Small Lake City

Utah’s restaurant scene isn’t “all chains” anymore, but you have to know where to look and that’s where Amber (Mile High Food Fairy) comes in. We sit down with a pediatric dentist who somehow also became one of the most useful guides to Salt Lake City restaurants and Utah County food, and we get into the real mechanics of how people pick where to eat in 2026: saved posts, short-form video, and a handful of creators you trust more than a menu page.Amber walks us through her path from Vegas to the University of Utah, then out to New York City and Colorado for residency, where the habit of photographing meals turned into a dedicated food page. We talk about Yelp, Instagram, TikTok growth, and why Instagram Reels changed everything, including the frustrating part: when the algorithm shifts, your reach can disappear overnight. She also shares a standout moment when a Doki Doki dessert video helped drive a line down the block, reminding us that social media can be a real lifeline for local small businesses.Then we get practical. Amber explains how she balances a demanding day job with content creation, why she turns down collaborations that don’t fit, and how credibility matters more than quick money. Expect a packed list of recommendations across sushi, Thai, Indian, hot chicken, desserts, ice cream, brunch, Mexican, bakeries, Vietnamese, burgers, and Korean BBQ, plus a thoughtful look at where Utah’s food culture should go next: more mom-and-pop spots, more diverse cuisines, and more authentic options like dim sum and soup dumplings.If you enjoy discovering new places to eat in Utah, subscribe, share this with a friend who’s always hungry, and leave a review with your most underrated Utah restaurant pick.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A surveillance camera shows up at a busy Mill Creek park, quietly scanning every passing license plate, and when someone asks who approved it, the answer is chillingly simple: nobody. We walk through what happened, why the camera was removed, and why the bigger story is the data trail. Who collects it, how long it lives on servers, and who can search it are the questions Utah still struggles to regulate, even as local governments make case-by-case decisions with no statewide framework.Then we rewind to the moment phones across northern Utah lit up with a blunt emergency alert: “Evacuate now.” The evacuation order was real, but the blast radius was not. We unpack the dispatch glitch that sent a wildfire alert to an enormous unintended area, and the uncomfortable contrast from the same week near Logan, where some residents in the fire’s path reportedly never received any alert at all. If emergency alerts are life safety infrastructure, these failures show exactly where the cracks are.We close with much-needed good news: Salt Lake City’s Fleet Block final design is out after years of planning, with a new public green space coming to the Granary District and a community benefits agreement shaping nearby development. Utah also posts its first decline in homelessness since 2019, with notable drops in chronic and unsheltered homelessness. Plus, quick updates on the Calchi ruling, reported ICE deportation flights from SLC, upcoming Twilight shows, and a preview of next week’s vault conversation for food lovers and content nerds.Subscribe for weekly Salt Lake City news and Utah policy updates, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review so more locals can find the show.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A single question sits at the heart of this conversation: what do you send when someone you love is hurting and you can’t get on a plane? Marti, founder and CEO of Spoonful of Comfort, shares the true origin story behind her comfort food delivery brand, starting with the call every family dreads and the search for something more meaningful than flowers or candy. When she couldn’t find a chicken soup gift that felt personal, practical, and caring, she built it and poured her love and grief into the work. We talk through the real early days of building a food and e-commerce business: learning the rules, finding production help, packing orders at the kitchen table, and doing post office runs with kids in the car. Then the growth moment hits, a wave of press, hundreds of orders in hours, and the kind of scramble that forces a company to level up fast. Marti also explains how she and her husband run the business together, how they split responsibilities, and why moving to Utah became a turning point for scaling operations and finding the right community. We also get into what makes Spoonful of Comfort stand out: thoughtful branding, a warm unboxing experience, and products designed for life’s hardest moments. Marti shares favorites, how the menu evolved from a tight starting lineup to bigger add-ons and sweets, and what’s coming next, including a Hallmark partnership timed perfectly for cozy movie season. If you care about founder stories, customer experience, and building a brand with heart, hit play then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with your favorite comfort food.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Salt Lake City keeps getting compared to other Western cities, but the closer you look, the more the comparison breaks down. The mountains aren’t a weekend trip from here, they’re a backdrop you can touch, and that single detail changes how people visit, how they meet, and how the local economy grows.We’re joined by Kaitlin Eskelsen, CEO of Visit Salt Lake, to talk about what destination marketing really looks like when it’s done at scale. We dig into the behind-the-scenes work of booking conventions at the Salt Palace, building a sports tourism engine through Sport Salt Lake, and creating event moments that make people rethink what a “conference city” can be. Kaitlin also explains why the organization focuses on exogenous spend, how that money moves through local small businesses, and why tourism can feel invisible until you understand the numbers.Then we look forward to the 2034 Winter Olympics and what the lead-up can unlock, from storytelling and athlete visibility to mobility improvements and a tighter, more connected visitor experience. We also get personal about how people actually remember travel, including Caitlin’s book The VX Society and the simple idea that the peak moment and the goodbye are what stick.If you care about Salt Lake City, tourism economics, convention strategy, sports events, or the future of the Wasatch Front, this conversation will give you a sharper lens. Subscribe, share this with a friend who still thinks Salt Lake is “far from the mountains,” and leave a review with your favorite takeaway.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A downtown eyesore locals jokingly called “Sears Lake” is finally turning into something real, and that’s only the start of a packed week. We break down the long-awaited redevelopment of the former Sears site near 300 West and 400 South, where Intermountain Health is beginning environmental remediation ahead of a new hospital campus. After years of stalled potential, the cleanup alone feels like the first domino, and the location near TRAX, the Gateway, and the Granary District could change the gravity of that corridor.Then we get into a genuine transit win: Frontrunner is slated for a major upgrade, with new commuter trains expected to be built right here in Salt Lake City by Stadler. We talk about what a proposed $328 million contract means, how it connects to UDOT’s double tracking project, and why frequency is the real quality-of-life feature riders care about even if the timeline stretches out a few years.The mood shifts when we zoom out to the escalating data center debate in Utah. Packed public hearings in Tooele County, wastewater permit concerns tied to wetlands connected to the Great Salt Lake, a county moratorium, and the still-paused Stratos project in Box Elder County all point to a bigger question: who gets to decide how land and water are used as Utah becomes a data center hub?We wrap with the local culture pulse check: Cafe Rio admits fans are right and promises a return to the original sweet pork barbacoa, the Utah Talons go back-to-back, extreme heat safety tips, and a quick look at the Winter Classic plans. If you like smart local news with strong opinions and receipts, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

You can be fit, tough, and motivated and still get wrecked by a simple mistake like the wrong breakfast. We sit down with ultra runner and nutrition coach Jesse Rich to trace the real path from “I don’t like running” to finishing and competing in ultramarathons, including the hard-earned lessons that only show up when you’re deep into a 50K or staring down a 100-mile day.Jesse breaks down the moment that changed everything: a brutal Speedgoat 50K where stomach issues turned a promising start into survival mode. That failure pushes him into formal nutrition education and years of trial, error, and refinement in sports nutrition for endurance athletes. We talk hydration, electrolytes, sodium, carbohydrates, and why “training the gut” is a skill you build on long runs, not a gamble you take on race day. If gels make you gag or your stomach shuts down late, you’ll recognize yourself here.We also zoom out to the bigger world of trail running and ultrarunning: how the sport has exploded, how UTMB has become a global target, and why even high-level athletes can struggle to make the economics work. Jesse shares how he turns his experience into a coaching career, what kinds of athletes reach out for help, and how family life, aging, recovery, and time constraints change the way you train. The thread that ties it together is simple: consistency wins, fueling is performance, and “white space” might be the most underrated training tool we have.If you’re training for your first ultra marathon, chasing a PR at a local trail race, or trying to stop blowing up in the final hours, this conversation gives you a smarter way forward. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s training, and leave a review with your biggest fueling question.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

