10/7/21 • Nebraska vaccine data • Nationwide case trends
In Memoriam: Michael D. Boyle
Julie Mierau, a longtime friend of Mike and Anne Boyle, reflects on the late Douglas County commissioner and former Omaha mayor’s life and character.
Published in The Reader.
Reed Moore’s Daily Rundown
Happy National Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Day
Sugar and salt — the perfect combo for today’s news: Omaha South High School gets a 500-pound bull statue, state senators are teaming up to climb a 19,000-foot mountain, and Facebook gives $250K to build a Vietnam veterans memorial in Papillion.
Harper’s Index Facts of the Day
- Factor by which monthly heat records are more likely to be set now than in the preindustrial era: 5
- Estimated portion of new monthly heat records attributable to climate change: 4/5
Source: Dim Coumou, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Want to get vaccinated in Douglas County this week or weekend?
Here are upcoming clinics.

Around Omaha
- heck out the Associated Press‘ coverage of recent food-worker strikes, including the Kellogg’s strike in Omaha.
- Omaha South High School is now home to a 500-pound bull statue.
- “I’m here today to sound the alarm”: Frontline healthcare workers, including those at CHI Health and Nebraska Medicine, are struggling, and turnover rates are reaching record highs. Some healthcare officials want $80 million of the Federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to go toward supporting and retaining nurses.
- Black Men United and Quality Clinical Research collaborate to provide facts about the COVID-19 vaccine and motivate community members of color to get vaccinated.
- 3 News Now interviews Jannette Taylor, CEO of the Women’s Center for Advancement, about domestic abuse during the pandemic.
- Terri Hagedorn, a Millard South High School alum and volleyball mom, dies of cancer.
- In case you missed it, Part I: The oldest person in the U.S. turns 115, and she lives in Omaha. Read about it in Spanish on Mundo Latino.
- In case you missed it, Part II: There are 14 applicants for the Douglas County Board of Commissioners seat previously held by Mike Boyle, who died last month.
Around Nebraska
- Five state senators are teaming up to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania’s 19,000-foot mountain. The senators come from different political parties and backgrounds.
- “President Biden thinks that he can ignore this humanitarian and security crisis and it will go away”: Gov. Pete Ricketts and other GOP governors discuss immigration at the Texas border.
- Facebook gives $250K to build a Vietnam veterans memorial in Papillion, home to a Facebook data center.
- Two Nebraska inmates die. Before his death, one of them tested positive for the coronavirus.
- Nebraska, like other states, is experiencing a trucker shortage.
- Remember the controversy surrounding removal of a lactation room in the state Capitol? Here’s a deep dive into breastfeeding in Nebraska; according to Nebraska News Service, breastfeeding continues to carry social stigma.
Reed Moore’s Thing To Do:
Great Plains Theatre Commons Presents … Stories: On the Brink
Stories: On the Brink, which is free and open to the public from Oct. 8-10, details homelessness with dialogue inspired by real-life voices.
Event Pick by Matt Casas. Published in The Reader.
As the delta variant spreads, remember to get fully vaccinated and mask up — even if you’re fully vaxxed — before going to shows.
Find more theater content here, and check out local guides on our Things To Do page.
The Daily Funny: Throwback Thursday Edition
Reed Moore invites you to laugh at a throwback comic today.
To see recent drawings, click the comic below.