Hello, Omaha! It’s Destiny.
We’re back in the national spotlight — and not just because of the primary elections. For 16 cruise ship passengers, their trip took an unexpected detour to Omaha after their vessel was exposed to hantavirus.
Since the move was announced, I’ve seen online commenters asking why they’re heading to Omaha of all the places in the world.
The answer to that question is one of the reasons I, a massive public health nerd, was excited to come work here: UNMC and Nebraska Medicine have created a renowned Global Center for Health Security.
We’ve already done this before, twice, for Ebola patients in 2014 and some of the first COVID-19 patients in 2020 (including some cruise ship passengers).
The biocontainment team trains year-round to do exactly this — receive, quarantine and treat various deadly infectious diseases. They’re ready for the hantavirus.
Read more about the National Quarantine Unit and why it’s in Nebraska. Click this link or the photo above.
— Destiny Herbers, Flatwater Free Press
There’s no place like La Casa
Sometimes, there is no place in Omaha more alluring, more welcoming than the La Casa bar, off 45th and Leavenworth. I found myself there alone on a recent weekend night while my husband Matthew was out of town with friends. I could not have been happier: glass of Chianti, house salad, toasted ravioli and a Carne Classico on that signature buttery, flaky, crisp crust.
That visit is what inspired my story today: Just how did La Casa get so special to so many Omahans? When I started my reporting, I realized something else, and that was that I didn’t know the full history of the restaurant, the family who owns it, the pizza itself. Now I do, and I hope you’ll be as interested as I was while I wrote this one.
See you on Leavenworth. 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.
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This stretch of the calendar has range. It’s the kind of lineup that reminds you Omaha does not just keep busy when the weather turns nice — it gets interesting.
Figure Gesture Drawing
If you have ever wanted to sketch people without making them look like haunted mannequins, this is a solid place to start. This beginner-friendly session focuses on movement, proportion and quick line work, helping artists capture the energy of the human figure without overthinking every mark. Bring your own supplies, show up a few minutes early and get ready to loosen up your hand and maybe your inner critic, too.
– When: May 23, 10 a.m. to noon
– Where: 3105 Leavenworth St.
Low-Cost Vaccine & Microchip Clinic
For pet owners trying to do right by their animals without wrecking the budget, this clinic is a pretty big win. Muddy Paws Second Chance Rescue and The Good Life Bulldog Rescue are offering low-cost vaccines and microchipping with no judgment — just practical care, community support and a whole lot of wagging tails. Pre-registration is required, so don’t wait until your dog gives you the “you forgot my appointment” face.
– When: May 30, 9 a.m. to noon
– Where: 8602 N. 30th St.
Youth Mural Camp
For kids who would rather make something this summer than just sit through it, this free camp offers a pretty great use of June mornings. Led by Omaha artist Sarah Rowe, the program gives youths ages 10 to 18 a chance to explore local murals, learn the language of public art and help create a work of their own. The finished pieces will debut during Cali Commons’ Summer ArtWalks. Spots are limited to 12, so this is very much a do-not-wait situation.
– When: Mondays and Wednesdays, June 1 to 17, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
– Where: 518 N. 40th St.
Free Community Dog Training Event
If your dog has ever treated a walk like a full-contact sport, this one might be for you. Dog Gone Problems is bringing its training team to the Riverfront for a free, family-friendly session packed with practical help on leash manners, jumping and staying focused around distractions. Plus, there will be splash pools, giveaways and a puppy parade because Omaha knows how to keep things educational and adorable.
– When: June 6, 11 a.m. to noon
– Where: South 11th Street and Douglas Street
— Xavier Jackson is an Omaha-based entrepreneur who connects creatives and forges more opportunities for them through his organization Local Art Plug.
One of my favorite things to do is take my out-of-town friends to my favorite spots in Omaha — popping into shops in Little Bohemia, strolling around the Riverfront, having a coffee at Blue Line in Dundee.
This weekend, two college friends will be in town. We’ll be ringing in my friend’s birthday with a cake from local baker Ham on Rye that I can’t wait to dig into. The mix of blackberry and fennel jam, honey meringue butter cream and olive oil ricotta cake has me dying for a slice already. I’ve had Ham on Rye’s cakes before — she once constructed a delicious Barbie cake for another friend’s 30th. Between Ham on Rye, the Pie Fairy and Crum Cakes, I’m assembling a solid list of Omaha bakers to turn to for special occasions.
Have a suggestion of where I should take my friends this weekend? They’ve visited Omaha before, so anything off the beaten path is a plus.
— Natalia Alamdari, Flatwater Free Press
Political activist Denise Powell won the Democratic nomination in the Omaha-area U.S. House primary, Juan Salinas at the Nebraska Examiner reports. The hotly contested race centered on the claim that her main opponent, John Cavanaugh, would cost Democrats a pivotal seat in the Nebraska Legislature if he were elected to Congress, FFP previously reported. Powell will face Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding to determine who replaces retiring GOP Rep. Don Bacon.
Former First Lady Susanne Shore, a Democrat married to Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, advanced to the general election for University of Nebraska Board of Regents, Nebraska Public Media reported. She will be joined on the November ballot by Justin Solomon, who runs a company that provides services for people with disabilities. The candidates are vying for the seat left vacant by the resignation of Elizabeth O’Connor, who has been charged with drunken driving and injuring another driver in a crash.
Longtime Douglas County Board member Jim Cavanaugh is trailing high school teacher Whitney Hansen in his bid for reelection. Hansen, a first-time candidate, leads Cavanaugh in the Democratic primary by fewer than 200 votes, according to the latest count.
A Catholic deacon beloved by Guatemalan immigrants in South Omaha is living in fear of deportation and wearing an ICE ankle monitor, the Nebraska Examiner’s Cindy Gonzalez reported. Rolando Nicolas, believed to be the nation’s only permanent deacon from the Q’anjob’al-speaking highlands of Guatemala, has spent most of the last 25 years in the U.S. and received temporary protection from deportation in 2015.
Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office shot and killed a 26-year-old man in South Omaha after he shot a deputy in the leg, WOWT reported. Jaquan Marion, the man deputies shot, was wanted for absconding from parole.
A plan to build a $140 million soccer stadium near Millwork Commons got a big boost from the state when a board approved a turnback tax proposal last week, The World-Herald’s Julie Anderson reported. The approval will allow stadium backers to bank on receiving some of the new sales tax generated around the development. The stadium would be home to Union Omaha, a pro women’s team and a youth academy. (You may need a subscription to read this story.)
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