109 degrees. That’s not a hot day, that’s a line in the history books, and Salt Lake City just crossed it. We recap a week where Utah breaks its all-time heat record, watches foothill fires flare up under extreme conditions, and then gets hit with monsoonal storms that turn burn scars into fast-moving flood threats. If you’ve been feeling like the weather is getting sharper and less predictable, we talk through what happened, why it matters, and how record heat, wildfire, and flash flooding now stack on top of each other in a single season.\n\nWe also slow down for a story that deserves real space: the death of 1st Lieutenant Tyler James Fienn, a 25-year-old with deep ties to Southern Utah University and the Utah Army National Guard, killed in an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack in Jordan. We reflect on what Utah lost, what his life represented, and why it’s important not to let big conflict become background noise.\n\nFrom there, we pivot to the part of summer that helps us breathe again: Pioneer Day on July 24. We run through the Days of ’47 Parade, the rodeo, the Salt Lake Art Museum grand opening, and the wonderfully chaotic Pie And Beer Day tradition, plus quick hits on concerts and local updates. We also cover a major NHL contract rule change that could shape the Utah Mammoth offseason strategy, especially around Clayton Keller.\n\nIf you want a smart, local weekly update that mixes Utah news, events, sports, and the realities of climate and water, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who lives along the Wasatch Front, and leave a review, what part of this week hit you the hardest?50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A pink, flower-filled brunch cafe in Woods Cross sounds like it came from a mood board, but the real story starts with something way less glamorous: an 18-year-old handing out flyers and landing 27 house cleaning clients. Angie, the founder of Plated Dreams, walks us through the long road from early responsibility and nonstop work to building one of the most distinctive brunch experiences in Utah. If you care about small business, restaurant entrepreneurship, or creating spaces that pull people together, this conversation gets refreshingly real. We dig into the behind-the-scenes decisions most guests never see: why Utah restaurant hours and closed days matter more than you think, how a 1031 exchange creates a do-or-die timeline, and what it takes to look at an old McDonalds and a Wells Fargo and see a community development instead of a mess. Angie also shares the pivot from a children’s play center concept to a retail hub, plus the hard lesson she watched play out with tenants: you cannot open a business and not be there. From there, we get into Plated Dreams itself: designing a London-inspired space that feels like you “left Utah for an hour,” building a from-scratch brunch menu that evolves with customers, and pricing food honestly when you are buying raw ingredients and making everything to order. We also talk about the emotional side of hospitality, handling harsh reviews, and why giving a team the chance to make things right matters. Angie closes with what she’s building next with the Brunch Club and a wild Mother’s Day win: 421 guests on 35 tables in five and a half hours. If you enjoy founder stories, Utah food and drink, or practical lessons on running a restaurant, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Pioneer Day week is almost here, and Salt Lake City is about to hit that uniquely Utah blend of tradition, chaos, and genuinely great summer energy. We’re one week out from July 24, so I’m laying out a clear game plan for the Days of 47 Parade downtown, the Days of 47 Rodeo nights at the fairpark, and the alternative tradition that keeps getting bigger every year: Pie and Beer Day. If you’re new to the city, consider this your cheat sheet for what’s happening, when to show up, and how to actually enjoy it without getting overwhelmed. There’s also a brand-new reason to be downtown: the Salt Lake Art Museum (SLAM) grand opening. It’s free, it’s inside a beautifully restored historic building, and it’s dedicated exclusively to Utah artists, past, present, and future. We talk about why this museum matters, what the opening exhibitions highlight, and how it fits perfectly into a July 24 afternoon before or after the parade. Then we pivot to the headline that lit up every Utah group chat: CNBC ranking Utah among the worst states for quality of life. We break down the criteria and the numbers behind it, including air quality on the Wasatch Front, primary healthcare access, childcare availability and cost, and other factors that shape daily life here. To round out the week, we hit quick local stories like Cherry Peak Resort listing for $22.5 million, a hopeful Main Street redevelopment after last summer’s fire, current Utah wildfire updates, and a standout Salt Lake City Summer League performance that has fans excited. If this weekly Salt Lake City update helps you plan your week, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Detroit-style pizza doesn’t just travel well, it exposes weak restaurant habits fast. If the dough is off, if the timing slips, if the team phones it in, the whole thing falls apart. That’s why I wanted to sit down with Sean from Via 313 and talk about what happens when a sharp, specific food concept grows up and scales without losing the edge that made people care in the first place.We get into the Via 313 origin story, starting with two brothers from the Detroit area, a trailer on 6th Street in Austin, and an opening night problem that feels impossible until you solve it (yes, they forgot the pizza cutter). From there, we unpack how a cult following gets built, why Detroit-style pizza is often confused with deep dish, and what makes the style so addictive: crispy edges, cheese to the corners, sauce on top, and a texture that hits different when it’s done right.Then we zoom out to the Salt Lake City food scene and the broader Utah restaurant market. We talk about the “Utah has no good food” stigma, why it’s outdated, and why hospitality and experience matter more than ever when people spend real money to dine out. Sean shares what he looks for in great service, why authentic brands win, and how standards and consistency make scaling possible. We also shout out local favorites and drop a practical ordering roadmap for your first Via run, plus where to find locations and how to follow what’s coming next.If you like smart food talk with real operator insight, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who argues about pizza, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the one restaurant you’d be genuinely sad to lose in your city?50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Utah summer can feel like two stories happening at once: the mountains and red rock are calling, while wildfires and heat keep raising the stakes. We start with a clear update on the state’s biggest blazes, including the Babylon Fire in San Juan County crossing 100,000 acres and becoming the largest active wildfire in the United States. I break down what “containment” really looks like on the ground, why conditions have been so brutal, and what the growing list of closures means for anyone planning time in Canyonlands, the Manti LaSal National Forest, or BLM areas near Indian Creek and Dark Canyon.Then we pivot to something Salt Lake City does better than almost anywhere: making a holiday your own. July 24 is coming fast, so I lay out the essential guide to Pioneer Day, the Days of 47 Parade and rodeo, plus the alternative tradition that has become a true local classic, Pie and Beer Day. If you’ve ever wondered how to experience the day without forcing yourself into one lane, this is your roadmap for downtown, the Ballpark celebration, and the neighborhood events that make the city feel connected.We wrap with a genuinely big win for the West Side: Salt Lake City lands an $11.5 million Bezos Earth Fund grant to bring shade and water-wise green space to the 9 Line Trail and to remake the Fleet Block brownfield into a public oasis. I also hit quick updates on Jazz summer league standout Darren Peterson, Salt Lake City School District enrollment declines and possible school closures, the shutdown of Provo Canyon School’s girls campus, and a key development in the Charlie Kirk murder case. Stay with me to the end for a preview of my upcoming conversation with Sean Ladle from Via 313 on why Detroit-style pizza from Austin is making a serious bet on Utah. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find local reporting that actually fits the way we live here.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A museum director who still gets asked “What’s your favorite dinosaur?” might sound like a dream job, but Jason Cryan’s story is more surprising than that. Jason leads the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City, and his path runs from a Vermont childhood shaped by the outdoors, to tropical entomology, to building genetics labs and advocating for teams of scientists inside major natural history museums. The throughline is curiosity, and the willingness to change course when the “right” career ladder stops feeling right.We talk about what makes NHMU a true science museum: two million plus specimens, real research programs, and exhibitions grounded in evidence. Jason shares how systematics works in plain language, from taxonomy and biodiversity discovery to phylogenetics and DNA sequencing, and why asking better questions matters more than having fast answers. Then we zoom out to museum leadership, grants, public trust, and why informal science education can be one of the highest-impact forms of STEM learning.You’ll also get a tour of what makes the Natural History Museum of Utah unique in the Intermountain West, from dinosaurs through time to the Great Salt Lake gallery, plus the strategy behind rotating special exhibitions like the immersive Bug World collaboration. We close with behind-the-scenes research happening right now, and a reminder that discovery can happen anywhere, even in a Salt Lake City backyard.If you enjoy conversations about science, museums, Utah history, and how curiosity shapes a life, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

The biggest story in Utah right now is fire, and it’s changing how all of us should think about summer. We break down the latest on the Cottonwood Fire near Beaver, now stretching across an area that puts it in the conversation with the most significant wildfires in Utah history. You’ll hear the real-world impacts, from closures and evacuations to the early estimate of structures lost, plus why officials say this wasn’t a surprise after an exceptionally dry winter and low snowpack.We also get into a moment that should be a statewide public service announcement: a private drone flight over the fire area reportedly forced crews to ground helicopters. That’s not a minor inconvenience, it’s a safety issue that can cost property and lives. If you’re planning weekend trips, we talk about what to avoid, how to stay flexible with smoke and changing conditions, and why backyard fireworks are a bad bet this year.Then we shift gears to sports and momentum. Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong makes a move that signals the rebuild is over by acquiring Vincent Trocheck, a proven two-way center with face-off strength, penalty-kill value, and championship-level experience. We dig into what it means for the roster, the young core, and why expectations should rise heading into the October opener.Finally, we share a surprisingly moving engineering update from Temple Square: the Salt Lake Temple’s seismic base isolation system is complete, letting the building move during a major earthquake while reducing damage from ground shaking. We wrap with a quick July Fourth weekend guide, World Cup watch party vibes across the valley, and a preview of our upcoming conversation with Natural History Museum of Utah executive director Jason Cryon. If this helps you, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more people around Salt Lake City can find it.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A lot of people leave a high-demand religion and end up with either a scorched-earth break or a lifetime of quiet resentment. We wanted a third option, so we called up Eli: a gay, ex-LDS writer and lawyer who somehow keeps deep, loving ties with a still-practicing Mormon family while staying honest about why he left. The result is a Salt Lake City conversation about faith, identity, and what it takes to choose peace without pretending the past did not shape you.We talk about coming out with intention, protecting your story from being “used” as an example, and how the emotional arc can shift from anger to something closer to grounded indifference. Eli shares a framework that’s helped him and a lot of us in Utah: separating the church as a corporation from the people you love and the culture you still understand, whether that’s fry sauce jokes or the weird nostalgia of general conference weekends.Then we go deep on creativity and modern media. Eli traces his path from early blogging to a wrong-number text that went viral, to living in Palau, to building a storytelling podcast, to becoming a Salt Lake Tribune humor columnist and author of We’re Thankful for the Moisture. We also unpack the reality of content creation and social media: why “going full-time” can kill the joy, why authenticity beats audience-guessing, and how story-driven TikToks can move people to action without a hard sell. That same storytelling muscle shows up in LGBTQ advocacy with Equality Utah, including the strategy that helped pass a unanimous conversion therapy ban.If you like thoughtful Utah culture talk, ex-Mormon perspectives, LGBTQ stories, writing advice, and the behind-the-scenes mechanics of going viral, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves a good story, and leave a review with the line that stuck with you most.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Smoke is hanging over the Salt Lake Valley, the mountains are barely visible, and it’s not just “summer haze.” We break down what’s behind Utah’s rough early wildfire season, which major fires are driving the worst of the air right now, and what Stage 1 fire restrictions actually mean for real life. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s safe to run outside, take your kids to the park, or hit the trails, we talk through how to use the Utah DEQ AQI, who needs to be extra cautious, and why this moment deserves more than a shrug.Then we pivot to something the city can genuinely celebrate: the Utah Jazz making the No. 2 pick count by selecting Darryn Peterson. We dig into what kind of guard he is, why the scoring upside has people dreaming, and how quickly “I don’t want to be there” draft chatter can flip once a player sees the opportunity and the young core taking shape. Draft night in Salt Lake felt electric for a reason, and it’s worth sitting with that even while the state deals with fire and smoke.We also give you a clear, practical Fourth of July weekend guide with options across Salt Lake and beyond, including drone shows, downtown events, baseball, and the big caveat everyone needs to hear: don’t be the person lighting backyard mortars during a tinder-dry summer. We wrap with quick hitters on the Twilight Concert Series lineup, Bonneville Shoreline Trail closures near the University of Utah, Utah Mammoth NHL free agency movement, and why this year’s FanX is the last chance to catch it at the Salt Palace before renovations. If you missed last week’s conversation with ski icon Tom Wallisch, we point you there, and we tease next week’s guest: Eli McCann.Subscribe for weekly Salt Lake City news and culture updates, share this with a friend who needs plans for the Fourth, and leave a quick review if the show helps you stay plugged in.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A lot of people see the highlight clip and assume the rest is luck. Tom Wallisch doesn’t. From lapping small hills outside Pittsburgh to becoming one of the defining names in modern freestyle skiing, Tom breaks down the unglamorous parts that made the glamorous moments possible: repetition, confidence built from community, and learning how to evolve when the sport evolves.We talk about the early Newschoolers and YouTube era, when a one minute edit and a comment section could change your entire trajectory. Tom explains how style trends like the Park City tall tee wave weren’t random, they were a choice to stand out, then a willingness to own the lane when people started paying attention. From there, we get into the real shift from filming to high level slopestyle and big air competition, what sponsors expect, and how even small things like picking up poles can be the difference between being “different” and being scored fairly.The conversation goes deeper into longevity: the mindset behind progression, the story of building and hitting a Guinness verified world record rail, and why film segments often outlive medals in your memory. Tom also shares how he transitioned into ski film production and creative ownership with Good Company, and how announcing at X Games and the Olympics became a way to keep freeskiing accessible and respected for new audiences.If you care about freeskiing, terrain park culture, X Games history, Olympic skiing, or how athletes navigate an action sports career transition, this one is packed with lessons you can actually use. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves the mountains, and leave a review with your favorite moment or question you want us to dig into next.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Your costs in Salt Lake City are changing fast, and the numbers are finally on the table. We walk through the newly adopted Salt Lake City budget and translate it into what residents actually feel: a 12.5% increase to the city’s portion of property taxes, utility rate increases that can add more than $32 a month for a typical household, and the end of the discounted Hive transit pass. We also explain the argument City Hall is making about inflation, rising equipment costs, and why officials say the alternative would be layoffs or service cuts. Next, we head up to Little Cottonwood Canyon for one of the most eyebrow-raising moves of the week: UDOT spending $7.95 million on land meant for a gondola base station. The project isn’t funded, it’s still tied up in lawsuits, and the state’s own timeline suggests it might not be built until the 2040s. We talk through the case for “land banking,” why critics think the price looks high, and what it means for canyon traffic that’s already a problem right now. We close with a public lands update that breaks in a rare direction: the attempt to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument management plan fails after a missed deadline, buying time for protections that tribal nations, local businesses, and many Utah voters support. Then it’s a rapid-fire summer roundup: Twilight Concert Series dates, the Utah Arts Festival’s 50th anniversary, Utah Mammoth NHL draft and free agency notes, and a Salt Lake Bees weeknight that still feels like the best deal in town. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about Salt Lake City, and leave a review with the one issue you want us to dig into next.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

