Hey Omaha, Chris here.
You may have heard, but Gov. Jim Pillen has a plan. Or maybe you didn’t hear. Pillen did not stop in Omaha to talk about his proposal to reduce Nebraskans’ property tax bills by, in part, limiting localities’ taxation powers to curb “excessive spending.” Mayor Jean Stothert — who’s built a career on conservative spending and property tax cuts — disputed the governor’s claim.
Either way, there’s been a lot of hubbub, but there’s one detail no one’s talking about: Pillen’s plan to cut state spending.
In April the governor’s budget director told 14 state agencies to cut $280 million from budgets Pillen approved days earlier, according to emails obtained by Flatwater. The governor did not tell the Legislature, and senators from both parties were surprised when I showed them the figures. It’s also the first part of a larger plan to cut $525 in state spending ($350 million of that being ongoing cuts), which will include conversations about Nebraska’s already troubled child welfare system as well as more state agencies like the University of Nebraska system, I was told.
Some departments gave me details about how they saved the governor’s requested totals. A lot of senators I talked to had not heard any of those specifics days before the special session that begins today.
While reactions varied depending on who I talked to, everyone agreed these cuts would be unprecedented. Now the Legislature and the public needs to decide if the payoff is worth it.
Read the story here (or click the photo above).
— Chris Bowling, Flatwater Free Press
New West O Mexican spot at its best when it sticks to bold cuisine
There’s a lot of Tex Mex in Omaha. But there’s less of what could be called “fine dining” Mexican. That’s what the owners of west Omaha’s El Milagro are aiming for, primarily focusing on the mole and grilled meats that the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca is most known for. When the owners are bold with flavor and pair it with the high-quality ingredients they say they want to use, it’s quite good. But the new menu doesn’t always hit that sweet spot.
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.
At Omaha Public Schools’ July 15 board meeting, the group reviewed 2022-23 graduation, dropout, suspension and expulsion reports. The board also approved waiving student activity fees for the 2024-25 school year. They also discussed policy updates, including a mandatory assessment after 20 absences. Jane Erdenberger reported on the transition of the Omaha School Employees Retirement System management to the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Board. Visit our site to read our full summary. You can also read the full notes from the meeting.
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— Leah Wambui Keinama, Nebraska Journalism Trust
Recently I moved downtown and started living on my own for the first time. Along with the other dreaded aspects of adult life — separating laundry and realizing your doctor might be onto something with exercising — I had to start grocery shopping. While I was far from my usual supermarket stops, I was closer to Little Italy (where my nonno grew up) and Orsi’s Italian Bakery and Pizzeria.
Orsi’s was always a favorite stop for my family whenever checking out an exhibit at the Durham or shopping at the Old Market. Now my shopping trip is both a visit down memory lane and an opportunity to check out the small markets in the downtown area — along with it being a good reminder that I don’t need to be requesting the weight of salami to feed a family of five anymore. More for me, I guess. Just don’t tell my siblings or parents. Or my doctor.
— Ben Goesser, Silicon Prairie News
I wake in a cold sweat. The waxing moon bathes the room in a ghostly sheen as I raise my fingers to my lips. The taste of hamburger, egg and peanut butter still lingers, but I feel relief. The dream is over.
Then anxiety returns. The nightmare has just begun.
Today is the day I know all of you have circled on your calendars. The day I take on the Stellanator. So far I’ve gotten advice from Stella’s owners and a doctor who’s researched competitive eating. But before I can stare down that sky-high sandwich, I have one last person to seek.
Her name came up everywhere. In old news clips. From readers. During conversations at parties.
Molly
The record holder who Houdini’d the Stellanator in under four minutes. I find her on Instagram and send a long message, apologizing for the random-ness of my question before I fill her in on my quest, desire to hear her story and interest in being her understudy. Hours later I get a response.
“It’s a good burger.”
We’re off to a great start.
Once I get straight to the point we’re soon chatting over the phone.
Molly Schuyler first heard about the Stellanator waiting tables at the Bellevue Applebee’s. A coworker knew how much Diet Coke she could down during a shift and said she should try the burger. After some goading, she went down the road with her young kids in tow and easily dusted the burger. She didn’t think it was a big deal, but it got a lot of attention and it led to a career of bigger and bigger challenges.
Then, and especially today, the Stellanator never posed much trouble to Molly. But I ask her to put herself in my size-9.5 shoes.
Have them cook the meat rare, she said. Chewing and swallowing well-done beef takes longer. Let the burgers cool down too, the hotter they are the more water you have to drink. Speaking of water, it takes up space so drink it sparsely, she said. And don’t drink soda. The carbonation takes up room.
The first step when the burger gets to you though is to separate it into its parts. From there it does help if you try and make it more palatable. Eat some burgers until you get sick of the meat then try something else. If the fries get cold and greasy, add a tomato to mix it up.
The lubrication also helps it go down easier, an important detail in all competitive eating. It’d be great to get the eggs as runny as possible to increase the wetness of the whole affair, she said.
“Free liquid is free liquid,” she said.
As I get nearer to the Stellanator, I wonder if its aura will affect my life in the way it has Molly’s.
After the Stellanator she searched for new challenges. Schuyler, who no longer lives in Omaha, has amassed a following, including more than 284,000 YouTube subscribers. But competitive eating is not her full-time job — more of a side hustle. And her ability to consume a lot of food doesn’t seem to define her either.
In truth, she doesn’t understand why people are so fascinated with it to begin with.
— Chris Bowling, Flatwater Free Press
The draft for Omaha’ climate action and resilience plan is available online and the city is asking for feedback through the end of August, KETV reports. The draft includes estimates of the city’s climate vulnerabilities and measurements of its greenhouse gas emissions with an aim to reach zero by 2050.
Days before the Unicam’s special session, about 300 people turned out to a town hall in Omaha on property taxes hosted by state lawmakers, the Examiner’s Cindy Gonzalez reported. Ideas voiced by speakers ranged from cutting wasteful government spending, to legalizing marijuana, to eastern Nebraska seceding from the state.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spent $380,000 on a new armored vehicle that deputies say can be useful in mass shootings, armed standoffs and rescue operations, KETV reported.
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said her latest budget proposals shows the city is not overspending. Gov. Jim Pillen fingered localities’ “excessive spending” as the culprit for rising property taxes. She’s also seeking voters’ approval of a $333 million bond issue that would pay for upgrades to the CHI Health Center and an outdoor shooting range for police, The World-Herald’s Chris Burbach reported. The bond package would be the largest in recent history. (Note: Some readers may need a subscription to read this story.)
Dylan Travis, a special ed teacher and coach at Omaha Westside, is going to the Paris Olympics as a member of the United States’ 3×3 basketball team, The World-Herald’s Jackson Reyes reported. The U.S. is a juggernaut in the traditional 5-on-5 version of the game, but Travis and Co. won’t be overwhelming favorites to win gold in 3×3. (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