Deadline negotiations this week over dueling plans to implement voter ID in Nebraska could decide whether the Legislature votes on a bill this session. County election officials who will carry out the plan have also weighed in, asking state lawmakers to keep things simple.
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Posted inCulture
Omaha’s Little Shop of Oddities
Some call him Derek. A few call him Dad. But most just call him Voodoo. Derek Everhart has always had an affinity for the abnormal. But now he specializes in it, selling a smorgasbord of skulls, stuffed animal heads and other finds at Voodoo’s Odd Shop on the corner of 13th and Martha Streets. “The […]
Posted inNews
Six Small Nebraska Towns are Trying to Ban Abortion. Will it Change Anything?
This story was originally published in the Flatwater Free Press. For three weeks this July, Pastor Bill Forbes left his house around 5 p.m. and didn’t return until sundown. The Lutheran pastor went door to door his western Nebraska town asking his neighbors the same question: Would they sign a petition in support of banning […]
Posted inNews
Lawmakers Pass State Budget, Make Few Adjustments from Governor’s Plan
State lawmakers gave a final OK Thursday to a two-year budget that calls for about $5.3 billion a year in spending, with an average increase of 2.2%.
Posted inNews
Past Union President, Now Running for Sheriff, Was Deemed to Have Used Excessive Force. Then Omaha’s Police Chief Stepped in.
This story is a collaboration between The Omaha Reader and Flatwater Free Press. Sgt. Aaron Hanson, a former president of Omaha’s police union, used excessive force when he kneed an already-handcuffed Omaha man, the Omaha Police Department’s Safety Review Board unanimously decided in 2018. The board recommended a low-level punishment. But that punishment never happened. […]
Posted inNews
No Nitrate Police: State and Local Regulators Can’t, or Won’t, Stop Our Drinking Water from Getting Worse
This story was originally published in Flatwater Free Press. The farmer was growing impatient. He folded his arms. Shook his head angrily. He and dozens of other central Nebraska farmers had gathered for mandatory training in Columbus a few weeks before Christmas last year. In response to stubbornly high nitrate levels, the Lower Loup Natural […]
Posted inOver The Edge
2021 Music Year in Review
I know, I know… it’s only December, and anything can happen before the year is actually over, but I ain’t got that luxury, deadlines being what they are. Rather than wait until January after you’ve (hopefully) long forgotten and moved on from 2021, I thought I’d do the recap now while it’s fresh in your […]
Posted inNews
“Hoping Beyond Hope.” Fewer COVID Cases Encourages Douglas County Board of Health, But Obstacles Remain
The past seven days haven’t been quiet for Dr. Lindsay Huse. The director of the Douglas County Health Department issued a citywide mask mandate for Omaha, saw a lawsuit from the state of Nebraska and had text messages posted by Mayor Jean Stothert, all while COVID-19 continues spreading more than it ever has in her […]
Posted inNews
Famed North Omaha Summer Camp Has Precious Few North Omaha Campers
This story originally appeared in Flatwater Free Press With her laptop open and credit card out, Allyson Mendoza watched the clock flip from 7:59 to 8:00 am. ‘Register now’ popped up on her screen. The mother of three had set timers and reminders for this moment weeks in advance of the March deadline. By 8:02 […]
Posted inNews
Meet the Teacher and Musician In Charge of Human Rights in Omaha
Between solos by Omaha saxophonist Norman Love and excerpts of civil rights era speeches, a baritone voice calls out inequality and demands racial justice. They took their evil plan, And stole me from my land. But you helped me understand, That I am God’s favorite man. Behind the composition and impassioned lyrics is a public […]
