City Weekly January 29, 2026

CITY WEEKLY salt lake

Changing of the Guard

Salt Lake City Council’s newest member pledges work on community engagement, affordable housing.

BY GRACE X. MAYA

S AP

BOX

“Salt Lakers call for ‘ICE Out’ ...”

Jan. 14 Online

I loved all the “f--k trump” signs I saw.

ERIN WINWARD CHATTERTON Via Facebook

Good for them! Glad to see the young participating in politics.

DEBBIE STOCKS Via Facebook

ICE is just upholding the law.

GRANDMA_DEEDEE Via Instagram

Yesssssss! Resistance is courage—for liberty and justice for all.

JULIA PORTER NELSON Via Facebook

Yeah we got some traitors in the house. It’s okay you guys can’t handle the stress and are poking your heads out, and we’re taking notes no big deal.

BRANDON MONSON Via Facebook

Good people trying to make our country better, thank you! F--k ICE.

ANGELA MOORE Via Facebook

All part of Project 2025. Too bad, Christian Republicans own it.

DENNIS OGDEN Via Facebook

I heard it from my apartment! Way to go folks, f--k fascists.

KADEN MTNT CLRY BAILESS Via Facebook

They should all move to blue states then and stop ruining ours.

CHRIS FARR Via Facebook

Salt Lake City is another example of leftist insanity and failed liberal agendas, a disease that rots the core of large cities across the country.

THOMAS ARMITAGE Via Facebook

Great Salt Desert

With eminent BYU scientists—among other scientists—predicting the demise of the Great Salt within the next few years, one would think that this would alarm everyone in the state, especially the political and religious leaders. But a group who believes in golden tablets may not be the ones to face the reality of the situation.

How can a governor who urges prayer to end the drought really be expected to understand this basic science? The death of the Great Salt Lake is approached by

some with the same reaction as the death of a loved one, accompanied by the first step in grieving—denial.

Just yesterday, when I shared my concerns with someone, they dismissed the problem. “There’s a Utah river,” they said, “which will be diverted into the drying lakebed.” But what many seem not to understand is that when the lake is gone, there will be no snowpack and, thus, no melting snow to feed any streams or rivers.

The Great Salt Lake will become the Great Salt Desert, with wind storms blowing mercury and arsenic throughout the state. Real estate will be worthless.

The more enlightened property owners will be listing soon, in the hopes that the naive will buy their property. Enlightened young people will be seeking their education and careers in other states or countries.

TED OTTINGER

Taylorsville

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THE WATER COOLER

What’s a conspiracy theory you secretly kind of believe?

Katharine Biele

That the Trump administration took out Charlie Kirk to foment anger at “the left.”

Paula Saltas

Ditto to Katharine Biele.

Chelsea Neider

Those garden gnomes come to life when we are not looking and they are the ones actually killing my garden.

Scott Renshaw

My standard answer has always been that “secret” conspiracies depend on the idea that a critical mass of people is able to keep a secret. It’s easier to believe conspiracies now that the people involved are either too stupid or too brazen (or both) to even try to keep it a secret.

Zach Abend

I kind of believe that there is a secret facility at Dulce, NM. At the very least, the desert is doing a lot of heavy lifting for that rumor.

Benjamin Wood

That automobile and tire companies intentionally bought up private trolley systems in the early- to mid-20th century in order to intentionally put transit out of business and compel reliance on the personal vehicle.

PRIVATE EYE

BY JOHN SALTAS

Pray for Ice

Somewhere, 3,000 years ago, a Greek farmer looked at his parched fields and prayed for rain. He prayed to Zeus. Around 500 years later, a Roman farmer looked at his own parched fields and prayed for rain. He prayed to Jupiter.

In those same eras—in the Great Basin and Southwest Desert regions of what now comprise Utah, Arizona and New Mexico—a local farmer here looked at his own parched fields and prayed for rain, too. We are not sure who he prayed to.

That’s due in part to the written records for this region being sparse, the gaps filled by reliance on oral histories, rock art and figurines left to tell that story. Suffice it to say, however, that in each of the regions above, the moisture Gods were fickle.

More on that in a moment. They are likely just as fickle today.

In 2021, Utah’s governor, Mr. Rogers … oops, I mean Utah’s governor, Spencer Cox … asked that Utahns unite in heavenly prayer (to whomever one prays, if at all) in order to refill our lakes, streams, reservoirs, water tables, drainage ditches, cow troughs and farm canals. In 2025, when one could nearly wade across Echo Reservoir, Cox again asked us to look to the heavens for relief.

In 2023, Cox reminded us to give thanks for the replenishing snows that had recently fallen, saving Utah’s robust alfalfa harvest. Now, in 2026 we are asked to beckon the snow gods to bring that white stuff pronto, lest our tourist dollar ski season be fully lost, and for the Great Salt Puddle to refill.

Utah is far below normal for the current water year—

for the past 20, actually. A few good storms could really bump us up and are certainly needed; could maybe even save us.

The question is how do we make more water. More prayer? Maybe. But we can kind of get the drift by looking at tree rings and migration patterns over the past couple thousand years.

In Greece, a major drought collapsed the Bronze Age in the eighth century B.C., and another in the sixth century A.D. terribly impacted early Christian communities around Nemea. The Romans experienced similar throughout its vast territories, times when parched, nomadic tribes would encroach on Roman lands and others when the Tiber River ran dry.

During those same time spans, ancestral peoples here were heavily impacted by the rising and falling whims of such waterways as the Colorado River, which in one drought era ran at about 60% of normal. Around 200 B.C., the region experienced the worst drought on record. The Chaco Canyon civilization collapsed due to drought about 1,000 years later, followed by extraordinarily dry years that brought the end to the Mesa Verde peoples.

While we know the names of Zeus and Jupiter (it’s best not to bring the Egyptian era and Moses into all of this, for lack of space), the names of Gods in these parts is less well examined. Deities in the forms of Kokopelli were entrusted with good agricultural outcomes. Similar was the case with Kachina dolls—Neinilii was the God of Water and the Shakala were the messengers who brought moisture and rain. Where to turn?

Thus, as a proud and patriotic Utah citizen, I’m thankful and perplexed that Governor Cox has entrusted me to pray for God’s tears. Thankful, because it unites me with my neighbors who, despite our political differences, gripe that our wasting grass yards will soon be uniformly brown.

If nothing else, the sharing of such binding experiences seems like a good thing to me. I still hope their zucchini dies, though.

Yet I’m perplexed, too, because Cox doesn’t give much

insight as to which gods to pray to (His? Mine? Oden or Varuna?) nor to where the waters should fall. It would be selfish of me to pray for heavenly waters that only serve the Murray area where I live, or in the Cottonwood Canyons above me that provide both potable and squirty water.

But to be honest, I’m not sure I want snow to fall and rain to pour anywhere else. The reason for that is Cox, himself.

He’s proven time and again to favor only a certain kind of Utahn. I am not among the folks he continuously gives his political good graces to.

He’s bullshitted me and my tribe over and over with condescending statements of understanding, only to knock us down a peg whenever he sees fit. He’s turned his back on Utah’s democrats and Utah’s marginal communities so many times, I can’t tell which way he’s facing.

He shareth not with me, nor people like me, the things I care about. So why should I shareth my snow relief with him? Besides—and I’ve mentioned this plenty of times— I’m a betting man. My bet is that in Spencer’s quiet prayer, he prayeth only for snows and rains to replenish the water resources that he and his neighbors utilize in Sanpete County.

He should also pray for shade while he’s at it—Utah is much hotter than it was when the long droughts of centuries past decimated lands and lives. Rapid heat evaporation is making everything worse.

So pray, Guv, for the San Pitch and Sevier Rivers to run high. Pray that regional reservoirs, like Yuba, Gunnison Bend and Otter Creek, fill. Pray that your deep wells replenish to keep the alfalfa growing and pray that the Cottonwood culinary wells remain able to keep the coffee pouring at the Rise and Grind.

He won’t pray for me, though. Spencer Cox could not give, in wet times or dry, two flips about whether I have a clear mixer and ice cubes for my Canadian whiskey. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele

MISS: Sexy Times

When you see some of the bills coming from our legislators, you can only wonder what childhood trauma they endured. No one seems more concerned about the LGBTQ community than Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, who appears to think they are coming to “replace us.” But he is following in the footsteps of the Great Orange President. Donald Trump was furious at the Supreme Court because “some of the justices were fighting hard for men to be able to play in women’s sports.” And he’s keeping organizations that get U.S. aid from subsidizing DEI, or what he calls “gender ideology.” In Lee’s latest bill, HB183, he wants all mention of the word “gender” deleted in favor of good old fashioned “sex.” Way to go, Trevor—apparently renaming a Salt Lake City street after Charlie Kirk isn’t enough. And Tooele Republican Rep. Nicholeen Peck, a right-wing podcaster, offers up HB197, which is more of the same about “sensitive materials” in schools. Not only should those delicate children’s eyes be shielded from porn, but Peck wants parents to be able to sue if the kids were exposed to … well, life.

HIT: Lakefront Property

It’s probably not over, but for now some small part of the Great Salt Lake wetlands will be spared from light manufacturing. The Salt Lake City Planning Commission was unanimous in saying “no” to an 80-acre rezone in the Northpoint area. The plan was couched as generating revenue that would ultimately go to scholarships, affordable housing, homelessness and other things. Conservation groups won the argument, partly by pointing to the wetlands’ connection to Great Salt Lake and how development would affect birds and other wildlife. Still, the City Council has the final word, whatever that may be. One Deseret News commenter said the Legislature is likely to punish Salt Lake City, as it does. Still, there was not a single comment favoring developers’ plans.

MISS: Down River

In a conflicted world that depends on water, uses too much of it and can’t bring itself to call out climate change, President Donald Trump may have the last word on the Colorado River. Western stakeholders have been meeting at an impasse over the past several months to try to figure out who gets what from the Colorado River Basin.

A seven-state agreement needs to be made by Feb. 14, or else the Peace President will decide. The governors—including Utah’s Spencer Cox—have been summoned to Washington, to renegotiate the basin’s operating guidelines.

“Among the points of contention is how much water the Upper Basin states (New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming) will release downstream from Lake Powell to Lake Mead—which determines how much water Arizona and the other two Lower Basin states, California and Nevada, will be able to take from the river in a given year,” the Havasu News reported.

Feeling Blue

Utah Democrats have not had many wins at the congressional level in the last 25 years, with the exceptions of former representatives Jim Matheson—who won several terms by the skin of his teeth—and Ben McAdams, who served just one term. Both were members of the fiscally conservative “Blue Dog” Coalition in the House of Representatives, and neither inspired much passion.

But the newly redrawn House District 1, and its variety of Democratic hopefuls, has given the party faithful options for the first time in a long time.

The “action” in this year’s District 1 race will be seen and heard mostly on the Democratic side of things, according to U of U political science professor Matthew Burbank, and the various candidates vying for the seat will have to act quickly if they want to catch the eye of primary voters.

What kind of Democrat nominee ultimately emerges from that fight isn’t guaranteed. “I imagine a lot of centrist Democrats have registered as Republican,” said Dr. Leah A. Murray, director of the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics at Weber State University. “Do they now register as a Democrat? Which then maybe moves the median voter in that space to the right.”

But for Burbank, it’s not certain that a Democrat will necessarily win the district at all. “If, for example, Blake Moore were to be the Republican candidate and Liban Mohamed were the Democratic candidate, I think Republicans could win CD 1,” he said.

Still, the redrawn district has created an opening for progressives like state Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek, who is positioning himself as the progressive candidate in a two-man primary against McAdams, now seeking another term. Serving in the Republican-dominated Utah Senate can feel like an exercise in futility, according to Blouin. “It feels like I’m banging my head against the wall,” he related.

Before this district was redrawn, a progressive candidate would not have had a chance in the general election. For Brian King, a former lawmaker and current chairman of the Utah Democratic Party, the new district is a “game changer.”

A more reliable district, King said, will allow candidates “to run campaigns rooted in a broader vision and purpose, rather than being more heavily based in political calculations.”

Currently, the bar for congressional representation in Utah is low. Advocates like Nate Cripps of the Disability Law Center hope that whoever is elected— be they Republican or Democratic—will shine a light on issues like disability rights. “This past summer, the entire [Utah] delegation voted to make cuts to Medicaid even though they heard us out about how devastating they would be,” Cripps noted. “At the end of the day, our only hope is that whoever is in Congress listens to us.”

As Murray sees it, the uncertainty that this election presents is the point. “But since we’ve not had this situation for a long time—since Jim Matheson— I am not sure we know what the voters really look like.” CW

Back to the Future

The animated time-travel fantasy of Arco, plus February 2026 special screenings.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Arco BB1/2

If you peek around the edges of this French animated science-fiction/fantasy, there are plenty of potential avenues for emotional power—and nearly every one of them feels at least a little bit off. It opens in the 30th century, where humans live on platforms above the environmental collapse below, and where a 10-year-old named Arco (Juliano Krue Valdi) violates the age limits for employing time-travel technology, resulting in him getting stranded in the year 2075. There he befriends 10-year-old Iris (Romy Fay), who tries to help him, while a trio of conspiracy theorists (Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg and Flea) are in pursuit. Director Ugo Bienvenu and co-writer Félix de Givry come up with some solid foundational ideas, like a caretaker robot for Iris called Mikki that has the combined voice of her two parents (Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo), and sending Arco not to our present, but to an era even closer to a crisis tipping point. Yet all of the relationship dynamics—between Arco and Iris; between Iris and her largely-absentee parents; between Arco and his own family; between Iris and Mikki—hint at something without really setting them up enough for a payoff. And the trio of antagonists are too bungling in their Team-Rocket-from-Pokémon she-

nanigans to allow for their own backstory to transcend their comic-relief status. The hand-drawn style serves up echoes of Studio Ghibli while never fully settling on what it wants to be about. Available Jan. 30 in theaters. (PG)

February 2026 Special Screenings

Shoot the People @ Utah Film Center: It is certainly a time of great upheaval at the moment, and throughout the recent decades, the way the world learns about such upheaval is through images. The 2025 documentary Shoot the People director Andy Mundy-Castle profiling photographer activist Misan Harriman as he chronicles social-justice movements around the world, from Palestinian liberation to our own “Black Lives Matter.” A free screening comes to the Utah Film Center (375 W. 400 North) on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., followed by a moderated discussion. Tickets are free, with registration required via the website. utahfilmcenter.org

Film Buff Series: All That Heaven Allows @ Brewvies: Beware the derogatory use of

the term “melodrama;” historically, stories with that designation have been ones that wrestle with subjects in an honest, earnest way. The films of director Douglas Sirk are often described that way, including his 1955 film All That Heaven Allows, about the romance between a wealthy widow (Jane Wyman) and a younger groundskeeper (Rock Hudson). Brewvies (677 S. 200 West) presents the film on Monday, Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. Tickets are free, but registration is required at the website. brewvies.com

Disney/Pixar’s Up @ Utah Symphony: One way to tell when music has immediately become part of the Disney canon is how quickly it becomes part of the sound of the theme parks. If you walk down Disneyland’s Main Street, you’ll hear a lot of vintage showtunes and 19th-century melodies—but you’ll also hear the “Married Life” waltz by composer Michael Giacchino, part of the Oscar-winning score that provides the emotional backbone for the 2009 animated feature Up. Utah Symphony plays live to screen for the already-beloved feature about a widower’s magical, adventurous journey with a young boy—and bring your tissues for the opening mon-

tage. If you know, you know. Performances take place at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) Thursday, Feb. 12 – Saturday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. nightly. Tickets are $21.50$112. utahsymphony.org

Pirates of the Caribbean series: It seemed like a crazy idea when we first heard it. How was Disney going to turn its vintage theme-park attraction Pirates of the Caribbean into a feature film? What folks weren’t counting on was the soon-tobe-iconic performance by Johnny Depp as ne’er-do-well Captain Jack Sparrow, a woozy buccaneer who owed more to Keith Richards than to Long John Silver. The first three films in the series return to the big screen at Megaplex Theatres locations for limited one-week runs: 2003’s Curse of the Black Pearl on Feb. 13; 2006’s Dead Man’s Chest on Feb. 20; and 2007’s At World’s End on Feb. 27. You can also experience a marathon presentation of all three films Feb. 14 and Feb. 15. Tickets for individual films are part of Megaplex $5 Reel Deals, and marathon packages start at $49.99 including concessions or meals, depending on the package. megaplex.com CW

A&E

Sundance Highlights

Josephine, The Invite and Cookie Queens lead the pack at the halfway point.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Josephine [U.S. Dramatic] BBB 1/2

It’s a parental horror story, but one told largely from the point of view of a child, and that tension is part of what makes Beth de Araújo’s feature so thrilling and unsettling. The child is 8-year-old Josephine (Mason Reeves), who gets separated from her father (Channing Tatum) while on a morning run in the park, and subsequently witnesses the sexual assault of a jogger. Josephine doesn’t fully understand what she has seen, of course—at least at first—and her quest for understanding bumps up against the natural tendency of her parents (with Gemma Chan as her mother) to save her from such an early confrontation with such a painful subject.

That results in turning the assailant (a haunting Philip Ettinger) into Josephine’s personal boogeyman, and de Araújo stages his intrusion into the family’s life with chilling effectiveness. As skilled as the filmmaking is, it’s perhaps even more powerful at understanding how these two parents respond in such very different ways, based on what Josephine has already experienced, and what they fear she might experience in the future. It all builds to a courtroom scene that perhaps calculates its audience-response structure too neatly, but works thanks to the small miracle of young Reeves’ performance, which wrestles with the anger and fear in a child who has had everything she thought she could trust—and maybe even everyone she thought she could trust—pulled out from under her.

The Invite [Premieres] BBB 1/2

There are rare moments when a film comedy hits a gear where the big laughs are coming so fast, one on top of the other, that it becomes absolutely euphoric, no matter what other minor slips might occur along the way. You get one such occasion about mid-way through this farce about a married San Francisco couple, Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde, who also directed), whose relationship difficulties

come into focus when they host a dinner party for their upstairs neighbors, unconventional couple Hawk (Edward Norton) and Pína (Penélope Cruz). The script by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones adapts the 2020 Spanish feature Sentimental, and mixes farce with “comedy of remarriage” in a way that kind of rushes through the steps to figuring out whether Joe and Angela can work things out. But absolutely none of that matters at the peak of the gathering’s craziness, beginning with a wonderfully awkward search for a corkscrew and building to a conversation about Hawk and Pína’s sex life where the jokes come in a fusillade that barely lets you come up for air. All four of the performances are terrific while working in very different registers—Wilde’s reaction takes bouncing off Rogen’s ad-libs, with Cruz and Norton providing phenomenal straight-person counterpoint. The ending aims for a particular kind of sweetness, but really, nothing is sweeter than the sound of hundreds of people roaring in unison for several minutes straight. (SR)

Cookie Queens [Family Matinee] BBB 1/2

Director Alysa Nahmias’ formula here is like 85% adorableness and 15% other stuff, but oh man does she nail the adorableness. Her subject is the $800 million annual

business that is the selling of Girl Scout cookies, focusing on four girls from around the country trying to hit their goals during the several-weeks-long annual selling window. Much of the focus is on 12-yearold Olive, a cookie-shilling wunderkind whose skills at upselling seem to dazzle all her customers into additional purchases, and there are layers to her character in her growing consciousness about being an exploited worker as well as the perils of pinning her entire identity on being an ace salesperson. And Nahmias definitely doesn’t shy away from the pressures on parents—who need to pre-purchase their kids’ inventory—trying to be supportive through rainy or otherwise unsuccessful sales days. But it’s really clear that the filmmaker had great instincts for picking her subjects for their potential appeal to audiences, including Nikki, whose ambitions are tied entirely to emulating her older sisters, and 5-year-old Ara, a firsttimer whose innocence has her interpreting one woman’s “maybe later” response to a sales pitch as an assurance that she’ll be coming back soon. There are even some really inspired bits of visual filmmaking, like watching Ara struggle with pulling her wagon of cookies across the sand on a San Diego beach. The result is a documentary as sweet and easy to enjoy as a box of Thin Mints. CW

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT

JAN. 29 - FEB. 4, 2026 Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Pioneer Theatre Company:

Ten Brave Seconds

Staging a new musical is no small matter; it’s also something Pioneer Theatre Company has shown itself unafraid to do. That was evident in 2022, when PTC became the first testing ground for Shucked!, which went to Broadway and became a Tony Award winner. So it’s no surprise to see the company continue that commitment with Ten Brave Seconds, by Will Van Dyke and Jeff Talbott. “As a theatre company, we at PTC have a responsibility to champion new voices and develop original works that move the American Theatre forward,” PTC artistic director Karen Azenberg shares in a press release.

The narrative takes place over a single day, in which a teenager named Mike realizes he needs to share a secret with his family. Perhaps appropriately for a story about someone sharing a secret, its specific nature isn’t front and center in the promotional materials (though one might make an educated guess). “It’s kind of a coming-of-age, and Mike becomes a grown-up before our eyes, because he realizes about being part of the world and speaking your truth in the world, and it’s kind of an exciting moment,” Azenberg shared in an interview on PBS Utah’s Contact. “‘Count to 10 and speak your truth’ [is] sort of a theme that runs through the show, musically and dramatically.”

Ten Brave Seconds makes its world premiere at the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East) Jan. 30 – Feb. 14. Tickets are $57 - $83, with discounted youth options for weekday performances and “name your own price” performances also available. Visit pioneertheatre.org for showtimes and tickets. (Scott Renshaw)

Emo Philips @ Wiseguys

Emo Philips is an oddball. Then again, it takes a peculiar personality to be a comedian, an offbeat attitude that defines many successful funny men, from Rodney Dangerfield and Jerry Lewis to Weird Al Yankovic and Carrot Top. Nevertheless, Emo boasts a strange style all his own, an individual who possesses a certain child-like innocence and often reverts to a falsetto while littering his speech with non-sequiturs. His stage persona is that of a fidgety, nervous and rather irreverent individual who possesses some unexpected insight. He’s in constant motion when performing—sitting, standing and moving from one end of the stage to another while fussing with his hair and clothing. Self-deprecating to an extreme, he seems to take great delight in his geeky image. Even as he approaches his 70th birthday, and nearly 50 years into his career, he puts the emphasis on his offkilter persona, as emphasized by the bizarre bob that characterizes his decidedly uncool hairstyle. A nerd to an extreme, Emo serves as a role model for all those who found they never fit in and accepted that fact without reservation. In that regard, he gives us reason to laugh out loud and recognize the fact that having a peculiar personality, no matter how goofy, can sometimes prep one for success. At any rate, seeing Emo in concert can make the rest of us weirdos feel semi-normal and self-assured.

Emo Philips performs two 21+ shows at Wiseguys Jordan Landing (3763 W. Center Park Dr., West Jordan) Jan. 30 - 31 at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Tickets cost $29 at wiseguyscomedy.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

C. Thi Nguyen: The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game

Games—videogames, board games, sports or any other variation—are largely thought of in purely recreational terms. But it’s fascinating to think of humanity’s long relationship with games in more philosophical terms, as has been the recent work of University of Utah professor C. Thi Nguyen. In 2024, on The Atlantic’s “How to Win at Real Life” podcast, Nguyen shared a perspective shaped by a favorite book, Bernard Suits’ The Grasshopper: “In a game, you’re trying to get something, but you’re not just trying to get the thing itself, independently,” Nguyen said. “The end goal in a game is partially constituted by the constraints on how you got it. In normal life, you go through the means for the sake of the end … In games, you take on the goal for the sake of the struggle.” Nguyen’s unique perspective on games, and how they are—and are not—like life gets its latest airing in his new book The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game. In it, he examines the value of gaming as a way for enhancing human development, but looks at that relationship from the other side as well—how the language of scoring, ranking and metrics has insinuated itself into aspects of life (like education and government) where it may be harmful, and creates an alienating effect with human experience.

C. Thi Nguyen discusses The Score at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts auditorium (410 Campus Center Dr.) on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. Tickets for the event are free, but reservation is required via Eventbrite; visit kingsenglish.com for link and additional event information. (SR)

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NEWS

What’s up, Docs?

Utah’s small-town doctors say there’s both challenge and reward in doing more with less.

BY BRANDI CHRISTOFFERSEN COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

Being a doctor in a small-town hospital offers unique challenges as well as rewards. For Dr. Austin Smith, emergency medical director for Intermountain Health Park City Hospital, the gulf between large medical centers, rural one-horse clinics and everything inbetween was immediately apparent when he transferred from Nashville to the mountain resort community.

At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where Smith worked before, he said that every specialty and expert was available “at my fingertips.” The Vanderbilt emergency department had 75 beds—more than double the entire bed capacity of Intermountain Park City.

“Suddenly, I was responsible for everyone who came through the door,” Smith said. “It was all up to me.”

Fortunately, his experience in a bustling emergency department taught Smith how to be flexible and to think on his feet. He said these skills helped him approach the new challenge with determination and enthusiasm. While he recognized he would be taking on extra duties and responsibilities, he also knew he would have the opportunity to do more clinical work.

Smith said he enjoys the variety of the job. He shared the example of a day that included assisting with a delivery after a mother unexpectedly went into early labor, setting the broken arm of a fifth-grade child and then treating a 102-year-old man with heart palpitations.

“You just never know what you’re going to get,” Smith explained. “Think about it—one life had only been on this planet for a few minutes, another for a decade, while another for over a century. And I was able to help them all.”

Of course, as a small-town doctor one ends up helping many members of the home community. This, undoubtedly, means one will run into them while being out and about.

“With a smaller staff, everyone quickly becomes familiar with one another.”—Dr. Josh Napier

It was during his first Christmas season in Park City when Smith realized how truly different it is to be one of only a handful of doctors, versus an anonymous metropolitan physician among countless others. After being told there was a three-hour wait at a local restaurant, a member of the staff recognized Smith as the physician who had stitched up her finger a week earlier.

In appreciation of his service, Smith and his family were seated in the private dining area, and he was personally thanked by the owner and chef.

“In a big city you’re virtually invisible, but in a small community you really can’t go anywhere without bumping into someone you know,” he said. “That’s one of my favorite parts about living here.”

“Well-Oiled Machine”

Working at a rural hospital also allows for a closer bond between doctors, nurses and medical professionals. The entire team works closely together and often takes on additional duties and responsibilities.

“With a smaller staff, everyone quickly becomes familiar with one another, which makes for a more efficient and effective operation,” said Dr. Josh Napier, a hospitalist at Intermountain Park City Hospital. “Our entire team is a well-oiled machine.”

