Data centers have seemingly emerged as the hottest button issue of 2026 in Nebraska, as county after county ban them or pause their construction after public outcry.
But right behind data centers, and quickly gaining steam as a thing that animates Nebraskans across our urban-rural and political divides, is a thing you likely don’t even notice as you whiz right underneath one on your way to work.
It’s a Flock camera. There are hundreds now in Nebraska, often mounted on poles overlooking busy streets or intersections, surveillance tools being used by local police, county sheriffs and also ICE and the FBI.
Law enforcement generally see them as a valuable crime-fighting tool, because they make possible nationwide searches for a certain vehicle by license plate number, make, model or vehicle color. Last year, we reported that an Omaha arrest of a man federal authorities labeled a kingpin of the notorious MS-13 gang happened after they tracked him through Flock surveillance.
But opponents across Nebraska are arguing that Flock cameras invade our privacy. They have been misused nationally by law enforcement to track, and even stalk, law-abiding citizens. And it’s simply a little too Big Brother for some Nebraskans.
Which brings us to Ord. Today we published a smart story from new central Nebraska reporter Pierce Gentry about the Flock fight happening in that central Nebraska town.
The city council green-lit their installation. Ord residents were at first unaware, and then some got very pissed. So the council changed course, voting to remove them — becoming the first city in the state to do so.
Just one problem: The county, not the city, owns the surveillance cameras.
Check out Pierce’s story, which leads you through the twists and turns of this wild one. Also read it because Ord seems like a canary in the coal mine. I have a feeling we will debating the issue all across Nebraska in the coming months.
First time for everything: In the last few years, for the first time in memory, Omaha built more apartments than houses. That’s the jumping off point of Henry Cordes’ latest story for Flatwater, which is also the latest story in our series, “Priced out the Good Life.”
It’s also a window into how Omahans and Nebraskans are living today, and how much that has changed as home prices soar and wages stagnant. It’s putting that central tenant of the stereotypical American Dream — owning your own home — out of reach for many young adult Nebraskans in a way it wasn’t for me, my parents or my grandparents. That’s both fascinating and troubling. Read Henry’s Omaha story here.
Five year reflections from moi: You may have heard that, next month, the Flatwater Free Press turns five years old. I wrote something about that milestone, how far we have come in five years — and the different ways in which you can celebrate with us.
It was fun to take a half-step back and write this the other day. Check it out.
Documenters doing it: Every single week, our Documenters in Omaha and Lincoln cover public meetings where elected leaders make important decisions about your taxes, your streets, your schools and more. Without Documenters, many of these meetings would happen without a reporter in the room.
Well, good news. You can help us cover even more of these by donating in support of Documenters. I’m asking today because, right now, we’re partnering with the national Documenters on Duty campaign, which will match your donation dollar-for-dollar. Every $1 you donate becomes $2! What a deal!
Learn more about our local Documenters and then please consider donating today.
Food focus: We published two stories this week, both about food and how we eat, that come at that issue from opposite ends of the state, and opposite ends of the food chain.
The largest feedlot in America already holds cattle but is still going to get way bigger in southwest Nebraska. Georgina Gustin, a reporter for Inside Climate News, travelled to tiny Haigler and penned a long quality read about the feedlot, its hard-to-fathom size and why some residents have pushed back against it.
Zoom all the way across the state, to North Omaha, where it’s increasingly difficult to buy affordable fresh food. Three grocery stores have closed here in the past year, making the area even more of a “food desert” than it was previously. Now, a new nonprofit grocery store is hoping to change that — and to offer residents healthy and affordable food, and community, too.
Nice one from our undergraduate fellow, recent college graduate and the pride of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Kaitlyn Kelly.
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? Reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Sincerely,
—Matthew Hansen, Executive Editor
Thanks to this week’s sponsor
Learn more about Flatwater Free Press sponsorship options »
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:
- Speaking of Flock cameras…a western Nebraska police chief just nixed a budget request to buy them in Alliance. Story by Matt Olberding, news director for Nebraska Public Media.
- And speaking of beef…President Trump has paused tariffs on imported ground beef, a move that has angered his usual Republican allies, including farm-state leaders in places like Nebraska. And sure enough, Nebraska lawmakers were not thrilled. Stories by PBS and the Lincoln Journal Star. (You may need LJS subscriber access to view that one.)
- And speaking of data centers…an Israeli company appears to be buying up land near Hallam while planning to build a giant data center. Story by NPM’s Maddie Ames.
- I’m showing you this story because it’s an important one, and because one of the names on the story’s byline is none other than Libby Seline, who previously worked for Flatwater completing our election guide. Now she’s writing about two jails that are supposed to detain immigrants for less than 72 hours. One held a woman for 26 days. Story by Libby and ProPublica. Nice work, Libby!
- Need a late-summer trip? Check out the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Sioux County, says this story by 10/11 News Now and Pure Nebraska.
- You have already heard, but American icon and American original Dolly Parton passed away this week. I wanted to pass along a couple Dolly-related stories and one podcast I think are worth spending time with.
I really loved this New York Times column on The Meaning of Dolly. And if you haven’t listened to it yet, it’s high time you listened to the podcast Dolly Parton’s America. - And finally, there are foxes in Wahoo. And the foxes have become celebrities. Story by NPM’s Hannah Nazarenus.
