Another Day at the Races

by Tim McMahan

The last time I wrote about Horsemen’s Park's live racing meet, about a half decade ago, the money people behind the track got so pissed that they pulled their advertising from The Reader. In retrospect, the article was as complementary as a writer could be describing what essentially was and is a family-friendly indoor-outdoor celebration of gambling and booze.

So I have little faith that...

Bringing in new light

by Amanda Hayward

The new 12-story TD Ameritrade Tower compliments the sky scape as you head into Old Mill on interstate 680.  The “ticker-tape” design on the building, an idea on the architect’s part, is homage to what they do and according to Kim Hillyer, director of communications and public affairs, it incorporates a little of their past into the building as well as their future.

TD Ameritrade is putting...

It’s not about the flood … it’s about the safety culture 

by Kietryn Zychal

On December 13, 2011, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission put Omaha Public Power District’s Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant under special oversight -- the first plant in 10 years to be placed under such close supervision. The finding was due to significant operational concerns and the crisis caused by the historic flood of 2011. Fort Calhoun cannot go back online until it completes a...

A synergy in North Omaha harkens a new arts-culture district for the city

by Leo Adam Biga

The days when North 24th Street jumped with folks out on the town, strolling the main drag, hitting one live music spot after another, are decades past.

Aside from biennial homecoming activities, North 24th is a drive-through artery on the way to somewhere else. Few souls trod its walkways. If people do stop it's for Sunday sanctification, a haircut, a fill-up or some social service business....

Staring into The Newsroom’s Funhouse Mirror

by Tim McMahan

The Newsroom is a new drama series about the cable news wars that airs Sunday nights on HBO. It's penned by Aaron Sorkin -- the guy behind The West Wing (a successful show on NBC, which I rarely watched) who also wrote films such as The Social Network and Moneyball. Sorkin is known for his talky dialogue, which can resemble either free-form poetry or random babbling.

The show premiered three...

Obamacare in Nebraska

by Sean McGuire

It is hard to quantify what the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the largest piece of legislation passed in our lifetime is going to mean for Nebraska and Omaha.  There are innumerable variables to consider, and questions will remain years from now.  The Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly called Obamacare, will have an impact on all of us, so here are a few things to watch closely.

The law...

White Whine on the 4th of July

by Tim McMahan

I used to drive a Porsche.

Not one of the expensive fancy ones, just a little used Boxster that probably cost less than your brand new Ford. I hadn’t sought out the Porsche, it just sort of came to me. I had been in the market for a new used car, an Audi TT to be exact. A friend of my dad was headed to an auto action in Milwaukee, and I’d asked him to call if one came up on the bidding line,...

Equality Now

by Sean McCarthy

On Tuesday, March 13, Equal Omaha and dozens of people packed the Legislative Chambers to hear the City Council's decision on an equal employment ordinance proposed by District 2 representative Ben Gray. The ordinance would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

In the three months leading up to the vote, city leaders, business owners, members of the local...