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 inNews
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 inNews
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 inNews
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 inNews
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
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 inVisual 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 inNews
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
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
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
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 inNews
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 inNews
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 inMultimedia
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 inMusic
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
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 inNews
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 inNews
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 inNews
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 inNews
“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
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
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 inNews
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 inNews
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 inNews
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 inNews
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 inNews
Doctor Fear: Will Nebraska Abortion Ban “Chilling Effect” Harm Patient Care?
This story was originally published in Flatwater Free Press. A six-week abortion ban that may become Nebraska law worries the state’s pre-eminent doctors’ organization, which fears doctors could risk felony charges if they violate it – even though criminal charges aren’t explicitly in the bill. This ambiguity around criminal charges is one piece of some […]
Posted inNews
Douglas County Board Increases Budget to Cover Wage Increases, Medical Costs.
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners adjusted the 2022/23 county budget Tuesday to account for wage increases and other expenses. The initial budget was approved in July, 2022. The budget adjustments required nearly $13 million in newly appropriated funds, bringing the revised budget to $533 million. Douglas County Finance Director Joe Lorenz said market forces […]
Posted inNews
Debate Begins on Nebraska Bill Restricting Trans Health Care for Minors
Voices rose and personal digs were exchanged Tuesday as the Legislature opened debate on whether to ban gender-affirming care for minors.
Posted inDining
Head to Bellevue for a Delightful Lunch Today
Make Your Week a Delight John’s Grecian Delight, located in the former Southroads Mall, has been hit with technical issues that are costing the small shop big money this month. After weeks battling the phone company to repair their service, the small business has been left unable to accept credit card payments and has taken […]
Posted inDining
Kombucha with a Cause
You may (or may not) be familiar with SCOBY, or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Famous for its probiotic properties, a mother culture can last generations, and is the foundation of a powerful batch of kombucha. Given the right conditions, environment, and some patience, SCOBY has the potential to grow and thrive into a […]
Posted inNews
Nebraska Hospitals Struggling Financially, with Most Operating in the Red Last Year, Officials Say
Hospital leaders say it’s caused by higher cost of labor and supplies and a failure of Medicaid and Medicare to fully reimburse services.
Posted inNews
Douglas County Health Center update: What’s Happening in Your Local Government on March 21
Every week, The Reader picks out noteworthy agenda items from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and the Omaha City Council. Visit the county and city’s websites to view the full agendas. See the full Douglas County Board of Commissioners agenda for Tuesday, March 21, and tune in to the Douglas County Board at 9 a.m.
Posted inVisual Arts
Back to Nature
Kaneko continues its deep dive into the oeuvre of sculptors whose work is featured at the refreshed Gene Leahy Mall with “James Surls: Nightshade and Red Bone,” opening on March 24. Surls is an internationally recognized artist based in Colorado whose singular approach to abstracting the forms and spirit found in nature will be the […]
Posted inEconomy
Safety Net Sunset
SNAP benefits are set to be rolled back to pre-pandemic levels if the Legislature doesn’t take action.
Posted inNews
Omaha-Area Lawmakers File ‘Minority Statement’ Ahead of Debate on Trans Health Care Bill
Nebraska lawmakers on Friday filed a minority statement — a never-before-used tactic — to oppose legislation that would restrict what gender-affirming care minors could receive in the state.