Hey Omaha,
Lead is a pernicious poison. If you’re exposed to it, you probably won’t notice. Yet it can still cause disabilities in kids and heart attacks in adults.
Some places require pediatricians, nurses and other health officials to test young people’s blood for traces of the toxic metal. Not in Omaha, though, where less than half of eligible kids are tested every year.
That statistic really surprised me when I started researching Omaha’s massive lead cleanup project. I wondered how we miss so many kids and whether that complicates the story of the Omaha Lead Superfund Site.
In short, it’s complicated. Omaha tests about as well as any place in America. And the number of kids who have high lead levels is a fraction of what it was when cleanup began 25 years ago.
But local and national officials told me no one should be satisfied with numbers like ours. It’s also possible the data will be used to avoid cleaning up dirt to a level that better matches modern science, one former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official told me.
Check out my story here (or by clicking the photo above).
And if you’re interested in some quick answers on lead: check out this guide we put together with some popular questions we’ve received while reporting this project. And if you have more questions, email me!
— Chris Bowling, Flatwater Free Press
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April has Omaha in one of its best moods. You can start the month talking about the city’s future, spend a weekend bouncing between healing- centered brunches and handmade treasures, then close things out with coffee, connection and a room full of young poets saying exactly what they mean. These are the kinds of events that make spring feel less like a season and more like an invitation to get out, plug in and be part of something.
Speaker Series: Building Community Through Conversation
If Omaha’s future is your favorite topic over drinks, this one belongs on your calendar. The Bohemian is hosting an evening focused on economic development, real estate trends and the forces shaping the city’s next chapter. That’s followed by conversation with others who are just as invested in where Omaha is headed. Come curious, bring your questions and stay long enough to leave with a sharper view of what is coming next.
When: Thursday, April 16, 7 p.m.
Where: 1406 S. 13th St.
The Resilience Brunch: R&B
This brunch makes room for healing without asking anyone to shrink their joy. Centered on sexual trauma prevention and pathways to restoration, the event brings together music, movement, community and conversation in a space that honors how far people have come. Expect R&B, live performances, good food and the kind of energy that feels both grounding and affirming.
When: Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: 6121 Maple St.
Handmade Omaha 2026
If your spring reset includes finding something beautiful, useful or wonderfully unnecessary, Bancroft Street Market is the place to wander. Handmade Omaha returns with a full weekend of local artists, makers and small businesses, which means your next favorite candle, print, pair of earrings or impulse purchase is probably waiting somewhere between the aisles. Free parking and free admission make it dangerously easy to say, “I’m just stopping by.”
When: Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, April 19, noon to 4 p.m.
Where: 2702 S. 10th St.
Coffee & Connections | Global Women’s Society
Some rooms make networking feel like homework. This is not one of them. Coffee & Connections brings women together over coffee, baked goods and the kind of real conversation that can spark new ideas, new support systems and maybe even your next big move.
When: April 24, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Where: 11039 Elm St.
All Writes Reserved | Finals
Omaha’s next generation of poets is taking the mic, and they are not coming to play. After a season of bouts, the top youth spoken word artists will bring their boldest, sharpest and most unforgettable poems to the finals at the Holland Performing Arts Center for a shot at the title and, yes, the coveted Pop Tarts. Show up ready to listen, cheer and witness the kind of raw talent that can shake a room.
When: April 28, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: 1200 Douglas St.
— Xavier Jackson is an Omaha-based entrepreneur who connects creatives and forges more opportunities for them through his organization Local Art Plug.
The Omaha Municipal Land Bank Board approved March financial statements showing $2.9 million in assets, $2.8 million in liabilities and receipt of a $150,000 grant, while also electing Todd Swirczek as vice chair and Lou Ann Goding as treasurer. Members received updates on staffing, strategic planning and LB 1135, a now-passed state bill that would revise land bank board structure and depository provisions. 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 mission: Collecting cool decor.
My destination: Springfield, Nebraska.
This weekend, investigative editor Natalia Alamdari and I are hitting up the OMG Vintage Market with grand aspirations. I’m on the hunt for anything with a midcentury modern vibe — give me lamps, rugs, tables, art. Natalia’s got her eyes on two prizes: wall art and tiny dishes.
It’s a fun, full-circle moment for me. I first moved to Nebraska last spring, and one of my first vintage field trips was in Springfield. I picked up two pieces of art for our Lincoln apartment, eager to make the new space feel like home. Now, we’re about to move into a house of our own. It’s safe to say this place has grown on me.
With any luck, I’ll strike (vintage) gold twice. And if you’ve got your own favorite vintage markets, I’m all ears! Rooms don’t decorate themselves.
— Emily Wolf, Flatwater Free Press
Omaha police shot and killed a woman seen slashing a 3-year-old boy’s face after kidnapping the boy from his caretaker at a local Walmart, KETV reported. Noemi Guzman, the 31-year-old kidnapper, had a history of mental illness and violence, The World-Herald’s Kevin Cole reported. In 2024, Guzman attacked her father, attempted to light his house on fire and broke into the rectory of a church in Little Italy. The 3-year-old had to get stitches on his face and hand. (You may need a subscription to read the World-Herald story.)
The Omaha City Council approved the first step toward financing a $140 million soccer stadium north of downtown. The proposed 6,500-seat venue, which would house Union Omaha, a future professional women’s team and youth sports academy, would be financed mostly with public funds, writes Julie Anderson at The World-Herald. (You may need a subscription to read the World-Herald story.)
Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Brayden Artzer was shot by a man in a domestic disturbance at a northwest Omaha apartment complex, WOWT’s Andrew Pfeifer reported. The 23-year-old deputy has been treated for his injuries and is in stable condition. The suspect, 39-year-old Brian Huggins, died at the scene in an apparent suicide.
A judge found Omaha boxing champ Terence “Bud” Crawford guilty of careless driving, an infraction that comes with a small fine, The Reader’s Molly Ashford reported. During a September traffic stop, an Omaha police officer ordered Crawford out of the car at gunpoint after noticing a gun on the floorboard, which was legally possessed by the boxer’s bodyguard.
The Papillion La Vista School Board is considering adding busing options after two students got hit by cars on their way to school, KMTV’s Greta Goede reported. The district does not bus middle schoolers if they live within four miles of school. A proposal would create a $1,700-a-year busing option for families in that range.
The Flatwater Free Press is published by the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity