City Cast Salt Lake

Wildfire season is in full swing, so how can we keep the state from burnin’ up? Producer Ivana Martinez joins executive producer Emily Means to share some local resources. Plus, how to vote on this primary election day, the University of Utah’s LGBT Center shuts its doors, and visit this gay little town.  Resources and references: How To Vote in Utah's 2024 Primary Election [Hey Salt Lake] LGBT Re...

Rocky Mountain Power, Utah’s largest electricity provider, is stepping away from their renewable energy plans and leaning back into coal. Utah Clean Energy climate scientist and energy analyst Logan Mitchell joins host Ali Vallarta to explain what investing in fossil fuels means for your electric bill and the future of the utilities industry.  Resources and references: Take the westside air survey...

Utah lawmakers met in a special session this week to push back against new federal protections for transgender students. Executive producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down why lawmakers are gearing up for a fight with the feds and how Salt Lake City’s mayor responded. Plus, SLC restaurants don’t have letter grades, a rock n’ roll camp for kids, and free period products in county...

What’s missing from Salt Lake’s seven-day-a-week network of farmers markets? Utah Farmers Market Network director Chandler Rosenberg tells host Ali Vallarta why we’re short on farmers to meet the demand. Plus, she lays down the best markets in the valley, an etiquette guide, and some cool affordability programs. This episode originally aired on June 21, 2023. Consider becoming a founding member of...

Denver is sending migrants to Salt Lake City, but there’s more to the story than the inflammatory headline. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means untangle state and local leaders’ response. Plus, the Redwood Drive-in & Swap Meet debate continues, a new icon in wildlife reporting, and an exciting third space. Resources and references: West Valley planners get an earful about Redwood...

There’s a lot in the crosshairs of Smith Entertainment Group’s proposal for a new sports and entertainment district downtown, but Japantown might be getting the least attention. Salt Lake City Council member Darin Mano tells host Ali Vallarta how SLC and SEG’s visions for the historic downtown community align — and where they diverge. Plus, how long before downtown sees a resurgence of Japanese bu...

Intermountain Health wants to replace the Sears Lake on State Street with an urban hospital, and we finally have renderings. Executive producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to see if the vision fits what the community wants. Plus, the SLC Council approved the new budget, Heber City’s nightlife is popping off, and a cool tool to check your neighborhood’s air quality.  Resources and reference...

In response to local complaints, law enforcement are targeting drug operations on the Jordan River Trail. But, in an area where many unsheltered people live, crime and homelessness are often conflated. Executive producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to draw comparisons between the Jordan River situation and 2017’s Operation Rio Grande — and muse on lessons learned so we don’t make the same...

The Utah Department of Transportation will connect our entire state with a network of paved trails, and the first 19 projects have already been funded to the tune of $95 million. Host Ali Vallarta asks UDOT Trails Division director Stephanie Tomlin if this signals a statewide shift away from car-centric commuting — and when can we ride our bikes from Park City to St. George? Related listening: Wil...

Gov. Spencer Cox has a pointed message for homeless service providers: Show results or lose funding. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means break down the ironies in his speech and in the room. Plus, preview some Salt Lake City Council decisions, meet the county’s new public health boss, and find yellow watermelons. Resources and references: Utah Gov. Cox to homeless providers: Produ...

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Salt Lake community.  You know you’re a Salt Laker once you’ve had a Tan France sighting. The Queer Eye star has called Utah home for almost two decades — so let’s test him on his local credentials. Tan joins host Ali Vallarta to dish on the best and worst our town has...

Developers want to turn West Valley’s Redwood Drive-In and Swap Meet into housing — for the second time. Executive producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to calculate its odds of survival. Plus, a vacant SLC building gets a sexy makeover, primary ballots hit mailboxes, and a weekend wrestle-off. If the sponsored interview with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development grabbed your attent...

Two Salt Lake chefs are finalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards, and winners will be announced on June 10. But when it comes to the prestigious Michelin star, the travel award often associated with culinary excellence, Utah restaurants haven’t made the cut. Host Ali Vallarta asks food writer and Gastronomic SLC founder Stuart Melling why we haven’t received the blessing and what area restaurants...

The Salt Lake City Council just approved two new historic districts on the east bench. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means pick apart the curious case for historic protections in the Yalecrest neighborhood. Plus, downtown SLC gets a swanky new liquor store, Salt Lake County kids get free access to rec centers, and develop your disposable at a local camera shop. If the sponsored in...

There are more than 500 parks across Salt Lake County, and host Ali Vallarta is on a quest to visit all of them. After drinking at every bar in Salt Lake last year, Ali joins producer Ivana Martinez to explain her newest project, why parks are worthy investments, and how she plans to beat the odds. Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our w...

The Salt Lake City Council is deep in budget season, and every year we wonder: Why is the police department’s piece of the pie so big? Former SLC police chief and Center for Policing Equity consultant Chris Burbank joins host Ali Vallarta to pull back the curtain on the police budget and suggest where we should prioritize its resources. Resources and references: Explaining the Salt Lake City Mayor...

How is SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall thinking about the Smith Entertainment Group’s new downtown district around the Delta Center? Salt Lake Tribune reporter Andy Larsen got the mayor on the record and joins host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means to break down what she had to say as well as what’s to like and dislike about the project so far. Plus, ways to celebrate Pride, Real Salt Lake...

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Salt Lake community.  Grab your produce tote and slap on the sunscreen because June marks the official start of summer in Salt Lake. Host Ali Vallarta and Kendall Rodriguez, TikTok’s Queen of SLC, bring you a guide to what to expect and how to make the most of this mon...

A Salt Lake City building burned down this weekend, right before it was scheduled for demolition — and it’s not even the first time that’s happened. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means put on their tinfoil hats and muse on the importance of fire preparedness. Plus, setting the record straight on Abravanel Hall, the Midtown Business District wants your input, and Utah’s statuesque...

Throw a stone on Capitol Hill, and you’ll probably hit a Utah lawmaker with ties to real estate development. But a new analysis by the Salt Lake Tribune breaks down just how many of our state’s most influential decision makers have their hands in both honeypots. Reporter Emily Anderson Stern tells host Ali Vallarta how it impacts our affordable housing crisis. Resources and references: See what co...

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is asking for a $44,000 raise. Has she earned it? Executive producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to discuss how this pay bump measures up to other mayors and how residents can weigh in. Plus, the hottest new mode of transportation, Memorial Day pool openings, and a (probably) last-ever sidewalk sale.  Resources and references: SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall...

A local family is in a heated campaign with Veterans Affairs to keep their mom 40 miles closer to Salt Lake. Salt Lake Tribune reporter Sofia Jeremias joins host Ali Vallarta to share the story of Patricia “Pat” Gallegos Delgado and brainstorm what policies could do more for our city’s veterans than a Memorial Day tweet. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grat...

You’ve found it: your special outdoor spot. But if you let people in on the secret, do you run the risk of drawing too much traffic to paradise? And if you don’t share those spaces, what kind of legacy are you enabling? Western Desk founder Madeline McGill joins host Ali Vallarta to examine gatekeeping of our natural lands and who writes the rules for navigating them. This episode originally aired...

Utah’s water forecast is looking pretty damn good as we head into summer. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means take a look at the Great Salt Lake, our reservoirs, and when you should really be watering your lawn. Plus, the Salt Lake City Council considers a handful of tax increases, and Ali and Emily share local shoutouts. Resources and references: Utah water forecast appears good...

National headlines proclaim we saved the bees. That’s great news for us in the Beehive State, but we might have saved the wrong one. Bee researcher Jesse Margolies joins host Ali Vallarta to mythbust which bees need saving and share ways Salt Lakers can support local pollinators.   Resources and references: Wait, does America suddenly have a record number of bees? [Washington Post] Utah Pollinator...