FFP Omaha: Play time, getting krushed, back to the classics

FFP Omaha newsletter

Howdy, Omaha — it’s Jeremy. 

I’m not sure you’ve noticed, but it’s been mighty cold of late. It’s like the wind has been gathering momentum as it sweeps across the Plains just to blast you in the face the moment you step out the door. Makes you wonder why you don’t own more balaclavas. 

But the Hoth-like weather outside makes our cozy indoor spaces even cozier. It makes a place like the Omaha Community Playhouse all the more enchanting. When the curtains part and beams of light illuminate the stage, everything else melts away. 

The playhouse, a sort of supersized community theater, has offered escapism to Omahans for a full century with productions ranging from “A Christmas Carol” to “Dreamgirls,” correspondent Leo Adam Biga writes in our feature story this week. 

At the same time, the theater provided a launching pad for some big-time actors, including Hollywood stars Henry Fonda and Dorothy McGuire and Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz, who will perform a one-night show about his Broadway career next month. 

I haven’t gotten out to the theater yet, but one of these frigid nights, I’ll be there with a playbill in hand. 

You can read Leo’s story here (or click the photo above).

Jeremy Turley - Flatwater Free Press

The Bennington Public Schools Board of Education is proposing a $112 million bond issue this March to fund a new high school. Superintendent Aaron Plas emphasized the need to address growth, noting 256 new homes added in 2024 and 1,800 lots in development. The board also OK’d staffing proposals and celebrated the success of its behavior interventionist program. Read the full summary here and the full meeting notes on the Documenters website. 

The Omaha City Council addressed community concerns about liquor license violations at Krush Ultra Lounge and scheduled a hearing to review the license. With over a dozen police reports this year, city officials cite the downtown venue as a strain on public resources. The council also approved a $6.5 million TIF package for Oxworth Apartments but faced calls for more affordable housing options. Debates about transparency arose in discussions on public funding and appointments to the Omaha House Authority board, highlighting ongoing concerns about procedural accountability. Read the full summary here and the full meeting notes on the Documenters website.

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What I'm Into

In an effort to rehabilitate my attention span and resolve some cultural blind spots, I’ve been diving into classic movies. It started with “The Red Shoes.” Then “Sunset Boulevard.” Then “12 Angry Men.” Shocker: They’re all great. The classics are classics for a reason. 

Now I’m catching a few at Film Streams. 

So far through “Weekend Essentials,” a series showing classics at 11 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, I’ve seen “All That Heaven Allows” and “The Apartment.” And I’m very excited to eat a large popcorn (they have the best) and drink my big Pibb Xtra while I see “In the Mood for Love,” “Love and Basketball” and “In the Heat of the Night.”

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Omaha’s mayor and police chief said they have not been made aware of any planned immigration raids here, according to a video they released. Omaha police will not seek out people to check their legal status, however, they will cooperate with federal authorities when people commit crimes. Mayor Stothert also said Omaha is not a sanctuary city, a policy some cities have of limiting cooperation on immigration enforcement.

Kids could face criminal detention at 11 years old and be charged as adults at 12 under a forthcoming bill backed by Gov. Jim Pillen and Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine. State Sen. John Cavanaugh, a Democrat from Omaha, offered an alternative solution that would give kids time to rehabilitate, reports Cindy Gonzalez of the Nebraska Examiner.

Family members of a woman who died in jail after being denied access to a hospital are suing CHI Health and a pair of health care professionals for negligence and medical malpractice, The World-Herald’s Molly Ashford reported. The case is set to go to trial this week. (You may need a World-Herald subscription to read this story.)

Did you catch that amped-up leprechaun at the college football national championship? Well, he’s a Creighton Prep grad. The Notre Dame senior sat down with KETV’s Matt Sottile. Burke grad Xavier Watts and Westside grads Teddy and Anthony Rezac repped green on the field for the Fighting Irish.

What started off as a mentor-mentee relationship a half century ago has continued as a lifelong friendship for two Omaha natives, KETV’s Mary Regli reported. Tammy White and Kathleen De Roos met through Big Brothers Big Sisters in the 1970s. Now both grandmothers, they still enjoy each other’s company.