year, with the number of homes for sale up 10%.

But there is some hope in the housing market. To wit, Realtor.com predicts mortgage rates will come down a bit more into the high 5% range; and stable pricing should be more common in the next two years.

In 2025, the county’s median sales price was $620,000, with Draper having the highest at $990,000 (a 57.9% increase since 2020!).

Let’s hope our officials pass bills authorizing state funds to assist homebuyers and the unsheltered. Citizens say this is their number one priority! ■

41. Party game with a similar concept to “The Traitors”

42. Laundry day target

43. ___ Leppard

44. Perfect places

45. Diner orders

47. Butter-and-flour sauce thickener

49. “___ Kapital” (Karl Marx work)

50. Solvent in nail polish remover

53. Smooth-talking

55. Bank (on)

56. Number that’s its own fourth power

58. Odd

62. Not so well

63. Menswear delivery for Danson or Lange?

65. Pub provision

66. Lip overgrowth, slangily

67. Very, in Versailles

68. Lawn repair roll

69. Artist known for optical illusions

70. 1-Across’s U.K. equivalent (and inspiration for this puzzle)

DOWN

1. Sticks in the microwave

2. Somehow manages (with “out”)

3. Lamprey lurer

4. Musician Buffy ___-Marie who retired from live performance in 2023

5. Knock-knock joke, usually

6. Assns.

7. Bender, for example

8. “From the Alex ___ Stage ...”

9. Dejected

10. Hide-and-seek players being provided snacks?

11. Shady garden spot

12. Academic heads

13. Screening org.

17. Provides a segue for

21. Like emails with bold headers

23. “The Princess Bride” weapon

25. Hatch location

26. Leaves amazed

27. Little help

28. Romance author Monaghan took over?

30. Comparatively cunning

33. Culpable

35. Remove condensation from

37. “Bob’s Burgers” daughter

38. Mouthy lip (or lippy mouth)

46. Pig noses

48. Donegal’s province

50. Opera selections

51. Yo-Yo Ma’s instrument

NEWS of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

It Was Only a Matter of Time

Anthony Sapienza, 63, was charged with two counts of felony battery on Feb. 8 in Port Orange, Florida, after a brawl broke out during a pickleball game at the Spruce Creek Country Club, the Associated Press reported. Sapienza’s wife, Julianne Sapienza, 51, was charged with a single count of felony battery. The Sapienzas were playing against another couple when an argument began about a rule; words were exchanged between the men before the accused hit his opponent with his paddle, then punched him on the ground. Before it was all over, about 20 players became involved in the fight, police said. The victim was over age 65.

The Way the World Works

Back in the 1940s, carpenters would sometimes slide a newspaper between the floorboards of a house to fix uneven planks, The Washington Post reported. On Jan. 14, contractor Vincent Vincent tore up boards in a home in Fargo, North Dakota, and unsurprisingly found a newspaper page from Oct. 6, 1946. When he showed the paper to the homeowner, Casey Chapman, 75, Chapman recognized someone in the photo on the page: his mother. “It was just a shock,” Chapman said. His family had no connection to the home before he bought it in 2017. That issue of the Fargo Forum featured the seven nominees for North Dakota Agricultural College’s homecoming queen, one of which was Marty Anderson, Chapman’s mom. (She won, by the way.) Anderson died in 2014. Chapman said she was “very active, and not afraid to take on leadership roles. My mother was a wonderful lady.” He and his wife have already framed the clipping and will hang it in their renovated bedroom.

Least Competent Criminals

■ A 25-year-old man in Philipsburg, Montana, drove to the Granite County Courthouse to pay a fine he had received for an open container, KBZK-TV reported on Feb. 17. While he waited, Sheriff Rico Barkell observed that he appeared to be intoxicated. He asked if the man had driven to the courthouse, to which he answered yes. Then he admitted he had had two drinks and smoked two bowls of marijuana. A breath test confirmed the sheriff’s suspicions, with the man’s blood alcohol at three times the legal limit. He also had an open container in his car. He was charged with aggravated DUI and open container. The sheriff’s office posted about the incident on its Facebook page, summarizing with “Stupidity is not an excuse!”

■ On Feb. 11, Dean Young, 26, entered a parked landscaping van in Hialeah, Florida, allegedly with intent to steal tools inside, NBC Miami reported. However, Young became trapped in the locked van and started screaming and beating on the doors. “Help me! I’m inside,” he yelled. The landscapers called police but didn’t free Young from the van, as there were machetes inside that he might have used as a weapon. Young, who had posted bail in an earlier case, was held on charges of burglary and criminal mischief.

Irony

A famous rock formation in Melendugno, Puglia, Italy, called Lovers’ Arch collapsed into the Adriatic Sea on Valentine’s Day, The Guardian reported. Strong storm surges and heavy rain pounded the area before the landmark fell. “It is a devastating blow to the heart,” said Melendugno Mayor Maurizio Cisternino. “Nature has been overturned.”

Meanwhile, at the Olympics ...

The real star of the Feb. 18 women’s cross country team sprint qualifying round in Lago Di Tesero, Italy, was Nazgul, a 2-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog. NPR reported that as skiers flew across the finish line, Nazgul broke out of his doghouse and ran across, too—even being captured with the official finish line camera. The dog’s owner said Nazgul “just wanted to follow us. He always looks for people.”

Wrong Plane, Wrong Time

Fox5 Atlanta reported on Feb. 10 that a passenger on a United Airlines flight had boarded the wrong plane, then wondered why it was taking so long to reach his destination. The passenger intended to travel from Los Angeles to Managua, Nicaragua, with a layover in Houston. Six hours into the flight, he asked a flight attendant why it was taking so long to get to Houston—and then realized he was on a flight to Tokyo. United Airlines paid for a two-night hotel stay as they worked out a new itinerary for the passenger and offered a $1,000 travel credit.

The Continuing Crisis

The Town of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, declared a local emergency on Feb. 17 after at least two sinkholes opened up on its streets, WFMZ-TV reported. A dump truck that was hauling asphalt to repair one sinkhole ended up falling into the ground, while farther down the street, a car fell into a hole. The dump truck also damaged a water main, which could not be repaired until the truck could be removed from the hole. Using ground-penetrating radar, officials located several different voids beneath the surface, said Mayor Randy Piazza. The emergency declaration allows faster access to resources and assistance, town officials said. Public Works Director Matt Noel said eight homes had been evacuated, and residents of other homes have been encouraged to leave.

Repeat Offender

Michael Delsid, 46, is no stranger to Fresno, California, police. KMPH-TV reported that Delsid was arrested after a chase on Feb. 17 for the 36th time—in this particular incident, for evading the police, driving recklessly and violating his probation. Delsid’s criminal record reportedly dates back to 1994 and includes violent crimes, drug offenses and property crimes. He is ineligible for bail.

Oops

■ Australian TV reporter Danika Mason offered an onair apology on Feb. 19 after her coverage from the Winter Olympics got a little sloppy, CTV News reported. On Feb. 18, Mason reportedly stumbled over several words and wandered off topic (the price of coffee in Italy and iguanas in the United States) before one of her colleagues in studio blamed the cold climate for her slurring. The next day, Mason said she “totally misjudged a situation. I shouldn’t have had a drink, and especially in these conditions—it’s cold, we’ve got altitude, and not having had dinner probably didn’t help as well. It’s not the standard that I set for myself.”

■ In Sherman, Texas, pediatric dentist Kelly Buck, age 36, was arrested on Feb. 16 after someone contacted the police department about Buck allegedly practicing dentistry while appearing to be intoxicated, WCAX-TV reported. Buck failed a field sobriety test and was later charged with a felony. If convicted, she faces up to two years in prison.

The Perks of Being a Dogg

NBC Olympics correspondent Snoop Dogg, 54, visited a gastropub called Cronox in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 13, indulging in a cheeseburger, chicken wings, nuggets and fries, the New York Post reported. When it came time to tab out, however, his card was declined. Sofia Valmadre, the restaurant owner’s daughter, said her mother “told him that it was OK (to take the food) without paying,” which Snoop did. But the rapper and Team USA honorary coach paid his debt in spades ... or stomps. He gifted the restaurant five tickets to the men’s snowboard halfpipe finals. “Grazie, Snoop!” Valmadre posted on X.

Event & Marketing Coordinator (Draper, UT) Plan and execute K-Culture themed events incorporating Korean traditional music, such as pop-up events, cultural food festivals, and live performances at restaurants and food trucks. Develop and produce promotional content for social media platforms (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok), integrating signature menu items with traditional instrument performances. Coordinate community-based marketing initiatives in collaboration with Korean cultural centers, local festivals, K-pop fan clubs, and university K-culture organizations. Collaborate with internal teams to manage schedules, logistics, and resources for events, ensuring smooth execution and alignment with overall brand strategy. 40hrs/wk, Offered wage: $31,242/yr, Bachelor’s degree in Music or related required.