Meet the Chief

by Kietryn Zychal

First, a primer on how to pronounce “Schmaderer,” the new police chief’s last name: “SHMA’ der.” Rhymes with water. “Some of our relatives actually dropped the last ‘er,’” he explained during an hour-long interview with The Reader. Water is an apt metaphor for Todd Schmaderer’s thoughtful, soft-spoken demeanor. Still waters run deep and so does Omaha’s 40-year old police chief.

Schmaderer...

Playing the Reverse Lottery

by Tim McMahan

I explained it again as we pulled out of the gas station outside of North Platte, about an hour ahead of schedule with five hours to go.

The whole thing is one big math equation, I said. The odds are always in your favor. Just look at the numbers.

There’s about 600 miles of four-lane interstate between Omaha and Breckenridge, Colorado. Six hundred miles of open road, rolling hills, and on...

Sis, Boom, Bah

by Tim McMahan

As college football gets under way, is it me or has the hype surrounding the Huskers died down over the past few years?

I remember a time not so long ago when as August ground to a halt, you could not escape the pounding hype machine behind Nebraska football. If you weren't a fan, and even if you were, there was nowhere to hide on the radio, on television, in the newspaper. In a state that...

Changing the Model

by John Heaston

A scrappy university that has always fought above its weight class aims to make a big dent in the national economy with collaborative leadership.

“Sixty percent of those who start a course of education, sadly, do not complete it,” Bellevue University President Dr. Mary Hawkins told the Albany Times-Union earlier this year. She cited this as a major reason workers get left behind. “If we can...

Style Over Substance

by Tim McMahan

As we drove back from the Fashion Week finale Saturday night, I tried to sum up what we just saw, what we just experienced. And I knew it would not be easy.

There’s this problem with writing about any event involving Omaha “creatives.” Unless you’re overflowing with love, adoration and affection, literally stumbling over yourself with pride while you toss bouquets at the feet of all...

The Debasing of Grandmother’s and Godfather’s

by Tim McMahan

Ever since we bought a new house and started remodeling it, weekends are spent doing things like examining backsplash samples and checking out flooring options at Lumber Liquidators. Consumerism as creativity. Hunting and gathering.

Last weekend before heading to whatever wholesale lumber barn was on the list, we headed to lunch. Since we were south near the industrial fringes of Omaha,...

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...

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...