City Cast Salt Lake

Have you ever voted in Salt Lake County? If so, you can thank Sherrie Swensen for making your life easier. Swensen is the county clerk and has been at the helm of Salt Lake County’s elections for more than 30 years.  But this November general election will be her last, after she decided earlier this year not to run for re-election. Emily Means talks with Sherrie about her legacy and what on earth...

Producer Ivana Martinez joins Emily Means to round up this week’s news. We’re talking about the Great Salt Lake Rowing crew stopping their season because the lake’s too low, the proposed gondola for Little Cottonwood Canyon, plus newsletter editor Terina Ria’s suggestions for things to do this weekend. Call or text the City Cast hotline any time at (801) 203-0137.  Subscribe to our daily morning n...

Utah sports fans have a reputation — and it’s nothing to be proud of. Recently, a BYU fan reportedly heckled a Black player with racist slurs at a BYU-Duke volleyball game. Officials are still investigating the incident, but it still has us talking about bad behavior at all levels of sport in the state, from youth lacrosse to courtside at the Utah Jazz and beyond. Today on the show, producer Emily...

Thrifting has become increasingly popular in the last couple of years. More and more people are heading to the Goodwill bins or to the local DI to find hidden treasures. So what are the best spots to find secondhand goodies? Fill-in host Emily Means talks with producer Ivana Martinez about the best places to pop some tags if you’ve only got $20 in your pocket.  Find cool zones in Salt Lake County...

Last week, President Joe Biden announced a new student loan forgiveness plan, canceling up to $20,000 of student debt per borrower. Sen. Mitt Romney tweeted that it’s just a way to “bribe the voters” and is unfair to those who paid their own way. Others don’t think the plan goes far enough to help those struggling under the weight of their loans.  Still, more than 100,000 Utahns may be eligible fo...

From “oh my heck” to dropping our Ts, lots of Utahns have a special way of speaking. Lead producer Emily Means talks with theatre professor and dialect coach Stacey Jenson about the origins of the Utah accent and what defines it. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Chec...

Lead producer Emily Means joins Ali to round up this week’s news. Plus, thrifting! Vacations! And apply to host City Cast Boise here. Call or text the City Cast hotline about your favorite thrifting spots or thrift finds at (801) 203-0137.  Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt...

Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert is back in SLC. His goal: He wants vert skateboarding to debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But do Salt Lakers even want that? Ali hits up a couple of skate parks to find out. Later, she chats with a non-binary skater named Q about whether skate culture is meeting its promises in the first place. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @Ci...

Boba Tea — the delicious, surprisingly filling, Taiwanese tea with tapioca ‘bubbles’ — is a popular treat in Salt Lake. But where is the best boba? Ali and Maya Fraser, the @bohoeofficial, travel to Maya’s top spot for some afternoon sippin’. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Sa...

School is about start in SLC — without a superintendent (or associate superintendent) to lead the district. Ali talks with KUTV reporter Chris Jones about the recent instability at the Salt Lake City School District. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our opt...

It's peach season, baby! But Utah's ongoing drought has us interrogating our fruit over how much precious water was used to grow it. On today's show, Host Ali Vallarta and Lead Producer Emily Means head north to talk with Thayne Tagge of Tagge's Famous Fruit and Vegetable Farm about saving water while growing the delicious produce we buy at the farmers market. Find details on the Farm Bureau’s mar...

Lead producer Emily Means joins Ali to round up this week’s news. Plus, we make a big announcement! Schedule giving blood at ARUP here. The movie tix are for Friday and Saturday donations. Call or text the City Cast hotline about your favorite boba spots or qualities at (801) 203-0137.  Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @City...

It’s almost time to head back to school, and teachers in our community need more than just pencils and notebooks before that first bell rings. Ali talks with John Arthur, a 6th grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary, about what educators and students really need to succeed this year. Support John’s classroom or another community classroom on DonorsChoose or Clear the List, where there are 198 teac...

As Utahns, sometimes we just get the urge to walk up a frickin’ mountain. Luckily, there are lots of big hills in and around SLC, and that means there’s probably a local hike to suit almost anyone’s fancy. Ali talks with Olivia Juarez, public lands program director with GreenLatinos and outdoor rec enthusiast, about what makes a great hike. See the proposed recreational fee changes here. Subscribe...

Do you know what’s in your lease? We don’t blame you if you only skimmed it — there’s a lot of legalese muddying just what it is you agreed to as a renter. Today, we revisit a conversation between Ali and Marcus Degen, an attorney with the tenant advocacy organization People’s Legal Aid. Marcus helps us break down what exactly is in Utah’s boilerplate rental agreements. (Original air date: 03/24/2...

If you don’t normally try to figure out your favorite book characters’ astrological signs, we forgive you. But that changes today. Librarian Assistant Matt Jaggi has been making completely delightful astrological book recommendations on the Salt Lake City Public Library’s Instagram. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @CityCast...

Lead producer Emily Means joins Ali to round up this week’s news. Call or text the City Cast hotline anytime at (801) 203-0137. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Craft Lake City is not just for knitters! Founder Angela H. Brown shares how Salt Lake’s formative makers market brings together punk DIY-ers and suburban crafters alike. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycas...

Have you ever woken up one morning (or afternoon), and thought to yourself, “Man, I could really use a breakfast burrito”? It’s an essential part of the human experience. On today’s show, Ali talks with breakfast burrito enthusiast Shireen Ghorbani about her quest to find The Best (TM) breakfast burrito in Salt Lake — and her pick for number one. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You...

The Salt Lake Tribune’s Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen explains why the Jazz would want to trade 25-year-old rockstar player Donovan Mitchell, and how we might have more fun letting go of title talk. Plus, Ali is excited the Jazz are playing their first pre-season game in Canada. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @CityCastSLC....

Is it tough to be a virgin in today’s society? That’s what members of the Brigham Young Virginity Club seem to think. It’s an Instagram page that claims to be a “Utah-based club dedicated to preserving and promoting Virginity on college campuses.” And they’re very clear that they have “no affiliation with BYU.” What’s not clear is whether the page is serious or satire. Ali and two former BYU stude...

Lead producer Emily Means joins Ali to round up this week’s news.  Wanna catch a ball game this weekend? Find Bees tickets here. Call or text the City Cast hotline at (801) 203-0137. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSaltLake and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ad...

Is bad air quality in the valley sneaking into our homes? We ask Dr. Kerry Kelly, associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Utah. A few of Dr. Kelly’s recommendations: How to make a DIY box air filter; PurpleAir Quality Sensors (a Salt Lake company!); and Tellus Air Quality Sensors from the U. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and...

Salt Lake County Health Department Spokesperson Nicholas Rupp answers some of our most pressing questions about monkeypox. Get up-to-date information on monkeypox in Salt Lake and vaccine appointment availability atslco.org/health. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/adverti...

Ali talks to Addison Jenkins, a Salt Laker who is dealing with monkeypox and has some experiences to share with all of us. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.