Happy Independence Day from your friendly nonprofit newsroom, the Flatwater Free Press. I’m off today, celebrating America’s birthday by a pool — fireworks later! — but neither rain nor sunburn nor holidays keeps this newsletter from firing into your inbox, free of charge.
On a personal note: This week marks the fourth anniversary of the day Matt Wynn and I quit our jobs to co-found Nebraska’s first statewide and independent nonprofit newsroom. It was an idea. A hope. A dream. I’m so glad it’s reality. I hope you are, too.
Onto the news!
Sarpy fireworks: Things were exploding in Nebraska’s fastest-growing county long before the fireworks stands opened for the season. The county attorney has filed a lawsuit against the county board — the board that controls the county attorney’s purse strings. A top prosecutor is being paid not to work. The county attorney refuses to fire that prosecutor, who was accused of misconduct, so the county board barred the prosecutor from the office. It’s costing taxpayers some serious money.
Landlord tussle: Lincoln voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative earlier this year that forces landlords to start renting to low-income renters using federal housing vouchers, commonly referred to as Section 8. But now, opponents of this new local law are preparing a two-pronged attack, reports FFP Lincoln Reporter Emily Wolf.
Step 1: Consider a lawsuit. Step 2: Go to the Nebraska Legislature, which could override the will of Lincoln voters and strike down that local ordinance in its next session. It has happened in many other states, Wolf reports.
From the vault: Since it’s Independence Day weekend, I thought we would highlight a couple of oh-so-American stories from our archives.
So here, for your reading pleasure, is Natalia Alamdari’s story from 2023 celebrating a Sandhills couple who is helping to bring the bison — and its ecosystem — back to Nebraska.
Here is Jeremy Turley’s 2024 story on Zesto, that longtime pusher of soft-serve ice cream, and how the ice cream kings of yesteryear are surviving and thriving in the 21st century.
Here’s my own story from 2022, when I was lucky enough to tag along as a group of Native, white, urban and rural people built a skate park in Nebraska’s poorest county — and then watched as the Omaha Reservation’s best skateboarder, northeast Nebraska’s Tony Hawk, did something truly awe-inspiring.
Happy reading, Nebraskans.
See you in Hastings: The Flatwater Free Press, in partnership with enCourage Advocacy Center and the Hastings Museum, is hosting an important discussion diving deeper into domestic violence in Nebraska. The July 24 panel discussion, moderated by FFP reporter Emily Wolf and featuring panelists who are experts and advocates, will dovetail off of Wolf’s recent coverage of a series of murder-suicides in Nebraska. The article trained a spotlight on the issue of domestic violence.
I plan to be there July 24. If you’re a Flatwater reader living in the Tri-Cities, I’d love to see you there. Register for the free event here.
We have a new sponsor: And it’s a name you may have heard of, JPMorganChase. That national financial institution is sponsoring several nonprofit newsrooms across the country, including ours, and we’re grateful they are putting their name and money behind the important mission of nonprofit news.
Here’s their sponsored story, which offers tips about how to align your expenses with your income.
Oh, and also: If you are a business executive, small business owner, nonprofit executive, marketing type or proud purveyor of a lemonade stand, we would love to talk to you about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more and reach out 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].
Happy Independence Day,
— 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:
- The commission overseeing medical marijuana in Nebraska unveiled their emergency regulations this week, and they are strict — so strict that they will prevent sick people from getting medical marijuana, one advocate told Nebraska Public Media’s Brian Beach.
- Nebraska’s energy system is at a critical inflection point. Demand is rising and threatens to outplace our supply, reports Ani Schutz at our sister publication Silicon Prairie News.
- The number of abortions performed in Nebraska is rising despite a stricter abortion ban, reports the Nebraska Examiner’s Erin Bamer.
- With little explanation, the Trump administration froze nearly $7 billion in education funding. It will harm after-school programs in Omaha, says this story from the New York Times.
Some $29 million of that funding was earmarked for Nebraska, reports the Journal Star’s Andrew Wegley, including money meant to boost teacher training, student achievement and improving language skills for students learning English. (You may need Journal Star subscriber access to read this story.) - The Nebraska Board of Parole has a new chairperson, reports 10/11 News Now. Which of course reminds me of FFP reporter Yanqi Xu’s work on the board of parole — what happened when they didn’t show up for hearings, and then what changed, both in attendance and in state law, in the years after that original story.
- Seward is Nebraska’s 4th of July city, and this 4th of July is an especially big deal there…because they are opening up what’s billed as the world’s largest time capsule. For the last 50 years, this time capsule vault has includes at least one 1975 Chevy Vega (never driven!) and possibly as many as 5,000 letters written by Seward residents and placed into the vault 50 years ago. Pure Nebraska at 10/11 News Now with that oh-so-July 4th story.
