Standing For Equality In the Courts

by Sean McCarthy

Last Saturday, a crowd of about 700 packed the Hilton Hotel's Grand Central Ballroom at 10th and Cass to honor Chief Standing Bear and the landmark court decision made in 1879 by Omaha judge Elmer Dundy, recognizing Standing Bear and Native Americans in general as "persons" before the law. Among those in attendance were Omaha mayor Jim Suttle and Nebraska U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who both...

Schoolyard Fight

by Deb Walters

Half of the non-partisan Omaha Public School Board’s twelve seats are up for election this year. Of the six expiring terms, two subdistricts have uncontested candidates and three subdistricts have two candidates, leaving only one subdistrict with a competitive primary – subdistrict 12.

West Omaha’s Omaha Public School subdistrict 12 has five candidates, three Republicans and two Democrats,...

The Problem and Promise of Alt Weeklies

by Tim McMahan

My column on The Dundee Theatre published a couple weeks ago illustrates an age-old war in the print world, a war that The Reader can't win. But in the internet age, neither can the Omaha World-Herald or any other media outlet.

When I interviewed Denny Moran about the theater, I was blind-sided by the news of his intention to do a top-to-bottom renovation. I went into it with a heavy heart,...

Love Drunk Over America, Take 2

by Tim McMahan

It's that time of year again when local ace videographer Django Greenblatt-Seay (G-S for short) and his band of merry volunteers climb aboard a shiny rental van and drive across these great United States of America to capture through unblinking lenses the best and brightest rock 'n' roll bands that you and I never heard of.

They're calling it the Love Drunk 2012 Tour.

In a nutshell: Over...

The Rebirth of the Dundee Theatre (Thanks, Janet)

by Tim McMahan

In its first incarnation, the Dundee Theatre was a vaudeville house, complete with a stage. But when vaudeville died in the '30s, the stage was covered by a silver screen. Now that stage is being unveiled once again as part of the theater's top-to-bottom renovation.

And never has a renovation been more needed. Sitting through a recent screening of "The Forgiveness of Blood," the theater felt...

Turning Over Rocks

by Matt Goodlett

Elisha Yellow Thunder has a very personal reason for her research into mining contamination impacting some of the poorest counties in the country, better known as the Pine Ridge Indian reservation.

Her daughter Laila Pettigrew seems like any other nine-year-old. She smiles a lot, her favorite color is green, she loves to draw and sketch, her favorite food is potatoes, and she wants to be a...

Legislator Versus Executive

by David Williams

Geography quite naturally plays a vital role in politics. When it came time for the respective campaigns to suggest site selections for The Reader to interview Nebraska State Senator Gwen Howard and Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing as they prepare to face off in a May 15 primary for the nod to challenge 13-year incumbent Republican Lee Terry in the 2nd Congressional District House race,...

Leaders for a Greener Omaha

by Jessica Clem-McClaren

Clayton Chapman-Executive Chef, The Grey Plume

The simplicity of chestnut puree blends perfectly with a slice of lemon on a spoon. Details are the highlight of this subtle bar; the lip of a wine glass matches the silverware. This place could be nestled in the hills of San Francisco, celebrities knitted among the seated clientele.

Only this is Omaha. This is The Grey Plume, already so well...