Omaha’s own Jeff Davis, the founder of the Playing With Fire concert series, is among the international blues industry professionals who are being honored by The Blues Foundation’s 2026 Keeping the Blues Alive Awards. The Award recipients were announced in the fall of 2025 and the honorees will be recognized with a brunch in Memphis […]
Posted inCulture, Guides, Music
Soulful spring
Taking a look at the rest of March, here are some shows you should get on your radar.Texas guitar star Mike Morgan is up for the Blues Society of Omaha’s (BSO) Thursday matinee Thursday, March 13, 6-9 p.m., at Philly Sports Bar. Morgan built his career in the Dallas/Fort Worth scene alongside friends and fellow […]
Posted inMusic, Uncategorized
Hoodoo column returns, New Year’s notes
I am happy to be taking a step back and a step forward with this column. I’m returning to write the Hoodoo column of local blues, roots and Americana previews while writing for the new incarnation of The Reader. In case you missed it, before our fearless founder John Heaston lost his battle with cancer […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, News
Staff and Residents Impacted by Prisons Share Solutions in Omaha Nonprofit’s Short Film
Editor’s note: The Reader assisted Heart Ministry Center in the conceptual stage of this documentary, including providing the organization with trauma-informed reporting techniques, but was not involved in its production. Amy Holmes has seen how the people most impacted by incarceration can be the least heard when it comes to improving the system. “It’s a […]
Posted inCulture, Music, Theater
‘We Are a Refuge’: River City Mixed Chorus Sings In Defiance of Nebraska’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
The River City Mixed Chorus (RCMC) took the stage for its annual concert on June 10, and the audience at the Holland Center broke into cheers and applause. The music took us back to the ’70s, and the love emanating throughout the room was palpable. A room full of LGBTQIA+ people and allies gathered to […]
Posted inCulture, Dining, Drinks, Food, Health, News, Restaurants
North 24th Street’s Ital Vital Living Juice Shop Has Taught Owner Imani Murray to ‘Pivot and Go With the Seasons’
Imani Murray started making juices out of her home in North Omaha in 2019 to educate people about healthy eating. That passion grew into Ital Vital Living, a juice and smoothie business she runs with her mom and sister at 2323 N. 24th St. Juneteenth marked the two year anniversary for the drive-thru brick-and-mortar shop […]
Posted inLocal Elections, Local Government, News
New Recall Petition Filed as Frustrations Flare Over Vinny Palermo Omaha City Council Seat
An Omaha resident has filed paperwork to recall his Omaha City Councilman for failing to advocate for an emergency election to fill the seat of another councilmember currently in jail awaiting trial on fraud charges. Michael Pilypaitis, a resident of District 3 in midtown Omaha, said his representative, Danny Begley, is blocking an opportunity for […]
Posted inNews
The Reader is a Finalist for Five National Journalism Awards
The Omaha Reader is up for five national journalism awards from the Association for Alternative Newsmedia, including recognition for three stories reported and published in collaboration with local, state and national newsrooms. The Association for Alternative Newsmedia is a national organization made up of more than 100 independent news organizations throughout the country. The Reader […]
Posted inNews
Foreign-Born Huskers Contribute 8% of State Economic Input, Report says
Nebraska immigrants and refugees seen as potential ‘economic powerhouse’ and workforce supply source not fully tapped
Posted inEnvironment, News
Energy Efficiency Creates Healthier Homes and Saves Residents Money. Here’s How to Make the Changes in Your Omaha Household.
This story is part of The Reader’s Climate Beacon Newsroom initiative with Solutions Journalism Network. From March to the end of September 2023, we are pursuing solutions-oriented stories about climate change’s effects in Omaha. Bianca Johnson had one priority when she became the owner of her green-shuttered Northwest Omaha home in 2019. “As soon as I moved in, […]
Posted inNews
Could ‘Single Subject Rule’ Trip Up Merger of Abortion and Anti-trans Bills?
A blockbuster pairing of two controversial bills in the waning days of the 2023 state legislative session has state senators and advocates buzzing.
Posted inEconomy, News
Groundbreaking Event for $65 Million Project Expected to be Nebraska’s New Medical Business Hub
The giant shell of an old steel plant in midtown Omaha is to be transformed within a couple of years into Nebraska’s new, roughly $65 million hub of medical business innovation.
Posted inCulture, Visual Arts
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the Benson Theatre
South Omaha’s historic Cinco de Mayo parade isn’t until next week, but that doesn’t mean you’ve got to wait to celebrate the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over France in the 1862 Battle of Puebla. Join the new South Omaha Immigration History Museum Friday, May 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. for an evening honoring a […]
Posted inEnvironment, News
Omaha Pursues $1M Federal Climate Change Planning Grant
Omaha is on track to receive $1 million from the federal government to fund climate change planning and reduce greenhouse gasses in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area. Marco Floreani, the deputy chief of economic development, told The Reader the City of Omaha submitted its notice to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive funding […]
Posted inLocal Government, News
Updated Form Filed to Recall Omaha City Councilmember Vinny Palermo Following Fraud Charges
This story originally appeared in El Perico. This story was updated Thursday to include the updated recall petition filing form. A South Omaha resident has filed for a petition to recall Omaha City Council member Vinny Palermo, who was arrested Friday and faces nine felony fraud charges, including allegedly steering $93,000 worth of city contracts […]
Posted inNews
FBI Indicts Omaha City Councilman Vinny Palermo, Former Omaha Police Officers
Omaha City Councilman Vinny Palermo took gifts of airfare, luxury hotel accommodations, travel arrangements and other items in exchange for political favors, new federal court documents allege. Palermo also allegedly did not disclose a financial conflict of interest when he steered $93,000 worth of city contracts toward his companies, obtained a Payment Protection Program loan […]
Posted inCulture
The Reader’s April 2023 Issue
Wind energy, biodynamic farming, and more in this month’s sustainability-focused issue of The Reader
Posted inTheater, Uncategorized
Our Newsroom Reported on Omaha’s Inequities For a Year. Here’s What We Learned — and What Comes Next.
It’s been more than a year since The Reader’s editorial team announced the start of our (DIS)Invested series in January 2022. When we first committed to the year-long series, we had big ambitions. We told you we’d refocus our editorial team to prioritize our reporting on inequity in Omaha through the lenses of housing, education, […]
Posted inLocal Government, News
Douglas County Corrections Sees Staffing Levels Improve
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners received a monthly update from Corrections Director Mike Myers, who reported improvements in the department’s staffing, which increased from 80.5% of authorized levels to 86.5% in the month of January. Only five officers left employment in January, while eight graduated from training on Feb. 3. He said another 37 […]
Posted inHealth, News
Respite Program Addresses Many Needs of Omaha’s Homeless
Photos by Brock Stillmunks Whether home means an improvised living space, a dedicated shelter or couch surfing, the homeless often seek primary health care in ERs. But admitting the homeless as patients poses a problem. Even after treatment, their hospital stays may extend in lieu of a stable home for post-acute care recovery. Hospital beds get […]
Posted inNews Briefs
Best Films of ’22, Reader at Community Event, Doctors Protecting Abortion
Film critic Ryan Syrek fills out his list of best films from 2022. Dundee Book Company hosts The Reader for a community conversation. A profile of eight female doctors fighting to protect abortion rights in Nebraska.
Posted inNews
Through Our Eyes: Omaha’s Defining Moments of 2022
In 10 years’ time, what news will shape your memory of 2022? Will you remember when you first heard Russia invaded Ukraine, or will you think of crowds gathered at Omaha City Hall to protest the Supreme Court’s leaked decision to overturn Roe v. Wade? Will advertisements from midterm election candidates play in your head? […]
Posted inEducation, Immigration, News
Soccer and Small Businesses: The Simple Foundation Invests in Omaha’s Immigrant and Refugee Youth
Before five o’clock on any given weeknight, the South Omaha building at 3003 Q St. is relatively quiet. Then the kids start to arrive. Some come by bus from North and South Omaha neighborhoods; others get dropped off by family or walk over from their homes at the neighboring Southside Terrace Apartments, Omaha’s largest public […]
Posted inImmigration, News
A Morning in Omaha’s Immigration Court
At 8:20 a.m. on a sunny Wednesday morning in October, about 25 people crowded the hallway in a government building on the edge of Omaha. Three young women chatting in Spanish leaned against the windows and sat in black metal folding chairs as they waited for a courtroom door to open. In the lobby near […]
Posted inCulture, Music
November Notes
Some notable events hit at the beginning of the month. There’s a benefit for Lincoln guitarist Benjamin Kushner on Friday, Nov. 4, 5:30-8:30 p.m., at The B. Bar. Kushner plays with both Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal and Mezcal Brothers. Alt rock fans will recognize Kushner as a former guitarist for The Millions. Kushner is […]
Posted inCulture, Visual Arts
Ofrendas De Corazón at the Benson Theatre
The Mexican American Historical Society of the Midlands, or MAHSM, will celebrate Día de Muertos at the Benson Theatre, 6054 Maple St., this Wednesday, Nov. 2. Ofrendas De Corazón runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and includes verbal ofrendas, poetry, music and dance performances from more than forty contributors to celebrate and honor people’s loved […]
Posted inElections, Local Elections, News
As Nebraska’s Latino Voters Grow in Power, Candidates Fight for Their Support in the Second District
Latinos are the second-largest group of voters and the fastest-growing demographic in Nebraska. They’ve been a politically powerful group in the 2nd Congressional District, where candidates are fighting for their vote.
Posted inCulture, Music
Shinyribs
Sunday, Oct. 23, 8 p.m., $35 GA to $600 VIP boothBarnato, 225 N 170th St #100, Omahabarnato.bar/events Austin supergroup Shinyribs is self-described as “a sonic melting pot of Texas blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis soul, country twang, border music, big band swing, and roots-rock.” The band is led by vocalist-songwriter-guitarist Kevin Russell, commanding […]
Posted inCulture, Music
Dance-Floor Fix
A recent weekend of music at Lincoln’s historic Zoo Bar reminded me how much serious, national-level talent we have locally. Matt Cox & The Marauders played the early show on a Friday, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal played the late show that night and an early show the next. These are two of the best […]
Posted inEconomy, Elections, News
Nebraska’s Next Governor
Nearly eight years ago, in his inaugural address, Gov. Pete Ricketts pointed to the challenges Nebraska faces in creating jobs. “There’s a barrier to creating jobs here in the state. And it’s Nebraska’s high taxes. We must cut taxes,” Ricketts said. In April 2022, Ricketts signed into law a $900 million tax cut that lowers […]
Posted inElections, News
Competitive District 2: Voters Weigh Inflation, Jobs as Vargas Challenges Bacon for Congress
Araceli Guzman takes a breath and knocks on a door near 32nd Ave. and Martha St. in Omaha’s Hanscom Park neighborhood. The morning sun reflects off her wide-brimmed hat and neon green vest as she waits for someone to walk to the door, but she’s met with silence. Then she knocks again. Finally, the door […]
Posted inHealth, News
While Fewer Nebraska Children Live In Poverty, New Data Report Shows “A Long Way To Go” For Racial Equity
In 2020 a little more than 12% of Nebraska kids — or 56,828 children — lived in poverty, down for the eighth consecutive year since the state’s child poverty rate neared 18% in 2013. But a new report shows while fewer Nebraska children live in poverty, children of color continue to grow up poor at […]
Posted inCulture, Multimedia, Visual Arts
Everything We Saw at the Omaha Mobile Stage Youth Talent Show
Just as the golden hour sunlight hit the new Gene Leahy Mall amphitheater, young dancers and singers took the stage to perform in the Omaha Mobile Stage Youth Talent Show on Friday, September 9. While families sat in lawn chairs to cheer on their kids, and visitors to the new public space stopped to catch […]
Posted inCulture, Music
Soul Connections
There are plenty of great club shows filling the early fall schedule, starting with the Blues Society of Omaha weekly shows that rotate among several venues this month. Thursday, Sept. 1, 6-9 p.m., Omaha’s own Nate Bray & The Soul Supremes perform at The Strut. Thursday, Sept. 8, 6-9 p.m., it’s the Brotherhood Tour featuring […]
Posted inNews
Omaha GED Classes Open Doors, Help Immigrant Parents Support Kids In School
This story was first published in El Perico, The Reader’s Spanish-English sister publication. Read the original story in English and Spanish. This story is part of (DIS)Invested — a longterm Reader investigation into Omaha’s inequities. Patricia Paniagua drove home from Metro Community College in early May feeling nervous. After almost two years of studies, the […]
Posted inNews
Omaha Opens Pandemic Rental Assistance to All, Regardless of Citizenship. Here’s How to Apply.
All Omaha renters hurt by the pandemic can now apply for emergency rental assistance regardless of their citizenship or U.S. legal status. The City of Omaha reversed its legal position last week Wednesday on who can receive the federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) money, removing citizenship as a qualification for the rental and utility relief […]
Posted inNews
For Some Latino Omahans, Solving Health Disparities Starts in the Garden
This story is part of (DIS)Invested — a longterm Reader investigation into Omaha’s inequities. It’s 11 o’clock on a sunny June morning in La Vista, Nebraska, and four young women are admiring more than three dozen leafy green vegetables poking out the dirt on the south side of Zoraida Llasaca’s home. Llasaca, a woman born […]
Posted inCulture, Music
Hot, Hot, Hot
If you are an Eastern Nebraska blues fan, chances are that Lincoln’s Zoo Bar had something to do with your discovery of the music. Even if you’ve never made it to the club. If you went to blues shows at Omaha’s old Howard Street Tavern or Kansas City’s Grand Emporium, you felt the impact of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, News
OPD Officer On Paid Leave, Investigation Into Use of Force In Juvenile Arrest
An Omaha police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation to examine his use of force during the arrest of a young boy Tuesday, according to the Omaha police department. Social media posts and witnesses say the child was 12 years old. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said he placed […]
Posted inEducation, News
OPS Board of Education Approves Proposed Stipends for Staff as Teacher Shortage Continues
This story is part of (DIS)Invested — a longterm Reader investigation into Omaha’s inequities. *** The Omaha Public Schools Board of Education has approved amendments to the district’s federal pandemic relief funds, including a proposal to put funds towards stipends for full-time staff and part-time staff in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school year. At a nearly three-hour […]
Posted inEducation, News
While Teachers Need Support Now, Programs Strengthen the Future of Teaching
This story is part of (DIS)Invested — a longterm Reader investigation into Omaha’s inequities. *** Editor’s note: At the time this story originally published in The Reader‘s June print issue, the Omaha Public Schools district had not allocated ESSER, or Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, funds toward teacher pay. The online story has been updated to […]
Posted inEducation, News
“We are Tired, We Feel Used”: Ahead of Staff Exodus, OPS Teachers Demand Action From Board
This story is part of (DIS)Invested — a longterm Reader investigation into Omaha’s inequities. *** Adam Byers didn’t have “a fraction of the support” he feels he should have as a first-year teacher in his Omaha Public Schools classroom this year. That’s why he’s resigning from the district, he told the board of education in a meeting […]
Posted inUncategorized
Experts Say Students Need Help, Not Punishment as They Cope with Pandemic
While suspensions dropped in OPS schools during the pandemic, disproportionate suspension rates for Black students persisted.
Posted inEducation, News
OPS Board Approves Revisions to Code of Conduct to Address Serious Fights, Gender Neutral Language
This story is part of (DIS)Invested — a longterm Reader investigation into Omaha’s inequities. Students in the Omaha Public Schools will have a revised code of conduct in the next school year. In an hour and a half long meeting at the OPS Teacher Administration Center Monday night, all nine members of the OPS Board […]
Posted inMultimedia, Podcasts
Building “The Good Life” For All Nebraskans, Not Just Some
Cammy Watkins and Maggie Wood believe honest conversations about equity and inclusion in Nebraska’s schools and businesses — and in everyday life — can help create The Good Life for all Nebraskans, not just some. They are the co-executive directors of Inclusive Communities, a nonprofit organization providing advocacy and education around diversity and equity in […]
Posted inEducation, News
In Caring For Omaha’s Most Absent Kids, Many Still Fall Through the Cracks: “Everybody Should Have the Resources I Have.”
The GOALS Center addresses attendance and truancy issues for students in metro schools. But advocates say the absentee interventions aren’t reaching the students who need them most.
Posted inEducation, News
How One Omaha High School Addresses Chronic Absenteeism
This story is part of (DIS)Invested — a longterm Reader investigation into Omaha’s inequities. *** Editor’s note: The Omaha Street School refrained from sharing students’ last names to protect their privacy. For the first half of her freshman year, Mercy had her routine down at Omaha South High School. She’d go to one class to be marked […]
Posted inEducation, News
Omaha Public Schools Board Makes Masks Optional
The Omaha Public Schools Board of Education approved a resolution to drop the district-wide mask mandate at Thursday night’s board meeting, making it optional to wear masks in OPS buildings as of Friday. Teachers, students, parents and OPS staff sat in the Teacher Administration Center building, 3215 Cuming St., on Thursday to hear the board’s […]
Posted inEducation, News
White Student Enrollment Slides in OPS, Nearby Districts
This story is part of (DIS)Invested — a longterm Reader investigation into Omaha’s inequities. *** When the pandemic shut down in-person and virtual classes for Omaha Public Schools in March 2020, Jenelle Emory would sit in her home with her daughters — a first grader and a kindergartener at Adams Elementary — and walk through the packet […]
Posted inNews
Photo Collection: We Made Ourselves at Home in Memorial Park
Among lawn chairs and picnic blankets spread across Memorial Park at last Saturday’s City of Omaha Celebrates America summer concert, one seat stood out— a couch. Our team at The Reader set up our “living room” and invited concert goers to stop by for a free portrait and a copy of our August issue. With […]
Posted inMusic
Fiery Music Forecast
Héctor Anchondo’s first trip to Memphis for the 2015 International Blues Challenge was the inspiration for In the Market for Blues, an Old-Market-based, multi-venue, multi-band event that has grown exponentially each year. The festival is now supported by the Blues Society of Omaha and a variety of sponsors. After a year off with pandemic closures, […]
Posted inNews
Ital Becomes Vital In North Omaha
In June, 22 year old Imani Murray opened Ital Vital Living, a drive-thru smoothie and juice store at 2323 N. 24th St., with her mother and sister by her side.
Posted inDining
Reimagine What Food Can Do: For These Omahans, It’s About Community
The pandemic pushed restaurant owners to their financial, emotional and mental limits. But from that same chaos rose a young, diverse slate of Omahans who either opened their own food businesses after March 2020, or found new meaning behind why they make their meals while in the COVID-19-induced solitude. Throughout the month of July, The […]
Posted inMovies
Labyrinth repeat (as needed)
The redundancy and repetition of required routines have long been the bogeymen of modern life. Exit 8 makes Kafkaesque nightmares literal, with the added twist of tying one’s eternal fate to an exceptionally challenging game of “spot the difference.” Turns out that Highlights for Kids magazines were actually missives from hell. Based on a Japanese […]
Posted inNews
‘It’s exceeding expectations’: A conversation with an architect and designer behind Omaha’s new library
On Wednesday, the Omaha Public Library’s new central branch was buzzing with activity as contractors and library staff worked through the final touches ahead of this weekend’s grand opening. The 96,000-square-foot, $158 million dollar building goes beyond books. There is a coffee shop and a courtyard with a garden. Art pieces from local artists hang […]
Posted inNews
Omaha’s new library opens this weekend. Here’s what visitors can expect
For months, thousands of Omaha residents have driven past the city’s new library on the southwest corner of 72nd and Dodge Streets. On Sunday, the public will finally get a look inside. There’s nothing else quite like it in Omaha. Hundreds of horizontal windows offer a glimpse of the 96,000-square-foot building’s interior. With a three-story […]
Posted inNews
Omaha boxer Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford found guilty of careless driving at trial
Boxing champion Terence “Bud” Crawford was found guilty of careless driving during a bench trial Monday stemming from a September traffic stop that garnered widespread attention after Crawford was ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint. Crawford was celebrating his 38th birthday and recent victory against Canelo Alvarez with a massive parade and party in downtown Omaha […]
Posted inNews
2nd District Democratic candidates address affordability, immigration and Iran war
The economy, immigration and the ongoing war in Iran took center stage during a televised forum featuring Nebraska’s 2nd District Democratic candidates Sunday night. The live event, hosted by KETV, included candidates Kishla Askins, John Cavanaugh, Denise Powell, Crystal Rhoades and Melanie Williams. One will face lone Republican Brinker Harding in the Nov. 3 general election. […]
Posted inMovies
The wrongest answer ever in The Newlywed Game
Fitting for a movie entirely about a wedding, my solemn vow to you—for every review, until death do us part—is always “no spoilers.” That makes this one particularly challenging. Not quite as challenging as the one that the marketing team had when promoting writer/director Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama, but a challenge nonetheless. It is a […]
Posted inNews
A growing number of teens are aging out of foster care. This Omaha coffee shop offers a lifeline
Astute Coffee bustles with activity most weekday mornings. Omaha Central students pop in for a caffeine hit before school, briefcase-toting office workers swing by on their way to morning meetings, and a handful of sleepy travelers wander over from a nearby hotel. The downtown shop’s many windows let the morning light shine in as patrons […]
Posted inNews
Company announces Omaha-area expansion, including 200 new jobs
A global company has announced plans to expand its operations in the Omaha area. Eaton Corp, which has a facility in central Omaha, plans to build a new 370,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Bellevue. The company that makes products for the power management industry said the new facility is scheduled to open in the first half […]
Posted inMusic
Female DJ from Omaha breaks down barriers in entertainment space once reserved for men
An Omaha native has followed her adventurous spirit to become a pioneering, enterprising DJ and hype girl in Miami and beyond. Branding herself DJ ReRe, this vivacious, visionary millennial thrives in a male-dominated field through her for-profit ReMixed Events that supply DJ and concierge services for elite weddings, corporate events, parties, fashion shows, cruises and […]
Posted inNews
Gretna East admins pulled a student journalist’s cartoon about ICE. Now, students want to change district policy
Aidan McClaren came home from work one night with an idea for a political cartoon. “I sat down and just sketched it out a little bit, and it turned into this factory – like a ‘history’ factory,” said the junior at Gretna East High School. McClaren had seen many Tik Toks and Instagram posts about […]