Happy New Year! Now allow me to metaphorically blow one of those leftover NYE noisemakers in your ear and say: Here’s something that Nebraska can and should get better at in 2026.
Andrew Wegley’s story, his first for Flatwater Free Press, should be a wake-up call for state leaders and Nebraskans alike that our state’s most vulnerable adults aren’t being properly protected.
Wegley’s story dives into the case of Becky Stamp. She was appointed by Nebraska courts to be the guardian of dozens of Nebraskans deemed to be unable to care for themselves because of age or disability.
This court-appointed guardian allegedly stole from them. She allegedly abused them. She allegedly exhibited all sorts of red flags that the judicial branch and bureaucracy could have caught. And then, even after she was arrested and charged with felonies, she was still allowed to remain the court-appointed guardian for dozens of vulnerable Nebraskans.
Oof. Read Wegley’s eye-opening story here.
Here’s hoping it sparks further reform and further oversight inside a system that has a long and troubled history in our state.
Doc Khan’s Journey: I have long thought Ali Khan was one of the most fascinating people in Nebraska. And I’m so glad we partnered with Omaha Magazine and had correspondent Chris Burbach tell Khan’s story.
Khan identified “Patient Zero” of an infamous Ebola outbreak in Africa. He rose to the top of the CDC before moving to Nebraska to become a top official at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He became one of the country’s most decorated detectives of infectious diseases. He wrote a book foreshadowing a COVID-like event. And even as he helped save lives around the globe, misinformation — and death from once-disappeared viruses like measles — was spreading at home.
Read our story on the incredible life of this Nebraskan here.
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Let’s rock: I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a local band I have never heard … an all-female, surf punk band that’s gaining notoriety in Lincoln and has a fantastic name: Estrogen Projection.
Correspondent Tynan Stewart with a story about the band, quickly becoming a fixture on the Lincoln music landscape.
Thanks to our sponsor: This week, it’s Liebman Financial Services. They’re located in a lovely building on the Louisville main street. And they work to properly manage the money of “the people in the middle” who aren’t billionaires but who do have some long-term resources that need managing.
Mark, the founder, has an office back by the coffee machine. He has built the business with the help of his wife, his brother and two children and other experts and employees. Together, Liebman Financial Services helps people craft their own personal financial management plans, with individual attention and Nebraska care.
Thank you to Liebman Financial Services for supporting the important mission of Nebraska nonprofit news.
Questions wanted: It’s a new year, which means new story ideas and new burning questions. Have something that Flatwater reporters should look into? Complete this form or reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Matthew Hansen, Executive Editor
Thanks to this week’s sponsor
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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:
- Giant news last week has turned into a power struggle this week. The University of Nebraska is considering buying out Clarkson College and taking full control of Nebraska Medicine. But the hospital’s board of directors is pushing back, saying it’s a bad idea. (Story by KETV.)
The University of Nebraska’s Board of Regents has now delayed a vote on the purchase, as state lawmakers say they need more information about the $800 million deal. (Story by the World-Herald’s Julie Anderson. You may need OWH subscriber access to view this story.) - More university news: Rodney Bennett is out as UNL’s chancellor, and he will be paid $1.1 million on his way out, reports the Journal Star’s Chris Dunker. (You may need LJS subscriber access to view this story.)
- University of Nebraska regent Elizabeth O’Connor is resigning, effective today, after she was arrested after allegedly driving while drunk and hitting a car in Omaha’s Benson neighborhood. Story by 10/11 News Now.
O’Connor would have faced impeachment proceedings if she hadn’t resigned. - Meanwhile, Nebraska State Sen. Dan McKeon is refusing to resign as the Legislature begins the process of attempting to kick him out of office. McKeon is charged with inappropriately touching a woman, a female staffer, at a party last year. The Legislature unveiled other charges against McKeon this week. Story by the Nebraska Examiner’s Erin Bamer.
- Should Husker athletes’ paychecks be public? Depends on who you ask, reports Nebraska Public Media’s Aaron Bonderson.
- A $250 million salmon farm is coming to Nebraska City? Yes, it appears it is. Story by NPM’s Jessica Wade.
- I loved this Steve White obituary of Barb Batie, a Lexington-area woman who told the stories of rural Nebraska. Nebraska is going to miss Barb.
- By at least one moving metric, Nebraska has fallen behind its neighbors to bring in more new residents than it loses.
- And finally, dream with me, for a moment, that it’s May. Let’s check out all the golf course options in the Nebraska Sandhills, shall we?