S2, E18: Thieves Guild Cidery - Max Knudsen & Jordy KirkmanA fantasy tavern where you can grab a tankard of cider, play a board game you’ve never seen before, and watch a Dungeons and Dragons campaign unfold at the next table sounds like a gimmick until you hear how Thieves Guild Cidery actually got built. We sit down with Max and Jordy to trace the real story behind one of the most distinctive Salt Lake City bars and why going all-in on “too nerdy” was the smartest business decision they made. We talk about growing up nerdy before it was cool, finding community through places like Quarters Arcade Bar, and then taking a lockdown-era homebrew habit to a full-scale craft cider operation. They get honest about the non-glam parts: scaling fermentation from small batches to hundreds of gallons, building a business plan that lives in a spiderweb of Excel sheets, getting outside validation from industry experts, and the surreal moment of asking a bank for “lots of money” and hearing yes. Then we get into the world-building: DIY props, 3D printing, soldering, custom lighting run by microcontrollers, and why outsourcing the design couldn’t match the vision. Even the bathrooms are part of the experience, from a dark, dramatic, Ministry of Magic-inspired room to the “Paperback Paradise” wall of hilariously altered fantasy covers. We also dig into what’s next, including canned cider drops, getting product into other bars, and Apples and Daggers, their festival that’s aiming for a true adult renn fair vibe in Utah. If you love Salt Lake City nightlife, craft cider, themed bars, board game bars, or just stories about building something weird and real, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’d actually wear a cloak to happy hour, and leave a review so more people can find the show.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A $145 million warehouse near the Salt Lake City airport was supposed to become an ICE “megacenter” holding thousands of people and now the story is shifting fast. We walk through the new joint lawsuit from Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County against DHS and ICE, why leaders say the process was “cloaked in secrecy,” and the detail that has everyone watching the property again: after a reported pause for review, semi-trailers start showing up in the back lot and they keep multiplying. If the plan is changing, is it truly a scale-back, or was that the strategy from day one?Then we jump into one of the strangest Utah-adjacent stories to go national: the Bricks and Minifigs saga. A family says a massive Star Wars Lego collection worth around $200,000 disappears after a franchise ownership change. A YouTuber known as Reckless Ben publishes a viral investigation, a GoFundMe surges, confrontations happen in American Fork, and arrests and lawsuits follow. We break down what’s known, what’s alleged, and why “internet justice” can collide hard with real courts and real consequences.We end with the best kind of local news: Centro Civico Mexicano, founded in 1935, is planning a $27 million community and cultural center with a theater, childcare, an art gallery, classrooms, and more, right as the surrounding neighborhood transforms. Plus: the Salt Palace closure timeline, new Utah Supreme Court nominees, the Pentagon’s religious affiliation list controversy, and a reminder that the Utah Arts Festival is coming up and we’re giving away tickets. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review if you want more smart, grounded Salt Lake City reporting every week.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A 40-hour scramble to Argentina with a dead computer and zero Spanish. A Japan train sprint with ski bags, closed ticket counters, and strangers translating “three stops” into pure stress. And back home in Utah, a kid getting towed into illegal jumps behind a Honda Civic because that is what ski culture looked like before everything was documented. This conversation with pro skier and ski builder Thayne Rich is a reminder that the highlight reel is never the whole story.We start with Salt Lake City roots: growing up around Park City and Alta, learning fearlessness from older brothers, and taking the kind of youthful risks that shaped a generation of freestyle and big-mountain skiers. Thayne breaks down how style evolves from perfectly built park jumps to “janky” natural takeoffs, why Alta remains his favorite playground, and what it takes to progress when you are not the loudest person in the room.From there, we get into ski filmmaking and the real mechanics of making it: sponsors, promo edits, crew dynamics, networking without ego, and the pressure of heli skiing when everything is bigger and steeper than it looks on camera. Then we go deep on the gear side, including how Thayne helped build skis at Forefront, prototyped shapes, and ended up with a pro model that started as a rogue experiment in the shop.If you care about Utah skiing, backcountry culture, action sports careers, ski industry stories, or simply how to keep passion fun as you get older, you will find something here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who lives for winter, and leave a review with your favorite moment from Thayne’s travel chaos and ski-life lessons.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A 16-year-old signs with a pro club, steps into an adult locker room, and says the people in charge never built basic protections around him. That’s the heart of the biggest Salt Lake City story we’re unpacking this week: a major Real Salt Lake lawsuit filed by former goalkeeper Jeffrey Duznup against RSL, Major League Soccer, and the U.S. Soccer Federation. We walk through the allegations, what’s being claimed about reporting and response, and why this isn’t just “sports drama” but a serious conversation about athlete safety, youth protection, and accountability in professional sports.Then we pivot to something worth celebrating in local news: the new 400 South Viaduct Trail. If you’ve ever tried to cross those railroad tracks on foot or by bike, you know how sketchy it used to feel. Now there’s a protected bike and walking path connecting Poplar Grove and the west side through to downtown and the Granary District, plus nearly 2,000 feet of public art called Strut. We talk about why this project matters for safer commuting, better access, and what “good city infrastructure” actually looks like on the ground.We also get into peak Utah politics with Governor Spencer Cox declaring June “Fidelity Month,” how that lands during Pride Month in Salt Lake City, and what it says about the growing gap between state signals and city culture. To round it out, we hit a fast stack of updates: the Salt Lake Bees’ big May, a long-running Salt City Inn case ending in a conviction, the Utah Arts Festival’s 50th anniversary lineup, and the Utah Mammoth gearing up for the draft and offseason decisions. Subscribe, share this with a friend who follows Salt Lake, and leave a review, and if you want ticket giveaway details, join the Discord via the show notes.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A lot of people talk about “networking,” but we wanted to get honest about what actually holds a life together when things get hard: reciprocity, loyalty, and the people who show up when you have nothing to offer. We start with the awkward truth about perks and connections, then pull the thread into something bigger, how success can reveal who is really in your corner and why one-way relationships drain you fast.Then Celeste joins us and tells the kind of story you do not forget. She grew up moving every six months with her belongings in a garbage bag, surviving foster care, abuse, and the pressure of becoming a parent to her sibling as a child. She walks us through the turning points that changed her trajectory, the rare adults who offered steadiness, the power of chosen family, and what it means to find gratitude without pretending the pain did not happen. Along the way, we talk trauma comparison, resilience, triggers, and why celebrating small wins is not cheesy, it is survival.Celeste also breaks down the mission and impact of Christmas Box International and the Christmas Box House shelters, including the reality of child welfare in Utah, the growing challenges of placements, and why keeping siblings together is so critical. If you care about foster care, child advocacy, trauma recovery, or how a Utah nonprofit can change lives at scale, this conversation is for you. Listen through to the end for clear ways to help, from wish lists and Amazon shipping to volunteering and sharing resources, then subscribe, share this with one person, and leave a review so more people can find it.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Utah’s leaders are telling all of us to conserve water, fix leaks, and rethink thirsty lawns, and they’re right to. But the same week Governor Spencer Cox declares a statewide drought emergency, he also publicly admits the Stratos data center rollout “was not that good,” a major reversal on a massive Box Elder County proposal tied to the Great Salt Lake. We sit with that contradiction and unpack what it means for democratic process, water rights, energy demand, and whether Utah is building a future that matches its climate reality.From there, we head straight to Salt Lake City Hall for a fast, unexpected resolution in the Ava Lopez-Chavez saga. A residency finding vacates the District 4 seat immediately under state code, and the council drops the separate sexual misconduct investigation once she’s no longer a member. We talk through the timeline, the documents at the center of the dispute, and what happens next as the city races to appoint an interim replacement during budget season.Then we explain the giant smoke plume you might have seen over Davis County, and why it was good news. The Farmington Bay prescribed burn targets phragmites, an invasive, water-hungry reed that chokes wetlands and threatens habitat, and researchers say restoration could save huge amounts of water each season. We close with quick hits, from school district background check changes to new Utah culture plans, sports notes, and a preview of next week’s conversation with foster care advocate and author Celeste Edmonds.If you care about Salt Lake City news, Utah politics, and the Great Salt Lake, subscribe, share this update, and leave a review so more neighbors can find it.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Once someone working for the LDS church and creating temple dresses became a voice for womens rights. Rosie Card, a Utah creator and writer whose path through Mormonism is about as classic as it gets: BYU, a mission, church work, and even running a temple dress company for nearly a decade. What makes her story hit is how clearly she names the tension so many people feel in Salt Lake City and beyond: we want community and tradition, but we also want women’s rights, LGBTQIA dignity, and room for nuance.We get into the experiences that start the shift, including seeing real poverty on a mission and realizing “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” collapses when people don’t have boots. Rosie talks about trying to change the LDS Church from within, what it costs to be publicly outspoken, and the scary reality of being doxxed by people using ward tools. We also dig into Mormon feminism, how history gets erased, and why so many women feel like they’re reinventing the wheel alone in Relief Society.On the other side of faith deconstruction, Rosie describes a bigger kind of freedom: the world opening up when you stop living by a preset life plan. We talk about spirituality after Mormonism, accountability without the old frameworks, and why women’s financial independence matters when marriage and motherhood are treated as the only righteous path.If this conversation made you nod along, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. What was the moment that made you stop twisting yourself into knots?50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A project pitched as “the future” is running straight through the most sensitive nerve in Utah: the Great Salt Lake. I break down the latest developments in the proposed O’Leary Digital data center campus in Hansel Valley, including the procedural twist that has people fired up. After thousands of formal protests, the developers withdrew a water-rights application, then immediately refiled under House Bill 60, a new Utah law that narrows what can be considered in water-rights protests. If you’ve been trying to follow the story, this is the part that makes the stakes feel more urgent, not less.I also share what I’m hearing and seeing around the public response: the Capitol rally, the petition delivered to Governor Spencer Cox’s office, and the growing call for independent environmental review and genuine public comment. Utah has spent years and huge amounts of money trying to rescue the Great Salt Lake, so the tension between sacrifice and unchecked growth is not going away anytime soon. Even if permitting takes years, the fight over whether this project should exist at all is happening right now.Then we shift to the stuff that hits closer to home day-to-day: Chow Bao Bao is closing both of its Salt Lake City locations, a tough loss for anyone who loved that tiny space and the food coming out of it. We also talk Temple Square’s Visitors Center reopening and why the new, more open visitor experience matters for downtown, no matter where you stand religiously. To wrap up, I run through quick city updates on the Utah Jazz draft conversation, new affordable housing momentum in Ballpark, homeownership funding, and an early reminder that Utah fire season is already here.If the show matters to you, subscribe, share it with someone who cares about Salt Lake City, and leave a review where you listen.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

He built a life around skiing, then rebuilt his identity around a camera and now he’s rebuilding it again as a startup founder. Adam Barker joins us to talk about the real mechanics behind an “overnight success” in outdoor photography: the grit from team sports, the obsession that made him chase better skiers, and the unglamorous work of planning shots, directing athletes, and executing when conditions and daylight don’t wait. If you’re into action sports, active lifestyle photography, or the creative craft behind iconic ski images, you’ll hear what most people miss about how those photos get made.We also go deep on the business side of creativity. Adam shares how he moved from PR and marketing into freelancing, why he refused to keep doing work he dreaded, and how he thinks about pricing, value, and sustainability in a world with no standard rates. We talk first impressions, branding, portfolios, and why “fake it till you make it” only works if you’re putting in the reps to make the technical side automatic so your creativity can lead.Then the conversation takes a sharp and fascinating turn: Bolt Skin and Shave. Adam explains why men’s leg shaving is far more common than people think, what it takes to design a purpose-built razor and skincare line, and how intense it is to raise money, learn manufacturing, and live inside the uncertainty of a consumer packaged goods startup. It’s a candid look at entrepreneurship, fear of failure, and the decision to bet on yourself when your family is counting on you.If this one hits, subscribe to Small Lake City, share it with a friend who’s building something, and leave a review with the risk you’re finally ready to take.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

The Utah Jazz just got the kind of lottery luck that should feel like a party, and somehow it still stings. We break down what it means to jump to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, why losing out on BYU star AJ DeBanza hits a nerve across the state, and what the next few weeks could look like as the trade-up question hangs in the air. I also look at the roster context and why a top-two addition could finally make the rebuild feel concrete.From there, we shift to a headline Salt Lake City doesn’t get often enough: progress in the homelessness numbers. Utah’s 2026 point-in-time count shows a decline overall, and unsheltered homelessness drops by nearly 10%. I put that in context after last year’s spike, talk through what leaders say is working with a more “human first” approach, and call out the hard part that can’t be ignored, including a rise in seniors experiencing homelessness. If you listened to my recent conversation with Volunteers of America, Utah, you’ll hear the connection between the data and the day-to-day work on the ground.We also hit an end-of-an-era business story as Crumbl Cookies’ founders step back from day-to-day leadership after scaling from Logan to more than 1,100 locations worldwide. Plus: the latest reasons critics are skeptical of the Stratos Project data center in Box Elder County, a new affordable housing complex proposed for the Ballpark neighborhood, and a quick look at Midvale’s Main Street revitalization. Then I tease next week’s interview with Rosie Card on women’s rights and post-Mormon identity, a conversation that feels impossible to separate from life in Salt Lake.Subscribe for weekly Utah news with context, share the episode with someone who loves this city, and leave a review to help more people find the show.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Homelessness in Salt Lake City gets treated like a debate, but on the street and inside shelters it’s a web of housing costs, addiction, trauma, mental health, and the gaps between systems. We sit down with AJ and Dan from Volunteers of America Utah, a 40 year nonprofit that works right at those intersections, to talk about what actually helps and what gets in the way.We unpack how VOA Utah operates far beyond “just volunteering” through paid frontline staff, therapists, social workers, and thousands of community volunteers who power meal service, mentorship, and pro bono support. Dan shares how a single volunteer shift at the Youth Resource Center flipped his perspective and eventually pulled him into nonprofit fundraising, plus why recovery often takes more than one attempt and why that’s normal, not shameful.Then we get real about the behind the scenes pressure: unstable government grants, changing Medicaid reimbursements, economic uncertainty, and the constant demand to do more while the need keeps rising. AJ explains why curiosity beats judgment, how small acts of service can rebuild community connection after COVID-era isolation, and what “showing up” looks like when you don’t have a perfect answer.If you’ve ever wanted to help with homelessness, addiction recovery, or mental health services in Utah but didn’t know where to start, this is a clear path forward. Subscribe, share this with a friend in Salt Lake Valley, and leave a review so more people can find the work being done.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A single vote in Box Elder County just set off one of the biggest Utah fights in years: a proposed mega data center campus on the northern edge of the Great Salt Lake, backed by O’Leary Digital and shepherded by MIDA. The numbers are staggering, from the sheer land footprint to an on-site natural gas plant proposed at up to 9 gigawatts, more than double Utah’s current electricity use. That’s why scientists and environmental advocates are raising the alarm about carbon emissions, water draw, and the lack of independent environmental review at a moment when the Great Salt Lake is already in crisis. We walk through what happened at the commission meeting, why residents feel blindsided, and why the speed of the process has become its own controversy. Then we take the argument seriously from the other side: the jobs and long-term tax revenue being promised, plus the framing from state leaders that AI infrastructure is now part of national security and global competition. If you’ve been wondering how data centers, energy policy, water rights, and local democracy collide, this is the clearest real-time case study Utah has seen in a long time. From there, we shift to Salt Lake City’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, including a 12.5% increase in the city property tax rate and what that does and does not mean for your total bill. We also break down where the money would go, why inflation is squeezing basics like firefighter gear and street materials, and how residents can weigh in before the council votes. We close with major City Hall news on the temporary suspension of a councilmember pending an independent investigation, plus quick hits on the Utah Mammoth, a local brewery’s Chapter 11 filing, a new Japantown mural, and Love Your Block mini grants. Subscribe, share the show with a Salt Lake friend, and leave a review.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) has lived a version of the Utah story a lot of people only whisper about: growing up Mormon, feeling out of place, and using music as the safest room in the house. We talk about what it’s like to build an identity when your faith, your family culture, and your sexuality all pull in different directions, and why “fitting in” can feel like disappearing. We also rewind the Neon Trees timeline the way it actually happened: busking and garage practice, writing songs on a mission with whatever gear was available, then moving to Provo and finding a real launchpad in the local scene. Tyler breaks down the years of regional touring, early internet momentum, and the moment the band finally got in front of the right people. We get into songwriting craft, collaboration, and why co-writing isn’t a dirty word when you’re trying to make your best work. Then the story turns personal and public. Tyler shares what it meant to be framed as “still gay but still Mormon,” what cracked during his faith crisis, and how he poured that pain into a solo record that continues to help ex-Mormon and LGBTQ listeners feel less alone. We also dig into LoveLoud Festival with Dan Reynolds, why LGBTQ support inside faith-heavy communities still matters, and why funding and corporate allyship feel tougher right now. If you care about the Utah music scene, the reality of the music industry, or the messy middle of deconstruction and healing, this one goes there. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Salt Lake City is moving fast and the headlines prove it. One week we’re celebrating a first-ever NHL playoff win on Utah ice, and the next we’re asking bigger questions about what kind of city we’re becoming and who gets to shape it.We start with a quick nod to the latest conversation with Guy and Debbie Perry of Salt Lake Running Company, because building community in Utah often starts with shared hobbies like road running and trail running. Then we jump into the week’s biggest news: the Utah Mammoth making history and why it suddenly feels like Salt Lake is turning into a real sports town, plus the uneasy spotlight on the Utah Jazz as analysts hammer home the same offseason priority: defense.The most far-reaching story is the proposed Box Elder County AI data center, billed as one of the largest AI infrastructure projects in the country. We talk through why people are pushing back, including concerns about energy demand, water use, air quality, and the pace and transparency of the approval process. From there we hit the full range of local news, including the surreal Harman’s parking garage crash, serious allegations involving a Salt Lake City Council member, and an update on charges filed in a church shooting case. We also touch on Utah cloud seeding technology tests and why water and drought conversations keep coming back.If you want a sharp, local read on Salt Lake City news, Utah politics, AI development, sports culture, and environmental questions, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about Utah, and leave a review with the headline you think matters most.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

You can buy running shoes anywhere, but you can’t buy real guidance, community, and confidence from a dropdown menu.We’re joined by the people behind Salt Lake Running Company, a Salt Lake City run specialty store that’s spent decades proving a simple point: service still wins. We talk about what it’s like to “wake up and go to work” for 30 years, why focus matters when everyone tells you your niche won’t work, and how a local business becomes a beacon for newcomers who want to run, hike, walk, or train for their first half marathon. Along the way we get practical about shoe fitting, gait and comfort clues, and how the right pair can change your entire relationship with running.We also dig into what makes the running community in Utah feel different, from run clubs and local events to the way outdoor culture shapes fitness. You’ll hear how SLRC thinks about hybrid athletes, cross-training, strength work, and sustainable habits that keep you moving for life. The bigger theme is movement as a tool for wellness, mental health, and resilience, including stories of giving back through nonprofits and programs that support recovery.If you’ve ever said “I’m not a runner,” but still want to feel better in your body, this one’s for you. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge to move, and leave a review with your favorite running win so others can find the show.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Utah can feel like it’s changing by the hour, and this Tuesday update is a quick tour through the stories that reveal what’s really behind that momentum. We start with the AI shift that’s changing how people search for answers and how businesses get discovered, then move straight into the bigger theme I can’t stop noticing: growth that comes with real friction. When Utah talks about becoming a major data center hub, it’s not just a tech story. It’s a water story. It’s an energy story. It’s a question about what an arid place can sustainably support.From there, we get into a tense run of political headlines, including investigations, allegations of fraud, and the broader feeling that power and influence are part of the subtext. We also talk about the DHS property deal in Salt Lake that moves an ICE detention facility forward, plus a detail that hits close to home for neighbors: federal ownership can be tax exempt, which may shift property tax pressure onto surrounding owners. That kind of ripple effect is what makes local news feel personal fast.We lighten the load with stories that still matter: UVU dropping its commencement speaker, Utah tightening e-bike laws as riders get faster and bikes get more powerful, and the harsh reality of scams taking millions from Utahns, especially romance scams amplified by the modern internet. Then we end with the mix that makes Salt Lake City feel like Salt Lake: a new poet laureate, moose struggling with ticks as winters warm, Clean Air Act SLC trade-in vouchers for electric lawn gear, patios coming back, and Salt and Straw landing at Trolley Square. Subscribe for more local reporting and conversations, share this update with a friend, and leave a quick review telling us which story you want us to dig into next.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Google trained all of us to hunt through links. AI is training your customers to ask one question and take one recommendation. That shift is already changing who gets the call, who gets the booking, and who gets ignored even with a beautiful website.We sit down with Dustin, founder of Found For AI, to unpack what “AI search optimization” actually looks like on the ground for local businesses and service providers. He explains how he stumbled into a surprising growth signal: people were finding his company through ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini referrals after he added an AI visibility layer to his site. From there we get practical and specific about structured data, schema markup, and why telling the robots exactly who you are, what you do, where you operate, and what you offer can beat vague copy and pretty branding when the model is choosing who to recommend.Then we go bigger. We talk AI agents, the “we’re all going to be Oprah” future where software handles planning and purchasing based on preferences, and what that means for restaurants, events, venues, and anyone who depends on being discovered. If your site can’t clearly communicate options like location, pricing, or event details in machine readable form, the agent may pass you up without a second thought. We also get into how to embrace generative AI as a copilot without producing soulless output, and why this moment rewards the expert generalist and the fast moving entrepreneur.If you want the DIY steps, grab Dustin’s free playbook at foundforai.com/playbook. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who still thinks SEO is the whole story, and leave a review with the biggest way AI has already changed how you search.More info here: https://foundforai.com50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Salt Lake City can feel calm right up until it suddenly is not, and this Tuesday update is proof. We bounce from serious stakes to absurd little moments without losing the thread: what’s happening in town, why it matters, and what it says about the kind of community we’re building.We start with the Great Salt Lake, where the Miller, Marriott, and Magalit families just committed $30 million toward restoration. It’s a massive gesture, and it also raises the real question: what does it take beyond big checks to keep the lake recoverable and avoid toxic dust storms? From there, we hit the hyper-local wins, like Pothole Palooza filling thousands of potholes in a week, and the debates, like the Red West Music Festival returning after last year’s severe weather, evacuation, and tragedy.Then the grab bag of Salt Lake headlines shows up in full force: Utah landing in the measles spotlight, box elder bugs doing their annual home invasion, and Utah State researchers trying to turn hagfish slime into a silk-like plastic alternative that is either the future of sustainability or the grossest pitch ever. We also talk about the city shutting down a seven-story hotel proposal above Sugarhouse Park, and what it reveals about how growth and nostalgia collide here.Finally, we sit with a hard goodbye: the Utah Grizzlies playing their last game in Utah after 30 years, and what “affordable hockey” meant to the people who showed up anyway. I also share a quick note on Dirtylicious Dance Fitness closing after seven years, plus a look ahead to my upcoming conversation with Dustin Crump about AI in a realistic, actually-useful way for business.If you like smart local news, Salt Lake City culture, and honest takes on what’s changing, follow the show, share this update with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find it.Run Club: https://partiful.com/e/f8et8wrlCiK3u4QoDHu3?c=wFAe6TXLDinner Club: https://partiful.com/e/8OWBe1XLO3axg2abKdP6?c=yS5sEP7XCowgirl(boy) Boots at HK: https://www.hisawyer.com/salt-lake-pottery-studio/schedules/activity-set/1845482?day=2026-04-30&view=cal&source=semestersBook Club: https://partiful.com/e/2FagCDxZpyHmrs1pfFI1?c=rseWI5R850% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Shakespeare is supposed to be electric, so why does it so often feel like homework? We start there, swapping stories about live theater, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and why great acting can beat big sets every time. Then the conversation takes a hard left in the best way: I hand the mic to Tyson and let him interview me about the parts of my story that listeners keep asking for.We talk about growing up in Salt Lake City, bouncing between friend groups, and how rollerblading and a family divorce shaped the “rebel without a cause” energy that later turned into real curiosity. From missions and Spanish to the ex-Mormon shelf breaking in college, we get honest about faith crisis, therapy, and what it takes to leave the LDS Church without letting bitterness run your life. If you’re searching for conversations about leaving Mormonism, identity shifts, and rebuilding relationships with family, this one goes there.Career reinvention threads through everything: Seattle as a clean break, the prestige and pressure of investment banking, getting fired, and how an ADHD diagnosis finally explains years of stress and struggle. We also talk about grief, losing a colleague, and why loss makes you question what “success” even means. From six months of van life across 36 states to divorce and starting the podcast, the big theme is simple: authenticity beats performance, and community beats networking.If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s at a crossroads, and leave a review with the inflection point that changed your life.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A drying lake can feel like a distant problem until it starts changing where families imagine their future. This Tuesday update connects the latest Great Salt Lake developments to the real-life stakes people talk about at the dinner table: air quality, dust, long-term health risks, and the question of whether Utah still feels like a safe place to raise kids.We get into a new deal that puts more conserved water back into the Great Salt Lake and why incremental wins might matter more than they look on paper. Then we talk about the big, messy politics hovering over it all, including a proposed billion dollars in federal funding and why so many locals are stuck in “believe it when we see it” mode. If you care about Great Salt Lake restoration, water conservation, and what accountability should look like, this one is for you.Health headlines hit just as hard. Measles cases are surging, with exposure sites stretching from the University of Utah to everyday stops like grocery stores and schools. At the same time, we unpack a study showing Utah air has improved over the last couple decades in some measures while carbon emissions haven’t budged the way they need to. It’s progress and unfinished work sitting side by side.We close with what Salt Lake City feels like right now: KRCL building a west-side community space, spring events waking the city up, James Beard recognition for local chefs, and also the losses that sting, like Doki Doki closing and the end of the Salt Lake School District adult education program. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review if these local updates help you stay grounded. What story should we dig deeper into next?50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A warehouse on Salt Lake’s west side could soon hold the population of a small city, and local leaders may have almost no power to slow it down. That’s where we start this Tuesday update, because the proposed ICE mega center isn’t just another headline, it’s a test of who gets a say in Salt Lake City’s future and what tools the city can actually use when federal decisions land in our backyard.From there we move through the stories Salt Lakers are already arguing about at dinner tables and in group chats: Utah’s new requirement to incorporate Bible passages into public school social studies starting in third grade, the fragile status of the Prop 4 redistricting repeal effort after voters pull signatures, and the sheer scale of UDOT construction turning daily commutes into an obstacle course. I also dig into why the city’s new water restrictions on large developments matter right now, especially when big projects bring big resource demands.We end with the parts of Salt Lake that feel uniquely Salt Lake: Pioneer Park getting a long-needed overhaul, a childcare pivot that keeps county-run centers open for families who need them most, and early questions around Project Bridge and the state’s homelessness strategy. Plus, a must-see art installation at Memory Grove Park that pairs light, sound, and the reality of the Great Salt Lake shrinking in real time, a quick hit of culture with local theater and new museums, and a heads-up on how the Salt Lake Temple open house in 2027 could reshape downtown logistics.If you care about Salt Lake City news, local politics, public schools, transit, housing, and the Great Salt Lake, hit play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more neighbors can find the show.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

