Hey Omaha, it’s Destiny.
A few months back, I set out to see who the elusive leaders of the city’s nonprofits are and how they’re connected.
After combing through hundreds of IRS filings, I ended up with a list of 150 Omahans who serve on three or more local nonprofit boards.
Here’s what I learned: They’re highly educated and far older on average than the city’s population. More than half are top executives at their jobs, including some who run Fortune 500 companies like Mutual of Omaha, Union Pacific and Kiewit.
Experts say those results are “not surprising and not ideal” and reflect the demographics of nonprofit leadership nationwide.
But some nonprofits like inCOMMON and Black & Pink have made a concentrated effort to diversify their boards to reflect the communities they serve. They say it has positively impacted their work.
You can read more here about my findings, see the network visualized and search the list of multi-board members.
A quick note that if you appreciate our work, we would be grateful to have you as a donor. We are headed into 2025 with ambitious plans to grow our team. We aim to serve more Nebraskans from all walks of life with high-quality local news and events that inform and connect.
In any amount, your support makes a difference – and it makes a statement that you value a free press. To explore our options for donating, please click here.
— Destiny Herbers, Flatwater Free Press
Top 5 new restaurants on the block
Every year when December rolls around, I take a look back. This week, I’ve got the first of two planned end-of-year food lists, and I’ll give credit where it’s due: this one was FFP editor Matthew Hansen’s idea. He’s also my spouse of 15 years, so I take his suggestions seriously.
The list looks back and discerns what I think are the five best restaurants that have opened in Omaha since COVID times began in 2020, plus includes five more honorable mentions. The good news is that, in spite of many restaurants recently closing their doors, there’s still lots of good and new that’s succeeding, pushing Omaha forward. It’s nice to see that it can still happen. It’s nice to see that Omahans still overwhelmingly do their part to support local food.
We have plenty to look forward to, even as we take a look back.
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.
The Westside Board of Education wrapped up its final meeting of the year at the high school with key updates on finances, curriculum and policy changes. Highlights included approval of $19.3 million in expenditures, a creative eighth-grade history curriculum presentation and a strategic communications report emphasizing transparency and digital engagement. Read the full summary here and the full meeting notes on the Documenters website.
Want to help inform your community and create better journalism while getting paid? Become a Documenter today.
— Leah Wambui Keinama, Nebraska Journalism Trust
“You didn’t ask her to make these?” was the question that caught me off guard. It was a day of celebration in the newsroom, and I brought Christmas cookies and three different homemade party mixes that my grandma had prepared on my last visit to her home in Harlan, Iowa.
It’s not out of the ordinary for each relative to leave Grandma Jan’s with a grocery bag or two of homemade favorites. (Mine are her peanut butter scrabble mix and muddy buddies — a combo I’d often eat for breakfast behind my parents’ and dentist’s backs.)
Like singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus on Christmas or discovering which kid got gifted the novelty fish-shaped hat again this year, I’ve come to expect the snack mixes and desserts on visits to grandma’s house around the holidays. So, when my coworkers were taken aback by all the elbow grease needed to sweeten a Cheeto or melt peanut butter on Cheerios, it was nice to be reminded of all my grandma did for me and my loved ones.
Be thankful for your family’s acts of love and quirkiness — and if you’re so inclined, try your hand at making one of Grandma Jan’s famous mixes. Her recipe is above.
— Ben Goeser, Silicon Prairies News
Pedestrian deaths in Omaha have more than doubled since last year, Nebraska Public Media reports. State and city officials cited distracted driving as a big reason why.
One person was arrested on suspicion of arson after firefighters put out three separate house fires across Omaha last week, The World-Herald reported. Two dogs died in South Omaha as a result of one of the fires. (You may need a World-Herald subscription to read this story.)
The city plans to demolish the Farnam and Harney bridges over I-480 early next year and begin a two-year rebuild to accommodate the streetcar, KETV reports. The little transit project has already become a centerpiece of the 2025 Omaha mayoral election.
A new housing project for veterans injured in combat gained approval from the Omaha City Council, The World-Herald’s Chris Burbach reported. The facility in northwest Omaha will house 30 military vets who otherwise lack support to care for themselves. (You may need a World-Herald subscription to read this story.)
Howard Hawks, who founded Omaha-based energy company Tenaska, died last week at 89. He served 18 years on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and donated millions of dollars to higher ed institutions and the arts, The World-Herald reported. (You may need a World-Herald subscription to read this story.)
The Henry Doorly Zoo has an altitudinous new resident. Geoff the giraffe moved into the zoo’s Syd and Betty Cate Giraffe Herd Rooms, and he’s already getting to know his neighbors. The zoo plans to use Geoff for breeding with females to help conserve the endangered species, WOWT reported.
The Flatwater Free Press is published by the Nebraska Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity