08/09/21 • Nebraska vaccine data • Nationwide case trends
Grainolia’s Journey, One Step at a Time
Obed Sanchez-Liborio started his bakery business selling chocolate chip cookies in high school and grew it, against all odds, into a
recognizable force in Omaha’s culinary scene.
Try his food at Bad Seed Coffee & Supply and at The Switch until Aug. 15.
Story by Chris Bowling. Published in The Reader.
Reed Moore’s Daily Rundown
Happy National Book Lovers Day
Today’s news says the Moore you Reed, the Moore you know: Flash floods hit Omaha, a man hurls racist words at a Walmart employee in Lincoln, and a Nebraska native and former Husker helps the U.S. women’s volleyball team take gold.
Around Omaha
- Check out NOISE Omaha reporter Mel Buer’s coverage of last week’s Budget Rally protesting the hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for the Omaha Police Department.
- This year’s Omaha Public Library featured book is You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, written by Omaha natives and sisters Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar. The book, reviewed by The Reader in January, uses humor to talk about lived experiences of racism in Omaha.
- A plane crash in Minnesota kills an Omaha surgeon.
- Flash floods sweep through the city, resulting in property damage and threatening the lives of some community members, including three who were trapped in a flooding elevator.
- Need post-storm assistance? Check out these food pantries and local resources.
- AllPlay Miracle Buddy Baseball League, which brings the American pastime to children with special needs, gets back on the field for the first time in almost two years.
- The Omaha Board of Education might make masks mandatory.
- Read about the city’s first all-female bartending competition.
Around Nebraska
- “When you’re in America you better learn our language”: A man who claims to be a former firefighter hurls racist words at a Lincoln Walmart employee. A similar incident happened in Grand Island in late July.
- A heat advisory for Eastern Nebraska is in effect from noon until 9 p.m. today.
- The U.S. women’s volleyball team snags its first Olympic gold medal — thanks in part to Nebraska native and former Husker Jordan Larson, whose spike won match point.
- Take an in-depth look at the state’s Genoa Indian School, where Native American children endured forced assimilation and abuse. Like other U.S. Indian Boarding Schools, the Genoa Indian School will undergo a review, including an investigation into the school’s cemetery, with the Federal Indian Boarding School Truth Initiative.
- At Friday’s Nebraska State Board of Education meeting, an impassioned crowd disagrees about the most recent state health education standards.
- As the Nebraska Public Power District considers decarbonization, it’s requesting input from customers.
This Week in Your Local Government
- Rezoning: The Omaha City Council will vote on several ordinances to rezone residential property, many of which will have opposition from neighbors.
- Nebraska Humane Society (NHS): The City Council will vote on an agreement with the Nebraska Humane Society for animal control services through 2023. NHS requested an 18.05% increase in fees compared with 2020 to pay for increased wages and safety requirements.
- Human Resources Committee: After Tuesday morning’s Douglas County Board of Commissioners meeting, the Board will gather for a Human Resources Committee meeting. The committee will discuss issues such as an increased minimum wage for federal contractors and how COVID-19 has impacted employees.
Every week, The Reader picks out noteworthy agenda items from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and the Omaha City Council. See the full Omaha City Council and Board of County Commissioners agendas for Tuesday, August 10, and tune in here to the Douglas County Board at 9 a.m. and the Omaha City Council at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Reed Moore’s Things To Do:
Being Single in Omaha Guide
~ Check out your local library ~
Omaha has some top-tier libraries, thanks to the city’s affinity for reading — and thanks to the employees, from librarians to custodians, who keep the books on the shelves and the atmosphere feeling cozy. If you have yet to check out a library in your city, what are you waiting for?
Libraries have long been a haven for all walks of life, including the single. You can get lost in the aisles of their bookshelves in the name of discovery, or ask a librarian for a literary recommendation. Either way, count on some wholesome fun.
Bonus: The Omaha Public Library offers many educational programs, ranging from neat workshops and guest speakers to writers’ groups in which literary creatives get friendly feedback. Check out the library’s event calendar for more.
On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 24, Reed Moore will feature one item each day from Matt Casas’ Being Single in Omaha Guide. As the Delta variant spreads through the community, remember to get vaccinated and mask up — even if you’re fully vaxxed — before checking out these activities.
Find more local guides on our Things To Do page.
The Daily Funny
(Click drawing to see full comic.)
