FFP managing editor Ryan Hoffman filling in for the irreplaceable Matthew Hansen, who made the mistake of scheduling a short getaway this week. I’m seizing the opportunity to engage in a little editorializing, because truthfully it is hard to read today’s story by FFP government watchdog reporter Sara Gentzler and not feel disappointed.
For years we’ve heard about Nebraska’s persistent child care crisis. Parents and providers have pleaded for help. Elected leaders have talked about it – some even introduced legislation. Little has changed.
And now this year, Gentzler writes, advocates are on defense, hoping to maintain the little progress made in recent years.
It’s frustrating. Frustrating as a Nebraskan. Frustrating as a parent. Frustrating as a person who has listened to countless politicians talk about the need to attract and retain young people, to be pro family. All that yammering is about as valuable as the contents of the diaper I changed just before sitting down to write this.
No reasonable person expects a cure-all. But to do nothing because of a difficult budget situation of your own creation … one can’t help but feel that easing the mortgage-sized burden for parents and the poverty-straddling existence of providers really isn’t a priority.
$treetcar stumping: Omaha mayoral candidate Mike McDonnell has tapped into some residents’ frustration regarding the city’s in-progress streetcar project. He’s promised to put the issue before voters, believing that they will vote to cancel the whole thing. If that were to happen, how much would it cost the city to walk away from the streetcar? FFP Omaha reporter Chris Bowling set out to answer that question in his story this week.
Play ball: Did you know that Nebraska once hosted an innovative baseball league that launched the careers of some Hall of Fame players? I didn’t … until I read this fascinating story from contributors Kevin Warneke and John Shorey, who recount the rise and fall of the Nebraska State League. It’s the perfect story for Opening Day week (my Cincinnati Reds are 0-1, which means it’s time to look ahead to football season).
Thank you for sharing: Hi, it’s FFP Editor Matthew Hansen. Briefly pausing my vacation to butt in on Ryan here and tell you that we’re currently doing a subscriber campaign to get more people to sign up for this newsletter. This means you may see a few more spots to sign up on our website, on our stories and on social media.
But we realized something as we were designing the campaign.
Our very best advocates are you.
So, a question: Do you value this weekly email? Do you think FFP stories, and the curated list of news from around Nebraska, are something that other Nebraskans should plug into, too?
If yes, please forward this newsletter or send the sign-up link below to your best friend or your co-worker or your dad’s cousin Larry. (Dad, you should actually send this to Cousin Larry.)
Tell them it’s free. Tell them why you value FFP and the newsletter. Tell them to click right here.
We sent our very first newsletter the day before Matt Wynn and I quit our jobs to start the Flatwater Free Press. June 30, 2021. It went to 74 people.
Last week, I sent this newsletter to exactly 17,002 readers. Sixty percent of you opened it.
That’s jaw dropping to me. That is gobsmacking. That is … only 3,000 readers away from 20K. Help us get there, and help us get FFP in front of more Nebraskans. Thank you.
Deflated forecast: Last week the National Weather Service announced it was suspending weather balloon launches in Omaha, citing insufficient staffing. It turns out that could negatively impact the accuracy of local weather forecasts, multiple meteorologists told longtime weather and environment reporter Nancy Gaarder. All of this comes as we head into severe weather season, which is … not great.
Knowledge is power: Election Day is right around the corner in Omaha and Lincoln. Wondering who to vote for in Omaha’s mayoral race? And what’s the deal with that tax question in Lincoln? We’ve got you covered. The FFP team and Hanscom Park Studio worked hard to create easy-to-use guides for both cities.
You can read up on the Omaha races here.
And if you’re here in Lincoln (howdy, neighbor), you can learn about the candidates and issues here.
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].
Thanks for reading,
—Ryan Hoffman, managing 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:
- A new microtransit service coming to Omaha aims to fill a missing link in public transportation: the space between a person’s home or work and the nearest bus stop. The World-Herald’s Henry Cordes has the story. (You may need a subscription to read this story.)
- The stopgap funding bill passed by Congress earlier this month kept the federal government open but nixed more than $100 million in earmarks U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer sought for her home state, reports Andrew Wegley at the Journal Star. (Might need a subscription to read this.)
The dropped earmarks included funding to restore safe drinking water to Santee Sioux Nation. As FFP’s Destiny Herbers reported last year, the reservation has gone years without it. - The Cherry County Board rejected a funding request from the local ag society, citing transparency concerns, reports Casey Wonnenberg at News Channel Nebraska. As one commissioner said, “There’s a lot of distrust at the moment.”
- Rep. Don Bacon said he would push back on any efforts to privatize the U.S. Postal Service. The remarks came during a wide-ranging tele-town hall with constituents, reports Juan Salinas II at the Nebraska Examiner.
- The Lincoln Police Department is still grappling with how to handle misconduct, allegations and the persistence of systemic problems, writes Lauryn Higgins for the Midwest Newsroom.
Last year, FFP’s Naomi Delkamiller reported that the City of Lincoln has paid out much more money than Omaha to resolve misconduct by city employees, primarily in the police and fire departments. - 10/11 Now’s Bayley Bischof shared the powerful story of a domestic violence survivor as part of the outlet’s ongoing series on the issue. As Bischof relays, the story highlights gaps in the criminal justice system.
- The Department of Government Efficiency has reversed its decision to cancel a lease for the National Park Service visitor center in Valentine, reports Todd von Kampen of the North Platte Telegraph. (Might need a subscription to read this.)
The lease was one of five in Nebraska that FFP reporter Jeremy Turley identified earlier this month on DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts.” Since then, the Elon Musk-led group also reversed plans to end a lease for an IRS office in Scottsbluff. - PBS highlighted how some Nebraskans are being impacted by the Trump administration’s policies.
- Given my child care tirade earlier, I should probably share these stories about SOMEBODY actually doing something. In Wynot, a group of residents plans to build a new child care facility following the closure of three in-home providers, reports Hanky Hazelton at News Channel Nebraska.
And in Lincoln, TMCO is building a child care center for its employees, 40% of whom are immigrants or refugees. The Journal Star’s Margaret Reist has the story. (Might need a subscription to read this.)