Furthermore, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, smaller medical facilities receive higher patient satisfaction scores, overall, compared to their larger counterparts.

The report also suggested that low scores at large hospitals may be due in part to a general perception of cleanliness, timeliness and personal communication at smaller clinics. “Hospital size was significantly associated with patient satisfaction,” researchers wrote, “such that larger size was associated with lower satisfaction.”

Smith said it’s generally true that, at rural hospitals, doctors and staff are able to spend more time with their patients and provide a more personalized level of care.

“At most emergency departments, the waiting rooms are jam-packed with hours-long wait times. But here at Park City, we can get people back right away,” Smith noted. “I have time to sit down with our patients and form relationships.”

Napier agreed, adding that this ability to spend quality time with each person improves not just patient satisfaction, but their recovery process as well.

“With Park City Hospital being smaller, we can watch over our patients a little closer than some of the larger centers. I think this helps us get them home quicker,” he said. “The average in-patient hospital stay is three to five days; we are typically only two days.”

Team Work

The medical professionals interviewed for this story noted how working in small community hospitals comes with unique responsibilities. With fewer treatment resources available at arm’s length, it becomes essential

that each patient is carefully evaluated and triaged.

They emphasized that community facilities are fully equipped and staffed to provide excellent care for the vast majority of emergency situations they encounter. But part of delivering high-quality care is also knowing when a patient requires a higher level of specialized treatment.

“In those cases, we don’t hesitate,” Smith observed. “We make sure they get exactly where they need to be.”

Technology has helped to improve these transfers from smaller to larger hospitals. Smith gave the example of a patient who arrives with cardiac symptoms that require a catheter to the heart. In that case, the local emergency department staff can immediately begin appropriate medications while using telehealth conferencing to collaborate directly with the lab team at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.

“From there,” Smith explained, “the patient is transferred straight to the cath lab, ensuring seamless, timely and coordinated care.”

Fortunately, for Napier, Smith and their staff, the benefits of working at a small hospital far outweigh any negative aspects. Perhaps even more importantly, these benefits are experienced and acknowledged by the patients they serve.

“We consistently rank as one of the highest emergency departments for patient experience,” Smith said. “You either love working in a small hospital or you hate it—there is no in between. For me, I absolutely love it!” CW

Changing of the Guard

Salt Lake City Council’s newest member pledges work on community engagement, affordable housing.

BY GRACE X. MAYA COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

Erika Carlsen was sworn in as Salt Lake City’s newest council member on Jan. 5. She joins six returning members, and will serve as vice-chairperson for the first majority-female Council in city history.

During a recent interview with City Weekly, Carlsen discussed her background and priorities for the session. Her district spans the Ballpark, Liberty Park and 9th and 9th neighborhoods, which she described as a proud and diverse part of the city. The area is a mix of homeowners, renters and local businesses. But those voices have not always been represented before the Council, she said.

“I’m hoping for greater community engagement across the district, strengthening community groups and showing our residents they have voice and power,” Carlsen said. “Once neighbors feel connected to each other, once they have a sense of pride and place, they begin to feel the impact of leadership in their communities.” Carlsen herself benefited from

NEWS

community engagement in her decision to run for City Council. Members of her community group, the Ballpark Action Team, were the first to encourage her campaign.

“When Councilmember [Darin] Mano announced he was stepping down, my neighbors asked me to run,” Carlsen said. “I was asked probably seven times.”

She said her experience in community organizing translated to an effective campaign. “My campaign, all volunteers, knocked on 8,000 doors. I did 3,000 of those myself,” Carlsen recalled. “I loved hearing residents share their honest thoughts. What they loved—but also what they wanted to see done differently.”

Quality of Life

At the heart of many residents’ concerns was home ownership, Carlsen said. A 2025 study found that the average Salt Lake City household would need to save for nearly 24 years in order to afford a down payment.

The median home price in the city is roughly $570,000. And with mortgage rates hovering around 5.7%, homeownership feels increasingly out-ofreach for many Salt Lakers.

Carlsen’s predecessor, Darin Mano, championed zoning reform as one method of increasing access to residential housing. “We’ll see the benefits of those changes for years to come,” Carlsen said.

Carlsen will serve as vice-chair this year. The role will allow her to participate in more meetings and set agenda topics for each session. She antici-

pates road and park maintenance as recurring themes for the year.

“All the boring parts of government residents rely on the most,” she noted.

She’ll soon have her own role to play in the city’s affordable housing efforts (as further debate on zoning modernization is anticipated throughout 2026), and said she hopes to continue to solicit community feedback.

“It’s a great degree of responsibility,” Carlsen observed. “Taking the bull by the horns, recognizing that my time in office is precious. Each day is on opportunity to make progress on the issues people care about.”

Uncertain Times

Some issues hit closer to home than others. A bill from Layton Republican Rep. Trevor Lee seeks to rename Harvey Milk Boulevard, in Carlsen’s district, to a variation of “Charlie Kirk Boulevard” after the right-wing podcaster who was fatally shot in Utah last year. The bill would create new powers for the Legislature to rename city-controlled streets.

Carlsen said she stands opposed to the change. “Decisions about our city’s streets should remain in the hands of our community and its elected leaders,” she siad.

Still, the early weeks of 2026 have brought forth unexpected constituent complaints. The council’s first meeting of the new year included more than 100 attendees, who came to voice opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to demand further protections on the city level.

Salt Lake City is not a designated sanctuary city, and the police department does not generally collaborate with ICE. The council is broadly considered to be a progressive body. Still, meeting attendees took issue with what they viewed as inaction.

Members of the public demanded new city ordinances, and a resolution calling for ICE’s disbandment.

Carlsen said that she shares many of the concerns raised at the meeting.

“What I heard beneath many of those comments, beneath anger, there’s often sadness,” she said. “Without speaking for them, speaking only for myself, there is a sense of sadness and grief at what’s happening right now. Mine is really connected to feeling like we’re up against and violating our constitutional norms, which I swore an oath to uphold.”

The council does not yet have a formal response to constituent demands, although Carlsen urged protestors to continue speaking up.

“I hope that advocacy doesn’t stop at city hall,” she said. “I hope it goes on to the state Legislature and our federal representatives.”

More than anything, Carlsen hoped to maintain communication with her constituents. She plans to attend neighborhood community councils, host town halls and offer a workshop on the city’s budgeting process.

“Every day, I’m thinking about how to make life better for the people in my district,” Carlsen said. “I feel deeply accountable to them. I want to hear from them and hear from more of them.” CW

Chila-killin’ Me Softly

Traditional Mexican breakfast plus a few sweet treats await at Sol and Sabor.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Even though hatred of brunch is a core tenet of Anthony Bourdain’s culinary philosophy, I like the concept of brunch. It’s a no-holds-barred mishmash of bloody Marys, egg yolks and doughnuts— and, tacky as it may be, I enjoy that particular mix of food.

I will not do brunch, however. I will order it, consume it and, more often than not, enjoy it, but I will not do it. There are miles between the idea of doing brunch and enjoying brunch, and it can be hard to find places that are aligned with those who prefer the latter. That’s why Sol and Sabor in Murray’s Ivy Place is such an excellent find.

The entire Ivy Place Shopping Village maintains a nostalgic vibe all to itself. It’s a quaint little cluster of shops and restaurants that contrasts nicely with all the boxy condos going up in the area. Sol and Sabor is located on the south side of the circuitous structure, and once you step inside, it’s easy to fall in love with the place. An exposed brick wall displays vehicle license plates from all over the world—including a prop license plate from The Fast and the Furious, which may have sealed the deal for me before I even ordered.

It’s a good idea to visit Sol and Sabor on the earlier side, as the place fills up pretty quickly around 10 a.m. Though the res-

taurant specializes in traditional Mexican breakfast like chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and stacked breakfast burritos, that barely scratches the surface of the whole menu. Breakfast hashes like the meat-splosive Farmers Discada ($18.60) combine chorizo, carne asada and carnitas with bacon, sausage and chicken, while also somehow fitting a biscuit and gravy into the mix.

Traditionally, my experience with Mexican breakfasts has almost exclusively relied on the savory aspects of a good brunch excursion. This is definitely an option at Sol and Sabor—may I refer you back to the Farmers Discada Hash— but the restaurant also has some great sweet options on the menu. Crepes like the Chunky Monkey ($13.40) mix Nutella and bananas to excellent effect. The tropical crepes ($13.40) are also a good bet; topped with coconut and pineapple and then drizzled with a peach sauce, you get some great citrusy flavors that aren’t often featured on crepes.

My daughter stumbled upon one of her new favorites, which was an order of French Toast Donuts ($8.25) from the kid’s menu. I don’t typically use a restaurant’s kid’s menu as part of my overall evaluation, but I’m making an exception here because the French Toast Donuts are awesome. A pair of cream-filled doughnuts battered in egg and then griddled to a golden brown is going to win over any kid, but these are good enough to impress the grownups at the table as well.

