Hey Omaha,
Not long ago, we had an election. Maybe you remember. Omaha felt like the center of the universe: the blue dot signs, friends in other states asking “Could you guys really decide it?”
Instead, Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District set a different superlative. Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, won by a wider margin here than any other district that elected a Republican to Congress.
Republicans have now represented this House district 28 of the last 30 years. Democrats have also struggled to unseat Republican Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert who’s held her seat for 12 years.
All of this while voters here have supposedly drifted from solidly Republican to leaning left, according to a popular metric to measure partisanship.
So … what gives?
We talked to a lot of people about why Democrats are struggling. Some say the Republicans are just too good and well funded. Others say Democrats are marred by dysfunction and need to change their messaging.
Either way, it’s clear our humble district has become a curiosity. A confounding and contrarian one at that.
Hope you read the story to learn more.
Newsletter co-author Jeremy Turley also had a story about low-income tenants filing a class-action lawsuit against the Omaha Housing Authority, alleging the agency ignored and failed to eliminate bed bug infestations at high-rise apartments. For Michael Coleman, one of the 15 named class representatives, legal action is a long time coming: He claims his apartment has been infested with bed bugs for more than five years.
The lawsuit came after a challenging year for the housing authority in which it faced constant public pressure to improve living conditions, new state regulations and a barrage of litigation.
— Chris Bowling, Flatwater Free Press
Omahomies! The holidays may be technically over, but our creative community never stops. Here are a few art happenings kicking off this January!
Brad Marr | Murmurations
The January art scene opens with Marr’s abstract interpretations of the phenomenon of murmuration. Flocking birds move in unison, dancing an ancient ballet, creating ever-changing beautiful shapes as they move across the sky. Explore the brick-lined gallery at Ming Toy as Marr’s acrylic images fill the space with flowing movement.
– When: Wednesday 1-6 p.m., Thursday 5-8 p.m., Friday 1-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. until Feb. 1.
– Where: Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple St., Omaha
Art on the Bridge Art Show
For the second year in a row, Trudi Woksa opens her west Omaha studio for her annual group exhibition. This year’s loose theme centers around playing cards and features two dozen artists working in all kinds of media.
– When: Gallery hours by appointment
– Where: 1312 S. 119th St., Omaha
Barragán: A Spiritual Master
Robert Duncan exhibits large-scale photographs of two of Barragán’s architectural masterpieces in Mexico City: Cuadra San Cristóbal and Casa Gilardi. Both are private residences that seamlessly blend nature with the manmade environment. This winter, let Duncan transport you south of the border to these elegant homes.
– When: Opening reception: Friday, Jan. 10, 6-8 p.m. Gallery hours: Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 12-4 p.m., until March 16.
– Where: Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St., Omaha
Flutter: A Butterfly Tribute
Hibernate and Create’s latest exhibition features over 40 area artists displaying everything butterfly. Come flutter through this salon-style exhibition at Cali Commons and escape to colorful spring and summer gardens.
– When: Opening reception: Friday, Jan. 17, 5-8 p.m., Gallery hours: Friday 5-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 12-5 p.m. until Jan. 26.
– Where: Cali Commons, 518 N. 40th St., Omaha
Carmen Winant: the last safe abortion and Synchronicities: Intersecting Figuration with Abstraction
The Bemis kicks off its 2025 season with two amazing exhibits.
Winant exhibits thousands of historical photographs documenting the everyday behind the scenes of abortion providers and reproductive health care professionals across the Midwest. Don’t miss this critically acclaimed exhibition organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Synchronicities features nine women artists who explore the complementary relationships between abstraction and representation through a diverse mix of traditional and digital mediums. See how both have been intertwined throughout all human experience.
– When: Opening receptions: Saturday, Jan. 17, 6-8 p.m. Gallery hours: Wednesday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 11.00 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri-Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
– Where: 724 S. 12th 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.
I’m a brand new transplant to Nebraska having just moved to Omaha this past week. It’s been miserably cold, and I haven’t wanted to do much beyond sit under layers of blankets in my apartment full of half-unpacked boxes. Grocery shopping and cooking consistently have been out of the question.
As an introduction to the city’s food scene, I was fortunate last weekend to pick up a Detroit-style pizza from Izzy’s Pizza downtown. Comforting, filling, and most critically, hot, it was exactly what I was looking for to ease my transition to a new town. I expect I’ll return to Izzy’s often as I explore the other attractions that Omaha has to offer.
Drop me a line about your local pizza fancies (and any Nebraska story ideas) at jshimkus@flatwaterfreepress.org.
— Josh Shimkus, Flatwater Free Press
Gage Walter had serious mental health issues, a criminal record and a violent history. His family begged for help. So why wasn’t more done before he murdered his grandmother and great-grandmother two years ago? Molly Ashford did a deep dive into this story for The World-Herald. She also did a nice explainer on what it means to deem someone not guilty by reason of insanity. (You may need a subscription to read World-Herald stories.)
A federal watchdog agency alleged that a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway ignored clear red flags when making manufactured home loans to unqualified borrowers, the Associated Press’ Josh Funk reported. The company, Vanderbilt Mortgage & Finance, said the claim was unfounded.
In other financial news, an audit of the now-defunct Creighton Federal Credit Union found that its former CFO artificially inflated the institution’s value in banking statements for decades, eventually resulting in a $12 million loss, WOWT reported. The credit union merged with a competitor after declaring itself insolvent last year.
Six Omaha City Council members filed to run for reelection on the first day they could. Councilman Ron Hug, who replaced Vinny Palermo last year, camped out to be first in line to file his paperwork, The World-Herald reported. (You may need a subscription to read World-Herald stories.)
Washington County deputies shot an Omaha man who pulled a gun and opened fire on them during a traffic stop, KETV reported. The suspect, David Boettcher, was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Travel and Leisure Magazine told us something we already knew: Omaha’s zoo is one of the best in the world. See which other zoos made the cut.
We’ll cap our newsletter this week with a story of a good Samaritan and a good boy: Earlier this week, a woman’s car was stolen in midtown with her pitbull-mix Sonic still inside. Two days later, passerby Cody Taborsky recognized the car from social media posts and called the police, WOWT reported. Sonic was still in his kennel in the third row. The car and the dog were safely returned to their owner.
The Flatwater Free Press is published by the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity