Hey Omaha, FFP reporter Natalia Alamdari here.
Today, we have a story for you of a family in Papillion and the relatives continents away they dream of reuniting with.
In 2016, the Abughalyoons arrived in Omaha as refugees from Syria. Earlier this year, they got good news: Their aunt and cousins were approved to enter the US as refugees.
They had their plane tickets booked. They’d gone through all the health screenings and interviews required for refugee resettlement. The kids were practicing their English, and the family was selling their belongings too big to fit into a carry on. They’d even found an apartment to rent in Omaha.
But then a United Nations worker delivered the update: There would be no flight to Omaha. There would be no reunion. The day President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, he signed an executive order bringing U.S. refugee resettlement to a halt.
The order’s affected more than 10,000 refugees like this family. In Nebraska, at least 275 refugees set to enter the country had their travel plans canceled.
Refugees spend years on waiting lists. They get through hours of security screenings before getting approved to travel. They’re people who are fleeing war, persecution and violence.
This is the story of one family, but it’s also the story of thousands of refugees around the world who thought they were on the verge of starting a new life in the U.S.
Check out the story here or click the photo above.
Bellevue Public Schools teachers will receive a 4.08% total package increase next school year, raising the base salary for new teachers to $39,784 and expanding bereavement leave from three to five days. The Bellevue Board of Education also approved budget parameters for 2025-26 and recognized students for achievements in sports, academics, and extracurriculars. Superintendent Jeff Rippe provided a legislative update, and the board received an update on the Early Childhood Program, which serves over 500 children. Read the full summary here and the full meeting notes on the Documenters website.
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— Leah Wambui Keinama, Nebraska Journalism Trust
One of my favorite times of year has arrived: fish fry season. I waited in line at Mary Our Queen last Friday and enjoyed some delectable fried and baked filets, but I’m also looking forward to making my rounds at others. I hear the cajun fish at St. James is great.
If you’re not familiar, this Lenten tradition is treated like sport here. My friends have superlatives for each parish (best food, most beer sold, longest line). My sense from our newsroom of many transplants is that no one does fish fries like Omaha. Lucky for all of us, Sarah Baker Hansen has a definitive guide of locales from Valley to Council Bluffs drawing battered delicacies from bubbling vats of oil for the masses’ consumptive pleasure.
— Chris Bowling, Flatwater Free Press
Write it in the history books, shout it from the rooftops, spam it on Facebook — Omaha finally has more than 1 million residents. Well technically the metro does, which includes eight counties in Nebraska and Iowa, but still the milestone opens up a lot of doors, writes The World-Herald’s Henry Cordes. And it just feels good to say doesn’t it?
(You may need an OWH subscription to read Henry’s story)
Omaha mayoral candidates debated at several forums this week. The streetcar, which all but one candidate maintain is too far along to stop, came up as did housing, economic development and community relationships. KETV will also host a forum this Sunday.
(You may need a subscription to read Chris Burbach’s story from Tuesday’s debate. Aaron Sanderford at the Nebraska Examiner also covered the debate)
A new bill could mean more twists and turns in a planned $90 million North Omaha business park, the Examiner’s Cindy Gonzalez reported. Sen. Terrell McKinney’s proposal would lift the requirement that the project be built near the airport, potentially allowing for a change in venue amid neighbors’ reluctance to sell their homes at the original site. Some lawmakers are questioning whether the project should move forward at all.
The Nebraska Legislature is set for a “floor fight” as two winner-take-all proposals made it out of committee, The World-Herald’s Erin Bamer reported. There’s already a big hurdle for the bills to absorb Omaha’s “blue dot” into the rest of Nebraska — one Republican lawmaker needed to pass the legislation says he won’t support it. (You may need a subscription to read the OWH story.)
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and Police Chief Todd Schmaderer want to give police officers a raise that would hike OPD’s starting pay to nearly $80,000 and keep its compensation higher than all other Nebraska law enforcement agencies, the World-Herald’s Chris Burbach reported.
(You may need a subscription to read the OWH’s story — or you can read coverage by KETV’s Aaron Hegarty.)
Bennington residents approved a $112 million bond issue that would fund construction of a second high school to be finished by fall 2028, Luna Stephens at The Omaha World-Herald writes. Similar measures to address the district’s growing student population, which is close to overwhelming its only high school, had failed twice before.
(You may need a subscription to read this OWH story).
The Omaha Film Festival is this weekend and will feature some great local and international talent. OMAPOD host Tony Bock interviewed some of the people showcasing their work. Check them out on his website or wherever you get podcasts.
The UNO Mavericks men’s basketball team will make its March Madness debut after winning the Summit League tournament, the Associated Press reported. They’ll almost surely be joined by the Creighton men, but there’s little doubt the 26-win Creighton women will be the highest seeded Omaha team heading into bracket season.
After 50 years on the air, WOWT anchor John Knicely is bid farewell to broadcasting on Wednesday. The station put together a great photo gallery and writeup for the staple of Omaha journalism.
The Flatwater Free Press is published by the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity