APPARENTLY THE MURRAY THEATER IS ALL THE RAGE THESE DAYS...

SLCTRIB.com Nate Sheppick had no idea what he was going to do with the historic Murray Theater when he bought it in 2005. It had been years since the Murray actually functioned as a house of cinema, most recently serving as a church and a showcase for a hypnotist.

But nearly $1 million later, it's becoming clear to Sheppick the deal greased an unplanned career change from real estate investor to music impresario and restaurateur.

"I go with my gut feelings about what projects I do," Sheppick said. "My family [and I] have sacrificed a lot for the theater and we are passionate about it. If this is about money, you would never do it."

In partnership with the promotion company The Kollective, Sheppick inaugurated the Murray's
British soul and pop prodigy Adele performs Jan. 23 at the Murray Theater. (Lauren Dukoff)
new life as an all-ages music venue last spring, booking nationally touring acts at ticket prices below $20. The Murray's next show is the Jan. 23 appearance of the 20-year-old British soul phenom Adele whose meteoric rise this year was marked by the release of her debut album "19," which went platinum, and received four Grammy nominations. James Morrison is opening the show, priced at $13...(read the rest here)

MURDER RATE IN SLC DOWN THIS YEAR...

KSL.com The number of murders in Utah dropped during 2008.

The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office says there were 51 homicides between January 1 and December 15 of last year.

That is down dramatically from the 79 seen in the same period of 2007 and close to the all-time low of 42 seen in 2004.

The Deseret News reports Salt Lake City had the highest number of murders in the state at 13. Still, that is a decrease from the year before, when 16 murders were reported.

WELCOME TO 2009 FROM GRUDGE CITY ACTIVITIES!

Well, it's a new year and January marks six months up and running for Grudge City Activities. We're proud of the way things have been going the past few months and we're looking forward to keeping it up over the coming year.

Hopefully you'll all be along for the ride.

What were some of your favorite moments in the past year? What are you looking forward to in 2009? Let us know in the comments.

And don't forget the Time For Change show is on Tuesday.

CHECK OUT ALPHA & OMEGA

Good band. They're playing here in a few months. Head over to their Myspace site to check out their music.

SMOKING IN BARS FINALLY A NO GO...

KSL.com The last phase of Utah's Clean Air Act kicks in at midnight, banning smoking in clubs and bars. Utah will be the 24th state to do so, but some didn't give up without a fight.

Think of it as a jump start on your New Year's resolution to stop smoking; that's what the health department is doing. "We're finally getting with the rest of the nation," said David Neville, spokesman for the Utah Department of Health.

At midnight tonight, patrons who have been smoking inside will move outside for good. "There's been a number of bar owners who'd rather not have smoking," said Greg Arata, owner of Junior's Tavern.

Nothing will change at Arata's business; it went smoke-free two and a half years ago when it moved locations, and Arata hasn't looked back.

"I knew moving downtown, you're going to want to attract office workers, professionals. They're not going to want to come into a place that's smoky," Arata said.

Cheers to You owner Bob Brown isn't as happy with the change "Eighty-five percent of my clientele smokes. Nearly all of my staff smokes," he said.

In fact, he filed a petition with the Department of Health yesterday after finding what he believes is a loophole in the state's tax-code definition of the ban.

"It says tobacco product is anything containing tobacco. It is moist snuff, and it is not a cigarette. It specifically says it is ‘not a cigarette,'" Brown said.

The health department denied that petition, saying the tax code doesn't define what a tobacco product is, the Clean Air Act does. "There's no legal leg to stand on. It's just a last-minute effort," Neville said.

If you break the new law, be prepared to pay: $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second. Bars and clubs can be fined up to $5,000.