Hey Omaha, Chris here.
We’re only a few weeks away from the April 1 primary for Omaha’s city elections (the general is May 13). So far there’s been a lively buildup.
Republican Mike McDonnell took shots at the city’s use of tax breaks for development. Stothert released a city-funded study to show everything is above board. The streetcar has come up. As did a city employee McDonnell called a “DEI hire” that he would fire on day one.
You might have also gotten some mail comparing Stothert to President Donald Trump. That was paid for by the Nebraska Democratic Party — but it was shared first with McDonnell’s campaign, according to an email leaked to Reddit.
One Democratic mayoral candidate called the interaction “not normal,” and had concerns about a “commitment made by donors” that Kleeb referenced in a follow up email, also posted to Reddit.
Another Democratic mayoral candidate called it a distraction. In the emails posted to Reddit, Kleeb said the Democrats are not working with McDonnell and his campaign had no input or approval over the ad. McDonnell’s campaign manager called the framing that his candidate and the state Democrats are working together a “conspiracy.”
Check out the story here or click the photo above.
— Chris Bowling, Flatwater Free Press
This month, the Omaha art scene asks us to turn our eyes upward, reflect on past generations and support our community’s most vulnerable. Spring into March
with art, food and a good cause!
Josephine Langbehn: The Space Between
For years, Nebraska artist and educator Josephine Langbehn has participated in many local public art projects and exhibited regionally and nationally. Now Langbehn has her first solo exhibition at Ming Toy Gallery in the Benson during the creative district’s March First Friday. Langbehn’s monochromatic paintings provoke deep human truths and connections through images of past generations. Her images catch the viewer’s heart, creating an atmosphere of warm nostalgia and fond familiarity at “The Space Between.”
– When: Opening reception: Friday, March 7, 5:30-9 p.m. Gallery hours: Wednesday 1-6 p.m., Thursday 5-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and by appointment.
– Where: Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple St., Omaha
Robert Duncan book signing
Join Robert Duncan and Gallery 1516 for this very special event! Duncan will be on hand to sign copies of his book Barragán: Spiritual Master. This event accompanies his current photography exhibit of Barragán’s architectural masterpieces in Mexico City: Cuadra San Cristóbal and Casa Gilardi.
– When: Saturday, March 8, 3-5 p.m.
– Where: Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St., Omaha
Eyes Turned Skyward: Bellows, Quiroz and Tharnish
The Artist Cooperative Gallery continues to celebrate its 50th year of exhibiting regional art through “Eyes Turned Upward.” Featuring intimate images of the natural world and surreal otherworldly dreamscapes through the drawings, paintings, collages and poetry of Nash Bellows, Gabriella Quiroz and Holly Tharnish!
– When: Opening reception: Saturday, March 8, 2-5 p.m. Gallery hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. until March 29.
– Where: Artist Cooperative Gallery, 405 South 11th St., Omaha
28th Annual VNA Art & Soup
Come support the mission of Visiting Nurse Association at their annual Art & Soup event, which will feature the diverse works of 30 artists accompanied by delicious food from 20 local restaurants! Enjoy art, food and culture all while supporting healthcare for the area’s most vulnerable.
– When: Sunday, March 9, 2-5 p.m.
– Where: Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St., Omaha
War Games
The current exhibition at UNO’s Samuel Bak Museum features watercolors reflecting on Bak’s childhood during the Holocaust, contemporary experiences of children throughout war zones and areas of conflict as well as the hope and belief that peace and reason will triumph in the end.
– When: Wednesday, Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, noon-4 p.m. until June 29.
– Where: The Samuel Bak Museum, 2289 S. 67th St., Omaha
— Bart Vargas is a visual artist, educator and advocate based in Omaha, Nebraska. He publishes a weekly list of local arts, culture and entertainment events on social media, and operates an international studio with his wife Bekah Jerde.
The Douglas County Board voted to oppose Nebraska Legislative Bill 451, which would restrict voter registration, mail-in voting. The board cited concerns over how the legislation would impact voter registration and election costs.
The Sheriff’s Office reported a drop in property crimes due to investigative restructuring and emphasized traffic safety as a top public concern. The board also recognized March as Women’s History Month and Irish-American Heritage Month and approved funding increases for mental health and youth programs. Read the full summary here and the full meeting notes on the Documenters website.
Want to help inform your community and create better journalism while getting paid? Become a Documenter today.
— Leah Wambui Keinama, Nebraska Journalism Trust
My coworker (and fellow Cocteau Twins and Jesus and the Mary Chain fan) Chris Bowling has got something I envy: he’s in a band! His band Talent Show took a hiatus after he switched to journalism full-time. Great for Nebraska journalism, though a loss for the indie music scene here.
So how can I miss this very important band reunion this Saturday? They’re performing with Online Blunt and Petsit at the Sydney in Benson. Show starts at 8 p.m. Come hear the first live performance of my favorite Talent Show song “Newman.” It’s on Spotify too.
— Yanqi Xu, Flatwater Free Press
A blizzard hit Omaha Tuesday night and Wednesday morning bringing snow, ice and wind gusts reaching 64 miles per hour. The storm left one person dead. Thousands also lost power. Tonight KETV meteorologist Sean Everson expects a rain/snow mix that will turn to all snow on Friday.
The U.S. arrested the “top terrorist” responsible for the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed Marine Cpl. Daegan Page, a 23-year-old Millard South High School graduate, KETV reports. Page’s family expressed surprise and relief after Trump shared the news with Congress.
A Omaha City Council candidate believes anti-abortion activists may have set his lawn on fire. Tim Carter, running for the council’s District 7 seat in northwest Omaha, said his wife was targeted for escorting people to abortion appointments, KETV’s Aaron Hegarty reports.
Don Bacon, the Omaha area’s Republican congressman, told CBS President Donald Trump was wrong in telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy his country started the war with Russia, something Russian President Vladimir Putin has falsely claimed. Nebraska’s other federal representatives called Zelenskyy “disrespectful” after last week’s Oval Office confrontation or affirmed trust in Trump’s process, 1011 reports.
Priests don’t take a vow of poverty, writes Henry Cordes at The World-Herald, but it’s still fascinating that one who led Boys Town — a nonprofit approaching half a billion dollars in annual revenue — left with $500,000 for retirement on top of a six-figure salary during his working years. Boystown said Rev. Steven Boes donated a large chunk of change back to the institution. (You may need an OWH subscription to read the story.)
A man was caught in Honduras after years on the run for a 2016 manslaughter charge, reports KETV’s Samantha Pastorino. Eswin Mejia was driving drunk in Omaha when he hit Sarah Root’s car, killing her. Root’s death inspired Sarah’s law which requires police to detain people in the country without documentation if they’re involved with a crime that resulted in death or serious injury.
Residents of Drake Court, a downtown Omaha apartment complex, recently voted to form a tenants union amid allegations that landlord Harvest Development failed to provide solid security and improperly managed leases, KMTV’s Jill Lamkins reported. It’s the fifth local tenants union to come onto the scene since last summer. We wrote about the developing trend in September as it gained momentum.
The Flatwater Free Press is published by the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity