The Flatwater Free Press is throwing another barn party, and you're invited. On September 23rd, we're celebrating our fifth anniversary at Roca Berry Farm with food, drinks, and a Q&A with legendary journalist George Packer from The Atlantic. Get tickets now 🔗 buff.ly/lD1kyxB

New lead tests by ProPublica and the Flatwater Free Press show that some Omaha residents have enough lead in their yards to be risky but not enough to qualify for government cleanup. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/rst3iob

Your FFP weekend read: Local hospitals are treating increasing numbers of e-riders for injuries. Police and lawmakers are scrambling to catch up with a technology that has outpaced policy and blurred the lines between toy and motor vehicle. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/DU0jQHj

New at Flatwater: Carole Jeanpierre first conceived of her opera “Noalia” 23 years ago in the wake of horrific trauma. It will make its debut Aug. 14 in Omaha. 🔗 buff.ly/Y3M19QH

New at Flatwater: Shredders, the new pizza joint from award-winning chef Dave Utterback, is serving up slices that will remind you of being a kid in the 1990s – with a quality that satisfies food critic Sarah Baker Hansen’s adult cravings. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/D6a73Uy

New at Flatwater: The exploding popularity of e-scooters and e-bikes has created a new danger on Omaha’s neighborhood streets — both for the kids riding them and the adult drivers braking and swerving to avoid them. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/DU0jQHj

A big part of Flatwater Free Press journalism is human-centered storytelling. And for the first time ever, we're taking this mission to a music festival. Find us at Maha Festival in Omaha this Saturday to document your day and talk to Flatwater journalists! Get Maha tickets here 🔗 buff.ly/7QrGpua

After our tests showed many Omaha yards still contain toxic lead after remediation, the city’s response to residents has been inconsistent. Some received additional testing and cleanup, while others were denied. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/Wl0n6wW

In case you missed it: From 2020 to 2024, the median household income in Nebraska barely budged. At the same time, home prices rose by 20%. It’s hitting first-time buyers hard. Read the first story in our new housing series 🔗 buff.ly/lSwmg68

The Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica independently tested hundreds of homes in eastern Omaha, Nebraska, and found toxic levels of lead in soil — including in yards that the EPA remediated years ago. Here’s how we did it 🔗 buff.ly/GjPMrNN

The EPA spent hundreds of millions on lead remediation in Omaha, home of the nation’s largest residential Superfund site. New soil tests by the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica show that years later, many yards still have harmful levels of lead. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/OdKGtdX

Two members of the Omaha Public Schools board who represent North Omaha have both missed nearly a quarter of regular board meetings since the start of 2023. Both have missed over two dozen votes, including on issues related to the budget and superintendent approval. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/3Wi2E6H

In case you missed it: Sexual abuse-related allegations at a state-run Kearney youth center are far more widespread than previously known, according to a new investigation, which says the center’s culture allowed the alleged abuse. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/zZeDl7H

Your FFP weekend read: Hordville, a village in central Nebraska, lost its only butcher, grocery store and school. But in 2018, it gained something: a bar. While Hordville hasn’t seen major growth in the years since, its population decline has stalled. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/oEgWedp

Can you afford an “affordable” home in Nebraska? Our new housing affordability calculator shows where you could afford a home across all 93 Nebraska counties. Try it now 🔗 buff.ly/4B62pPj

New at Flatwater: Nebraska paychecks aren’t keeping up with home prices. And it’s gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic. For young Nebraskans, “The Good Life” grows more out of reach every year. Read the first story of our new series 🔗 buff.ly/lSwmg68

Two members of the Omaha Public Schools board have missed nearly a quarter of regular board meetings since the start of 2023, citing health reasons. Their absences stand out compared to other local school board members. Constituents worry if their voices are being heard. 🔗 buff.ly/3oDrCag

New at Flatwater: Hordville, a village in central Nebraska, lost its only butcher, grocery store and school. But in 2018, it gained something: a bar. And not just any bar. Locals say "Banana Rams" has renewed the small town’s sense of community. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/lwdvkgl

New from Flatwater: 44 sexual abuse-related allegations. 37 youth. 19 staff members. A new investigation offers a stark picture of the spate of abuse accusations at a state-run youth center in Kearney – and criticizes DHHS for failing to stop or report alleged abuse. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/zZeDl7H

For decades, a state fund has provided aid to Nebraska cities whose needs exceed their resources. But after lawmakers reduced the amount of money flowing into the fund to help stem a growing budget deficit, some worry that there won't be enough money to go around. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/zK2vVd9

Your FFP weekend read: Nebraska prison officials have stopped pursuing a program that would have allowed some inmates to leave prison early after pushback from legislators and comparisons to a past controversial program. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/qNuW55G

New at Flatwater: As property valuations rise across the state, local governments are feeling the pressure to lower their tax rates. Crete did just that — then found out it would lose more than $600,000 in state aid as a result. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/zK2vVd9

New at Flatwater: Nebraska prison officials have stopped pursuing a program that would have allowed some inmates to leave prison early. It’s unclear why, but an administrator linked to previous Flatwater reporting in telling others about the decision. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/qNuW55G

Members of Beatrice High’s class of ’61 gathered this month to celebrate their 65th class reunion. It was the first time in years they’d watched a little-known documentary about their class. It is now heralded by some as a cinematic gem. 🔗 buff.ly/UHPXgpd

New at Flatwater: For over half a century, the Polk County Fair demolition derby has been a point of pride and intense competition. Almost 40 four-wheeled scrap-metal vehicles entered this year’s derby. Read more about the legendary hits 🔗 buff.ly/EVCnYKA

Four former state employees have been arrested on allegations they sexually abused teens at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney. One has been sentenced. The top Kearney administrator was fired. Now, her former boss is also out of a job. Read the latest 🔗 buff.ly/8TC53dx

In case you missed it: A total of 255 food distribution sites in the state could be affected if Nebraska adopts proposed federal guidelines meant to keep undocumented immigrants from accessing federal emergency food assistance. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/POqxXkk

Your FFP weekend read: Federal prosecutors want Paul Younes and family members to testify in its investigation into whether their companies improperly got $4.6 million in PPP loans. Their lawyer says enough is enough. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/7xCr4C1

New at Flatwater: As Beatrice High’s class of ’61 gathered for their 15-year reunion in 1976, one of their own decided to make a film documenting the event. The result: an unvarnished snapshot of small-town America during the nation’s bicentennial. Read and watch 🔗 buff.ly/UHPXgpd

New at Flatwater: The man overseeing Nebraska’s youth rehabilitation and treatment centers is out of a job — the latest leadership change in the wake of alleged sexual abuse by employees at the Kearney youth center. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/8TC53dx