Nebraska needs journalists. We believe that with all our hearts here at Flatwater Free Press. We believe it so much that we printed it on a t-shirt so we can wear that message emblazoned across our chests. And you can, too. RAYGUN, which makes the world’s coolest t-shirts, has graciously designed and released two Flatwater Free Press t-shirts for us. I say graciously because 100% of the profits from these sales go to funding FFP, Nebraska’s first statewide journalism nonprofit. (How cool is that from RAYGUN?)
So…wanna support journalism while wearing a super-fresh tee? Click and buy, my friends. You are the very first people to be able to do so! I don’t even have a t-shirt yet! Here is my solemn promise to you. If I see you on the street, and you are wearing a Flatwater Free Press tee, I will give you a high five. Nebraska needs journalists. It needs high fives, too.
A Nebraskan whose dreams were Texas-sized: I know two things about a man named Oscar Martin Carter after reading Cindy Lange-Kubick’s latest story for Flatwater Free Press. 1. Oscar Martin Carter is an absolute baller. 2. It’s nearly criminal that I hadn’t heard of him until now.
I don’t want to give away too much, because I want you to read Cindy’s funky Nebraska history story. But let’s just say that this tale involves Colorado gold, an Omaha fortune, a half-million in 19th century cash, two missing fingers and an insane dream to build a city in Texas. A dream that became reality. Read on if you like good yarns.
Story update: Natalia Alamdari is nearly done with a story on the housing crunch in Nebraska’s smaller cities and small towns. Yanqi Xu and Natalia are plugging away at what seems like two extremely important stories tied to Nebraska’s prison system. And me, I’m writing a story about a Nebraska small town that can. Oh, and we have a food/restaurant story coming next week from a freelancer who happens to share an address with me. And no, it’s not our cat Scoop Copley.
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:
- It sure appears that Nebraska’s state government regulators gave the green light all the way back in 2012 allowing the now-infamous ethanol plant in Mead to use seed corn treated with harmful pesticides. The state has previously said it didn’t know anything about the AltEn plant’s harmful practices until 2015.
Stories about what Nebraska regulators knew and when they knew it from KETV and Nebraska Examiner - Alia Conley of the Omaha World-Herald with a crucial and startling story. The number of teenagers being murdered — and the number of teens pulling the trigger — is increasing in Omaha.
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