Wind of Change: Energy Blows Across Nebraska Thanks to Wind Farms
Despite Nebraska's expansion of wind energy, rising opposition threatens to slow its growth further, if not stall it entirely.
Safety Net Sunset
This story is a follow-up to last month’s Omaha Jobs column, which you can find here.
Last month, The Reader wrote about the challenges that Omaha’s social safety net faces, particularly as it pertains to housing and food insecurity. Omaha-area nonprofit leaders addressing these challenges talked candidly about the benefits and drawbacks associated with the influx of funding for pandemic-related relief.
But the challenge extends beyond just the nonprofits that serve the poor. Eligibility requi
Last month, The Reader wrote about the challenges that Omaha’s social safety net faces, particularly as it pertains to housing and food insecurity. Omaha-area nonprofit leaders addressing these challenges talked candidly about the benefits and drawbacks associated with the influx of funding for pandemic-related relief.
But the challenge extends beyond just the nonprofits that serve the poor. Eligibility requi
Omaha’s Social Safety Net Faces Gaps as Recession Looms
On Dec. 6, 2022, Heartland Family Service announced it was laying off 30 employees. The cuts were attributed to a loss of nearly $3 million in philanthropic funding over the upcoming year. At the time, HFS President John Jeanetta told KETV that he was worried about cutting housing programs when costs were rising and putting a roof over people’s heads was already difficult.
Exactly two weeks later, on Dec. 20, the City of Omaha informed residents of the Legacy Crossing apartments of a decision t
Exactly two weeks later, on Dec. 20, the City of Omaha informed residents of the Legacy Crossing apartments of a decision t
Nebraska’s Behavioral Health Workforce
COVID-19 placed a strain on Nebraska’s behavioral health system. In a 2021 poll by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 51% of metro-area Nebraskans and 40% of rural Nebraskans reported feeling the pandemic’s effect on their mental health. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 2.5% increase in unmet behavioral health needs in a matter of months as the pandemic took hold.
The crisis could not have hit at a worse time for Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce, whic
The crisis could not have hit at a worse time for Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce, whic
A Simple Immigration Fix
It’s no secret that Nebraska is dealing with a tight labor market. While “help wanted” signs line storefronts, Nebraska’s unemployment rate remains relatively low (2.2% in September, tied for the fourth-lowest in the nation). The Reader has covered the state’s labor shortage extensively over the last few months — along with the solutions being put forward. Until now, those solutions have centered around policy at the state and local level, but there are also federal policies that inhibit expansi
Nebraska's Next Governor
Nearly eight years ago, in his inaugural address, Gov. Pete Ricketts pointed to the challenges Nebraska faces in creating jobs.
“There’s a barrier to creating jobs here in the state. And it’s Nebraska’s high taxes. We must cut taxes,” Ricketts said.
In April 2022, Ricketts signed into law a $900 million tax cut that lowers the top individual and corporate income tax rates, gives property owners a refundable tax credit and phases out the state’s tax on Social Security income.
During Ricketts’
“There’s a barrier to creating jobs here in the state. And it’s Nebraska’s high taxes. We must cut taxes,” Ricketts said.
In April 2022, Ricketts signed into law a $900 million tax cut that lowers the top individual and corporate income tax rates, gives property owners a refundable tax credit and phases out the state’s tax on Social Security income.
During Ricketts’
Omaha's Best Coffee Shops
If you work at The Reader, it’s a prerequisite to drink coffee. Not only do you need it for fuel, you need it for nourishment.
And we’re not talking about the burnt, over-roasted crap that Starbucks, Scooter’s, and other fast-food chains peddle under the moniker of “coffee.” It’s the smooth, strong-yet-subtle kind that hits the spot.Whether you take it black, with cream and sugar, enjoy a drip, love a pour-over, lattes, cortados, macchiatos, americanos, cappuccinos…we love coffee.
You learn a
And we’re not talking about the burnt, over-roasted crap that Starbucks, Scooter’s, and other fast-food chains peddle under the moniker of “coffee.” It’s the smooth, strong-yet-subtle kind that hits the spot.Whether you take it black, with cream and sugar, enjoy a drip, love a pour-over, lattes, cortados, macchiatos, americanos, cappuccinos…we love coffee.
You learn a
Omaha's Only Protected Bike Lane to be Removed, Bike Organization Cuts Ties with Transit Planning Group
Omaha’s first and only protected bike lane will be removed. At its Sept. 21 meeting the Metro Smart Cities advisory board decided not to permanently extend the Market-to-Midtown Bikeway, which began as a pilot project in April 2021, Metro Smart Cities partner Bike Walk Nebraska said in a press release.
Bike Walk Nebraska also announced it would cut ties with Metro Smart Cities, an organization tasked with piloting innovative transit ideas and co-chaired by Mayor Jean Stothert. Bike Walk Nebrask
Bike Walk Nebraska also announced it would cut ties with Metro Smart Cities, an organization tasked with piloting innovative transit ideas and co-chaired by Mayor Jean Stothert. Bike Walk Nebrask
Omaha Jobs Goes Back to the Future
In 2016, Nebraska commissioned a D.C.-based firm to provide a roadmap for the state’s economic development. The report, called “Nebraska’s Next Economy,” consisted of recommendations meant to solve Nebraska’s economic challenges. It identified four interrelated goals to strive for, with a set of policy recommendations for how to achieve them: high-wage jobs, technology-intensive investment, innovation and high-quality communities.
It’s been six years since the report was released. We may find i
It’s been six years since the report was released. We may find i
Upskilled: How the Pandemic is Reshaping Omaha’s Workforce
Omaha’s economy appears to be doing well. As of July 2022, the unemployment rate for the metro area sits at 2.1%. Job growth has remained steady since the economy started recovering from the pandemic-induced economic downturn, and the number of Omahans in the labor force appears, slowly but steadily, to be returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Chris Decker, an economist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, says a major factor in how Omaha’s economy has recovered is the decision by workers to ups
Chris Decker, an economist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, says a major factor in how Omaha’s economy has recovered is the decision by workers to ups