You’ve probably seen it too: hydration powders with massive sodium, “greens” packed with mystery blends, and ads that imply you need three different supplements before lunch. We sit down with Shannon O’Grady, CEO of Gnarly Nutrition and a PhD-trained nutrition scientist, to get a straight answer on what actually works in sports nutrition and what’s mostly just expensive storytelling.We dig into the current electrolyte craze, why most people don’t need daily electrolytes for a normal workout, and how to think about sodium without getting swept up by trends. Shannon breaks down creatine as one of the most researched supplements on the planet, what it’s good for, and where the cognition claims can get overblown. We also talk about the supplement industry problems that frustrate educated consumers: proprietary blends, “fairy dust” dosages, and labels designed to look scientific while staying impossible to verify.Then we go deeper on trust and safety: GMP compliance, NSF-style third-party auditing, contaminant testing, and banned-substance screening for athletes and regular people who simply don’t want sketchy ingredients in their routine. Along the way, Shannon shares her own path from endurance sports and research to leading a brand, plus why jiu-jitsu has become her favorite teacher of resilience and calm under pressure.If you care about clean ingredients, transparent labels, and evidence-based supplements you can actually trust, this one will sharpen your filter fast. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s drowning in supplement ads, and leave a review with the one product claim you want us to fact-check next.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A bachelorette season vanishes three days before it airs. A Utah murder case ends with a fast jury decision. People are reportedly seen in handcuffs at the Salt Lake City airport. If you felt like Utah hit the national feed on every app at once, you’re not imagining it, and we sort through what actually happened and why it matters.We start with the Kouri Richins verdict, a major Utah court story that has pulled in true-crime attention far beyond the state. We talk through what the jury decided, what comes next with sentencing, and why this case feels so specifically Utah even if you can’t quite put it into words. Then we dig into the Taylor Frankie Paul situation, from MomTok fame to a finished season of The Bachelorette getting pulled after footage from a past domestic violence incident resurfaced. It’s messy, it’s human, and it forces a real conversation about what networks will overlook until the optics shift.From there, we hit the week’s fast-moving Salt Lake City news: reports tied to an ICE detention facility and possible deportation flights, BYU backing off an honor code hair requirement for an Indigenous student’s traditional braids, ski season closing dates, and a huge downtown development move as Western Governors University buys property tied to the Sheraton Hotel closure. We also talk about new arts infrastructure in South Jordan, a Granary District park proposal that carries complicated history, the latest on Utah’s congressional map fight after Prop 4, and Netflix dropping yet another Utah polygamy abuse documentary.If you like sharp, local reporting with the bigger cultural picture, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What story from this week do you want us to dig into next?50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A neon green building with purple doors shouldn’t feel terrifying, but for years Salt Lake City drivers couldn’t shake the same question: why does a “working daycare” look abandoned, silent, and sealed off from the world? Fun Time Kidz Kare at 1248 South 300 East became a piece of modern Utah folklore because locals claimed they never saw a single child walk through its doors. That one observation was enough to turn a commute time curiosity into a viral internet mystery.We follow the moment the story catches fire on Reddit in 2015, then spreads into a full scale online investigation: a suspiciously slapped together daycare website, a near identical cloned site in another state, phone calls that end in hang ups, and eerie anecdotes like a mail carrier insisting the kids are always “napping.” As the crowd sourced sleuthing ramps up, so do the theories, from cartel front to CIA safehouse to trafficking ring. Even mundane details get weaponized, including licensing citations and a bizarre discovery in import records showing 8,818 pounds of plastic jewelry shipped to the daycare, a clue the internet tries to bend into something far darker.Then the story collides with real life. Threads get deleted for witch hunting, a “Storm Fun Time Kidz Kare” raid event gains traction, police issue warnings, and the people connected to the property report repeated harassment and break in attempts. Finally, officials and local reporting offer a grounded explanation that flips the scariest details on their head, including why the windows might be covered and why only a few children are ever seen.If you’re into true crime adjacent mysteries, internet culture, urban legends, and Salt Lake City history, this deep dive will change how you think about “creepy places” and the stories we build around them. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who loves local lore, and leave a review with your theory: what detail convinced you most along the way?50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A good life in art rarely follows a straight line. We sit down with fine artist Howard Lyon—whose work spans Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, and the worlds of Brandon Sanderson—to trace a path that runs from a tech-filled childhood in Mesa to global conventions, cathedral-quiet studios, and a thriving creative home in Utah.Howard unpacks the moment tabletop fantasy turned from hobby to compass, and how video games quietly trained him for a painter’s life: mastering color, texture, and collaboration while learning to deliver on deadlines. He shares the Venn diagram that guides his career—where passion meets market need—and the two jaw-dropping calls he turned down: art directing Diablo 3 and joining early League of Legends. Those no’s weren’t about ego; they were declarations for oils, story, and the long game.We dive into how Magic changed everything. Unlike hyper-specific RPG scenes, card art builds personal bonds through play, creating a rich secondary market of prints, signatures, and playmats that pays forward for years. Hear the backstory of Harmless Offering, why Death’s Shadow won’t stop resurfacing, and what happens when you sign cards in Tokyo, London, and Rome for the same smiling superfans. That credibility led to collaborations with Brandon Sanderson, whose visual, empathetic storytelling cultivates a fanbase as generous as it is passionate.Why Utah? Howard explains the secret sauce: world-class painters, open studios, and a refreshingly uncompetitive culture that lifts everyone. We explore a shifting art market—Western staples endure while fantasy rises with the Star Wars and Pokémon generations—and why museums like George Lucas’s story-focused collection will anchor that future. Along the way: travel-fueled plein air trips, baking bread as a healthy non-monetized hobby, and a simple rule for creatives everywhere—show up, be ready, and keep choosing work that keeps you alive.If this story sparked something, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review—then tell us the bold no that made room for your best yes.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Headlines don’t always line up neatly, but this week in Utah they traced a clear arc from climate reality to civic choices and the culture that holds us together. We start with Salt Lake City’s warmest winter in roughly 150 years—February feeling like April, snow arriving late, and avalanche risk spiking after dry spells. That weather whiplash sets the stage for a bigger question: how do we adapt our habits, from trail days to travel plans, when the baseline keeps shifting?From there we head downtown, where the city broke ground on an $18–20 million redesign of Pioneer Park. We talk through why simple amenities like pickleball courts, a pavilion, and more trees can change who shows up and when—and why activation, upkeep, and services matter as much as concrete. At the Capitol, lawmakers unveiled a budget that stacks nearly a billion dollars in new spending on the state’s $31 billion plan, pointing to tax cuts, raises for state employees, homelessness funding, and prison expansion as late-session priorities to watch.Public trust threads through the rest of the hour. Defense attorneys say ICE is making arrests inside courthouses without notice, raising concerns that victims and witnesses may stay home. Salt Lake County health officials confirm measles is spreading locally, including exposure at Highland High, and push the basics: get vaccinated and stay home if sick. On the culture side, we reflect on the death of Robert Cosby Jr., which reopened hard conversations about addiction and the support systems people actually find here.We also look south to Arches National Park as it drops timed entry for the first time in four years. Easier access will thrill some and worry others who remember gridlock; the real solution will live in shuttles, better information, and patient trail etiquette. To round it out, SLC International ranks among the most on-time airports while staying one of the most expensive places to fly from, and a new report places Utah near the bottom for women’s overall well-being—data that sparked debate about what progress looks like beyond safety and healthcare.Along the way we shout out our chat with Momentum Climbing’s Brendan Nicholson and tease a vault episode with artist Howard Lyon, whose work bridges fine art, faith, and pop culture from Magic: The Gathering to bestselling novels. If you value smart local coverage with heart, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a quick review—what story should we dig into next?50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

What happens when a lifelong climber with an artist’s eye and a designer’s brain gets the keys to build the gyms he always wished existed? We sit down with Momentum Climbing’s creative director, Brendan Nicholson, to chart the leap from medical illustration to route setting and full-scale wall architecture—and why a great climb should feel like a choreographed dance you can’t wait to repeat.Brendan pulls back the curtain on how routes are crafted for flow, safety, and satisfaction. He explains the three dials that shape difficulty—wall angle, hold size, and distance—then shows how observation and iteration keep problems fair, challenging, and fun. We revisit the 48-hour redesign that transformed Momentum Millcreek, follow the ground-up build in Lehi, and explore the bold push into Texas, where an indoor-first culture is raising the bar for training and could spark the next generation of champions.We also unpack Momentum’s micro gym model at Trolley Square: compact footprints with excellent route setting, smart LED walls for dense variety, real strength and cardio zones, and thoughtful recovery with sauna and cold plunge. It’s a distilled version of the big-box climbing gym designed to fit into daily life, turning short sessions into full practices and communities into hubs of problem solving, coaching, and connection.From American Fork’s role in sport climbing history to Salt Lake City’s rise as a national competition hub, this conversation blends local roots with national momentum. Whether you’re a first-timer, a focused boulderer, or a routesetter at heart, you’ll leave with a sharper eye for design and a deeper appreciation for the people who shape the climbs we love.If this conversation sparked ideas or sends you hunting a new project, tap follow, share it with your crew, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more climbers find us and keeps these stories on the wall.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

The week hit hard: reports of a gunman targeting Imam Shuab Din, a fresh wave of controversy over Prop 4 signatures, and courts signaling the redistricting fight is nearly done. Add a new constitutional court fast-tracking hot-button cases, measles exposures popping up locally, a 3.5 quake near Magna, and avalanche danger rising with new storms, and you can feel the ground of civic life and literal earth shifting at once. We pull those threads together without panic and ask the only question that matters: what kind of place are we becoming?Then we pivot to joy and design. I sit down with Brendan Nicholson, the creative director at Momentum Climbing, the mind behind the problems that humble you on Tuesday and make you feel like a hero on Saturday. Brendan breaks down how route setting blends geometry, storytelling, and risk to serve every climber in the gym—beginners learning body tension on V2s, veterans solving dynamic sequences on steeps, and everyone chasing that quiet moment of flow. We get into the details: how hold selection shapes movement, why forced beta usually backfires, what makes a comp-worthy boulder exciting instead of gimmicky, and how community feedback loops keep a gym vibrant.Throughout, we connect city-scale themes to gym-scale craft. Trust erodes fast when signatures go sideways; trust builds slowly when problems are fair and repeatable. Policy choices rewire institutions; route choices rewire how people move, meet, and belong. As storms line up and headlines crowd the feed, this conversation offers a reset—proof that thoughtful design can turn friction into progress and strangers into partners on the mat. If you care about Salt Lake’s identity, or just love a good send, you’ll find a lot to hold onto here.If the show resonates, follow, rate, and share with a friend who needs both the context and the stoke. What problem—on the wall or in the city—are you working on this week?50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

What happens when a fifth-generation ranch kid earns a PhD in molecular biology and decides to rebuild the bridge between land and table? We sit down with Keven Johnson to unpack how a century-old Wyoming ranch now feeds Utah families and top restaurants through a modern, transparent, and surprisingly intimate supply chain.Keven grew up branding calves and rolling hay near Lusk, Wyoming, then dove deep into lab life, grants, and postdoc work. Along the way, he noticed what most of us miss: the farther we get from our food, the more we lose in flavor, nutrition, and trust. After his family’s ranch earned a centennial recognition, he felt a responsibility to carry it forward—e-commerce, farmers markets, and direct-to-consumer beef that tells you exactly where it came from. His dry-aged steaks and ground beef quickly earned a following, from Wheeler Farm regulars who text orders to chefs who judged the product by taste, texture, and consistency.Scaling real beef takes patience and planning. Keven explains the 18–24 month timeline behind every pound, the careful balance between restaurant sourcing and market customers, and the choice to grow without compromising quality. We get into big ag versus small ranching, why minimal processing matters, and how dry aging transforms flavor. Then, a curveball rooted in both tradition and science: beef tallow. Keven leveraged his lab background to create cooking fats, balms, soaps, and more, tapping tallow’s skin-compatible lipids for products that feel as good as they perform.This conversation is a blueprint for anyone curious about local food, farm-to-table sourcing, and sustainable growth without the buzzwords. If you’ve wondered whether you can taste the difference when you shorten the food chain, this is your sign to find out. Subscribe, share this story with a friend who loves great steak, and leave a review with your favorite cut—we might help you discover a new one.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

A hard choice came first: I pulled a planned conversation after learning about alleged misconduct tied to the guest. That accountability moment set the tone for a brisk, honest tour through a week when Salt Lake City felt alive in every direction—tremors underfoot, signatures under scrutiny, bills moving from talk to consequence, and a long-overdue storm finally pointing our way.We start with the Magna-area quake and what geologists say it does—and doesn’t—mean for the Wasatch Fault. From there, we dig into the Prop 4 repeal effort and the growing reports of people finding their names on petitions they don’t remember signing. I share the exact tool to search and remove your name and why petition accuracy is about more than politics; it’s about trust in redistricting, fair maps, and the systems that shape representation across Utah.Mid-session at the Capitol, energy turns into outcomes: renewed Great Salt Lake funding debates, a tug-of-war over street control between the state and the city, and social policy fights that move from committee rooms into family conversations. On the street level, there’s bright news too: snow returning after a warm stretch, Ava reopening on Main as a small but vital win for local dining, Westminster’s castle-like residence hitting the market, and the aquarium’s expansion quietly pushing us into top-five territory nationwide. It’s the kind of week that reminds us how infrastructure, culture, and civic life braid together.We close with a preview I’m thrilled about: Kevin Johnson, a PhD biologist turned Wyoming rancher whose beef shows up on some of your favorite Salt Lake menus. It’s a ranch-to-table story built on soil science, genetics, grazing practice, and a deep respect for local food systems. If you care about what’s on your plate and how it gets there, you’ll want to hear where science meets flavor.Tap play, stay curious, and if this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more neighbors find thoughtful local news, policy context, and food stories that actually matter.www.Burrn.org <= Check to see if your name is included in signatures to repeal prop 450% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

Ever wonder how a single week can reveal what a city wants to become? We unpack a fast-moving stretch for Salt Lake—where your dinner plate, your commute, and your sense of home all tie back to choices on the hill and stories on the ground. We start with a challenge to the “who cooks Sysco best” mindset by spotlighting Moonshadow Farms and its CSA model, a simple way to get seasonal produce delivered to your door while keeping dollars and flavor local. That everyday act of eating becomes a lens for bigger questions: who we support, what we value, and how we hold onto place in a changing market.From there, we track the pulse of the legislative session. The Great Salt Lake takes center stage as lawmakers consider serious funding and new water paths to rebuild the lake’s levels. Recent moves add real water back, yet the shortfall remains steep—proof that incremental wins matter but won’t carry us alone. Social policy also shapes the mood, with gender-affirming care proposals testing how we show up for one another. And a bill that could shift control of Salt Lake City street design raises deeper questions about safety, mobility, and who decides what our roads are for.Life at ground level keeps humming. We look at unusual winter weather, a nudge from Solitude to keep skiers engaged, and a promising plan to convert the old downtown police building into nearly 200 affordable units. Local pride pops as a Food Network favorite returns and a Park City reality series leans into our Olympic DNA. Then we pivot to craft and identity with our upcoming guest, Winnie the Drew, a tattoo artist whose journey and style have drawn attention far beyond Utah. His story reminds us that culture is built by hands and choices, not slogans. If you care about where Salt Lake is headed—ecologically, politically, creatively—this update connects the dots between policy and personal life, between water levels and dinner tables, between street lines and storylines.Join us, share it with a friend who cares about this place, and leave a quick review so more locals can find the show. Subscribe for weekly updates that keep you close to the decisions shaping our city.50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod

What if your favorite restaurant’s best dish started as a quiet decision at dawn—harvest now, while the sugars are high? We sit down with Andrea Morgan, the farmer behind Moonshadow in Hoytsville, to explore the winding path from ballet shoes to biodynamic soil, from student activist saving UBC’s farm to Utah landowner supplying kitchens like Urban Hill and High West. Her story pulls you into the real engine of “farm to table”: relationships, timing, and the stubborn will to grow food that tastes like the place it’s from.Andrea opens up about the years she spent learning on diversified farms across British Columbia, the business reality of small market gardens, and the craft of serving chefs who write menus around the field. Then everything changes—a devastating road cycling crash and traumatic brain injury force her to rebuild reading, balance, and memory. The farm becomes therapy: hours of weeding, crew support, and the slow return of rhythm. A sabbatical follows, then a surprise chance to buy the historic Ranui property. With grit, settlement funds, and a vision for soil, Ranui’s “abundant sunshine” evolves into Moonshadow—a new chapter rooted in biodynamics, stewardship, and flavor.We dig into practical takeaways you can use tonight. Learn how to ask better sourcing questions at restaurants, why terroir makes greens and carrots taste unmistakably local, and how CSAs give farms winter cash flow while giving you peak-season produce all summer. Get names of Utah restaurants that truly partner with growers, hear what’s in season and why, and discover how organic practices—certified or not—protect water, soil, and our bodies.Hungry for food that tastes like where you live? Hit play, then share this with a friend who loves great meals. Subscribe, leave a review so others can find the show, and if you’re ready to back local agriculture, join a CSA and tell us what you cooked first.Moonshadow Farm Webite and CSA: http://www.moonshadowutah.com50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showSmall Lake City Calendar, add for all the events coming up straight to your iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook: https://42b1ul.share-na2.hsforms.com/2NEaCwuBsSH-fY1z5Hr7DkgJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod