Outgoing Mayor Jackie Biskupski was Salt Lake City’s second female Mayor, and the first openly gay Mayor in Utah history. She presided over the city during an eventful time, but decided that important family matters needed her attention more than the Mayor’s office.

During her term, Salt Lake City hosted the United Nations Civil Society Conference, saw a 30 percent drop in crime, the restructuring of homeless services and housing, and is getting ready to host the NBA All Star Game and Winter Olympics once again.

Bob Evans of FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City sat down with her in November 2019 for a 3 Questions interview.

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For hundreds of years, the Jewish people have been the victims of violence, discrimination, and derision. Even in the information age, where we know more about each other than ever before, rather than receiving increased tolerance, Jews continue to be the target of hatred, bigotry, and deadly attacks, both around the world, and here in the United States.

While in the religious minority in Utah, Jews in the Beehive state have found somewhat of a refuge dating back to the 1850’s, just years after the Mormon Pioneers settled the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. From that time forward, a special kinship has developed between the Latter-day Saints and the Jews, whose narratives of enduring religious intolerance have paralleled each other to a degree.

A recent survey by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany indicates 22% of millennials are either unaware or unsure of what the Holocaust is. In this interview with Rabbi Sam Spector of Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City, FOX 13’s Bob Evans examines the reasons for the growing ignorance of the Holocaust, the reasons for continued animus against the Jews, and how the Jews and Latter-day Saints are getting along in Utah.

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John Swallow is a man who is rebuilding his reputation. It was a long drop from Utah Attorney General to defendant in a public corruption trial that ended in his acquittal. 

When he and his predecessor, Mark Shurtleff, were accused of a complicated “pay for play” scheme, it became known as the biggest political scandal in the history of Utah.

But the charges against Shurtleff were dropped. And Swallow was exonerated. And the State was left to pay millions of dollars to retire both men’s legal debts.

In this 3 Questions interview, Bob Evans with FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City asks Swallow about the whole ordeal, how it has changed him, and what advice he has for future lawmakers to help them avoid the trouble he’s had.

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Carol Lynn Pearson shot to the top of literary awareness among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early 70’s and 80’s. Raised as a Latter-day Saint, she married Gerald Pearson in the Salt Lake City Temple, aware that he was gay, but with both of them thinking it was something that could be overcome with prayer and righteous living. But for all of their best efforts, Gerald’s sexual orientation wouldn’t budge. Recognizing their marriage could not survive, they divorced, and continued to love each other as committed friends. In fact, when Gerald contracted HIV Aids in the early days of that disease’s devastating run, it was Carol Lynn who cared for and nursed him until his dying breath. And thus her book, “Goodbye, I Love You”.

Since that time, she has actively encouraged love and understanding for LGBTQ members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But that’s not all.

Despite the Church’s abandonment of polygamy long ago, she has been disturbed by the concept of polygamy in the eternities, a mindset that has persisted in LDS thought and practice. As she took the temperature of fellow Latter-day Saint women and men, she found her sentiments were widespread. And thus her book, “The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy”.

Bob Evans, with FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City interviewed her in October of 2019, for his segment “3 Questions”.

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At 100 years old, Gene England is a legend in the trucking industry. His father, Chester R. England, started what would become CR England Trucking in 1920, now the largest refrigerated trucking company in the USA. 

 

At the age of 14, Gene and his 11 year old brother Bill, drove a truck load of potatoes from Utah’s Cache Valley to market in Wyoming. Having spilled most of their load when they were forced to take a detour off Highway 30, the boys were all alone through the night, reloading the truck. But the trucking bug bit both of them, and they joined their father in the business.

 

Then, while a US soldier in World War II, Gene managed to save $5,000 dollars to buy his first big rig when he got home. And he’s been driving big rigs ever since. Gene and Bill took over the company when their father retired. And only in recent years has Gene stopped driving.

 

His is a remarkable story of grit and determination, with some very interesting stories of the road along the way.

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Don’t call him James the Mormon anymore. 

In fact, pretty soon you won’t be able to call him JTM either. 

For James Curran, getting to the top of the Billboard Rap Chart and having Number One iTunes releases has been the easy part. Dealing with his fame and notoriety in the LDS community has been another story.

Raised in an abusive family, James Curran is used to disappointment and negativity. But he never anticipated the mixed reaction he’s gotten from his faith group because of his music. In fact, it has caused to him to abandon his moniker, which had attracted an audience he appreciates, but wasn’t aiming for.

So how can he fix the music streaming algorithms that lump his secular rap music with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?

Bob Evans with FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City sat down with rapper James Curran in September of 2019 for a 3 Questions interview.

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In 2018, there were 58,083 wildfires that scorched 8.8 million acres in the United States. California's Mendocino Complex Fire in July 2018 was the largest in state history. But it was the Camp Fire in Butte County, Northern California in November of 2018 that became the deadliest and most destructive, killing 88 people, and all but decimating the city of Paradise, California.

Who are the people that fight these fires? What does it take to put these fires out? And how do they know which fires to allow to burn, and which to throw everything they have into put it out?

Bob Evans with FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City sat down with Jason Curry with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands in September of 2019, for a 3 Questions interview.

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What do you do when the CEO of your multi-million dollar company steps down because of his involvement in FBI investigations of the Clintons and Russian collusion with the Trump campaign? It was hard for many to believe was actually happening, but happen it did. To Overstock.com. Patrick Byrne established the company in the 1990’s, and built it into one of the largest online companies in the world. Now, it is being run by his long-time associate and confidant, Jonathan Johnson. Bob Evans of FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City sat down with Jonathan Johnson in August of 2019, for a 3 Questions interview.

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They are often the strength behind their husband-Governors; the mostly-silent partners in politics whose advise, counsel, and support is absolutely vital. What is it like to be the first lady to a Governor? What do they do? How does politics affect their families? And what about that Governors Mansion; is it haunted? Bob Evans of FOX 13 Salt Lake City sits down with Jeanette Herbert, wife of Governor Gary Herbert, and First Lady of the great state of Utah for a 3 Questions interview.

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