Imagine, for just a second, that the residents of Omaha could no longer drink their tap water. Imagine if Lincoln residents couldn’t cook with theirs.
Imagine if almost any community in our state had white sediment floating in their water. And that water stunk. And that their water had been this way — undrinkable and probably dangerous — for five years.
That’s ridiculous, right? Laughable. Because it would never happen in Omaha. It would never happen in Lincoln. It would never happen in my hometown of Red Cloud.
But it is reality in Santee, home of the Santee Sioux Nation reservation in the northeast corner of our state. The manganese in the water there is as much as 50 times higher than what the EPA says is safe to drink.
FFP reporter Destiny Herbers went to Santee this week, and has this powerful story about what happens when government, at many levels, simply fails a group of Americans.
We’re … No 1? I have now been an Omahan for 18 years, the same amount of years I was a resident of Red Cloud. I am very much an Omahan — for all sorts of reasons, I really like living here!
Hopefully that also gives me license to say: We’re never first in anything, or second either. We aren’t Austin. We aren’t Nashville or Minneapolis. We’re perpetually below the radar, a year or two behind the coastal trends and more or less cool with it. Our most famous celebrity is a bespectacled, rumpled 93-year-old man who loves a good deal and also a good McDonald’s breakfast sandwich. And that seems about right, doesn’t it?
Which made this story, written by FFP Omaha reporter Jeremy Turley, all the more shocking. Among large U.S. counties, the fastest growing economy isn’t located near Austin, or Nashville, or anywhere in Florida.
Turley’s story with the explanation of how the tortoise chugged right past a bunch of hares.
Lincoln, I love you: A big chunk of the FFP staff, including yours truly, spent Wednesday in the Star City. We talked to a dozen community groups at the Lincoln Community Foundation, fishing for (and finding) some great story ideas. We held a public open house in the library auditorium with our friends at the Journal Star, 10/11 News and Nebraska Public Media and answered (really good) questions from the public for two hours. And we attended a reception hosted by our board chair, thanking previous donors and making several Lincoln-related announcements we will roll out publicly soon.
It was a great day. Thank you to everyone who came out.
Elkhorn, you’re next: On Tuesday, May 28, from 4-6 p.m., we will be at the Elkhorn Public Library, talking to parents, providers and experts about child care in Nebraska — and also to any of you, about anything on your mind.
Join FFP journalists, experts from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute and other guests. Parents: Tell us your stories of finding — or struggling to find — affordable quality child care in your communities. Child care providers: Come and tell us what life is like for you in 2024.
Have a story idea about child care or anything else? Have an idea you want to run by me? Register to attend the free event right here.
Wrestling herself: The best female wrestler in the state of Nebraska is a California transplant who used to whip boys, quit the sport, and then, after years of wrestling herself, found herself at Doane.
Remember that quest for 200? During our spring fundraising drive, we set a wildly ambitious goal. We wanted to add 200 new recurring donors.
I’m thrilled to tell you that, thanks to you, we made it. We signed up 214 (?!) new recurring monthly or annual donors during our spring campaign. We also appreciate the 166 one-time gifts that came in during that time.
Lest you think that $10 or $20/month doesn’t matter, these recurring gifts add up to pay the equivalent of more than two full-time reporters. You are allowing us to do more important journalism. From the bottom of my ink-stained heart: Thank you.
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:
- I have repeatedly failed to post this important story in the newsletter, and I want to rectify that now. A scathing new report says that Tyson Foods dumped more than 100 million pounds of pollutants into Nebraska waterways. 10/11 News Now with this story.
- The State of Nebraska is suing the federal government and California over electric vehicles. KETV’s Andrew Ozaki with the story.
- The massive renovation planned for Memorial Stadium is moving forward, but the scope and timing is changing. The World-Herald’s Sam McKewon with the story (some readers may need a subscription to read this story).
- Big news for folks in the North Platte area: The U.S. Postal Service is pausing its decision to move mail sorting services from North Platte to … Denver, reports The North Platte Telegraph (some readers may need a subscription to read this story).
- Nebraska is segregating people with serious mental illnesses in assisted-living facilities and day programs, and it’s violating federal law in the process, according to the Department of Justice. Martha Stoddard at The World-Herald with the story (some readers may need a subscription to read this story).
- Nebraska’s primaries delivered few surprises. Things went pretty smoothly on Election Day – the first with the state’s new voter ID law, reports the Nebraska Examiner.
Talk about a go-getter: An 18-year-old won the Republican primary for a seat on the York County Board of Commissioners, reports William Swett at the York News-Times (some readers may need a subscription to read this story).
An independent candidate challenging U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer said he will not accept endorsements from any political party, a decision that ignited immediate outrage from the Nebraska Democratic Party, reports Aaron Sanderford with the Nebraska Examiner.
And while Donald Trump cruised to victory in the GOP presidential primary, the results indicate the former president is still struggling to win over some moderates, reports Chris Dunker at the Journal Star (some readers may need a subscription to read this story). - Last but not least, a story of achievement in the wake of unfathomable tragedy. The lone survivor of a 2018 crash that killed five people is graduating high school this weekend. A lovely story by Nejla Muminovic at the Norfolk Daily News (some readers may need a subscription to read this story).