For those too good to steal French toast from your kids, Sol and Sabor has an entire menu of creative French toast dishes. The concha ($13.40) and churro ($13.40) options celebrate traditional Mexican flavors that will satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth. The former comes with fresh berries and an icing-like sauce, while the latter comes with cinnamon sugar bananas and caramelly cajete.

As easy as it is to make any of Sol and Sabor’s menu sections your whole personality, I personally gravitate toward the Somequiles section. Chilaquiles was the dish that introduced me to the wonders of Mexican breakfast, and I’ve remained rather partial to it over the years. The Birriaquiles ($18.50) will no doubt impress the birria crowd—Sol and Sabor really doesn’t mess around when it comes to birria. However, it’s the Pastorquiles ($18) that truly stole my heart. This dish gives diners an excuse to sample the timehonored combo of smoked pork and juicy pineapple made famous by tacos al pastor for breakfast, and it’s an absolute treasure. It’s easy to discount chilaquiles as a delectable hodgepodge thrown together with no deliberation. While sometimes that is the case, Sol and Sabor has a very specific strategy in mind with the restaurant’s chilaquiles. The chips are hearty and just thick enough to support mounds of meat, beans, salsa, pineapple and eggs. The salsa verde has the right acidic undertones to complement the pineapple. The smoked pork is the centerpiece, and everything on the plate exists to make it sing. All of that happens before you slice your fork through the eggs—I got mine over easy—and let everything soak up all that yolk. From the aesthetics to the menu, Sol and Sabor has all the makings of a cozy, straight-shooting breakfast or brunch destination. It’s a great place to indulge in some meaty Mexican classics, but it’s also no slouch when it comes to the sweeter side of breakfast. Next time you want to enjoy brunch instead of doing brunch, Sol and Sabor is worth an early morning trip. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: “Juicequake” Juicy Style IPA

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Paradise - Green Tea Rice Lager

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

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: Powder Panic 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!

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

On Tap: Heber’s Hazy - New England Style Hazy IPA 5% ABV

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

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

On Tap: Hopkins Lager

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: Dark Helmet Schwarzbier Lager

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

On Tap: Peach Inversion IPA

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: Juice Shot (carrot ginger 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 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

Freshly canned: The Last Dance Lager

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

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: Red Headed Stepchild Irish Red Ale

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com

On Draft: Hop Dew - Sparkling Hop Water

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

BEER NERD

Peachy Keen

Implied or genuine, stone fruit flavors rule this week.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

U

inta - Test Phase (Lab Sequence 004): As the name denotes, this is the fourth iteration of Uinta’s newest line of rotating IPAs, and features Dolicita, Alora and HBC-630 hops. From the first crack of the can, the aroma of this New England-style IPA is unmistakable and inviting—freshly squeezed tangerine juice, bright and juicy, as if someone zested citrus directly over the glass. There’s a soft sweetness to the nose as well, hinting at ripe stone fruit and a gentle herbal quality from the hops that keeps things from veering into one-note territory.

On the first sip, that tangerine character comes roaring back, juicy and vibrant, immediately coating the palate. The mouthfeel is plush and full, delivering that signature NEIPA chewiness that hop-lovers crave. As the beer opens up, layers of flavor begin to jockey for position. Peach emerges quickly, soft and fleshy, setting up a tug of war with the citrus. Neither fully overtakes the other, and that balance is part of the beer’s charm—each sip seems to lean slightly more tangerine, then slightly more peach, keeping the experience dynamic and engaging. Mid-palate, subtle herbal hop notes weave through the fruit, adding depth and just enough contrast to prevent the beer from feeling overly sweet. Toward the back end, hints of melon briefly surface, almost like a cameo appearance, rounding out the fruit profile and adding another layer of complexity.

Despite the hop saturation, bitterness is nearly nonexistent in the finish. Instead, the beer closes smooth and soft, leaving behind a lingering impression of juicy hops and a chewy texture.

Verdict: At 7.8 percent ABV, this IPA carries its strength effortlessly. The alcohol is well hidden, making it dangerously drinkable while still delivering bold, expressive hop character.

Saltfire - Spiced Peach Sour: Let’s start with a little background: Foeders

are large wooden vessels—often made of oak—that originated in traditional European brewing. They can be used for clean fermentation or inoculated with organisms like Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and wild or farmhouse yeasts alongside standard brewer’s yeast. Saltfire’s foeders use the latter, opting for great sour profiles.

The base beer here is Belgian style blonde ale. The aroma alone seems to spark the palate, lighting up the sides of the tongue with an anticipatory zing that hints at both acidity and spice. It’s expressive without being aggressive, drawing you in rather than daring you to take the first sip. Once you do, the beer reveals how balanced it really is.

The foeder-aged sour base provides a gentle foundation of light tartness and tang, never sharp or enamel-stripping. Instead, it feels soft and rounded, allowing the fruit character to shine. Peach takes center stage early on, smooth and fleshy, working as a calming counterpoint to the acidity. It mellows the sourness just enough to keep everything cohesive and highly drinkable.

As the beer continues to unfold across the palate, chai spices emerge and begin to take control. Notes of cinnamon, clove and subtle cardamom layer themselves into the profile, transforming the beer into something unexpectedly evocative. The combination of peach, gentle tartness and warming spice creates an almost Indian peach pie impression—comforting, aromatic and slightly exotic, yet still refreshing. The spices are well-integrated, adding complexity without overpowering the fruit or the base beer. At just 5% ABV, this foeder sour is exceptionally sessionable, encouraging repeat pours without fatigue. The finish is clean and lightly tangy, with lingering spice and a soft peach echo that invites another sip.

Verdict: This is a thoughtfully constructed sour that showcases restraint and creativity in equal measure. It’s flavorful, approachable, and endlessly enjoyable—a damn tasty foeder sour that proves subtlety can be just as exciting as intensity.

Spiced Peach Sour is draft only, and only available at Saltfire. Test Phase (Lab Sequence 004) is available at Uinta to enjoy in 16-oz. cans or take home.

As always, cheers! CW

BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Utah Restaurants and Bars Nab James Beard Noms

The James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2026 awards, and Utah’s got a pretty decent showing this year. Junah, Central Ninth’s Japanese/Italian fusion spot, is up for Best New Restaurant; Post Office Place is in the running for Outstanding Bar; and Sara Sergent from Alpine Distilling Social Aid and Pleasure Club in Park City is up for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. The semifinalists for Best Chef: Mountain Region (Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) are Milo Carrier from Arlo; Andrew Fuller from Oquirrh; Travis Herbert from Felt Bar and Eatery; Tommy Nguyen from The Pearl; and Nick Zocco from Urban Hill. Finalists will be announced on March 31, and the 2026 award ceremony will be held in Chicago on June 15.

Sidecar Doughnuts Opens in Sugar House

I first got wind of California’s popular Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee (sidecardoughnuts.com) coming to town early last year, and the time has finally come. Utah’s first Sidecar location is at the corner of 700 East and 2100 South, which formerly housed the spaghetti-and-pasta concept known as By The Bucket. Sidecar made a name for itself with its scratch-made doughnuts and commitment to fresh ingredients, and its doughnuts are fried up in small batches all day. The holy union between coffee and doughnuts is alive and well at Sidecar, and the bakery’s coffee selections include some signature brews that complement the doughnut menu. It might be too early to call, but Utah may just be looking at a full-on doughnut renaissance.

Red Rock Region Chocolate and Fine Foods Festival

Those itching for a weekend road trip may want to cruise on down to Hurricane for the Red Rock Region Chocolate and Fine Foods Festival (redrockchocolate.com). Plenty of local vendors from all over the Wasatch Front will be on hand with a fresh supply of chocolate and chocolate-adjacent treats. The list includes Caputo’s Market, Kanab Honey, LolliPuff Gourmet Cotton Candy, Deep Dark Drinking Chocolate and Choffy, among others. I also spotted a few out-of-state vendors like Kessho Craft Chocolate from Austin, Tex. and Mademoiselle Miel from St. Paul, Minn. The event takes place Jan. 31 – Feb. 1 at the Washington County Fairgrounds.

Quote of the Week: “If you aren’t woman enough to carry your doughnuts with pride, you shouldn’t be eating them.” – Francine Pascal

See the Sound

New music videos from Kimi, The Glitter Bombs, 26fix, Scott Lippitt and more.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

While music videos aren’t quite as popular as they were back in their MTV heyday, they’re still fun in 2026. We already get to hear the artists’ thoughts and feelings through song, but getting to see their visual interpretation of the music is a lovely treat. Local musicians have fantastic ideas and often utilize Utah’s beautiful scenery to create incredible mini-movies, so here are a few to check out.

Kimi, “Never Ever”: Singer/songwriter Kimi is an R&B queen, stunning listeners with her soulful and rich vocals. Her latest video showcases her new single “Never Ever,” a bad-bitch anthem about being the one not to mess with. The song is smooth, featuring a satisfying beat with guitar playing over it. “Never Ever” has an early aughts vibe that’s incredibly inviting and grabs hold of you from the first few notes. Sultry and sexy, Kimi takes it away singing about seeing through the bullshit of fake people who try to enter relationships. “Talk to me right / Hold me at night / Respect me when I’m out of sight / If not, it’s not on me / The consequence you’ll see / I won’t be the one who’s losing,” she sings. The video is beautifully shot and pairs well with the subject matter of the song—and shows what happens when you mess with the wrong one.

The Glitter Bombs, “Crybaby”: The Glitter Bombs are well-known around town for their fun, glitzy and glamorous attitude. They perfectly encapsulate the name of their band with their high energy and good vibes. They’re a group that always looks like they’re having fun, which in turn makes their performances even more engaging. The Bombs released “Crybaby” back in November and do have an official music video on the way for it, but they also have a live performance of the track that was featured on KRCL. Maybe this blurs the line a bit on what a music video actually is, but it’s fun to watch regardless. The Glitter Bombs have an addicting pop/punk attitude, and the song features cheeky lyrics that are enjoyable to listen to—and it seems like the band has a good time performing it as well. Check out The Glitter Bombs’ “Crybaby” wherever you listen to music and keep an eye out for the official video coming soon.

26fix, “Tester Snake”:

There are so many different ways a music video can be made, and one that’s fully animated is probably among the coolest options. Singer/songwriter 26fix is a creator of weird, wacky and fun tunes; her debut song “A Pickle” was all about a pickle jumping down the throat of someone and killing them. The song is a blast, and so was the video that followed. One of 26fix’s most recent singles, “Tester Snake” also got the music video treatment. The entire video is made up of curiously delightful 2D animations, giving Broad City vibes, if you know the show. It’s got bright colors, weird shapes, a weird cartoon dude and, of course, a snake. The song itself is energetic and has a ton of cool effects that make for an interesting listening experience. If you love hand-drawn 2D animation, you’ll love the video for “Tester Snake.”

MUSIC

Scott Lippitt, “Sorry I’m Late”: Singer/songwriter Scott Lippitt has a knack for producing incredibly charming, relatable and easy-to-listen-to tracks that will stick with you. He continually releases new fun and fresh music, never letting his library sit stagnant for long. Last summer, Lippitt released two singles in tandem, one of which was “Sorry I’m Late.” This song touches on mental health struggles and the feeling you get when all of it becomes overwhelming. Most can probably relate to that feeling of emotional paralysis that takes over when life gets to be a little too much. The sentiments of the song pack a punch, but the music itself is cheerful in the same way that the music video is. Lippitt flexed his creative chops creating everything seen in the video using art supplies, cardboard, medications and hands. He also notes at the beginning of the video that none of the video was created with AI, which is an unfortunate clarification that has to be made these days. Opinions on AI

aside, the music video for “Sorry I’m Late” is as enjoyable and charming as Lippitt’s music. If you’re needing a song that’s relatable, yet cheerful, this one is for you.

Van Sessions: This last entry is one that may not quite fit the definition of a music video, but the videos are too good not to mention. Van Sessions is a show that takes place in Ogden every first Friday of the month, during the First Friday Art Stroll Downtown. Bands set up in front of the iconic retro van that houses the sound equipment, and locals come out to show their stuff. These aren’t just your typical live set videos; the editing and quality of the content is off the charts. From the sound to the video to the talent, you really can’t go wrong. Van Sessions features musicians from all over the Wasatch Front, not just Ogden or Salt Lake City, so it’s also a great place to discover new local talent. They have videos going back years and years, so it’s a channel you can really dive into to find gems. CW

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

The Gontiks EP Release @ Kilby Court 1/29 Grunge is one of those genres that continues to speak to generations of music-lovers. From its inception in the early ’90s to now, listeners and creators alike consistently gravitate towards the angst-filled sound. SLC’s The Gontiks have thrown their hats into the grunge ring and have accumulated a loving following. This show will celebrate the release of their newest EP Late Bloomer, which listeners got a taste of last November with the track “5Bones.” It’s an enticing song that exemplifies the genre while incorporating interesting electronic effects. “5Bones” is a great entry for The Gontiks, and it’ll be exciting to hear the rest of the songs that will accompany it on the new EP. They’re not hitting the stage alone that night; locals Runaway Fighter and CAMO join. Runaway Fighter is relatively new to the scene, but they’ve been out cutting their teeth with live shows and creating a name for themselves. CAMO is heading this way from sunny St. George and offer a cool/dreamy shoegaze style that will pair well with the other two bands on the bill. Come hear The Gontiks’ new EP on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Grab yours at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

MUSIC PICK S

Crunk Witch @ Funk ‘n Dive Bar 1/30

Dance music is constantly changing, fracturing, splitting and diversifying into ever smaller niches. The husband-wife twosome of Hannah Collen and Brandon Miles (a.k.a. Crunk Witch) continue this tradition, pursuing a path of crowd-pleasing peaks, troughs and thump-thump-thumps with a backdrop of geeky ill-ed out synth tracks. Last year’s In The Dark album was filled with beautiful vignettes, little cinematic-like masterpieces. “Crunk Witch has always sort of been an oasis from the struggles of everyday life,” Miles told Bangor Daily News . Look, there really is no excuse to “play it safe” and accept middle of the road music of any genre—let alone dance music. This isn’t a nerdcore adjacent gimmick-ization of culture; it’s not focus group-tested or over-produced aural mush. It’s just good grooves and people with a passion and a real desire to create something fantastic. I appreciate Crunk Witch for not being pigeonholed by someone else’s ideas of what a band should sound like. We’re going back down into the underground, baby, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s where electronic music, and perhaps all art, truly thrives. Cecret Souls open. Catch these artists at Funk ‘n Dive Bar (2550 Washington Blvd, Ogden) on Friday, Jan. 30. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at funkanddive.com. (Mark Dago)

the the the

ART, MUSIC, COCKTAILS

Craft cocktails brought to you by local bar and distillery pairings!

Enjoy a night out with live music, fine art, small bites, a photobooth and art activities.

Friday 27 February 7-11 pm

Club House SLC 850 East South Temple Salt Lake City , UT 84102

Dress Code: Cocktail Attire

Participating Distilleries

Corresponding Bars

Participating Bars: HK Brewing Collective Taproom & Bar, Drift Lounge, Melancholy, The Tasting Room, Neighbors, Spritz

MUSIC PICK

Diplo @ The Marquis 1/30

It’s the one, the only, the celebrity among electronic artists … it’s Diplo (Thomas Wesley Pentz). With an impressive career spanning two decades, Pentz is solidified in pop culture and music innovation. The Mississippiborn but Miami-raised DJ and producer was initially influenced by Miami bass of the early aughts but has disparate influence from genres like baile funk and Indian sitars. Pentz founded the record company Mad Decent in 2006, which has served as a palette to showcase the myriad of sounds he came across while touring the world. His dancehall project Major Lazer is only one among many musical endeavors, bringing the music from Brazilian favelas into the U.S. mainstream. He’s also part of other music groups like LSD; electronic duo Jack Ü, with producer and DJ Skrillex; and a member of Silk City with Mark Ronson. Pentz’s discography is extensive with four studio albums, two reissue albums, 10 EPs, six compilation albums, five mixtapes, one live album and several singles. Live sets include songs like “Set If Off” featuring fellow producer Lazerdisk Party Sex that combines helium-filled vocals with instrumentals. His song “Where Are Ü Now,” featuring fellow producer Skrillex and singer Justin Bieber, is one of the first electronic music songs that made it mainstream, and introduced people to Diplo’s solo discography. Diplo plays at The Marquis in Park City on Friday, Jan. 30. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $169 at ticketmaster.com. (Arica Roberts)

Briscoe @ The State Room 2/3

Briscoe originally took its inspiration from the storied environs of the Texas Hill Country, home to longtime pals Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman. Nevertheless, their most recent album, Heat of July, takes on broader designs, drawing from the imagery and experience of the two members while performing a seemingly endless cycle of cross-country touring. Having transitioned from a shimmering folk-oriented sound, their music has taken on clearer definition and distinction. At times it embraces a cinematic scope, a rootsy sound imbued with a personal perspective gleaned from experiencing endless stretches of highways and a seemingly non-stop cavalcade of natural sights and sounds. It’s a path well-taken for these two

constant travelers, which makes Heat of July a travelogue of sorts, one that welcomes listeners to share the journey. The melodies are as evocative as certain titles suggest: “Arizona Shining,” “Saving Grace,” “Leaving California,” “Flashlights in the Canyon.” With their distinctive harmonies, earnest approach and rugged resilience, Briscoe delivers music that resonates with emotion and engagement. Once Texas’ best-kept secret, they can now be considered torchbearers of timeless Americana. In a sense, their upcoming visit to Utah could be considered a real welcome home. “There are so many beautiful parts of America, but the southwest is something we really gravitate toward,” Truett reflects on their website. They’re chasing the American dream, it seems. Briscoe’s Heat of July Tour 2026 with special guest Wells Ferrari comes to The State Room Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $27 at axs.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Fitz and the Tantrums @ Egyptian Theatre 2/4-2/7

Starting with a classic rhythm & blues foundation and infusing it with a modern feel and sensibility, Los Angeles-based Fitz and the Tantrums developed a signature style and dedicated fan base to match. Launched in 2008 by musician and vocalist Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick, the group drew from the American song forms and styles that came out of Memphis (via Stax and other labels) and Detroit (primarily from Motown Records). The group’s 2010 indie debut Pickin’ Up the Pieces made its mark on Billboard ’s trendy Heatseekers chart, and its success led to a high-profile deal with Elektra. More Than Just a Dream (2013) spawned two hit singles, “Out of My League” and “The Walker.” Fitz and the Tantrums’ self-titled third release in 2016 yielded the band’s biggest hit, “HandClap.” Since then, the group’s deft and exuberant mix of soul, R&B and pop has continued to earn new fans. The band released its sixth studio album, Man on the Moon, in July 2025. Fitz and the Tantrums come to the Egyptian Theatre in Park City for a fournight engagement, Feb. 4-7 at 8 p.m. each night. Tickets for these all-ages shows are $65 and over and are available for purchase at parkcityshows.com. (Bill Kopp) CW

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

In 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to trek to the summit of Mount Everest. They both said later that the climb down was as important and challenging as the ascent. The lesson: Achievement doesn’t end when you reach the peak. Aries, you may be nearing or have just passed a high point of effort or recognition. Soon you will need to manage the descent with aplomb. Don’t rush! Tread carefully as you complete your victory. It’s not as glamorous as the push upward, but it’s equally vital to the legacy of the climb.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Aurora borealis occurs when highly charged particles from the Sun strike molecules high in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing them to glow. The display that looks like gorgeous magic is actually our planet’s invisible magnetic shield and upper atmosphere lighting up under the pressure of an intense solar storm. Dear Taurus, I think your life has a metaphorical resemblance. The strength you’ve been quietly maintaining without much fanfare has become vividly apparent because it’s being activated. The protection you’ve been offering and the boundaries you’ve been holding are more visible than usual. This is good news! Your shields are working.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

“Nothing in excess” was the maxim inscribed on the ancient Temple of Apollo at Delphi. “Moderation is a chief moral virtue,” proclaimed the philosopher Aristotle. But I don’t recommend those approaches for you right now, Gemini. A sounder principle is “More is better” or “Almost too much is just the right amount.” You have a holy duty to cultivate lavishness and splendor. I hope you will stir up as many joyous liberations and fun exploits as possible.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

When sea otters sleep, they sometimes hold each other’s paws to keep from drifting apart. This simple, instinctive act ensures they remain safe and connected. I suggest making their bond your power symbol for now, Cancer. You’ll be wise to formulate a strong intention about which people, values, and projects you want to be tethered to. And if sea otters holding hands sounds too sentimental or cutesy to be a power symbol, you need to rethink your understanding of power. For you right now, it’s potency personified.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

To be healthy, we all need to continually be in the process of letting go. It’s always a favorable phase to shed aspects of our old selves to make room for what comes next. The challenge for you Leos is to keep showing up with your special brightness even as parts of you die away to feed new growth. So here are my questions: What old versions of your generosity or courage are ready to compost? What fiercer, wilder, more sustainable expression of your leonine nature wants to emerge? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to stop performing the hero you used to be and become the hero you are destined to become.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

The Haudenosaunee people practice “seventh-generation thinking,” making decisions based on their impact seven generations into the future. You would be wise to incorporate the spirit of their visionary approach, Virgo. The problem: You’re so skilled at fixing what needs urgent attention that you sometimes neglect what’s even more important in the long run. So I will ask you to contemplate what choices you could you make now that will be blessings to your future self. This might involve ripening an immature skill, shedding a boring obligation that drains you, or delivering honest words that don’t come easily. Rather than obsessing on the crisis of the moment, send a sweet boost to the life you want to be living three years from now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Are you open to the idea that new wisdom doesn’t always demand struggle and strain? In the days ahead, I invite

you to move as if the world is deeply in love with you; as if every element, every coincidence, every kind pair of eyes is cheering you forward. Imagine that generous souls everywhere want to help you be and reveal your best self. Trust that unseen allies are rearranging the flow of fate to help you grow into the beautiful original you were born to be. Do you dare to be so confident that life loves you?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Psychologist James Pennebaker did studies showing that people who write about traumatic experiences for just 15 minutes a day show improved immune function, fewer doctor visits, and better emotional health. But here’s a key detail: The benefits don’t come from the trauma itself or from “processing feelings.” They come from constructing a narrative: making meaning, finding patterns, and creating coherence. The healing isn’t in the wound. It’s in the story you shape from the wound’s raw material. You Scorpios excel at this alchemical work. One of your superpowers is to take what’s dark, buried, or painful and transform it through the piercing attention of your intelligence and imagination. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to do this.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

In Jewish mysticism, tikkun olam means “repair of the world.” This is the idea that we’re all responsible for healing what’s broken. But the teaching also says you’re not required to complete the work; you’re only asked to not abandon it. This is your message right now, Sagittarius: You don’t have to save everyone. You don’t have to heal everything, and you don’t even have to finish the projects you’ve started. But you can’t abandon them entirely, either. Keep showing up. Do what you can today. That’s enough. The work will continue whether or not you complete it. Your part is to not walk away from your own brokenness and the world’s. Stay engaged.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

The Talmud teaches us that “every blade of grass has an angel bending over it, whispering, ‘Grow, grow.’” I sense that you are now receiving the extra intense influence of your own guardian angels, Capricorn. They are not demanding or threatening, they are just encouraging. Please tune into their helpful ministrations. Don’t get distracted by harsher voices, like your internalized critic, the pressure of impossible standards, or the ghost of adversaries who didn’t believe in you. Here’s your assignment: Create time and space to hear and fully register the supportive counsel. It’s saying: “Grow. You’re allowed to grow. You don’t have to earn it. Just grow.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

In ecology, there’s a concept called “keystone species.” This refers to organisms that have a huge effect on their environment relative to their abundance. Remove them, and the whole ecosystem shifts. I bring this up, Aquarius, because I believe you are currently functioning as a keystone species in your social ecosystem. You may not even be fully aware of how much your presence influences others. And here’s the challenge: You shouldn’t let your impact weigh on your conscience. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself as you carry out your service. Instead, ask how you can contribute to the common good while also thriving yourself. Ensuring your well-being isn’t selfish; it’s essential to the gifts you provide and the duties you perform.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

I foresee a dose of real magic becoming available to you: equivalent to an enchanted potion, a handful of charmed seeds, or a supernatural spell. But owning the magic and knowing how to use it are two different matters. There’s no promise you will instantly grasp its secrets. To give yourself the best shot, follow a few rules: 1. Keep it quiet. Only share news of your lucky charm with those who truly need to hear about it; 2. Before using it to make wholesale transformations, test it gently in a situation where the stakes are low; 3. Whatever you do, make sure your magic leaves no bruises behind.

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urban LIVING

Pretty, Pretty

Iwas at Millcreek Gardens the other day, picking up some sandy soil for a new houseplant. It wasn’t very busy and I joked around with the cashier about how warm it was and asked if people were now coming into the store to start planting early.

She said she’s getting lots of panicked calls from gardeners who are worried that spring seems to have arrived. One said that he bought 200 daffodil bulbs from them last year, which he planted in the fall, and that they were starting to come up. He wanted to know what he could do to stop them. The simple answer is nothing. Nature will do what she does, when she wants.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Awaiting a pitch

6. “San ___ High School football rules!”

(“Bill & Ted” quote)

11. 2002 Olympics host, briefly

14. Scurrying pest

15. Fred’s neckwear on “Scooby-Doo”

16. Actor Penn

17. Espagnole (one of five)

19. “This ___ travesty!”

20. “___ alone in thinking this?”

21. Capital of Qatar

22. Many “Frozen”-inspired Halloween costumes

24. Period following sunset

26. Queens (one of five)

29. Middle part of a Shakespeare play

31. Author of the “Goosebumps” series

32. MacGowan of the Pogues

33. Drive an 18-wheeler, say

35. Little bit

Imagine when the pioneers came here. There weren’t Costcos to buy bulk products, no Maveriks to hop into for a gallon of milk. They brought what they could in their wagons and handcarts and had to quickly plant seeds for future crops. They were very hungry after that long journey and lived off of what they could shoot and cull from what plants they were familiar with.

As the story goes, the Mormon Crickets emerged in force in the valley, looking to eat anything in their path. And they were about to ruin all newly sprouting plants when the seagulls flew in, eating the ugly bugs and saving the crops.

What’s also important is that the settlers made friends with some factions of local native tribes and those Shoshone and Paiute members taught them their indigenous knowledge regarding local edible plants.

One of the most important plants was the lovely and pretty sego lily (Calochortus nuttallii). It was a heavensent source of food for the starving Mormons. It’s a plant found mostly in Western deserts, among the sagebrush. It can be easily gathered and the bulbs are edible raw or cooked like a potato (roasted and mashed).

The young leaves of the plant and the flowers can be eaten in salads like cress. It’s a very hearty plant with beautiful white flowers and you can search online for recipes using the bulb in different ways.

The sego lily became Utah’s state flower in March of 1911. Actually, before its official designation, women in our state—which was known as the Utah Territory then—voted for the flower in a territorial fair and it started appearing in state exhibits and graphics in newspapers. Now it’s proudly displayed in the canton of the official Salt Lake City flag.

If you’re headed down south this time of the year, you most likely won’t find any plants in bloom. But you can dig the bulbs. Red Butte has plantings and you can see the flowers on the plants in early summer.

The sego lily plant is tricky to grow, and you might want to check out local native plant sales in the spring and talk to experts of indigenous species.

Most importantly, there’s a similar plant called the death camas that will kill you if ingested. Also, you can call Sego Lily Flower Farm in South Jordan for more info. ■

36. Michigan (one of five)

40. Pirate’s interjection

43. Invisible rope puller, maybe

44. Hall & ___ (“Maneater” duo)

48. Deemed appropriate

51. “Spill the tea!”

52. Styx (one of five)

55. Equal

56. Purplish color

57. They’re thrown in some bars

59. Coffee, in diner slang

60. Former “All Things Considered” host Shapiro

61. Yellow (one of five)

65. Former Giants pitcher Robb with a palindromic name

66. Home of the Lightning and the Tornadoes

67. “Biography” network

68. 34th U.S. pres.

69. Word after French or Texas

70. “___, what have I done?” (“Once in a Lifetime” lyric)

DOWN

1. Fleets of warships

2. Excessive

3. Cuban ousted by Castro

4. “Alas!,” in Germany

5. Detroit nickname

6. Conspicuously chic

7. “I, Robot” author Asimov

8. Avengers franchise, for short

9. Dem rep. sworn into Congress at age 29

10. Controls the wheel

11. Downhill wear

12. Garfield’s favorite food

13. Didn’t match

18. Pasta ___ (boxed dinner brand)

23. His wife was turned into a pillar of salt

25. Charles, currently

27. Weird “Dr. Steve” in a 2010s Adult Swim show

28. Pueblo cooking vessel

30. -y, comparatively

33. Dominican Republic neighbor

34. Banking machine

37. Abu Dhabi ruler

38. American photographer/ actress Stark, once linked to former Prince Andrew

39. “Good ___” (Alton Brown series)

40. Oregon city known for its Shakespeare festival

41. Showed on TV again

42. Hockey rink divider

45. Joining forces

46. Major Spanish daily

47. Hit with a heavy hammer

49. Museum-funding org.

50. Zelda’s husband

51. Three, to Mozart

53. Repeated musical phrases

54. Indianan in India, perhaps 58. Grifter’s game

62. Mekong Valley language 63. 1950s Peruvian singer Sumac 64. Beam of light

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with

NEWS of the WEIRD

The Passing Parade (Literally)

On Jan. 14, as Spaniards gathered for the Official Carnival Groups Competition in Cadiz, 12 men dressed as scientist Stephen Hawking performed a choreographed musical number in motorized wheelchairs, the New York Post reported. The men were wearing wigs and outfits typical of the disabled genius, who died in 2018 of ALS, as they performed. “Don’t be offended, this is just for laughs,” said Miguel Angel Llull, who wrote the lyrics to their songs. After the competition, the group planned to donate the dozen wheelchairs to ALS patients in need. “They are real chairs that cost us 400 euros each,” Llull said.

Recent Alarming Headlines

■ Police in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, wrapped up a months-long investigation with the arrest on Jan. 6 of Jonathan Gerlach, 34, who was accused of robbing graves in the Mount Moriah Cemetery & Arboretum. The Reading Eagle reported that Gerlach was caught red-handed as he returned to his car from the cemetery carrying a “burlap bag, crowbar and other assorted items.” In the bag were “human remains to include two mummified remains of small children, three skulls and other assorted bones,” the arrest affidavit states. Gerlach later admitted to stealing about 30 sets of human remains from the cemetery, some of which were in his basement, while others were in a storage unit. Authorities haven’t determined what Gerlach was doing with the remains. He faces a total of 574 criminal counts and is held on $1 million cash bond.

■ Bus passengers traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C., had a memorable ride on Jan. 19, Fairfax Now reported. The driver was supposed to take passengers from Penn Station to Union Station and Dupont Circle, but instead, he dropped everyone at the Vienna Metro station after police intervened. One passenger said the driver was going really fast and wouldn’t listen to reason; “he screamed that he doesn’t get paid enough and is refusing,” the passenger said. When representatives of the bus company tried to call him, he repeatedly hung up and told passengers he “has family to go home to and doesn’t have time to stop in D.C.” “I’m the captain of this ship,” he said. Passengers stranded at the Metro station were picked up by another bus and refunded their bus fare.

The Continuing Crisis

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is nothing if not helpful. On Jan. 20, the group sent a letter to Punxsutawney Groundhog Club President Tom Dunkel, offering to donate a “state-of-the-art” 3D groundhog projection—a hologram—for the big event coming up on Feb. 2. “Let Phil and his family retire,” the group said, according to Fox News. “Pixelated pop stars are headlining concerts and long-departed celebrities are attending conventions, so why not put that technology to good use: on a hologram that lets the real Phil hibernate in peace,” PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk reasoned. “Give Gobbler’s Knob a glow-up with a phantom prognosticator.” PETA noted that groundhogs are naturally shy and avoid humans. “Every year, this terrified little animal is subjected to loud announcers and noisy crowds.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro responded with a post on X, featuring a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, but with Phil replacing the snake.

We’re Gonna Need a New Category ...

Another robot bites the dust. On Jan. 15 in Miami, a food delivery robot met its end on a Brightline train track after becoming stuck, Fox5Atlanta reported. Witness Guillermo Dapelo took video as the train struck the robot. “I was walking my dogs ... and that’s when I saw the food car standing on the train tracks,” Dapelo said.

That’s Creative

On the morning of Jan. 13, a woman in Nassau, New York, found a stray dog, WNYT-TV reported. The woman then took the dog to a veterinarian, who noticed that a GPS monitoring device had been attached to the canine’s collar. But the dog wasn’t a criminal: The ankle bracelet was assigned to Lamont Alexander Holmes, 47, of Albany, who had been charged with felony possession of a loaded weapon and was scheduled to appear in court that morning. Holmes is still on the lam; no word on the pup.

Unclear on the Concept

As a boat captain in the Florida Keys, Bradford Todd Picariello, 65, is well-placed to (allegedly) find huge amounts of cocaine just floating in the sea. So it was no surprise that Picariello had the goods; his mistake was in selling a kilogram to an undercover officer from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. According to CBS12-TV, Picariello was arrested on Jan. 19 after meeting with the cop, whom he told to bring a cooler to “make it look like he was getting fish.” He also bragged he had another 100 pounds of cocaine for future buys. Officers also found $8,000 in cash and a handgun. Picariello faces three felony counts.

Irony

Spending too much time staring at your phone? Olivia Yokubonis would like a word, the Associated Press reported on Jan. 18. Using her screen name, Olivia Unplugged, Yokubonis urges people to stop their mindless use of social media. “People will comment and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, it’s ironic that you’re posting.’ And I’m like, ‘Where else am I supposed to find you, Kyle? Outside? You’re not outside. You’re here,’” she said. Yokubonis actually works for a screen time app called Opal, which people use to “reclaim their focus.” “It’s a fine line and a balance of finding a way to be able to cut through that noise but also not adding to the noise,” she added.

Goals

For the low, low price of $250,000, you can be one of the first guests to reserve a room at a luxury moon hotel, The Philippine Star reported on Jan. 21. GRU Space, a startup founded by Skyler Chan, hopes to deploy the hotel to the moon by the year 2032. It will be built on Earth. “The hotel offers views of the lunar landscape and Earth, along with ... surface experiences including Moonwalks, driving, golfing and other activities,” GRU claims. The first hotel, which is expected to last 10 years, will be an inflatable habitat. After that, a more permanent and expanded facility will be placed. “We live during an inflection point where we can actually become interplanetary before we die,” Chan said. GRU believes likely customers will include adventurers, couples looking to honeyMOON in an exotic locale and recent spaceflight participants.

News You Can Use

A German practice is making its way to the United States, NBC Los Angeles reported on Jan. 21. “Luften,” which translates to “airing out” but is also called “house burping,” involves opening doors and windows even in the dead of winter to bring in fresh air. Air quality professional Tony Abate is a fan. He said outside air can decrease concentrations of mold, contaminants and carbon dioxide build-up. Optimal times to burp the house include first thing in the morning, after showering or cooking, and after having visitors. And it doesn’t take long: “Ten minutes, no more than that is really necessary,” said Abate.