Nebraska will surprise you, if you let it.
It’s a line I have said hundreds of times in talks I have given ‘round the state over the years. And it’s a line I was reminded of when the staff of the then-brand new Flatwater Free Press first stepped foot inside the Sixth Floor Project in McCook last year.
It’s that familiar feeling in small-town Nebraska, the widening of the eyes, the quickening of the pulse, the internal or external dialogue. Whoa. What is this? Who did this? How come nobody knows about this?
FFP reporter Natalia Alamdari — a new Nebraskan via Houston by way of Delaware — was also enraptured by this spot. She drove back to southwest Nebraska. And she learned the incredible story of the couple behind this incredible new spot, and their quickly evolving plan to make McCook the epicenter of an arts revolution in Greater Nebraska.
It’s the story of people trying to bridge what often feels like unbridgeable divides in modern-day America. It’s the story of a town marketing itself. Plus, it’s simply dope.
Trackin’ Your Taxpayer Dollars: We believe government should be transparent. Which is why we recently filed a lawsuit against the State of Nebraska. And it’s also why we have a new-and-improved spot where you can look up how much government spends on salaries and overtime.
It’s new-and-improved because now you can look up the salaries and overtime costs for both State of Nebraska employees and also the employees of the state’s five largest counties — Buffalo, Douglas, Hall, Lancaster and Sarpy.
Transparency. Democracy. Have at it.
Next week at FFP: New FFP reporter Sara Gentzler’s first story! And a nitrate-in-water follow-up from Yanqi Xu. Read the first two installments of Yanqi’s important series, “Our Dirty Water” here and here.
Thanks to our sponsor: This week it’s Alpaca, the Omaha start-up that is connecting teachers who need supplies with Nebraskans who want to help. Alpaca is currently doing a holiday gift pack for teachers. Check it out.
Thanks, Alpaca, for supporting the work of Nebraska nonprofit journalism.
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].
Oh no, ten shopping days to Christmas, I better get busy. See you next week!
—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:
- Nebraska Examiner reporter extraordinaire Aaron Sanderford recently broke the story that a directive — a command? a misunderstanding? — had caused teachers at a Millard high school to start taking down Pride flags, stickers and other public displays meant to support LGBTQ students.
- Uh oh. The state may be headed into recession, reports a group of economists and World-Herald living legend Henry Cordes.
- The Keystone Pipeline has leaked at least 660,000 gallons of oil into a creek near the Nebraska-Kansas border. Nebraska Public Media’s Fred Knapp and Jackie Ourada with that story.
- Sexual harassment, gender discrimination, toxic workplace culture, retaliation for whistleblowers…these are the allegations that a group of former Lincoln police officers, including a former police officer of the year, are making against the Lincoln Police Department. The Lincoln Journal Star went in-depth on that story Sunday and has followed up here and here. Important work by LJS reporters Andrew Wegley and Lori Pilger.
- And finally, the best and worst story of the week. Food celebrity Alton Brown came back to Nebraska, where he previously and famously fell in love with Omaha downtown spot Block 16.
But this time, he ate a cinnamon roll with chili…in the most horrifying way possible. The World-Herald’s Bob Glissmann with the terrifying tale.
