At a crowded Salt Lake City bar, dozens of dancers sway their hips and spin their partners to cumbia-pop hits like Karol G's "Mi Ex Tenía Razon" into the early hours of the morning.

On a recent Thursday night, the cumbia party pop-up Vibras Del Lago took over the intimate Alibi Bar & Place and transformed it into one of Utah's hottest dance venues.

Why it matters: Few settings in downtown Salt Lake City exist for social dancers seeking Latin American genres like cumbia, merengue, salsa and bachata.

• Before the pandemic, many dancers traveled to Provo for Afuego Fridays, a weekly college dance club.

Driving the news: Since 2023, Vibras Del Lago's free monthly events in Salt Lake City have gained a massive following, with people driving from as far away as Logan and St. George to attend the dance parties.

Between the lines: Cumbia, which has been referred to as the "musical backbone of Latin America," is a percussion-heavy genre with African and Caribbean roots, featuring gaita flutes and guacharacas.

What they're saying: "A lot of Latin American countries have their own variety of cumbia, so it resonates with a lot of different Latinos," Vibras Del Lago's co-founder, Steven Guzman, 30, tells Axios.

Catch up quick: Guzman and his friends launched Vibras Del Lago in 2019 after noticing a lack of cumbia events targeting younger adults in the Salt Lake Valley.

• The dance parties didn't pick up steam until 2023, after they increased their social media presence with footage and photography.

The bottom line: Guzman is intentional about the venues he chooses and doesn't foresee hosting the pop-ups at clubs.

• "We're not here to pop bottles. We're not here to flex. We're not here to show off and start fights. We're here to dance," Guzman said. "It's very welcoming. Everybody is welcome."

What's next: Vibras Del Lago will hold "Cumbia Prom," the group's first paid event, at Varley cocktail bar on April 20. Tickets start at $10.

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A disease that is causing a spate of beaver deaths in northern Utah can be transmitted to humans, too, state wildlife officers announced yesterday.

Driving the news: Nine beavers have been found dead since March 23 in Utah, Summit and Wasatch counties, per the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

• Three were tested and found to be carrying tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, hare plague and deer fly fever.

Zoom in: The disease is caused by bacteria transmitted by tick and deer fly bites, direct contact with an infected animal's blood or tissue, drinking contaminated water or eating undercooked meat from an infected animal.

Threat level: In addition to infecting rabbits and rodents, tularemia also can infect humans — usually via bug bite.

• "The disease can be life-threatening for people if not treated quickly," the DWR reported, but most infections are treatable with antibiotics, per the CDC.

Symptoms in humans

🪨 A group of Granite Construction shareholders submitted a proposal that calls for discussion of the company's controversial proposed quarry in Parleys Canyon, which the group says violates the company's own environmental standards. (Salt Lake Tribune)

🏀 The Minnesota Lynx selected the University of Utah's Alissa Pili with the 8th pick in last night's WNBA draft. (ESPN)

⚖️ Polygamous leader Samuel Bateman's guilty plea could be thrown out because it was conditional on plea deals from two other men accused in the kidnapping case — and those defendants rejected federal prosecutors' plea offers. (AP)

• Bateman, who founded an offshoot of the FLDS, pleaded guilty this month to transporting underage girls between Utah and Arizona for illegal sexual acts.

🐟 Wildlife officials are investigating the appearance of Utah chubs that could outcompete the ecologically important native Bluehead suckers in Emery County's Millsite Reservoir. (FOX 13)

A video from a Tesla superfan has off-roaders 'round the world laughing as a Cybertruck delicately navigates an unremarkable mountain road in red rock country.

Why it matters: The Cybertruck, already a controversial addition to the off-roading market, suffered delayed deliveries this weekend due to production issues — possibly a problem with the accelerator pedal, Investor's Business Daily reported.

• A video of the purportedly rugged machine daintily creeping around a dirt road at single-digit miles per hour is unlikely to repair consumer enthusiasm after multiple setbacks in the truck's release.

Driving the news: "Watch out Jeep, the future coming through," the account Teslaconomics bragged on Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, this weekend, alongside a video of the Cybertruck inching down Sedona, Arizona's Broken Arrow Trail.

What they're saying: "I would literally drive this in my high-roof cargo van," wrote Utah outdoor photographer Nate Luebbe. "This is embarrassing for Tesla."

To be fair: There is other footage of the Cybertruck negotiating far more extreme terrain, like Moab's notorious Hell's Revenge trail — though the most famous video is essentially a Tesla ad.

• Other clips show the truck on dicier stretches of Broken Arrow.

The intrigue: The video exemplifies a potential cultural mismatch between Tesla's existing market — high-earning urbanites — and the off-roading community that flocks to dusty destinations like rural Utah.

The bottom line

In light of reports that the Arizona Coyotes may move to Salt Lake City, we asked ChatGPT to come up with names for the potential NHL franchise.

Here's some of what ChatGPT recommended:

• Salt Lake Avalanche
• Wasatch Wolverines
• Salt Lake Summiters
• Utah Blizzard
• Salt Lake Thunder

You tell us: What do you think we should name our potential NHL franchise?

• Send us your response by replying to this email!

See more names