Your Daily Guide

Hulu's “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” or SLOMW, is back for season five on Thursday, Sept. 10, and as always, you can expect drama from MomTok. Last season, the stars of the show put Utah in the national spotlight in a big way.

• Here's a recap before you watch: Hulu temporarily stopped filming the show after a video surfaced in March showing a domestic violence altercation between MomTok leader Taylor Frankie Paul and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen. As a result, Paul's upcoming season of “The Bachelorette” got canned shortly after. Season five is anticipated to follow the fallout of the incident. [Salt Lake Tribune]
• If it feels like Utahns are inescapable right now, you're not wrong. Last year, they turned up on “Dancing with the Stars,” aka DWTS, “Vanderpump Villa,” and even Broadway. IMO, that's when we hit critical mass. But Utahns have been representing us on TV for a while now — and that presence is only expanding, especially on DWTS. Conner Leavitt, husband of SLOMW and Broadway star Whitney Leavitt, will appear on the show's 35th season, joining a roster of Utah-bred dancing pros like Brandon Armstrong, Hailey Bills, and Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy. [E News]
• Utah’s talent pipeline: Culture writer Meg Walter says Utahns’ comfort in the spotlight may have something to do with the influence and culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where kids often learn from a young age how to speak in front of a crowd and put themselves out there. It also doesn’t hurt that Utah has strong dance programs at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]
• Back on your TV soon: DWTS airs Sept. 15, “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” season seven premieres Sept. 16, and a new SLOMW spinoff is expected later this year. [Hulu]

SLCPD Supports License Plate Readers

The Salt Lake City Police Department is standing firm behind their decision to keep using automatic license plate readers, defending them as a safety tool despite ongoing pushback from residents. The Salt Lake City Council will host a public hearing to review a draft ordinance about the cameras on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at the Salt Lake City and County building, or you can join online. [FOX 13, Salt Lake City Government]

Garth Brooks Returns To Utah

Country singer Garth Brooks will return to Utah for his “Blame It All on My Roots” tour at the Delta Center Oct. 9 and 10. Tickets are expected to go fast and will be on sale Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. May the odds be in your favor. [KUTV]

‘Cat Park’ Opens Again

The Salt Lake City Public Lands Department is hosting a reopening party for Steenblik Park in the Rose Park neighborhood on Monday, Sept. 21 from 3 - 5 p.m. Expect a newly renovated playground, more seating options, and of course the iconic “Dairy Cats” sculptures. [Instagram]

Can a Data Center Make Water?

Developers behind a massive data center in Millard County are saying they could create water with new patent-pending technology that turns condensation from natural gas into water vapor. The CEO of Creekstone Energy says it could make 4,000 acre-feet of water vapor per year — if it works. First, they’re partnering with University of Utah researchers to determine if it’s possible. [Salt Lake Tribune]

Is Utah’s Fair Food Weird Enough?

The 2026 Utah State Fair kicks off today, Sept. 10. We discuss hot beef sundaes, funnel cakes, and the Utah delicacies that deserve a deep fryer on today’s podcast. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

This newsletter couldn’t exist without our members! We call them Neighbors, and once a week we pass the mic so they can shout out things worth your attention:

📣 Jordan M. says “Wombat Bagels in West Jordan make this New Mexico boy feel seen with year-round green chile schmear and a seasonal green chile bagel!”

Could you name five places worth shouting out right now?