City Weekly March 5, 2026

FUEL TO THE FIRE

The approval of tax credits for a huge oil producer raises questions about a state board’s transparency.

BY SYDNEE CHAPMAN

By Sydnee Chapman

S AP

BOX

Tariff Refunds

On February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled part of U.S. president Donald Trump’s crazy-quilt tariff scheme illegal in its particulars. Specifically, SCOTUS noticed that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not provide the authorization Trump claims for imposing tariffs as he pleases, in the amounts he pleases, on products from whatever country he pleases, when doing so pleases him.

The court did not, however, order refunds of the stolen money to the Amer-

ican importers that money was stolen from (and who passed the costs of the theft on to American consumers in the form of higher prices). It remanded the case back to lower courts so far as relief and restitution are concerned.

Tariff victims had already begun preemptively suing for the restitution they’re owed even before the Supreme Court ruling. And since that ruling other companies, including FedEx, have also initiated court proceedings. The victims shouldn’t have to sue. President Trump should just order the U.S. Treasury to refund the money immediately. That would be the honest thing to do.

Naturally, Trump disagrees. Instead of doing the right and honest thing, he’s throwing a tantrum over being held to the law and pursuing a new, just as legally suspect, tariff powers claim so that he can keep stealing money from American businesses and consumers ... at least until the courts nix that scam too.

Here’s the thing, though: Refunding the money wouldn’t just be honest policy, it would be smart politics.

At the moment, the coming midterm elections look like an impending bloodbath for the Republican Party. The Democrats seem to be sitting pretty in their quest to become the majority party in the U.S. House, and to have a decent shot at taking the Senate as well.

Trump has already announced his expectation of a third impeachment when ... if ... that happens.

Can he turn things around? It may not seem likely, but eight months is a long time in politics ... and eight months of economic recovery would certainly help his party, and him, out.

Step one: Cut those refund checks and get that money back into the hands of the companies that directly paid the tariffs (sadly, in our partially cash-based economy, it just isn’t feasible to identify and reimburse individual consumers).

Step two: Watch those companies use the pseudo-windfall to get competitive again with lower prices and capital investments toward more—and more efficient—production. More jobs, more sales, more economic activity.

Step three: Republican candidates take credit for the improving situation, while hoping everyone forgets that what we’re recovering from is a Republican president’s economic idiocy and policy lawlessness.

Voters do tend to forget, and those who don’t forget might be inclined to forgive—if their wallets start getting fatter instead of thinner.

Six months of good economic news could make a big difference at the polls. Or, Trump can keep (family-friendly version) Fooling Around and Finding Out. Which, with this as with many other things, seems to be his habitual inclination. I guess we’ll see.

THOMAS L. KNAPP

William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism

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 the most Utah thing about you?

Zach Abend

I’ve definitely described a landscape as “spiritual” without irony.

Eric Granato

Fry sauce goes on almost anything.

Scott Renshaw

I guess that I feel sorry for people who don’t know how awesome the church I attend is (and I’ll leave it at that).

Pete Saltas

By heritage, blood and appearance I could have gotten off the boat from Greece yesterday, but that tiny sliver that isn’t Greek hails from LDS polygamy.

Wes Long

Eagle Scout, returned missionary, pioneer ancestors from both sides, etc. Lot of cliches in my fiber. I do pronounce the “T” in “mountain,” though.

Bryan Bale

The most Utah thing about me is probably my driver license.

Carolyn Campbell

I have hundreds of casserole dishes, and I have no idea where I got most of them.

Benjamin Wood

I’ve participated in a handcart trek.

OPINION

BY KEITH BURNS

Cults of Personality

Critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have long described its doctrinal messaging, behavioral standards and influence tactics as cult-like. They cite the strict diet and dress requirements, the mandate to pay a tenth of one’s income and eccentric temple rituals in which members covenant to sacrifice to the church.

However, it is important to first credit the global faith for its visible strengths. Millions worldwide benefit from the church’s family-focused messages, service-oriented values and Christ-centered teachings, evidenced by congregations that care for and support one another.

In Combating Cult Mind Control, Steven Hassan introduces a framework for analyzing cult-like tendencies, known as the BITE Model. He describes the keys for assessing how cult-like a religious group might be on a continuum, rather than a binary.

Using Hassan’s framework, potential cult-like tendencies can be examined through three lenses: 1. How the church recruits members; 2. How it encourages them to remain; 3. How it frames those who leave.

Like other evangelistic religions, a central LDS value is spreading its gospel worldwide, most visibly through the enthusiastic missionary pairs familiar to many. Through its proselytizing, the LDS church claims to be the one true faith, solely authorized by God to perform ordinances required for the highest degrees of salvation.

Within this framework, missionaries emphasize the positive fruits of the faith, often omitting controversial aspects of history and theology. LDS promotional literature ignores prior temple and priesthood bans on members of African descent. Prospects are also rarely informed about the church’s past relationship with polygamy. Critics and some progressive members argue the selective omission of key information belies informed consent.

To assess the influence that the church holds over its participants, we can analyze the rhetoric of leaders intended to keep people within the faith. Common phrases like “staying in the boat,” “holding to the iron rod” and “trusting the brethren” capture the expectation to prioritize prophetic authority when personal judgments conflict with church teachings.

The church also enforces strict behavioral standards that shape members’ daily lives. These include the Word of Wisdom—no alcohol, drugs, tobacco, tea or coffee—abstinence from premarital sex, modesty in dress, wearing temple garments and paying tithes. Members who deviate from these expectations can experience guilt, shame and social disapproval. If they do not “repent,” they face restrictions from worship rituals and leadership opportunities.

Leaders also frequently use fear-based rhetoric to emphasize dire consequences of leaving the church. In one controversial address, former LDS youth auxiliary leader Brad Wilcox warned: “If you want to leave the Church, say goodbye to the gift of the Holy Ghost. … I hope you realize that if you walk away from this religion, you lose everything—everything that truly matters most.”

This warning reflects a broader pattern that frames departure from the faith as a loss of spiritual guidance, family unity and personal identity. This high-stakes belief system often amplifies pressure to remain and stokes guilt and anxiety for individuals who leave.

Although rhetoric has softened in recent years, some LDS leaders still frame those who leave as disobedient, untrustworthy and/or sinful. In a landmark 2023 address, the late President Russell Nelson admonished members to “never take counsel from those who do not believe. Seek guidance from voices you can trust—from prophets, seers and revelators, and from the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.”

As many have long noted, a hallmark of cult-like systems is the refusal to allow members to “leave with their dignity intact.” Former Apostle Neal Maxwell taught that those who leave the church “do not leave it alone,” framing disaffiliation as rooted in pride, offense or a desire to sin.

While such rhetoric may be intended to protect believers, it undermines the dignity of former members by suggesting that sincere, conscientious departure does not exist. Members are conditioned to distrust former believers’ motives

and to view their departures through the institution’s disparaging lens. This dynamic can fracture families, strain mixed-faith marriages and discourage honest conversation about belief.

To be fair, not all leaders have spoken in such dismissive or moralizing terms. In one of the most compassionate treatments by a church leader, Elder Dieter Uchtdorf acknowledged the complexity of faith transitions and rejected simplistic tropes that people leave “because they have been offended or lazy or sinful.”

“Actually, it is not that simple,” Uchtdorf affirmed. “Some of our dear members struggle for years with the question whether they should separate themselves from the Church … we respect those who honestly search for truth.” This framework stands out precisely because it is so rare. More commonly, institutional messaging frames leaving as a spiritual failure, a deception or a loss of divine guidance. This contrast highlights a tension within the LDS church— whether personal agency applies only within prescribed boundaries, or whether it extends to those whose search for truth leads elsewhere.

So, how fair is the word “cult”? If “cult” is understood as a rigid category reserved only for fringe or isolated groups, then the label polarizes more than it clarifies. However, when evaluated through established frameworks of influence and autonomy—like the BITE model—the LDS church exhibits some characteristics commonly associated with cult-like organizations.

As the LDS church faces increasing disaffiliation, particularly among younger generations, it will need to reckon with these dynamics. For a church that so heavily values personal agency, its leaders may need to more fully trust members to engage with difficult history, make meaningful choices without fear of spiritual destruction, and to leave without being caricatured or condemned.

The modern church must be willing to examine how its methods of influence affect current and former members’ autonomy, mental health and well-being. That examination could help preserve the church’s genuine strengths while reducing the harm inflicted on those for whom the cost of belonging has become too high. CW Private Eye is off this week. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net

Good pay: every Monday, Wednesday & Friday

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele

MISS: Sausage Grinders

After an unnecessary and unpopular voting bill was curiously moved to a preposterous committee—Public Utilities—we learned that this is how the Legislature “makes its sausage.” The bill, HB479, pretends to be a fraud buster, but is actually a bald-faced attempt to dismantle vote-by-mail. While the sponsor suggested 300 dead people had voted in the last election, he was hard-pressed to show any evidence. Then, the committee chair mandated equal time for opponents and supporters, when more than 30 opponents showed up to testify. The Utah County Clerk waxed eloquent with a nonsensical poem and one woman insisted that YouTuber Nick Shirley showed the world that fraud is a problem. That elicited audience gasps, because Shirley’s unsubstantiated claims in Minnesota have been largely debunked. She went on to say that anyone not wanting to take their proof of citizenship in person to a polling place was “lazy.” And finally Tooele Republican Rep. Nicholeen Peck said, despite hundreds of emails on both sides, she was choosing the side that was “frightened.” The bill passed onto the full House, where fear may overrule facts and mail-in voting will be done.

MISS: Madame Secretary

We can all guess why the Legislature is hell-bent on undermining Utah’s lieutenant governor. But here’s what’s happening. A bill from Rep. Lisa Shepherd—who’s in her first term— has now been subsumed by HJR25 to amend the state constitution and establish a Secretary of State. Yes, we had one until 1976, when voters decided it would be more efficient to have the governor and lieutenant governor on the same ticket and avoid the possibility of someone from another party being in line for succession. So much for that in very red Utah. Shepherd wants to take the “muck” of elections from the LG so she (or he) can focus on uplifting the governor. But really, the die-hard Republicans don’t like the LG’s decisions that buck the Trump administration. And let’s not forget, many of them think Spencer Cox didn’t really win re-election. BTW, there are policies and now a bill to ensure the LG doesn’t have a conflict of interest in her work.

HIT: Paved Paradise

It was the winter of 1979 all over again—but this time, it was in Heber, Utah. Back in ‘79, farmers from around the country drove to the Washington Mall, where thousands of tractors gathered to shine a light on the farmer’s plight. While it wasn’t thousands, dozens recently joined a “tractorcade” in Heber to protest UDOT’s plan to bypass Main Street with a new highway through farmland, aquifers and wildlife habitat. Protesters say it’s all about shaving off 70 seconds of drive time. There has been a lot of growth in the area and a bypass would cost taxpayers some $700 million. “Once these fields are gone, they’re gone forever,” said one resident. UDOT will accept comments until March 9. CW

BY ARICA ROBERTS

Mural of the Story

In February of 2025, Black Lives Matter Utah hosted a “Goodbye For Now” vigil at the now-demolished Fleet Block murals (roughly 350 W. 900 South). The vigil honored the victims of police violence who were depicted there—national figures like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as local victims such as Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal, Cody Belgard and Bryan Valencia. The event marked the demolition of these murals; however, promises were made by city leaders to create a permanent memorial.

Now, a year later, BLM Utah Chairperson Rae Duckworth said there have been several positive meetings about a new memorial on the site. These interactions culminated in the family members sending a letter to the mayor expressing their hopes for the future of the Fleet Block.

“We met community members and mourning families to discuss what exactly to put in place as a memorial,” she said. “We don’t want an artist who doesn’t know Utah or Salt Lake. We want a local artist who may have a marginalized identity or experience with police violence in Salt Lake.”

As the Fleet Block Open Space project moves forward—part of a broader effort to transform the derelict block into a mixed-use neighborhood hub that supplements the growing Granary District—the Salt Lake City Arts Council has set aside $350,000 from the 2022 parks bond to commission a public artwork. The new memorial will not necessarily be a mural, but it is required to have a significant tie to the theme of social justice and memorializing loved ones.

“This artwork should reflect values articulated through extensive community engagement, including justice, equity, belonging and collective healing,” the Arts Council said in a recent Call for Artists message seeking candidates to apply for the Fleet Block space.

Support from Salt Lake City planners—such as Michaela Bell and Ashley Cleveland with the Salt Lake Arts Council—includes strategic, long-term planning for the project. For example, trees will be planted to improve the air quality and increase longevity.

They have also met with other businesses who will surround the memorial on the new Fleet Block to discuss plans for their own art displays in support of the memorial.

According to information posted by the city, the goal of the project is to have “a public open space to provide access to nature, recreation opportunities, gathering areas, and more for the Granary District neighborhood and the broader city.”

It is important to both BLM Utah and the Arts Council that the new Fleet Block memorial and open space has an inviting vibe where people can gather. The deadline for artist submissions was on February 17 and the timeline going forward includes a final vision that should be determined by September, with design continuing into 2027. Construction and installation of the public artwork is planned to begin in late 2027. CW

Streaming the Yellowstone Universe

Two new Yellowstone -related series arrive in March—here’s how and where they fit in.

BY BILL FROST comments@cityweekly.net

It’s been silent for almost two years, but the Yellowstone TV universe is dropping two new titles in March 2026: Marshals and The Madison. Creator and showrunner Taylor Sheridan’s newest hit, Landman, stole the hype thunder during Yellowstone’s downtime, but Kevin Costner walked so Billy Bob Thornton could, well, not run, but amble about grumpily. Here’s a guide to navigating the Yellowstoneverse for newbies.

Yellowstone (2018–2024; Peacock): The one that started it all, a modern-day western with all the trappings of classic soap operas like Dallas, cross-bred with Americafirst tough-guy attitude and a lived-in perspective from life on the ranch. John Dutton (Kevin Costner) grounded Yellowstone’s over-the-top violence and familial toxicity with grit and gravitas, until Costner quit in the middle of the final season, leaving the show to spin out in a stilted, anticlimactic ending. It was (mostly) fun while it lasted, but Yellowstone is dead—in name, at least. 1883 (2021–2022; Paramount+): Yellowstone prequel series 1883 traces the origins of the Yellowstone Ranch, following the Dutton family’s trek to settle in the Old West. James Dutton (played by Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill, McGraw’s country royalty wife) were introduced as the great-grandparents of Costner’s John, but that stunt-casting was

overshadowed by 1883’s brutally realistic depiction of settler life. Sheridan alert: Future Landman stars Billy Bob Thornton and Sam Elliott also appear in 1883 1923 (2022–2025; Paramount+): Western living was a little easier in 1923; all Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) had to deal with were Prohibition, drought and the beginning of the Great Depression. Despite the grim setting, 1923 debuted big on Paramount+, which almost made up for Paramount shortsightedly selling Yellowstone’s streaming rights to Peacock years before—almost. Thanks to the ratings and star performances of Ford and Mirren, 1923 ran for two seasons instead of the originally expected one.

Marshals (2026; CBS, Paramount+): Yellowstone spinoff Marshals premiered March 1 on CBS, following John’s son Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) as a Montanabased U.S. Marshal. Since Marshals is a CBS broadcast show instead of a cable or streaming series, it looks and feels more like Fire Country, Tracker or any other interchangeable rural CBS procedural. As such, it’s probably not going to add much

A&E

to the Yellowstone mythos, and Marshals already pre-angered franchise fans with the notable absence of a beloved Kayceattached character. Not cool.

The Madison (premieres March 14, 2026; Paramount+): It’s considered a spinoff, but The Madison is only connected to Yellowstone by geography: It’s set in Montana’s Madison River Valley, whereas Yellowstone was set in Paradise Valley. (Ever been to Montana? It’s more than big enough for several shows.) Michelle Pfieffer and Kurt Russell star as the Clyburns, heads of a New York City family who’ve moved out west to get some distance from a recent tragedy. Hopefully, the city-slicker-inthe-country vibe will be more nuanced than that of Sheridan’s Tulsa King

The Dutton Ranch (TBA 2026): Of all these series, The Dutton Ranch is the most direct sequel, so much so that it would have been labeled as the sixth season of Yellowstone if Peacock wasn’t contractually owed a piece. The Dutton Ranch is centered on the fan-favorite power couple of Yellowstone, brooding cowboy Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and volatile wildcard Beth

Dutton (Kelly Reilly). Rip and Beth have dysfunctional-duo competition in Landman’s Tommy (Thornton) and Angela (Ali Larter), which just begs for a Montana-toTexas crossover episode.

6666 (TBA): Way back in 2021, it was announced that Yellowstone ranch hand Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White), who’d just been relocated from Dutton turf to Texas’ Four Sixes Ranch, would get his own spinoff series. Nothing much has developed since, except for Sheridan using his new piles of Paramount bucks to buy the actual 6666 Ranch in 2022. Too bad, because a triple Landman–Dutton Ranch–6666 crossover would melt the internet (in a good way).

1944 (TBA): Not much is known about the third planned Yellowstone prequel, 1944, other than it’ll take place during WWII and could involve characters from the 1923 series—including a young John Dutton. There’s reportedly also a 1960s Yellowstone prequel in the works, but are we ready for Sheridan’s conservatively creative take on Vietnam and hippies? Maybe just leave this one on the back burner. CW

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

MARCH 5-11, 2026

Terry Tempest Williams: The Glorians

Terry Tempest Williams doesn’t belong to Utah—her time is currently split between our state and a resident writer position at Harvard Divinity School—but she has always spoken to the kind of awe in the face of the natural world that’s particular to this region. For her latest book, Williams turns to how that sense of wonder can help us find solace in the face of a world that seems in perpetual turmoil.

The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary employs a kind of play on words for its title, considering things that are “wholly ordinary” in a way that gives them a transcendent significance. That way of looking at simple things through a spiritual lens—things that she designates as “Glorians”— frames Williams’ journeys through her various homes, including Massachusetts and the red rock desert of Utah during the COVID pandemic, as she tries to find reason for hope where it would be easy to drift into despair. With her typical perceptive approach to the natural world, Williams asks readers to join in experiencing “a field guide to finding grace in the unexpected.”

Terry Tempest Williams discusses The Glorians in conversation with Ken Sanders at the Salt Lake City Main Library Auditorium (210 E. 400 South) on Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m. The $28 purchase of a signed first-edition hardcover of The Glorians includes a ticket to the event; the author will not be signing any additional items at the event. Tickets will also be available at the door. Visit kensandersbooks.com for ticket link and additional information. (Scott Renshaw)

Lani Asunción:

Duty-Free Paradise

Hawaii! For most of us, merely saying the name conjures the image of white-sand beaches, swaying palm trees and a peaceful vacation destination. Yet that tourism-boardapproved image ignores plenty of history—how Hawaii came to be part of the United States in the first place, and how the islands were far from a land of relaxation for those who worked its plantations.

Artist Lani Asunción—a Filipinx-American who grew up in Hawaii, descended from immigrants to Oahu to work the sugar plantations—draws on both personal and general history for her performance piece Duty-Free Paradise. It traces the connection “between tourism, militarism and the politics of land” (according to an event press release) in Hawaii throughout its history as part of the United States, as well as the way the curated image of Hawaii as an escapist destination collides with the lives of those who have lived there and continue to do so. Asunción also draws from the writings of Hawaii’s last monarch, Queen Lili’uokalani during her imprisonment in 1893, and in so doing addresses the complex history of who gets to decide a people’s destiny, and who benefits from drawing this “paradise” into our economic web.

Lani Asunción performs Duty-Free Paradise for one night only, Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m., at Ogden Contemporary Arts (455 25th St., Ogden); it’s part of the ongoing exhibition Reclamation, addressing land exploitation and its impacts on indigenous/ diasporic communities. The performance is free and open to the public. Visit ogdencontemporaryarts.org for additional event information (SR)

UTAH’S

CITY WEEKLY

DRIVER WANTED

theESSENTIALS

Utah Arts Alliance: ILLUMINATE

This weekend marks the start of Daylight Saving Time, as we turn our clocks forward on the evening of March 7 and get ready for a little more light in our nights. And what better way to mark that occasion than the 10th incarnation of Utah Arts Alliance’s annual celebration, the ILLUMINATE Light Art and Creative Technology Festival. This year will feature a more intimate version of the event, dubbed ILLUMINATE: Lite, providing a smaller, walkable footprint in the downtown core.

It will, however, feature all of the characteristics that has made it a popular event over the past decade, with local and regional artists creating fascinating works of art out of light and technology. That includes spectacular projection mapping, with the City/County Building as the canvas, designed to wrap around the structure and create a 3D experience. Guests can also enjoy an artist night market, plus live music and entertainment including Taiko drumming and DJ dance party, as well as a 21+ AfterGlow after-party. According to Utah Arts Alliance executive director Derek Dyer, “This festival not only celebrates creativity and technology but also introduces our community to innovative and unique light art experiences. The festival continues to push the boundaries of what art is and can be by discovering and showcasing new and emerging art forms.”

The 2026 edition of Illuminate comes to Library Square and the front of the City/ County Building (200 East and 400 South) on March 6 – 7, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. nightly. The event is free and open to the public; visit utaharts.org for additional event information. (SR)

REVIEW CINEMA

March 2026 Special Screenings

Tarantino, Rodriguez and Nolan @ SLFS; Tommy ; Confessions of a Good Samaritan; Mean Streets; Oscar watch parties.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net

@scottrenshaw

Auteur Weekends @ Salt Lake Film Society: Tarantino, Rodriguez and Nolan: Two of the most successful filmmakers of the past 30 years—Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan—also happen to be two of the biggest proponents of seeing movies on a big theater screen, so here’s your chance to experience their work—along with that of independentfilmmaking legend Robert Rodriguez—the way they would want it.

Salt Lake Film Society’s Broadway Centre Cinemas (111 E. 300 South) hosts weekend screenings showcasing each auteur. March 6-7 features the collaboration Grindhouse with the double-feature of Tarantino’s Death Proof and Rodriguez’s Planet Terror; March 13-14 brings Nolan’s Inception and Interstellar; March 20-21 includes Reservoir Dogs and the Tarantino-written/ Rodriguez-directed From Dusk Till Dawn; and March 27-28 offers Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Each screening requires separate ticketing for admission. slfs.org

“Hard-Boiled Cinema” @ Brewvies: Mean Streets: While 1973’s Mean Streets wasn’t Martin Scorsese’s debut feature, it was the feature where he became … well, Martin Scorsese. And not just because it’s a movie

about mobsters, or the movie that began his partnership with a young actor named Robert De Niro (indelible as the live-wire Johnny Boy).

The style that would mark the next 50 years of Scorsese’s filmmaking career would all be on display here, including a special way with a needle-drop. Brewvies Cinema Pub (677 S. 200 West) features Mean Streets as part of its “Hard-Boiled Cinema” series, which means admission is free with no reservations required while seating lasts. Showtime is Wednesday, March 11 @ 6 p.m. brewvies.com

Confessions of a Good Samaritan @ Utah Film Center: Documentary filmmaker Penny Lane has taken on some unusual subjects, from an eccentric genius who tried to turn goat testicles into an impotence cure (2016’s Nuts!) to the controversial religious organization The Satanic Temple (2019’s Hail Satan?). But in Confessions of a Good Samaritan, her subject is herself—more specifically, her decision to donate a kidney to a complete stranger. The result is a fascinating exploration of why we give to others, and what we expect to get out of it. Utah Film Center (375

W. 400 North) presents a screening on Wednesday, March 11 at 7 p.m., featuring a post-film conversation between KUER’s Doug Fabrizio and director Penny Lane. Admission is free, but reservation is required online. utahfilmcenter.org

Academy Awards watch parties: While the annual Academy Awards broadcast has lost some of its “Super Bowl for people who don’t watch sports” luster in recent years, it still offers entertainment for movie buffs.

If you aren’t planning your own gathering to watch this year’s installment, there are a couple of local options for group viewing of the ceremony on the evening of Sunday, March 15. Utah Film Center (375 W. 400 North) offers a “Red Carpet Affair” fund-raiser beginning at 4 p.m., with a live-stream of the broadcast, appetizers, popcorn, specialty drinks, a chance to fill out your predictions ballot and more; tickets begin at $75 individual/$140 couple, with cocktail upgrades and table purchase options (utahfilmcenter.org)

Meanwhile, Brewvies (677 S. 200 West) will also be inviting guests in, with doors opening at 5:30 for free admission

on a first-come, first-served basis, and Brewvies’ regular menu available for the evening (brewvies.com). And if you want to add even more competitiveness to your viewing, join the folks from Questionable Productions at Craft by Proper (1053 E. 2100 South) to watch the ceremony beginning at 8 p.m., followed by an Academy Awards-themed trivia night celebrating some of the most memorable moments, upsets and weird fashion of the Oscars, all while enjoying food and drinks (questionable-productions.com).

The Who’s Tommy: 50th anniversary in IMAX: Plenty of folks might be familiar with The Who’s hit song “Pinball Wizard,” and its infamous lyrics about a “deaf, dumb and blind kid” who sure plays a mean pinball. Far fewer have actually seen the “rock opera” of which it is a part, whether in stage form or in the feature film with its all-star cast including Elton John, Tina Turner and Eric Clapton.

The Ken Russell-directed spectacle gets a 50th anniversary theatrical re-release in IMAX for two days only, March 17 and 18 at local theaters (including Megaplex locations). megaplex.com CW

FUEL TO THE FIRE

The approval of tax credits for a huge oil producer raises questions about a state board’s transparency.

BY SYDNEE CHAPMAN comments@cityweekly.net

The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Salt Lake City Weekly

When Utah officials awarded a tax credit to one of the state’s largest oil companies, at least one member of the voting board knew that environmentalists would make noise about a corporate handout to a multi-billiondollar company.

The Utah Energy Infrastructure Authority Board recently approved SM Energy’s application for the High Cost Infrastructure Tax Credit for operations in the Uinta Basin, where it began drilling 350 to 400 new wells in 2024.

The state program allows companies to claim 50% of infrastructure costs for approved projects ranging from energy delivery to mineral processing. Credit is given retroactively after the infrastructure is created.

Board member Lynn Jackson, who described himself as a “pro-mining” geologist and applauded SM Energy’s operations, questioned the wisdom of approving the credit. He said while the company

would bring in jobs and other economic benefits, approval would result in “a really big loss of tax revenue” and that there is already considerable infrastructure in the basin.

“The optics of this to that community [environmentalists] … is that we’re subsidizing a great big, multi-billion dollar oil and gas company,” he said during the board meeting. “I think you’re going to be able to go through with your development whether you get this tax credit or not.”

The Office of Energy Development, which oversees the board, declined to say how much the tax credit is for, stating it couldn’t disclose taxpayerspecific information. It also redacted a copy of SM Energy’s application for the credit to remove information on the overall cost of the project, the cost of the project’s infrastructure and projected construction timeline.

Instead, the office told The Utah Investigative Journalism Project it has approved 20 companies for the tax credit since its inception in 2016, totaling a lifetime potential of over $3.4 billion in credits. Only four companies have claimed the credits so far, with claims totaling over $17.5 million.

The office did not respond to a question about what kinds of projects had been approved for the credit but did provide a list of the 20 companies. They included household names like Facebook and Chevron as well as lesser-known entities like egg producer Cal-Maine Foods and waste management service Wasatch Resource Recovery.

Arlene Martinez with Good Jobs First—a policy research center focused on corporate and government accountability in economic development—said it’s impossible for the public to evaluate whether the tax credit approval is a sound policy choice without having all the details.

Some states publish recipients of tax credits and the amount each recipient received. Massachusetts, for example, began requiring public disclosure of that information in 2010.

“The state should absolutely release that information because at the very most basic level, the public should be able to know what company is getting an incentive, how much the total value of that incentive is and what (the public) is getting in exchange,” Martinez said.

Closed Doors

For environmental activist Lionel Trepanier, the lack of transparency is concerning. He’s subscribed to the board’s email updates for several years and said its meetings are opaque. He provided the UIJP with copies of emails with the Office of Energy Development in which he requested a copy of SM Energy’s application prior to the board’s vote on Jan. 23. The office eventually directed him to make a formal records request and did not provide the documents until Feb. 2—10 days after the vote and 12 days after Trepanier’s initial request.

Without those documents, Trepanier said it wasn’t fully clear what the board was voting on while he watched the meeting. “Here, there was no public comment, I think, solely because of the lack of awareness,” he said. “In a democratic society, I mean, this stuff is set up for the public to be aware about what the government’s doing … this is taxpayer money. This is real. This is people’s lives. The choices are being made between, what? Childhood and maternity care and giving a subsidy to the biggest oil producer in Utah?”

OED Deputy Director Tracy Rees said the board is in compliance with all public notice requirements in response to a query from the UIJP about the public availability of the board’s agendas. A search of the state’s public notice website did not show an agenda or any meeting materials posted for the board meeting involving SM Energy’s application. State law requires public entities to publish meeting times and locations as well as agendas at least 24 hours in advance.

Rees said going forward, her office would begin including agendas in its post-meeting publications on the public notice site.

Environmental activist Lionel Trepanier (center) sought public records on SM Energy’s tax credit application, but only received them after a vote was taken.

“The Utah Office of Energy Development’s role with respect to the High Cost Infrastructure Tax Credit is limited to administering and implementing the program in accordance with statute,” Rees said over email. “Our responsibility is to ensure the process is transparent, compliant with state law and fiscally accountable.”

SM Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Skyrocketing Growth

The Uinta Basin, which includes Duchesne and Uintah Counties and the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, is home to “world-class” geology, according to Michael Vanden Berg, the Utah Geological Survey’s energy and minerals program manager.

“It’s just the right types of rocks at the right depth to generate a lot of oil,” Vanden Berg said, adding that the basin is responsible for 93% of the state’s crude oil production. “The wells that these companies are drilling right now are some of the most successful wells in the contiguous (onshore) United States.”

But that unique geological combination wasn’t always as profitable. In fact, statewide oil production has almost quadrupled in the last 25 years, with things really ramping up in the past five years, he said.

Now, business is booming in the Northeastern corner of Utah as oil and gas companies like SM Energy produce tens of thousands of barrels of oil in the Uinta Basin each day.

The industry appears well poised for additional growth with plans underway for increased in-state refining, a railway that would increase oil transportation capacities and what Vanden Berg said are plans to improve infrastructure to load oil onto trucks and trains. The only caveats to that industry growth, he added, will be any challenges to addressing those transportation challenges as well as drops in oil prices.

For the time being, however, SM Energy is raking in the profits. The company’s 2025 end-of-year report to the Securities and Exchange Commission showed it generated $648 million in net income and ended the year with $9.3 billion in assets.

The company also recently completed a $12.8 billion merger with Civitas Resources. The combined company is in the top 10 independent oil producers in the country, according to TGS Energy Data & Intelligence.

Fair Trade

SM Energy outlined big goals for how its operations would benefit Utah, but subsidy researchers are skeptical.

“We take pride in operating in a safe and responsible manner,” reads the company’s tax credit application, “and we view the local communities where we operate as important stakeholders in our operations.”

The application goes on to estimate that its operations will infuse billions of dollars into the state economy and create hundreds of jobs.

“Jobs are always the biggest reason that companies will use for tax breaks. It’s the biggest carrot that they dangle,” Martinez observed. “If a company wants to hire through temp agencies and pay minimum wage, that’s the company’s choice. But once you’re asking for a public handout, once you’re asking for the taxpayers’ money, then the government has an absolute responsibility, in exchange, to add strings.”

Ideally, she added those strings would require jobs to hire locals and create full-time, permanent jobs with benefits whenever possible.

A company with a history of labor or environmental violations is a red flag, Martinez added. Her organization’s online corporate crime and misconduct database also lists dozens of environmental-related violations and governmentcontracting offenses. Penalties for those violations total just over $10 million.

The UIJP also identified several lawsuits within the past five years against SM Energy, alleging unpaid overtime wages, past due invoices and underpaid royalties.

Beyond jobs, the economic benefit to Utahns also comes from the royalties oil companies are paying to the land owner as well as severance and property tax on the infrastructure and conservation fees.

“We export a significant amount of that oil now, but there’s still a lot of economic benefit to having increased oil production in the state of Utah,” Vanden Berg said.

Rees said that project necessity is part of the board’s multi-factor analysis to determine what projects to approve for the tax credit. In the end, she added, no single factor determines if a company gets the incentive.

Instead, the board evaluates the project as a whole to ensure it lines up with Utah’s broader energy and economic goals.

“While initial investments may be made without this incentive, the tax credit is vital for sustaining investment throughout a project’s lifecycle,” Rees wrote. “By mitigating the risks associated with high-cost, long-term developments, the credit encourages ongoing funding, continued investment, and economic benefits to the state for years to come.”

Doug Koplow, an energy subsidies researcher, stressed that the more likely the activity in a proposed project would have happened anyways, the lower the economic benefit of the subsidy.

Martinez agreed, stating that governments “shouldn’t be paying companies to do what they would already do.”

“Oil and gas subsidies tend to be a kind of subsidy that generally is not a great use of the public’s money,” she added. “There are only so many places you can drill for oil and gas, so you are not necessarily incentivizing behavior in most cases where you’re giving oil and gas companies money, you are just helping offset their costs.” CW

Brick By Brick

From comforting skillets to vibrant carpaccio, The Brick has no shortage of ambition.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

While Cafe Niche’s closure last year left a brunchless, decaffeinated void on the corner of Broadway and 800 East, the newcomers at The Brick have quickly—and successfully—reinvented the space. The Brick maintains a cozy coffee-shop vibe where diners can pop in for a quick cup of joe and a pastry, but that’s only one small facet of what makes this new Central City restaurant worth a visit. Come for the coffee and the lemon poundcake; stay for the stacked breakfast, brunch, lunch and recently-unveiled dinner menu.

The Brick’s culinary foundations are steeped in the world of Latin cooking. Housemade chorizo is on deck next to ham and bacon for breakfast protein options, and mozzarella griddled to crispy perfection brings torta technique to the restaurant’s sandwiches and skillets. The early and midday meals are geared toward more traditional breakfast, brunch and lunch fare, while the dinner menu is where The Brick draws a lot of vibrant flavors from its Latin roots.

I popped in while breakfast, brunch and lunch were in full swing. The menu features breakfast classics like benedicts, breakfast burritos and a classic two-egg plate, but The Brick does a nice job at putting its own signature on each of its menu items. For example, the guacamole toast ($15) improves upon simple avocado toast with a creamy guacamole, some sun-

dried tomatoes, a corn and poblano salsa along with two poached eggs and your choice of protein.

It was the skillets on the menu that most captured my attention. The Ranchero Skillet ($15), with its fried jalapeños and guacamole, is perhaps the most balanced of the bunch. The Brick Skillet ($15) serves up a simple but effective combo of chorizo and fried potatoes, and is ideal for those looking for something filling but not fussy. My pick was the Mexican Skillet ($17), which goes surprisingly hard— there’s a lot of bang for those extra two bucks here.

Like all of The Brick’s skillets, the Mexican Skillet comes with two pictureperfect sunny-side-up eggs. A flat strip of griddled mozzarella separates the eggs from the rest of the dish—that is, until you slice through them with a fork, and watch the yolks cling luxuriously to every nook and contour of the assembled ingredients. I chose chorizo for my protein, offering a generous helping of the crumbly, spicy sausage heaped alongside black beans. A ring of crispy tater tots adorns the outer rim of the plate, while sprigs of cilantro and small scoops of guacamole add hues of vibrant green to the mix. Garnished with a round slice of grapefruit, the fully-assembled dish looked like something right out of a Frida Kahlo painting. So captivating were the aesthetics of the dish that I must have waited approximately three seconds longer than usual before tearing into the thing.

As a longtime fan of food piles (and pretty much anything food pile-adjacent), I had to respect The Brick’s skillet game here. It’s a restaurant that understands the spirit of a good food pile, which is to get as many complementary flavors and textures together without starting a bar fight. The blend of smoky black beans and chorizo was the rhythm of the dish, and the griddled cheese that had to be sliced

into more manageable bites helped maintain the pacing. Presenting a successful food pile in such a beautiful package speaks directly to my food dork heart, and this dish was simply a joy to devour. Before I left, I ordered a pesto chicken sandwich ($14.50) to go so I could get a sense of the restaurant’s lunch game. This comes on sourdough bread and touts a full grilled filet of chicken alongside a pleasantly basil-forward pesto. I was thrilled to see that the same sandwichlength strip of griddled mozzarella was present as well, perked up by the acidic pops from the cherry tomatoes. After the 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. breakfast and lunch block ends, The Brick reopens from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner service. The dinner menu debuted back in early February, so it’s still in its early phases, but the restaurant’s offerings of ceviche, carpaccio and passionfruit panna cotta are enough to turn a few heads. Though I didn’t see a cocktail menu during my visit, I learned after the fact that The Brick does indeed have an alcohol license. I expect cocktail options will be rolling out along with the restaurant’s dinner service menus.

Those mourning the loss of Cafe Niche and its coffee-shop vibes will definitely find their own kind of sanctuary with The Brick during its breakfast and lunch service. The Brick’s ambitious dinner menu could give it just enough of an edge to become a downtown hotspot. Any place that can successfully pivot from hearty breakfast skillets to plates of delicate ceviche will definitely be able to make a name for itself. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: Piney Peaks 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

New release: KUMA Extra Stout 7.1% ABV

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

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

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

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

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Bramble Brown

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!

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 OgdenBeerCompany.com

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

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Dunkel Dan

SaltFire

Salt

BEER NERD

A Whole Latte Love

Coffee inspires this pair of roasty ales.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net

@utahbeer

Grid City - Sentence Series (Blueberry, Coffee, Madagascar Vanilla Infused Nitro Honey Cream Ale): This honey cream ale takes a dessert-inspired concept and pours it through a nitro faucet for good measure. Infused with blueberry, coffee and Madagascar vanilla, it’s a layered, aromatic experience that leans indulgent without completely losing its beer backbone.

Served exclusively on nitrogen tap, the presentation is part of the charm. The pour is smooth and cascading, building that signature dense, creamy head that nitro-lovers crave. The texture alone sets expectations: soft, pillowy, almost velvety on the palate. On the nose, coffee and vanilla lead the charge. The Madagascar vanilla brings a rich, rounded sweetness—less artificial extract and more true bean character. The coffee aroma follows closely, presenting as a lighter roast: aromatic, slightly toasty and inviting. The blueberry plays a quieter role, staying mostly in the background.

Flavor-wise, the nose doesn’t lie. Coffee and vanilla dominate the first sip, with the cream ale base acting as a smooth canvas. The honey addition seems to amplify the sweetness and body rather than stand out distinctly, contributing to a cohesive, dessert-like impression. Mid-palate, a touch of blueberry emerges—subtle but noticeable—adding a faint berry brightness that keeps the beer from feeling one-dimensional. The nitrogen service really shapes the experience. The mouthfeel is creamy and soft, muting sharp edges and enhancing the perception of sweetness. As it finishes, the beer leans decidedly toward the sweeter side, with lingering notes of coffee and vanilla coating the palate. The blueberry fades gently, leaving roast and confectionary warmth behind.

Verdict: This is less about crisp re-

freshment and more about indulgence.

Think of this 5.0 percent ale as a liquid affogato with a berry accent—smooth, aromatic and built for slow sipping. If you enjoy dessert-forward beers with a plush nitro texture, this honey cream ale delivers exactly what it promises.

Proper - White Out: The tough part about so-called “white stouts” is deciding what you’re actually drinking. Are you experiencing a clever inversion of a stout—minus the dark malts but loaded with coffee and cocoa nuance? Or is it, at heart, a cream ale dressed up with a roaster’s flair? This one makes you wrestle with that question.

In the glass, it pours strikingly clear. No deep ebony hues, no cascading nitro darkness—just a bright, almost deceptively pale body that challenges your expectations from the jump. But bring it to your nose, and the illusion begins. An almost roasted coffee aroma rises immediately, surprisingly authentic and assertive. It doesn’t scream “espresso,” but it absolutely suggests freshlyground beans, with a gentle toastiness riding alongside.

The first sip leans toasty up front, delivering a lightly crackery malt backbone before the coffee character settles in. That coffee note carries a medium roast personality—less burnt, more balanced. There’s no harsh bitterness, no acrid edge. Instead, it hums with a rounded warmth, letting the roast character speak without overpowering the base beer. And that’s where the fun begins: The profile is ambiguous in a way that keeps you thinking. If I were handed this one blindfolded, I’d likely land on English brown ale as my guess. There’s that familiar interplay of toast, subtle sweetness and roast-kissed depth that feels more pub-ready than pastry-inspired. And honestly, that’s high praise for this 5.0 percent ale.

Verdict: Whether you label it a white stout or a cleverly constructed ale with coffee influence, what matters most is that it works. It’s balanced, intriguing and refreshingly restrained. Style debates aside, it’s a thoughtful, well-executed beer that rewards curiosity. If coffee doesn’t jive with you, these will likely not appeal. However, the coffee is subtle enough in both of these ales to provide an excellent drinking experience for any beer nerd.

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Salt Lake Bees Reveal New Novelty Name

Our local minor-league baseball team has been making all kinds of moves recently, and the unveiling of the team’s “alternate identity” admittedly cracked me up. For all of this season’s home games that land on a Wednesday, the team will don the novelty name of the Utah Dirty Sodas, which is a brand partnership with the dirty soda magnates at Swig. As part of the collaboration, Swig locations will offer $3 drinks on Dirty Soda game days, along with special promotions if the team does particularly well at the plate. The first official Dirty Sodas game day will be April 1 at The Ballpark at America First Square (theballparkatafs.com) in Daybreak.

Sushi by Boū Scheduled to Open This Month

Last week, I wrote about high-end omakase restaurant Uchi making plans to open a Utah location, and I just got wind that Sushi by Boū (sushibybou.com) should be opening a location inside downtown’s Peery Hotel (110 W. 300 South) later this month. Sushi by Boū is an omakase restaurant and bar that has gained some considerable mileage in the Eastern U.S. with locations in New York, Florida and Illinois. As the restaurant’s concept is exclusively within the realm of omakase, diners can expect 12- to 14-course tasting menus, with the option to order individual rolls after the experience concludes.

CNS Hosts 37th Annual Art & Soup Charity Event

Community Nursing Services (CNS) will be hosting its 37th iteration of the Art & Soup Charity Event on March 11 - 12 at the Mountain America Expo Center. The event’s main purpose is to generate proceeds for the CNS Charitable Care Program, but it’s also a great gathering of local food and art vendors. This year, over 60 local artists and 20 restaurants and caterers will be on hand to help raise funds for CNS. Both days of the event will feature a session from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., and a session from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Quote of the Week: “When I drink, I think; and when I think, I drink.” – Francois Rabelais

Portraits in Violet

Nico Turner on headlining the queer space of The Violet Hour Fashion Weekend.

BY CAT PALMER comments@cityweekly.net

When Nico Turner arrived in Salt Lake City on Feb. 21, her sound felt perfectly suited to The Violet Hour Queer Fashion Weekend—immersive, atmospheric and emotionally precise. Hosted at Church & State, the two-day takeover transformed the venue into a living, breathing celebration of queer fashion, art, tattoos, music and community (a reminder that couldn’t come at a better time).

Turner’s music carries the imprint of Los Angeles, the city she calls home. She describes L.A. as holding a strange duality—expansive and lonely, glowing and gritty at the same time. “There’s so much beauty layered over exhaustion, longing, ambition, heartbreak,” she said. That tension lives inside her songs. Many of them feel like driving at night with the windows down—reflective, cinematic, suspended in impermanence. The landscape, the shifting light, the people passing through your life—all of it fuels her writing.

That sense of atmosphere is intentional. Turner thinks in images. When she writes, she sees scenes—colors, lighting, silhouettes in doorways, sunlight through blinds, a freeway at night. Sound becomes visual. “The composition is a painting or a scene in my head,” she explained. It’s why her work feels less like a diary entry and more like stepping into a film that happens to be scored in real time.

Though her songs often begin as some-

thing deeply personal—a feeling she’s actively processing—she hopes they don’t stay there. “I always want them to become mirrors,” she said. Listeners projecting their own heartbreak, desire, grief, or hope onto her words is when the music stops being about her alone.

As a queer artist, vulnerability is central to her work, but so are boundaries. “Vulnerability doesn’t mean total exposure,” Turner said. She shares feelings more than details, offering the ache without handing over every fact. It’s an approach that allows for deep connection while keeping parts of her inner world sacred.

That nuance felt especially resonant inside The Violet Hour, a weekend built on visibility and expression. Fashion showcases and runway moments highlighted queer designers and models owning their silhouettes. Strawberry Collective offered live tattooing throughout the event, turning bodies into canvases in real time. Queer-owned vendors filled the room with small brands, prints, statement pieces and wearable art by BIPOC designers. Sound flowed. Music pulsed. The space felt bold, expressive, unapologetically queer.

For Turner, performing in a queercentered space like The Violet Hour shifts something internally. “There’s a level of safety and freedom that lets me be more honest—or simply more at ease,” she said. “I don’t have to translate myself.” Walking into a room curated with that kind of intention feels, in her words, like coming home.

Fashion plays its own role in that embodiment. She sees clothing as another form of storytelling—sometimes soft and vulnerable, sometimes bold or playful. She jokes about adopting “uniforms” (very Gemini, she notes), silhouettes that come to symbolize different eras of her life.

Astrology also quietly threads through her creative process. She pays attention to cycles—not rigidly, but intuitively—especially when releasing music or beginning new chapters. She noticed her own patterns of creative surges and retreat

Nico Turner

MUSIC

long before astrology gave them language. Lately, she feels aligned with themes of transformation and self-trust—what she calls Scorpio and Saturn energy—shedding old versions of herself and stepping into something more grounded. Big life shifts, from breakups to moves to artistic pivots, often align uncannily with eclipses or Saturn moments. “At this point,” she said, “I know right after my birthday usually signals a huge growth spurt.”

That growth is tangible. Turner is beginning the process of releasing her full album this year and is eager to collaborate on visuals, videos and creative direction. “Collaboration is at the heart of how and why I love making music,” she said. For an artist who thinks in scenes and textures, the world around the songs feels just as important as the songs themselves. With Christopher Archuleta on guitar, Nico sounded as dreamy as ever.

By Sunday, the weekend spotlight turned toward local talent, with Cecret Souls grounding the event in homegrown artistry.

Yawar Designs, Vintage Drift and LatterDay Sluts all came together for an incredible art collaboration. The two-day takeover proved what spaces like The Violet Hour make possible: a room where art, identity and community feed each other in real time. Turner left Salt Lake with her own impressions. Having recently visited during Sundance, she was struck by the intimacy of the creative community here. Compared to larger industry cities, she found Salt Lake’s scene supportive, sincere and quietly powerful—a reminder that real connection still sits at the heart of meaningful art. If her current creative chapter had a title, she’d call it The Becoming—transformation turning into embodiment. She’s unlearning survival mode and stepping into authorship, trusting instinct over hustle. Softness, she reminds people, is not fragility. There is resilience behind it. And if you caught her set that weekend, you likely felt exactly what she hoped to leave behind: a little more seen. A little softer. A little brave. CW

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

OMNOM @ Boxpac Project 3/6

Los Angeles DJ and producer OMNOM (Cody Lee) came onto the scene in 2018 with his breakout funky single “Fo Free.” Lee is an enigmatic artist who is carving a niche with house music that embodies a sense of mystique. He’s one of those artists that toes the line between underground and mainstream with fluidity, creating something he describes on his website as “Left-of-center, bass-fueled house maximalism.” His show this weekend at Boxpac Project involves a 360-degree stage, which is perfect for his unconventional brand of music. Songs like “Mind Awake, Body Asleep” or “All Day, All Night” showcase his style, marked by peculiar vocals floating over groovy basslines. He adds in that extra flair with layered samples and sounds for a bit of extravagance perfect for dancing. For live shows, what makes it so special is that Lee’s divergent style of music will keep you invested, because he does not abide by trends or expectations. Lee played for the first time at EDC Las Vegas in 2024, and is a rising star in electronic music. Mutiny Presents, now Salt Lake City’s biggest promotion company, has a knack for bringing talent that people don’t always know they want until they check it out and see for themselves. Come see OMNOM at Boxpac Project on Friday, March 6. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets are now for resale only at wl.eventim.us. (Arica Roberts)

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

Black Label Society @ The Union Event Center, 3/7

New Jersey-born guitarist Zakk Wylde (yes, that’s his real name) first came to wide attention as the guitarist taking over in Ozzy Osbourne’s band after the firing of axeman Jake E. Lee. Wylde debuted on record with Ozzy on 1988’s well-received No Rest for the Wicked; in addition to lead guitar duties, Wylde co-wrote all of the album’s nine songs. Wylde remained with Osbourne through the release of 1995’s Ozzmosis before departing, though he would return and appear on several more of Ozzy’s albums and tours, right up to 2025, the year of Osbourne’s passing. Wylde has kept busy and productive outside Osbourne’s orbit as well, playing with speed metal outfit Pantera and leading both cover/ tribute band Zakk Sabbath and original group Black Label Society. Together since 1998, Black Label Society has released 12 studio albums, and 2026’s Engines of Demolition marks the group’s latest. While the band went through a constantly-shifting succession of players during its first 15 years, Black Label Society has boasted a stable lineup since 2015. With openers Dark Chapel and Zakk Sabbath(!), Black Label Society comes to the Union Event Center on Saturday, March 7 at 7 p.m. Tickets for this all-ages show are $57.25 and available from ticketmaster.com. (Bill Kopp)

MUSIC PICK S

G. Love & Special Sauce

@ The Marquis 3/11

Garrett “G. Love” Dutton has established a life that many of us aspire to—one that is anchored in creativity. The Philadelphia, Pa. native is a do-it-all sound-hopping magician, with a masterful ability to integrate blues, alternative rock, soul and hip-hop. The 1994 self-titled G. Love and Special Sauce is not only a versatile major label debut, but proved that this talented musician was much more than his adventurous streak and musical influences. “People would ask, ‘How can you be a white kid from Philadelphia and play the blues?’,” Dutton told Grammy. “But artists would never say that. Especially the first couple of years, we were doing shows with all my influences: Gang Starr, De La Soul, f***ing Cypress Hill. No rappers were ever like, ‘Oh, you suck,’ or ‘You can’t do this.’ Music was just music.” Look, that record sounded like something important when you heard it for the first time, and at that age it transported one to a time and a place. And sure, there’s a considerable difference between his studio and live output. However, putting out records for more than 30 years is a testament to his musicianship and the quality of his band. With each and every listen I find something new and astonishing. Makua opens. Catch these musicians on the Lemonade 20th Anniversary Tour at the Marquis on Wednesday, March 11. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $46.97 and can be found at eventliveus.com. (Mark Dago)

Sugaray Rayford

@ The State Room 3/11

It’s fair to say that Caron “Sugaray” Rayford wears his influences on his proverbial sleeve. A Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter, two-time winner of the BMA “Soul Blues Artist of the Year” award, and a B.B. King Entertainer of the Year recipient, he shares a sound that’s flush with heart, soul and sincerity. It’s reflected in his love of such classic sounds as rural blues, R&B and Stax- and Motown-produced soul, all of it informed by gospel and grit. His latest album, 2024’s Human Decency, bears that out. Eloquent and expressive, it pays homage to a vintage template tempered by honesty and authen-

ticity. Rayford began his career at the age of seven singing and playing drums in church, before finding his way through a musical melting pot that would later define a prolific journey. Still, his wasn’t an easy childhood. It was marked by poverty and despair, as his mother struggled to raise three boys alone before succumbing to cancer. “When she died, it was a kind of relief,” Sugaray says on his website. “She suffered and we suffered. Then we moved in with my grandmother, and our lives were a lot better. We ate every day and we were in church every day, which I loved. I grew up in gospel and soul.” To his credit, he’s been able to glean all those indelible influences in a way that fully expresses his true talent and tenacity. Sugaray Rayford performs at The State Room at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1. Tickets cost $30-$56 at axs.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

The Caraways @ Urban Lounge 3/11

Sometimes no one can describe a band better than they can themselves. Take the Caraways, for example: “From a salty city surrounded by mountains comes a sound defined by twangy-surfy guitars, vintage electric keys & organs, lush four-part harmonies, and a gentle yet sincere western/ soul mixed with the energy & vigor of garage rock. That sound: The Caraways,” their bio reads. “The band has been honing a sound and a vibe after years of playing together. The sound comes from a blend of garage rock, soul, doo-wop, and classic 50s and 60s pop. The Caraways bring a lush, energetic brand of retro vibes inspired by the soulful sounds of yesteryear and driven by the energy of garage rock.” Their music is a truly delightful mix of retro and modern, offering variety through whimsical lyrics and cheerful instrumentation. They released their first single “Reno” in 2025, and it truly embodies the sensibility of the iconic desert city. Their most recent single, “Sweet Nothing,” aptly dropped on Valentine’s Day, and sounds like a surf-rock jam that teens in the 1950s would dedicate to one another. Hopefully, more releases like this continue to come from The Caraways. Come hang out on Wednesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are

in advance and $14.96 at the door. Grab tickets at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES

(March 21-April 19)

Many ancient cultures had myths that explained solar eclipses as celestial creatures eating the sun. In China, the devourer was a dragon. A frog did it in Vietnam, wolves in Norse lore, and bears in several Indigenous American legends. In some places, people made loud noises during the blackout, banging drums and pots to drive away the attacker and bring back the sun. I suspect you are now in the midst of a metaphorical eclipse of your own, Aries. But don’t worry! Just as was true centuries ago, your sun won’t actually be gobbled up. Instead, here’s the likely scenario: You will rouse an appetite for transformation that will consume outdated ideas and situations. Whatever disintegrates will become fuel for new stories. You will convert old pain and decay into vital energy. Your luminous vigor will return even stronger.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20)

Maybe you’ve been enjoying my advice for years but still haven’t become a billionaire, grown into a potent influencer, or landed the perfect job. Does that mean I’ve failed you? Should you swap me for a more results-oriented oracle? If rewards like those are the dreams you treasure, then yes, it may be time to search for a new guide. But if what you want most is simply to cultivate the steady gratification of feeling real and whole and authentic, then stick with me. PS: The coming days are likely to offer you abundant opportunities to feel real and whole and authentic. Take advantage!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

In 1557, a Welsh mathematician invented the equals sign to avoid repeatedly writing “is equal to.” Over the next centuries, this helped make algebra more convenient and efficient. The moral of the story: Some breakthroughs come not from making novel discoveries but from finding better ways to render and use what’s already known. I’m pleased to say that you Geminis are primed to devise your own equivalents of the equals sign. What strengths might you express with greater crispness and efficiency? What familiar complications could you make easier? See if can find shortcuts that aid productivity without sacrificing precision.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

One benefit of being an astrologer is that when I need a break from being intensely myself, I can take a sabbatical. My familiarity with the zodiac frees me to escape the limits of my personal horoscope and play at being other signs. I always return from my getaway with a renewed appreciation for the unique riddle that is my identity. I think now is an excellent time for Cancerians like you and me to enjoy such a vacation. We can have maximum fun and attract inspiring educational experiences by experimenting. I plan to be like a Sagittarius and may also experiment with embodying Aries qualities.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

In Scandinavian folklore, there’s a phenomenon called utiseta. It involves sitting out at night in a charged place in nature, like a crossroads or border. The goal is to make oneself patiently available for visions, wisdom, or contact with spirits and ancestors. I suspect you could benefit from the equivalent of a utiseta right now, Leo. Do you dare to refrain from forcing solutions through sheer will? Are you brave enough to let answers wander into your midst instead of hunting them down? I believe your strength is your willingness to be still and wait in a threshold.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You are a devotee of the sacred particular. While others traffic in vague abstractions, you understand that vitality thrives in the details. Your attention to nuance and precision is not fussiness but a form of love. I get excited to see you honor life by noticing all of its specific textures and rhythms! Now, more than ever, the world needs this superpower of yours. I hope you will express it even stronger in the coming months. May you exult in the knowledge that your refusal to treat the world carelessly or sloppily isn’t about perfectionism but about respect.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Architect Antoni Gaudí spent over 40 years designing Barcelona’s Sagrada Família cathedral. He knew he wouldn’t live to see it finished. It’s still under construction today, long after his death. When he said, “My client is not in a hurry,” he meant that his client was God. I invite you to borrow this perspective, Libra. See how much fun you can have by releasing yourself from the tyranny of urgency. Grant yourself permission to concentrate on a process that might take a long time to unfold. What a generous and ultimately productive luxury it will be for you to align yourself with deep rhythms and relaxing visions! I believe your good work will require resoluteness that transcends conventional timelines.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

The ancient Chinese philosophical text known as the Tao Te Ching teaches that “the usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness.” A vessel full of itself can receive nothing. Is it possible that you are currently so crammed with opinions, strategies, and righteous certainty that you’ve lost some of your capacity to receive? I suspect there are wonders and marvels trying to reach you, Scorpio: insights, inquiries, and invitations. But they can’t get in if you’re full. Your assignment: Temporarily empty yourself. Create space by releasing cherished positions, a defensive stance, or stories about how things must be.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

The Yoruba concept of ashe refers to the power to make things happen. It’s the life force that flows through all things, and can be accumulated, directed, and shared. Right now, your ashe is strong but a bit scattered, Sagittarius. You have power, but it’s diffused across too many commitments and half-pursued desires. So your assignment is to consolidate. Choose two things that matter most and fully pour your ashe into them. As you concentrate your vitality, you’ll get more done and become a conduit for blessings larger than yourself.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

What is holding you back? What are you waiting for? Is it a nudge from destiny? A breaking point when you’ll be compelled to act? A hidden clue that may or may not reveal itself to you? It is my duty to tell you this: All of that lingering and dallying, all of that wishing and hoping, is just wasted energy. As long as you are sitting still, pining for a cosmic deliverance to handle the hard parts, the sweet intervention will keep its distance. But the instant you claim the authority to act, you will see it clearly: the path forward that doesn’t need a perfect sign, a final push or fate’s permission slip.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

If you’re anything like me, you wince as you recall the lazy choices and careless passivity that speckle your past. You may wonder what you were thinking when you treated yourself so cavalierly, pushed away a steadfast ally, or let a dazzling invitation slip by. At times I feel as if my wrong turns carry more weight in my fate than the bright, gracefilled moments. Here’s good news for you, though. March is Amnesty Month for all Aquarians willing to own up to and graduate from their missteps. As you work diligently to unwind the unhelpful patterns that led you off course, life will release you from the heavy drag of those old failures and their leftover momentum.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

In systems theory, “critical points” are moments when long periods of small changes gradually accumulate, and then suddenly erupt into a big shift. Nothing appears to happen for a while, and then everything happens at once. Ice becomes water, for instance. I suspect you’re nearing such a pivot, Pisces. You’ve been gathering strength, clarity, and nerve in subtle ways. Soon you will be visited by what we might call a graceful, manageable explosion. The slow, persistent changes you’ve been overseeing will result in a major transition.

Systems Administrator (SA-MKS) in Midvale, UT. Telecommute permitted within the area of intended employment. Base24 appl monitoring & maintenance. Production issue troubleshooting (Base24 to BaNCs). BS followed by 5yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp. com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

Accounting & Payroll Manager to oversee a team that examines, analyses, and interprets accounting records to prepare financial statements; report to management about financial findings; audit payroll; ensure compliance w/ laws & regs. Mon–Fri, 40 hrs/wk. Req: Associate’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field AND 24 months experience in accounting or closely related Mail resume to: True Leaf LLC, 175 W 2700 S, Ste 150, Salt Lake City, UT 84115.

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. Resume to CUPBOP CO Attn: Yeiri KIM, 12184 S Business Park Dr, STE C, Draper, UT 84020

PAULA METOS SALTAS

urban LIVING

Boozy Parks

Utah’s liquor laws have historically been strict, particularly around where you can and can not locate a bar. Our current laws require that any bar, liquor store or restaurant that serves alcohol must be located at least 600 feet from a park, school or place of worship.

These kinds of laws aren’t specific just to our state. Drinking in public is often restricted in coastal areas in the country—not allowed on beaches and nearby parks.

California’s Golden Gate Park allows you to drink while enjoying the views of the bridge and bay. Florida doesn’t like drinkers (especially the spring break types), except on the Tampa Riverwalk. Louisiana has adopted policies permitting public consumption in designated areas, especially during festivals and special events. New Orleans has “open container” zones, as does Nevada in places like the Las Vegas Strip.

I remember back in the 1980s when the Park Café wanted a liquor license. The owner applied at the time and was rejected because it was across the street from Liberty Park. After much deliberation, a helpful change was made in that the “official” entrance for Liberty Park was not on the south end of the park, but at the north end. And thus, a liquor license was granted with the new entrance designation, located far across the park.

There’s a new bill at our Legislature that was released last week, which would redefine how close a hotel bar or restaurant serving liquor could be to a public park. The 600-foot walking distance rule—or 200 feet in a straight line—would have an exception that would allow a local city to waive how close alcohol could be served near a park.

The reason for this is simple: Magnus Commercial Properties has asked Salt Lake City to allow liquor at the proposed hotel they are planning to build in Sugar House at the location of the old Sizzler restaurant on 2100 South and 1300 East.

Having owned a bar several years ago, I can say that the State Liquor Commission was very helpful when I applied for a license. But damn, the rules for a business that wants to serve booze are massive.

Of course, you can’t drink under the age of 21 and must report the measurement of liquor in each drink sold, and the accounting can be a nightmare to tally what (and how much) was sold each day.

I rarely drink these days. I like to say I drank so much in college I forgot what I had learned and so I had to go back and get another degree.

I see no problem with a hotel bar offering drinks to its patrons of age, and it would be nice to sit on a patio and look out onto the park and our scenic mountain vistas. The legislative session ends on March 6, so we’ll see what happens. ■

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. San ___ (Costa Rica’s capital)

5. Motel swimming spots

10. Accelerate, with “up”

14. Element with the symbol Fe

15. City where Van Gogh painted

16. Mirror shape

17. Stranded, in a baseball game

19. Flat-topped landform

20. Pacific Northwest tribal symbol

21. Part of TBS, for short

22. Like dirty water

23. “Get Out” actor Lil ___ Howery

25. Fiery gemstone

27. 18-wheeler

30. Site of the 1998 Winter Olympics

36. Gloomy music genre

37. Gloomy guy?

38. Laptop brand partially from Latin for “new”

39. Has the knack

40. Bar soap alternative, maybe

42. Pickleball divider

43. Makes invalid

45. Billion years

46. Forgotten rapper?

47. One of 32 works by Beethoven

50. Ave. crossers

51. Cupcake decorator

52. Belt-hole maker

54. Baffled

57. Do something

60. De-squeaked

64. Cruise ship deck

65. Sign seen near crossing guards

67. Love, in Latin class

68. Adjust, as wheels

69. “La Cage aux Folles” character

8. Something to learn

9. 157.5 deg. from N

10. Green-blooded “Star Trek” antagonist

11. Say with confidence

12. Zorro’s accessory

13. Remote button

18. Future sign

22. “Star Trek” actress Barrett married to Gene Roddenberry

24. Chef Emeril

26. Italian cornmeal dish

27. “Previously on ...” segment

28. “Legend of a Cowgirl” singer Coppola

70. He does way more talking than Teller

71. Amtrak terminal

72. Stank

DOWN

1. Dump abruptly

2. Nabisco mainstay

3. Like some pretzels

4. Go in

5. Move while filming

6. Space balls?

7. Regenerist brand

29. It comes between haters and hate

31. Microbiome site

32. Pale with fright

33. Ducks’ habitats

34. Prevent, as danger

35. Post-its, e.g.

40. Jenga piece

41. “Can you ___ little slower?”

44. Mythical horned beast

48. Fortune teller

49. Off the grid

53. “Truth Hurts” performer

Auto

Last week’s answers

X

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 reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

NEWS of the WEIRD

Questionable Judgment

Gregory Saxton, 35, of New Virginia, Iowa, interviewed for a deputy position with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, which included a pre-employment polygraph screening, KCRG-TV reported on Feb. 23. During the screening, Saxton admitted that he had viewed child pornography on the dark web. On Feb. 19, investigators executed a search warrant for Saxton’s phone, and he was arrested at his home and charged with 13 counts of possessing child pornography.

Hero

Reuters reported on Feb. 24 that during the first half of a football match in Zeytinburnu, Turkey, a ball kicked high into the air struck a seagull that happened to be flying by, knocking it to the ground. Istanbul Yurdum Spor team captain Gani Catan rushed to the fallen bird and began CPR on its little chest—which worked! The gull began to move, and Catan took it to the medical staff on the sideline for further care. While his team lost the match, Catan had no regrets. “Helping save a life is a good thing,” he said. “This was more important than the championship.”

Mystery Unsolved

The Rockingham (North Carolina) County Sheriff’s Department announced on Feb. 20 that it had located a woman who went missing in Virginia on Dec. 9, 2001, Cleveland 19-TV reported. Michele Hundley Smith, now 62, kissed her kids goodnight and left her home to do some Christmas shopping around 8:30 p.m. She was not seen again. Detectives said they had “received new information” about her and made contact with her, but Smith requested that her whereabouts remain a secret. Netflix, are you getting this?

The Tech Revolution

Kaiya Reel of East Hollywood, California, ordered food for delivery, KTLA-TV reported on Feb. 22, but the Coco robot device that brought her dinner ran into some problems (literally). Reel said she was inside her home when she heard a commotion outside; “I came out here and found the Coco in my garden. It had got my fence caught up in its wheel ... then just drove away with the fence attached to it,” Reel said. “I chased after it and looked like a total crazy person.” The company that runs the Coco robots is going to reimburse Reel for the damage to her garden; apparently, it’s not Coco’s first rodeo with deliveries going amok. One ran into an ambulance, and another knocked over a parked motorcycle.

News You Can Use

The Nantucket Current reported on Feb. 19 that the island’s occupants are having a much better time than you are, at least if wastewater data are your gauge. Eight months’ worth of readings show that levels of cocaine in Nantucket’s sewage are three times higher than the national average. Interestingly, levels of other drugs, such as meth and fentanyl, are lower than the national average. Nantucket Police Chief Jody Kasper said her department is focusing on illicit drugs in general, not just cocaine. “They have made a dent, but we certainly understand that the narcotics industry is the supply and demand industry, so that we need to stay on top of it,” she said.

The Continuing Crisis

Drivers of two vehicles waiting at a stoplight in Omaha, Nebraska, on Feb. 24 suddenly found themselves staring at the sky, KETV reported. An SUV and a pickup truck suddenly fell into a sinkhole several feet deep; neither driver was hurt, but the SUV driver needed help from bystanders getting out of the hole. Omaha Public Works said the sinkhole was caused by an underground pressurized water leak.

Overkill

The Pocono (Pennsylvania) Mountain Regional Police are looking for Sean McDermott—no, not the former coach of the Buffalo Bills NFL team, but a resident of a townhouse in Pocono Pines who is suspected of starting a fire that spread to other units. WPVI-TV reported that on Feb. 23, a witness said McDermott, 36, had set multiple small fires in his own home in order to try to kill spiders. He allegedly had a small smoldering fire on his floor and placed a loveseat over it. The witness said he tried to put out the fires, but McDermott kept setting more. They left the scene, and when they returned it was fully engulfed. McDermott escaped in a U-Haul and is still at large.

Recurring Theme

When a 12-year-old living in Monroe, North Carolina, missed the bus to his school on Feb. 18, he made the obvious choice to just drive himself to class in the family car. The Charlotte Observer reported that a Monroe police officer made a traffic stop at around 8:30 a.m. and discovered the middle-schooler sitting behind the steering wheel. A school resource officer from Monroe Middle School then transported the boy to his school campus “without further incident,” officers said. The state’s social services department is following up with the child’s family.

The Litigious Society

In a lawsuit filed on Feb. 19, Dennis and Patricia Swartz are seeking $150,000 in damages—each—stemming from an incident in February 2025. The Independent reported that the couple were dining at LongHorn Steakhouse in Madison, Tennessee, when a “decorative object” (a large set of antlers) fell from the wall above them and struck them both. The lawsuit alleges that the object was “improperly and inadequately secured to the wall of the premises” and that the owner of LongHorn, Darden Restaurants, was negligent. The suit does not outline all of the Swartzes’ injuries, but it says that they have suffered lasting “mental anguish” and “severe personal damages.”

Government in Action

In Long Island, New York, a grandfather named Seth Bykofsky went straight to the top after he was denied a renewal on his car’s vanity license plate, United Press International reported on Feb. 26. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles said in a letter to Bykofsky that his plate—PB4WEGO—was in violation of their regulations. Bykofsky did not agree. “In all my years as a parent and now grandparent, the worst I’ve gotten has been a gentle roll of the eyes from my kids and grandkids,” he said. Eventually, the license plate dispute made it to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who spoke with Bykofsky on the phone. She called the plate’s message “an important lesson.” “We’ll get it back for you,” she told him.

Field Report

Ronaldo, a man from Cascavel, Brazil, was walking to work when two vicious dogs attacked him, Ratopati reported on Feb. 26. The dogs lunged at his neck, and as he fought them off, one of them bit down on the cellphone in his shorts pocket, which turned out to be fortuitous: The phone exploded, scaring the dogs off. “That moment was terrifying, but that very mobile phone saved my life,” Ronaldo said. He did sustain some minor burns on his leg. The dogs’ owner apologized and agreed to cover his medical expenses and the cost of a new phone.

Two-story Home in Gilmar Park (1160 E. Michigan), 4BR, 2BA, 2CG, lush back yard, Art Deco features, main floor great room.

Condo at 350 S. 200 East at the METRO. One BR, top floor, tight open space w/ laundry in the unite, protected pking. $359,900 MLS #2126427