Hey, Omaha — it’s Naomi.
A few blocks away from our newsroom in downtown Omaha, I noticed something this summer.
People walked dogs through the Gene Leahy Mall and flooded restaurant patios. Old office buildings were transforming into chic condos.
Then, the most shocking thing of all: Omaha has a… nightlife?
In talking with residents, developers and city leaders, I learned that downtown has been shifting over the last few decades from a traditional business district into a hub for entertainment and the arts. More people are calling downtown home than ever before, and we’re seeing more visitors, too, according to data from the mayor’s office.
Our downtown has also rebounded from the pandemic stronger than all but one other midwest city, according to a University of Toronto study. Off-hours activity is fueling it.
It hasn’t come without political controversy. Mayor Jean Stothert has faced criticism from Nebraska’s auditor and an Omaha-area state senator who say the city is being too loose with tax breaks to spur development. Expect this to resurface in a few months when Omahans head to the polls to elect a mayor and city council members.
Read the full story here (or click the photo above).
Another big change: After a lengthy political fight, people who served their sentences for felony convictions got the right to vote in Nebraska.
This allowed Jason Kotas to cast a ballot for the first time in his life on Tuesday. Chris Bowling has that story.
— Naomi Delkamiller, Flatwater Free Press
Breakfast clubbing in a new venue
When I heard a couple of years ago that Saddle Creek Breakfast Club planned to move further west, to Countryside Village, I wondered if it would maintain its quirky vibes and delicious brunch.
The good news is that it has, and with plans to continue growing with a new patio, an in-house bakery and lots of new menu items on the horizon, it shows no signs of slowing down.
Go for the ham and eggs and the delicious burger, but while you’re there, order lox toast as an appetizer (breakfast appetizers are my new favorite thing) and sip an espresso martini. I think you’ll like it, too.
Read my review here (or click on the photo above).
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.
If you’re looking for something to do this Saturday, go meet FFP editor-in-chief Matthew Hansen and star reporter Yanqi Xu at the Bookworm in Omaha from 1-3 p.m.
They’ll talk FFP and journalism, take your questions, listen to story ideas and hand out free copies of our annual commemorative edition – the only time when we actually print a newspaper you can hold in your hands. See you there!
The Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) board meeting highlighted plans to develop a cultural corridor in Omaha’s downtown, linking a new park with the planned Bemis Center park. Billy Coburn, president of the Old Market Association, presented a vision of a pedestrian-friendly area featuring performance venues, public art and historic sites. The BID discussed ongoing safety concerns, with updates on recent incidents and continued efforts to improve security in the area. 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
For Nebraska’s robust startup community, next week is like Christmas, Bonnaroo and the Super Bowl put together.
Omaha and Lincoln have long held separate entrepreneurship events, but this year, Silicon Prairie News has married them into one supercharged Startup Week.
The exciting showcases, entertaining panels and happy hour drinks kick off in Lincoln on Nov. 11, but the party moves east as the week goes on.
Join us Wednesday night at Millwork Commons in Omaha for a live pitch competition where Nebraska startups will try to sell you and our judges on their ideas! The winners will take home thousands of dollars to spark their businesses. You’ll be rewarded with drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
— Stefanie Monge, Silicon Prairie News
I’m a bit of a “hobby hopper,” but collaging is one creative outlet that always pulls me back in.
It feels like my own personal playground. I start by tuning into the latest episode of “The Great British Bake Off,” then pull out my “junk” notebook and dive in. I cut pages from old books, clip photos, play with textures and gather up random words — all waiting to find their place. There’s no plan, just intuition.
For years, collaging has been a happy escape. It’s a way to mix the unexpected and capture a little snapshot of this moment. It’s not about creating anything perfect; the beauty is in the messiness.
So if you have ticket stubs, photos or sentimental papers collecting dust, why not give them new life? Pull them out and make some (easy) art. We could all use a bit more creativity.
— Ani Schutz, Silicon Prairie News
The big news of the week is, of course, Tuesday’s election. KMTV has a great way to check the results of most races (I’m talking U.S. president down to sewer bonds, people), but here’s a quick recap:
- Omaha’s congressional district goes Democrat for President and Republican for Congress
- Both Republican Senators held onto their seats
- Omahans approved a variety of bond issues
- Nebraskans greenlit medical marijuana, paid sick leave and a constitutional amendment limiting abortion after the first trimester. They voted against amending the state constitution to include the right to an abortion until fetal viability. A law allocating public funds for private school scholarships was repealed.
- Republicans gained votes on the State Board of Education
- The political makeup of the Nebraska Legislature looks to be about the same
Shout out to the World-Herald, the Nebraska Examiner, KETV, KMTV, WOWT and Nebraska Public Media, who did a great job covering this election locally. They each have about a gazillion stories you can check out.
Omaha City Councilman Danny Begley, who represents downtown and midtown, announced he will run for reelection in 2025, KETV reported. The Democrat was first elected in 2021. At least two other incumbents — Pete Festersen and Ron Hug — will also appear on the ballot.
Former World-Herald publisher John Gottschalk died this week at 81 after a long illness. Raised in the weekly newspaper business, he took over the state’s largest paper and steered it into the digital age, wrote former World-Herald editor and columnist Michael Kelly. (You may need a subscription to read this story.)
An explosion at a Bellevue duplex last week left Union Omaha player Mechack Jérôme and two of his relatives with severe burns, the World-Herald reported. The veteran Haitian defender has played for the soccer club since January. (You may need a subscription to read this story.)
The Flatwater Free Press is published by the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity