It’s the day before Thanksgiving, and before I head home to make my world famous Hansen Mac ‘n Cheese — the super-secret ingredient is Velveeta — I’m here to deliver your weekly bounty of Flatwater stories.
But first, an introduction: We welcomed Anila Yoganathan to the Flatwater squad this week. Anila, moving here from Atlanta — we do brain gain at the Flatwater Free Press — will cover energy supply and demand, water quantity, spiraling insurance prices, floods and drought, and so much else that impacts both Nebraskans and our climate. She’s the first of three — yes, three — new reporters who will start at Flatwater by Jan. 1. Joining her soon: Andrew Wegley, who has been doing amazing work at the Lincoln Journal Star, and local legend Henry Cordes, who was doing investigative stories for the Omaha World-Herald when I was learning my alphabet and napping in Mr. Donley’s kindergarten class.
On behalf of all of you, with the power vested in me via 45 years of Nebraska residency, I hereby give Anila a warm Cornhusker welcome. (And sorry in advance about the month of February.)
On with the news.
Gut punch in Lexington: It’s wild to think that a Nebraska town of 11,000 just lost more than 3,000 jobs. And this story, published today in Flatwater, shows the closure of the Tyson plant there will have even more far-reaching impacts on Lexington, on the state of Nebraska and on the country — it may actually drive record beef prices even higher.
Story by Josh Funk of the Associated Press, who — small state alert! — was the first editor I had at the Daily Nebraskan, UNL’s college newspaper.
Giving thanks following grief: This is far from your typical Thanksgiving story, but there is gratitude flowing through the story on a Valley woman we published today. Angie Hanson, a Waterloo native, lost her infant son, her husband and her brother in short order. Out of that devastation emerged a desire to heal authentically — and a desire to have messages that really convey what it’s like to go through the grief tunnel. Angie calls them grief cards, and her new company is doing that and more.
Story by our trusty correspondent Tim Trudell, who has been freelancing stories for us since the very beginning.
You maybe noticed … that we’re currently running our end-of-year giving campaign. Flatwater exists and is thriving because of readers like you, people who deem the work of our nonprofit newsroom worthy of a monthly or annual donation. If you haven’t supported us yet in 2025, or if you are new here, here’s the link to join a club that is now 3,400 Nebraskans strong.
I’m not kidding, dear readers. We absolutely could not do this without you. Our success is yours. Our growth is yours. Our news is yours. Thank you for believing in this mission of telling important Nebraska stories to Nebraskans.
Tomorrow, before I dish myself a gigantic helping of Hansen Mac ‘n Cheese, I will give a silent thanks to each and every one of you.
A unicorn spotted in Nebraska: OK, not an actual unicorn, but a term used to signify a startup business that grows very big very quickly and earns a valuation of more than $1 billion.
A little-known Lincoln startup, CompanyCam, is in fact the state’s first-ever unicorn startup, now valued at a staggering $2 billion. It’s instructive how CompanyCam got here, including with the help of a now-paused state program, and what it means for innovation in Nebraska.
Story by Stefanie Monge, the editor of Silicon Prairie News, our sister publication. And — small state alert! — Stefanie and I were co-workers at the World-Herald back in the day.
Thanks to our sponsor: This week, it is Ho-Chunk Inc., which has been a sitewide sponsor of ours since we were in infancy. Ho-Chunk, the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe, uses the traditional name for the Winnebago people, Hochungra. So, translated, its name means: “The People, Incorporated.”
That’s pretty cool. So is what Ho-Chunk, Inc., has done to uplift the tribe since its inception in 1994. Learn more here.
Thank you to Ho-Chunk, Inc., for supporting the mission of Nebraska nonprofit news.
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].
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and here’s hoping the Huskers finally prevail against those villainous Hawkeyes.
— 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:
- Nebraska will have summers like Tulsa by 2050, and like Louisiana by the end of this century, according to a new report out from the Nebraska State Climate Office. Droughts and other extreme weather will mess with corn yields and affect Nebraskans in a host of other ways, the report says. Important story by Dan Crisler of the Omaha World-Herald. (You may need World-Herald subscriber access to view this story.)
- Titanic political news this week. President Donald Trump endorsed Gov. Jim Pillen this week after backing his chief challenger Charles Herbster last time around. That endorsement definitely matters inside a Republican primary, experts and Republican officials tell the Nebraska Examiner’s Aaron Sanderford. Herbster is still weighing another primary run at Pillen, while Democrat Lynne Walz is nearing a run for governor.
- Nebraska’s retiring congressman, Don Bacon, tells Axios he was so infuriated by the Trump peace plan in Ukraine — a plan that Bacon and some other Republicans in both the House and Senate say amounts to total capitulation to Russia — that he considered resigning early.
- More Bacon news: He’s part of a bipartisan group that is calling for an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits with some new strings attached, as the costs of those plans are set to skyrocket. Story by WOWT Channel 6.
- Dual enrollment is on the rise in Nebraska reports Nebraska Public Media’s Jolie Peal, as more and more high school students across the state get a head start on college credit.
- I have always admired this house right on the UNL main campus, and it’s very cool to read in the Journal Star that famed National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore is trying to give it new life. Story by the LJS’ Peter Breen. (You may need Journal Star subscriber access to view this story.)
