Story by Andrew Wegley. Photo by Jerry L Mennenga.
06.03.2026 15:50
👍 0
🔁 0
💬 0
📌 0
Story by Andrew Wegley. Photo by Jerry L Mennenga.
New at Flatwater: 20 years ago, a South Dakota police officer gave up his law enforcement certification after starting a bar fight. But he continued working in law enforcement in Nebraska.
Last month, he was named sheriff of Dakota County.
Read more 🔗 buff.ly/uvdi5ms
Photos by Abiola Kosoko.
We’re deep in the heart of fish fry season in Omaha. And Sarah Baker Hansen has found more than fish.
Greek food, pasta, baked salmon and lobster bisque are a few of the dishes offered at fish fries in the Omaha area, SBH writes.
🔗 buff.ly/YMqGVLM
Story by Destiny Herbers. Photo by Rebecca S. Gratz.
New at Flatwater: Roughly 1 in every 8 child care workers in Nebraska depends on Medicaid. Based on federal estimates, about 228 of those child care workers could lose coverage in the coming years due to changes passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Read more 🔗 buff.ly/DmkFSQS
Reporting by Jeremy Turley. Photo by Naomi Delkamiller.
Businesses along Omaha’s future streetcar route are struggling to contend with heavy road construction. With the project nearly two years behind schedule, their pain will last longer than expected.
Read more 🔗 buff.ly/k0JLQXp
👋
Reporting by Andrew Wegley and Sara Gentzler. Photos by Naomi Delkamiller.
Two Tyson workers. The school counselor and soccer coach. The hospital CEO. A business owner. A longtime Dawson County resident.
They’re all experiencing the fallout from the closure of Lexington’s biggest employer differently.
They explained, in their own words 🔗 buff.ly/Y5ZVwOj
A 103-year-old South Omaha steakhouse was this week named a James Beard America’s Classics restaurant, an honor that only one other restaurant in Nebraska has received.
Read more 🔗 buff.ly/zPeTkZA
Reporting by Jeremy Turley.
New at Flatwater: Omaha’s streetcar was originally supposed to open in late 2026, but it’s likely the utility lines along the route won’t even be fully replaced by then. Behind the scenes, heated arguments between the city and MUD turned into delays.
Read more 🔗 buff.ly/k0JLQXp
In Flatwater's first-ever photo essay, Omaha photographer Abiola Kosoko went through over 100,000 images he had taken over the last 15 years to offer a look at Black life across Omaha.
See the full essay 🔗 buff.ly/SJSyqsE
Reporting by Natalia Alamdari.
One tool lets law enforcement comb social media and the dark web for data. Another tracks cellphone movement. Meet the Nebraska company supplying ICE with surveillance tech:
🔗 buff.ly/zvxA9Ls
Reporting by Henry J. Cordes. Photo by Naomi Delkamiller.
The state paused efforts to strip companies of tax incentives under a get-tough-on-China law Gov. Jim Pillen pushed for.
The move came in the wake of reporting by Flatwater Free Press that revealed the widespread impact of the governor’s proposed incentives ban.
🔗 buff.ly/3Xqtwlz
Story by Kevin Warneke. Photos by Abiola Kosoko.
The house off of Florence Boulevard has come a long way — literally. Built 157 years ago as part of Fort Omaha, it later moved and was rumored to be the site of an illegal distilling operation. Now one man is working to preserve it.
Read more 🔗 buff.ly/9JqrSzC
Reporting by Natalia Alamdari. Illustration by Hanscom Park Studio.
New at Flatwater: A Lincoln-based company got its start making software for police departments.
Now, it’s helping ICE track cellphones.
Read more 🔗 buff.ly/IB5qEbd
Reporting by Henry J. Cordes.
New at Flatwater: The state has paused efforts to strip companies of tax incentives under a get-tough-on-China law Gov. Jim Pillen pushed for. The move follows Flatwater reporting that revealed the law’s widespread impact.
🔗 buff.ly/iiqmvIq
An 1860s Omaha home is getting a second chance.
Tim Reeder, a real estate agent and president of Preserve Omaha, bought the house at 6327 Florence Blvd. in 2024. He has been gradually preserving the home, with one key goal:
🔗 buff.ly/wbJ79BA
Story by Tim Trudell
Nebraska’s kickoff of the nation’s 250th anniversary featured a “Founding Fathers” exhibit created by conservative nonprofit PragerU. Historians and Native American leaders see it as a missed opportunity. State officials said a Nebraska-specific exhibit is in development.
🔗 buff.ly/ZQn9cnX
Veteran Nebraska reporter Henry Cordes’ first story for the Flatwater Free Press. Photo by Naomi Delkamiller.
The tough-on-China law championed by Gov. Jim Pillen passed easily, with little debate. Now an unnoticed part of it threatens the state tax incentives of 55 companies operating in Nebraska, according to a Flatwater investigation. Why? Because they do business in China.
Read more 🔗 buff.ly/A6jfKIW
