ACA, The Uninsured and Small Business

by Jessica Clem-McClaren

Nearly 237,000 Nebraskans do not have health insurance, close to 13 percent of the population. The Affordable Care Act passed Congress in March 2010 to help address this issue through health-insurance exchanges, pooling risk and offering subsidies, or for those eligible, an expansion of Medicaid reimbursed by the federal government.
Nebraska has applied for and accepted almost $6.5 million in...

The Difference in Every Election

by Kietryn Zychal

There is a big hole in Douglas County voting.

If residents in Ben Gray, Chris Jerram and Garry Gernandt’s east Omaha districts registered and voted at the same rate as Thomas Mulligan’s district in northwest Omaha, there would be an additional 35,000 votes – enough to make the difference in every city, state and federal election held in the last 20 years.

There are 83 days left until...

Maha Vs. Red Sky: Apples & Oranges

by Tim McMahan

First off, Saturday’s Maha Music Festival held at Stinson Park was nothing less than a success. Great bands. Record crowds. Good times had by all. But as I was pedaling my mountain bike back home through a break in the rain, I couldn’t help but wonder: Is this the best Maha will ever do?

With an attendance of 4,300 -- the highest in the event’s history -- Maha organizers can claim some sort...

Transportation Master Plan Changes

by Jessica Clem-McClaren

A small change has come to your morning commute. More drivers are noticing the blinking of bicycle lights, and the bus system is seeing a rise in activity.
“[There] is a dramatic increase in bike rack usage on Metro buses,” said Sloan Dawson, planner with the Metropolitan Agency Planning Agency (MAPA). “As of June 30, utilization nearly doubled the 2011 rate for the January to June time period...

Freddie Gray stands fast on her handling of Sebring scandal

by Leo Adam Biga

Freddie Gray knows being second-guessed and scrutinized comes with the job of Omaha Public School Board President. But when she came under fire over her handling of the Nancy Sebring scandal she got more than she bargained for, including allegations she'd violated the public trust and calls for her resignation or ouster.

Sebring is the former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent OPS hired...

Impact One Stands by Its Clients

by Kietryn Zychal

Impact One’s youth are preparing at Blackburn High School for a talent show. They look innocent, full of talent and potential, alternating between adolescent awkwardness and bravado. The next day, Executive Director Jannette Taylor sends a text message with context to the work Impact One does:

“Forgot to mention; the group yesterday had 1 person who witnessed an uncle be killed 2 months ago;...

Dedicated to Teaching And Students

by Deb Walters

Dr. John Mackiel served the Omaha Public School District for 40 years, first as a reading and English teacher at Burke High School and for the last 15 years as superintendent, overseeing $254 million in school improvements, legal challenges to the state's school finance system and the formation of the Learning Community. He retired from the district on July 31.

What have been the best...

Go on and Lie to Me

by Tim McMahan

I knew when she started looking through her inventory screen at Barnes & Noble that the cute little clerk would come up craps. I’d already done the online research. They’d already expunged the book from Amazon and a half dozen other websites. But I thought I’d try. Just for the heck of it.

The story begins about a week and a half ago. I was doing what we all aimlessly do to kill time on the...