It’s a birth story that little Raiden will hear over and over and over again, until he’s an adult and sick of hearing about it.
It’s a story that led to one cool birth certificate. Who else can say their official place of birth is listed as “Mile Marker 32”?
It’s important because his mother and father and many small-town Nebraska parents just like them are increasingly forced to do something no resident of Lincoln or Omaha would ever dream of. They must drive an hour, or two hours, to reach the nearest hospital that will deliver their babies.
A cute story, when you are born after Mile Marker 32 and everything turns out fine. And also a terrifying one, when you read that rural Nebraska’s maternal mortality rates are notably higher than urban rates.
Good work by Addie Costello, who is a Texas Longhorn. But we don’t hold that against her.
Severe is (Almost) Here: We’re excited to announce that Mike’l Severe, a longtime TV broadcaster and sports-talk radio host, is going to join our FFP team as a monthly contributor. He’s doing so because he’s a fantastic interviewer, and we like hiring people who are fantastic at their jobs. And he’s doing so because we want to tell our dear subscribers — that’s you! — good stories in many different kinds of ways.
Severe’s interview series, set to start later this month, will be offered as audio, video and also transcribed and easy to read. This series doesn’t have a name yet, but it does have a first guest.
Sen. Bob Kerrey.
I’m excited to listen to it, watch it and also read it. Please join me in welcoming Mike’l to our motley band of full-time and freelance Nebraska journalists.
Our office is a wonderland: We have a whiteboard that is currently covered in story ideas — a schedule I’m very proud of, by the way, one I have been gazing at lovingly all afternoon. We own not one but two couches. One of them looks like the couch at your grandmother’s house. The other feels like it was made out of trash bags. We have some very old and squeaky desks, and some very not-ergonomic chairs, some legitimately cool art and, inexplicably, exactly one cane.
I’m painting you a picture here, but don’t take my word for it. Come to our office open house this weekend, part of the first-ever Open Omaha put on by Omaha By Design. We’re in the Mastercraft building at 1111 N. 13th Street, which is part of the really, really impressive new Millwork Commons development. Our executive director Matt Wynn will be here on Saturday to show you around. I’ll make an appearance Sunday afternoon. Our reporters will be coming and going.
It’s open 10-5 both days. If you’re nice, maybe we will give you a beer out of our very fancy dorm fridge.
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:
- Sometimes as a reporter or editor you see a story and think, “%$#!#$%$! I shoulda thought of that.”
That was my reaction when I saw KETV Channel 7’s story this week. They paid attention to the subtext behind a squabble between Mayor Jean Stothert and the Omaha City Council. They requested the mayor’s calendar for the past year. And they learned that Mayor Stothert has been outside of Omaha for 84 days during that time.
Wish I woulda thought of that. - If you’re conscious, you have heard that voters in conservative Kansas went to the ballot box and overwhelmingly rejected an initiative that likely would have led to an abortion ban. That vote, and the overwhelming margin run up by Kansans who seem to want to preserve the right to an abortion, has shaken the political world. And it’s tremors are felt in Nebraska, too, as the Nebraska Examiner’s Johnny-on-the-spot Paul Hammel reported this week.
- At the risk of embarrassing him, I must say that I learned much of what (little) I know about writing from Mr. Peter Salter.
The Journal Star stalwart brings his ample skills to a tragic story: The 10-year-old who died inside a York hotel.
