Howdy, Omaha — it’s Jeremy.
I was feeling left out a few weeks ago. All my friends and colleagues in the Omaha press were writing great stories about the upcoming city elections — reporting live from the downtown sinkhole or digging deep on intraparty drama. I wanted in.
So, I started asking non-journalists in my orbit what questions about the election they’d like answered. The most common response was a bit more existential than I expected: Why do we even have elections right now? Didn’t we just do this a few months ago?
It got me thinking for the first time about something political scientists call “election timing.” There’s ironclad evidence that off-cycle local elections, like the one next week in Omaha, have way lower voter turnout than statewide contests. They also cost taxpayers money.
Century-old state laws requires Omaha and Lincoln to hold odd-year elections, but that could soon change. The Unicam is considering a bill that would let the cities align their elections with the presidential ballot. Both mayoral candidates, Jean Stothert and John Ewing, say they’d be in favor of the switch-up.
Supporters of the status quo, including a majority of Omaha city councilmembers, contend that synchronizing city races with big-ticket elections would drown out local issues and candidates.
For me, this had all the trappings of a fun reporting assignment: unearthing laws passed in the 1870s, rummaging through newspaper archives, comparing notes with a fellow campaign button collector. I hope reading it takes you on a similarly enjoyable and thought-provoking journey.
You can read the story here (or click the photo above).
— Jeremy Turley, Flatwater Free Press
Steak Town USA: Gorat’s is reinvesting in its own future
One of the greatest pleasures of being a food critic is also one of the rarest: surprise.
Gorat’s, famous for being Omaha billionaire Warren Buffett’s favorite place, is going through a transformation. I’ll admit, I had low expectations going into this story. Regardless, I was thrilled to find a refreshed version of this Omaha classic, with a new chef in the kitchen and new management in the front of the house.
Those changes, along with a new focus on higher-quality ingredients, better meat and improved service, left me feeling not just surprised but also pleased.
Check out the latest Steak Town story.
Sarah Baker Hansen is an award-winning writer who has covered Omaha’s food scene for more than a decade. She posts restaurant reviews and food news on her blog, sarahbakerhansen.com.
Join us for a discussion on mental health in Omaha
On Thursday, June 12, Flatwater is heading to the Westside Community Schools Community Center to talk mental health: Where is our community succeeding? Where is it falling short? What opportunities are out there to improve a vital system?
Our panelists represent public health, homelessness services, treatment providers in communities of color and family of people with severe and persistent mental illness. Check out our website to learn more and RSVP for the free event. This is the first in a series of discussions we’re hosting with the Omaha Community Foundation to talk about important issues in our area.
Hamilton’s hitting the big stage in Omaha this month, and luckily my friend Stefanie Monge (also the editor/boss lady of Silicon Prairie News) secured tickets for opening night the moment they went on sale.
Though I’ve been a Hamilton fan for the past decade, last night was my first time actually being in the room where it happens. It was amazing – so much more powerful live than on Spotify – and the Orpheum is a gorgeous venue. We might need to see it again before it leaves town.
The epic Tony-winning show is playing at the Orpheum through May 18, and a few tickets are still for sale.
— Destiny Herbers, Flatwater Free Press
Legendary investor and Omaha townie Warren Buffett announced he will step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and hand off the long-held post to Greg Abel at the end of the year, CNN (and everyone else) reported. The 94-year-old Oracle of Omaha will remain the company’s chairman.
In his final appearance as CEO at Berkshire’s annual shareholder meeting, Buffett spoke out against tariffs imposed by the U.S. on other countries, noting that “trade should not be a weapon.” Buffett did not mention President Donald Trump by name, but his rebuke of the administration’s policies drew applause from attending capitalists, NPR reported.
Buffett’s retirement announcement prompted reflection from the country’s major news outlets. The AP’s Josh Funk wrote a rundown of Buffett’s best and worst investments. The New York Times wrote a listicle about his career highlights. The Wall Street Journal asked leading Omahans for their thoughts, including Mayor Jean Stothert and Chamber CEO Heath Mello.
A former Omaha school board president alleged Democratic mayoral candidate John Ewing mismanaged millions in school funds years ago in his role as Douglas County Treasurer. The World-Herald’s Luna Stephens noticed Republican Mayor Jean Stothert’s campaign people at the press conference and pointed out the former school board official works for the Republican Douglas County Sheriff. Politics! (You may need a subscription to read this story)
Legalizing medical marijuana has been a stubborn, 13-year fight for one Bellevue couple seeking relief for the epileptic son. And it’s not over, writes Josh Reyes at The World-Herald. Though Nebraskans gave medical marijuana the OK in a statewide vote, conservative lawmakers aren’t rushing to make it available. (You may need a subscription to read this story)
Omaha Council President Pete Festersen called for better signage in N.P. Dodge Park to warn people of the Missouri River’s dangers after a girl and two young women drowned, The World-Herald reported. The drowning victims were fishing in the river when its current swept them away. (You may need a subscription to read this story.)
Douglas County deputies arrested the two owners of a northwest Omaha dispensary on suspicion of drug crimes and seized around 500 mushroom-type products, WOWT reported. Some of the products were tested and found to contain illegal substances. The arrests came after police responded to a call where a naked man who had taken mushrooms from the dispensary was found walking around a neighborhood and acting erratically.
A vision for an Omaha-Lincoln bike trail hit a roadblock in Cass County, writes Paul Hammel at the Nebraska Examiner. The county board had already approved an agreement on the trail last fall but punted on deciding a specific route Tuesday.
The Flatwater Free Press is published by the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity