Wizard-like.
Topsy-turvy.
Strange.
Unmistakable.
If you know Otis Twelve — the radio personality, author and musician — you can understand the descriptions of him in Leo Adam Biga’s story today. The 74-year-old, whose real name is Douglas Vincent Wesselmann, has lived an almost unfathomably full life. It includes baseball, rock ‘n’ roll vaudeville, protesting what he felt was post-9/11 blind patriotism and filling Omaha’s airwaves with classical music.
He recently signed off KVNO for the last time, imparting some philosophy from Marx (not the one you’re thinking of). But he’s not slowing down. There’s grandkids to wrangle, books to write and a whole lot of curiosities left to follow.
Hope you’ll check out Leo’s latest story.
Also, if you’re new to this newsletter, you might not know that the Flatwater Free Press is nonprofit, freely available to all, and powered by reader donations. Our big fall fundraiser is underway, and that means you can have your donation matched dollar-for-dollar, thanks to our nonprofit board of directors and other local donors. If you like what we do — my stories about mental health, homelessness, and policing or Jeremy’s stories about everything from renters’ rights to squirrels — then please consider doubling your donation today. Thanks for your support!
— Chris Bowling, Flatwater Free Press
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, but this week’s calendar of local shows and events is stuffed with all kinds of goodness. Check it out!
An evening with Magu & Friends
Sober socials is collaborating with the Church/Art House to bring you alcohol-free entertainment. Join local art rock band Magu and friends to dance the night away in a restored church building.
– When: Nov. 22, 7-10 p.m.
– Where: The Church / Art House – 3101 S. 20th St., Omaha, NE
Music Bingo: Old School vs New School R&B
R&B lovers come one, come all! The folks from Time On My Hands crafts store are putting a twist on bingo by combining it with R&B hits spanning generations. Get ready to reminisce, sing, laugh, cry, and win fabulous prizes!
– When: Nov. 22, 7-11 p.m.
– Where: Elks Lodge – 2420 Lake St., Omaha
Malcolm X Foundation Wellness Walk
Wellness and walking go together like Malcom X and Omaha. After a long year, come check out this historic memorial while treating yourself to a wellness break.
– When: Nov. 24, starts at 10 a.m.
– Where: Malcolm X Memorial Foundation – 3448 Evans St., Omaha
Do Space Pop-Up at Yates Illuminates
If you’re not planning to shop on Black Friday, I’ve got something else to get your family out of the house. Take ’em down to Yates Illuminates for a Friday full of hands-on STEM activities. Who said learning can’t be fun?
– When: Nov. 29, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
– Where: Yates Illuminates – 3260 Davenport St., Omaha
SKA Saturday: The Bishops
Saturdays are for ska, and The Bishops know how to bring it! With over 25 years of experience The Bishops are an award winning ska/rocksteady/reggae band that’s going to blow the roof off the historic Down Under Lounge. Be there or be square!
– When: Nov. 30, doors open at 8 p.m.
– Where: The Down Under Lounge – 3530 Leavenworth St., Omaha
— Xavier Jackson is an Omaha-based entrepreneur who connects creatives and forges more opportunities for them through his organization Local Art Plug.
When my dad offered me tickets to go see KC and the Sunshine Band, I thought, “Who’s that?” I did a quick Spotify search and realized I knew all their greatest hits from the soundtrack of my childhood. From “Boogie Shoes” to “Give It Up,” I had been groovin’ all along.
KC, now 73, and the stage-filling band played a disco-tastic show last Sunday at La Vista’s Astro Theatre, complete with dancers, a choreographed horn section and a five-minute drum solo. The disco ball spun all night, and hundreds of fans — including many born long after the 1970s — relished in hearing their old favorites, because that’s the way, uh huh uh huh, we like it!
The Astro’s got a little something for everyone coming up — indie rock from Wallows and Hippocampus, holiday hits with Tower of Power and comedy via Nate Jackson — that you can check out on their website.
— Han McClelland Wagoner, Nebraska Journalism Trust
A fire-damaged mortuary in South Omaha has been turned into a jobs center, the Nebraska Examiner’s Cindy Gonzalez reported. Nonprofit Canopy South oversaw the redevelopment of the building, which utilized a pandemic-era federal aid.
A South Omaha neighborhood is struggling with a rat infestation stemming from an abandoned recycling plant, KETV’s Eddie Messel reported. County health officials are working to solve the problem, but neighbors say the problem is getting worse.
A recent high school wrestling champion was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking on a state highway near Nebraska City. Harrell Jackson, a Millard West grad, was 18 years old.
About 40% of Omaha Public Schools students were chronically absent from school last year, WOWT reported. Missing schools puts students at risk for poor academic performance.
The City of Omaha has restored full funding for police-run athletics program PACE following a financial scandal, the World-Herald’s Chris Burbach reported. The organization is under new leadership after a former program director was convicted of defrauding the program. Earlier this year Flatwater reported on PACE selling a South Omaha senior center it got for free from a community group.
(You may need a subscription to read the World-Herald story.)
Union Omaha won the USL League One championship on Sunday with a 3-0 drubbing of Spokane Velocity. It’s the soccer team’s second championship in four years, but this one was special, the World-Herald’s Peter Burtnett reported. The club dedicated the victory to Mechack Jerome, a 34-year-old defender who was injured weeks ago in a house explosion.
(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