Here’s a fun game. Let’s say you made some great investment decisions, saved your money, amassed a fortune and retired at 48 years old.
What would you do then? My meandering answer may involve the words “business class” and “Turks & Caicos” and for sure also “golf.” (I need to come up with a better answer.)
Here is what New Yorker Nicholas Claps did.
He designed a scholarship fund that, when he and wife Mary Beth die, will eventually give hundreds or thousands of upstate New York students a heck of a deal.
The deal: A full ride to college, tuition, room and board.
The hitch: The New Yorkers have to go to college in…Nebraska?
FFP contributor Cindy Lange-Kubick with the story of a unassuming millionaire from Syracuse, New York, who got his start at a now defunct college in Scottsbluff, and is now building the oddest of pipelines. A pipeline of teenage New Yorkers who will become Cornhuskers, Lopers or Mavs.
Excessive use of force, ‘til it wasn’t.
On the dash cam video, the moment in question is just that — a single moment — when Sgt. Aaron Hanson, former president of Omaha’s powerful police union, knees a handcuffed man in North Omaha and drops him to the ground.
Is that excessive force? The police department’s internal review board said, unanimously, yes. But then Omaha’s police chief said no.
We published this story this week in partnership with The Omaha Reader, whose editor, Chris Bowling, exhaustively reported this tale. There are accusations, and counter-accusations, and counter-counter accusations. And we spent ample time and energy trying to untangle them and explain the chain of events, and controversies, that arose from that single moment in time.
To me, it’s also interesting because it gives us a rare glimpse into how the police police themselves.
Thanks, Ho-Chunk:
Our newest sponsor is the state’s largest minority-owned business. Ho-Chunk, Inc is the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s economic development company, which works to create social and economic opportunity for tribal members.
Having recently spent a decent amount of time in northeast Nebraska — for a story coming next week! — I can tell you that the Winnebago Tribe’s success is undeniable.
We got totes (and shirts, and mugs): FFP reporter and self-appointed Vice President of Totes Natalia Alamdari wants me to remind you that, indeed, we have tote bags and much other cool swag for sale via Raygun. I prefer the gray t-shirt and the coffee mug. Probably why I’m not the VP of Totes.
Next week: We begin a series of stories we have been working our butts off on. And…the author of next week’s newsletter will be a special mystery guest!
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:
- A group of Nebraska state senators held a press conference to say they had uncovered evidence that the Nebraska Department of Education was promoting critical race theory to teachers.
A few problems with this are noted by crackerjack central Nebraska reporter Steve White in his story. One example: The evidence the state senators was sharing isn’t actually from the Nebraska Dept of Education, or accessible from its website. - Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has spent at least $2.2 million on political campaigns in 2022, KMTV 3 News Now’s Jon Kipper reports. Other big donors this year: Ricketts’ parents, Lincoln businessmen Tom and Shawn Peed and NU Regent Barbara Weitz.
- Another beautiful sendoff for Nebraska storyteller Roger Welsch, who died Sept. 30 after a lifetime spent telling Nebraska stories to CBS audiences and to anyone smart enough to listen. This one is from the New York Times.
- And finally. Flying cars? Not yet. But tractors that can drive themselves, with no farmer present…coming very very soon, according to John Deere in a story published by Nebraska Public Media.
I can guarantee a robot tractor will do slightly better field work than was done by a shoddy 15-year-old me.
