I look at the photo above and it still gives me feels. That’s me, last fall, up on stage with three fellow UNL journalism grads now at CNN, the Online News Association and the New York Times. We chatted in front of a sold-out crowd in a barn outside Bennington, ate good food, drank journalism-themed cocktails. Together, 350 Nebraskans mingled, celebrated the importance of our state and its journalism, cheered on this scrappy little startup nonprofit newsroom called the Flatwater Free Press.
It felt like a trippy pep rally, a dream come true, the best journalism party I’ve ever attended.
Now we’re doing it again, and you’re invited. This time we’re partying in a train station to raise money for Nebraska nonprofit news. And we’re bringing along some friends from a magazine you may have heard of, The Atlantic.
The 2nd annual Flatwater Festival — code name, FlatFest — will be held Oct. 23 in Lincoln’s historic downtown train station. We’ll announce the star speakers soon. Learn more and buy your tickets here.
My advice: Grab ‘em quick. They went on sale Wednesday, and we’ve already sold a bunch.
That evening event follows a free daytime event we’re co-hosting with the aforementioned No. 1 news magazine in America. State of Our Union, to be held on UNL’s campus, will convene local leaders, FFP journalists, Atlantic journalists and all manner of experts to discuss our state’s and country’s pressing issues, challenges and opportunities. Care about the state of our union? You should come, and then party with Flatwater after. You can learn more and register for both events right here.
Pigs and power: This week capped the end of our four-part series focused on Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and the company he founded and grew into the biggest hog empire in Nebraska.
This week’s story, by FFP senior reporter Yanqi Xu and Investigate Midwest senior reporter Sky Chadde, posed and strove to answer some important questions from multiple points of view.
I was pleased that the Governor’s office responded to this story, especially when compared to Pillen’s deeply dismaying reaction following one of the previous stories in this series.
But I did chortle when the governor’s spokesperson accused us of being anti-agriculture in their statement that we published in this week’s story. As the sixth-generation son of a proud Nebraska farm family, I can promise you that’s hogwash.
But, by all means, judge for yourself. Read our stories, learn about Pillen’s rise, success and impact. Here’s the summary of the series “Pigs and Power.”
Skating for the Future: That old saw about a picture telling a thousand words? Naomi Delkamiller’s first photograph in her story today does just that — and then she follows with actual words that nicely tell the story, too.
It’s the story of two young skateboarders who call themselves “The Booey Boys,” their trip to social media stardom and how they are now helping kids in Lincoln — just like The Bay, an indoor skate park and youth engagement hub in Lincoln, helped them.
I don’t know a thing about skating, and I’m not on TikTok. But I still really enjoyed the story of The Booey Boys.
My new favorite sandwich: In addition to being the editor of Flatwater Free Press, I have a second and arguably more coveted title. I am food critic Sarah Baker Hansen’s frequent dining partner, her plus one, her wingman as she’s reviewed hundreds of Omaha restaurants in the past dozen years.
Her newest review is about the buzzy downtown Omaha restaurant Memoir. And I gotta tell you, her plus one has a new favorite restaurant sandwich. It’s the Memoir dip, there’s a photo of it in SBH’s latest review, and I’m getting hungry all over again thinking about it.
Questions wanted: Some of our best story ideas come from readers, and they typically start with a burning question that just cries out for an answer. Have a question that our reporters need to look into? Complete this form or reach our newsroom at [email protected].
Sincerely,
—Matthew Hansen, Executive Editor
Here’s what we’re into this week: News from around Nebraska
Every week we like to share great Nebraska journalism, no matter who made it. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
- The New York Times’ Dionne Searcey — one of the three FlatFest panelists in the photo at the top of the newsletter — wrote a fascinating story about her hometown of Wymore this week. The town received a free school bus from the federal government. But it was an electric bus.
Searcey talked to her high school classmates and childhood friends about the extremely quiet bus that’s created a clatter in Wymore. - The Nebraska media is understandably focused on the upcoming special session and Gov. Jim Pillen’s still-evolving plan to lower property taxes. The Journal Star’s Andrew Wegley with a story on some state senators’ bewilderment at the plan, as well as a recap of how we arrived here. (Readers may need a subscription to read this story.)
The Nebraska Examiner’s Zach Wendling had a story breaking the news that the governor has been meeting with 17 state senators of both parties on potential property tax cuts for months.
The World-Herald’s Martha Stoddard gets into the nuts and bolts of the plan to potentially alter how we pay for Nebraska schools, which could historically reduce property taxes but also burden the state budget and leave school boards and leaders with little local budget control. (May need a subscription to read this.)
And KETV’s Bill Schammert talks to Omaha-area state senators who express varying levels of frustration and confusion about the likely upcoming special session.
Also, I should add: FFP is working on our own reporting in anticipation of the special session. - The Nebraska Board of Parole is back in the news, for all the wrong reasons. WOWT’s Jackson Piercy with the story: This time, state auditor Mike Foley’s office accuses some members of improperly using state vehicles for personal use.
- Nebraska made national news last month when a funeral home realized that a woman in their custody was still alive. The Journal Star’s Alex Vargas got his hands on records revealing a troubling track record at the Waverly nursing home that mistakenly pronounced her dead. (May need a subscription to read this.)
- News that will make every longtime Nebraskan say, “I knew it.” New data shows that our state has the most unpredictable weather in the country, Nebraska Public Media reports.
