No time for jibber jabber. We have late breaking news, we have six (?!) stories for you to read this week, and I am going to deliver you the FFP newsletter with military precision and then go sit on a patio like the one pictured above and drink a very, very cold beer.
Let’s do it.
Abortion numbers crater in Nebraska: The state released its latest abortion statistics Friday morning, and Yanqi Xu, who has been covering this issue along with reporter Sara Gentzler, has the news.
And Yanqi also has the context. In today’s story, which we just published, she talks to women who traveled out of state to get abortions, and experts who suggest that Nebraska women may be getting abortions in a way that the state can’t count.
Omaha lawsuit: More late-breaking news. FFP reporter Jeremy Turley has focused reporting on the Omaha Housing Authority for months, detailing ways in which the city’s poorest tenants are often evicted for small amounts of money, or not made aware of rent exemptions that could keep them in their apartments and out of homeless shelters.
Mmmmmm ice cream: Those first two stories got you down? May I interest you in a tasty feature story about the one-and-only Zesto, the beloved ice cream chain — once with many locations in Nebraska — that’s still alive. And now it appears to be mounting a soft-serve comeback. Story by Jeremy Turley.
And Omahans, if you like stories like this, sign up for our Omaha newsletter, which is written by Turley and fellow FFP Omaha reporter Chris Bowling and comes out every Thursday morning. Go to this link and make sure the box that says “Omaha news and events” is checked.
Mmmmmmm patios: Weatherman says it’s going to be 80 degrees and sunny in Omaha tomorrow, and for good measure, 82 and sunny in Scottsbluff.
You know what that means, in the waning days of June? It’s a perfect day to dine and drink on your favorite patio.
Thursday, we published her picks of the metro Omaha area’s very best patios, the places where she recommends you watch the sunset on a gorgeous Saturday night.
Merv’s sorry: Sara Gentzler and Yanqi Xu had another incredibly powerful story this week, and I want to make sure you didn’t miss it. It’s a story about how politics can affect lives. A story about how, specifically, one exception in one bill that an 81-year-old Omaha state senator didn’t fight for may have changed the story of a 43-year-old midtown Omaha mom. The state senator now says he regrets it. The Omaha mom — well, you can click on the story to see her response.
Cowboy Trailin’: I love the first two paragraphs of today’s story on the Cowboy Trail, that incredible cycling, running and walking trail that cuts through northern Nebraska, from Norfolk to Chadron!
Just one problem. It’s been 30 years, and the Cowboy Trail remains unfinished.
Welcome new freelancer Heidi Beguin, who has the story of a cowpoke odyssey to finish this sucker, which is already a tourism attraction. It could give whole swaths of Nebraska a serious economic boost if we could get it done.
Questions wanted: Some of our best story ideas come from readers, and they typically start with a burning question that just cries out for an answer. Have a question that our reporters need to look into? Complete this form or reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Sincerely,
—Matthew Hansen, Executive Editor
Here’s what we’re into this week: News from around Nebraska
Every week we like to share great Nebraska journalism, no matter who made it. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
- Three months after a Nebraska teen died on a hog farm owned by Pillen Family Farms, the company founded by Nebraska’s governor, there’s still no autopsy report. Story by Jake Lawson of 10/11 News Now.
- A few weeks ago, we published this story, by FFP reporter Destiny Herbers, on the dire situation for residents of Santee, who haven’t had drinkable water in five years. Not five weeks or five months. Five years.
Well, I’m happy to share this update from the Journal Star’s Taylor Satoski. It’s not a permanent solution, but it’s still a heartwarming one. - My fave central Nebraska reporter, NTV’s Steve White, with his usual good work. This one is about the spiraling price of your Fourth of July BBQ, and why costs are so high.
- Nebraska’s state auditor alleges a small nonprofit that helps manage the Niobrara Scenic River corridor misused public funds. The Nebraska Examiner’s Cindy Gonzalez with the story.
