In Lexington, laid-off Tyson employees lined up as early as 2 a.m. trying to get financial assistance. The turnout overwhelmed local nonprofits tasked with helping. Now, the local Community Foundation has paused its efforts to distribute aid money as funds dwindle. 🔗 buff.ly/syGNLx4

The University of Nebraska is set to take full ownership of Nebraska Medicine for $800M. The announcement in January and the ensuing opposition kicked off a wave of headlines, but what is really going on? FFP Reporter Destiny Herbers helps explain: 🔗 buff.ly/elp7Vb8

The Omaha Housing Authority hasn’t filed evictions in seven months as it sues over a new state law. A few tenants are threatening staff and committing crimes, staff told Flatwater. They still live in OHA housing. 🔗 buff.ly/NV1IHeZ

London-born indie musician Cornelia Murr traded city life for Red Cloud, Nebraska. She spent a year renovating a century-old house and turned it into a recording space. “Everyone was so kind and friendly compared to everywhere else I’d ever lived,” Murr said. 🔗 buff.ly/i1yPlHq

New at Flatwater: Curt Tomasevicz fulfilled his dream of playing football for the Huskers. Then, he became the first American in 6 decades to win an Olympic gold medal … in bobsledding. The improbable story of Nebraska’s most-decorated bobsledder 🔗 buff.ly/DJjq832

New at Flatwater: Lexington organizations raised almost $300,000 to support laid-off Tyson workers. In two weeks, they’d already doled out most of the money. 🔗 buff.ly/exrHN29

The conflict between the Governor’s Office and State Auditor Mike Foley over Nebraska’s emergency no-bid bioeconomy contract has entered a new and more serious stage. 🔗 buff.ly/tVpT9nq Reporting by Aaron Sanderford @nebraskaexaminer.com

New at Flatwater: London-born indie musician Cornelia Murr had no ties to Nebraska when her mother moved to Red Cloud. She fell in love with the town, bought a house and finished her latest album there. On February 13, Murr is returning for a show at the Red Cloud Opera House. 🔗 buff.ly/i1yPlHq

New at Flatwater: Two Omaha Housing Authority employees pleaded to evict a pair of tenants who had endangered public safety and threatened staff, per emails obtained by Flatwater. The response from their boss: no evictions. 🔗 buff.ly/3y2sFqG

New at Flatwater: UNMC and Nebraska Medicine — long time partners in the state’s health care — are set to grow closer this summer as NU takes full ownership. Experts say the transition reflects a nationwide trend of university hospitals growing into “economic juggernauts.” 🔗 buff.ly/gauMCEl

New at Flatwater: In a reversal, a new county attorney will allow the mother of a 17-year-old who died at a Pillen Family Farms facility to gain access to his body for independent medical testing. She hopes it will determine what killed him. 🔗 buff.ly/bFeHRZ9

TeamMates, a nonprofit founded by legendary Husker football coach Tom Osborne, has received 80% ($11.6 million) of the money from a state initiative supporting mentorship programs. The remainder has gone to 16 other nonprofits. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/tKjCXra

New at Flatwater: Before delaying the long-planned conversion of its North Omaha coal plant, OPPD’s CEO shared some reassuring news: A study found the plant isn’t significantly harming human health. That characterization is misleading, experts said. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/qBGMBKb

As restaurants and neighborhoods go, Know Good feels like a perfect fit tucked in between Hanscom Park and Field Club. Its neighbors are already lining up for homemade bagels, pastries and eggs, says Sarah Baker Hansen. Read her latest 🔗 buff.ly/BgHFgpo

New at Flatwater: A state initiative supporting mentorship programs has directed $14.5 million in taxpayer money to Nebraska nonprofits. Some 80% of that money went to one organization founded by Tom Osborne. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/tKjCXra

FFP Update: Months after allegations emerged that multiple staffers at a state-run Kearney youth treatment center were sexually abusing teens, state leaders are proposing to move all the boys in custody there to Omaha. October reporting 🔗 buff.ly/VaRYIOc January update 🔗 buff.ly/GK6nN87

New at Flatwater: When Rachel Woollen gave birth to quadruplets 17 weeks early, they had a less than 4% chance of all surviving. They’re about to celebrate their 18th birthday. Meet the kids once believed to be the most premature surviving quadruplets in the world. 🔗 buff.ly/EhfwDBT

New at Flatwater: The mayors of Nebraska’s 2 largest cities have the power to pardon misdemeanor violations of city law. But one grants far fewer pardons than the other. 🔗 buff.ly/Qn5dl7V

New at Flatwater: Months after allegations emerged that multiple staffers at a state-run Kearney youth treatment center were sexually abusing teens, state leaders are proposing to move all the boys in custody there to Omaha. 🔗 buff.ly/2sBoAUm

At First United Methodist Church in Lexington, the congregation is already feeling the toll of Tyson’s looming closure. The church has seen its Spanish-speaking congregation shrink from 65 to about a dozen. Its pastors wonder -– what comes next? 🔗 buff.ly/8CB7TAc

Wesley Dacus doesn’t mind talking with strangers about his eye-catching, 116-year-old home in North Omaha. It has quite a story. Now, it's officially in the National Register of Historic Places. Read the full story 🔗 buff.ly/D0SntFc

New at Flatwater: In the months since Tyson announced its Lexington plant would close, a church has seen its Spanish-speaking congregation shrink from 65 to about a dozen. Its pastors wonder -– what comes next? 🔗 buff.ly/8CB7TAc

New from SBH: Masa Luna opened in September to much buzz. Food writer Sarah Baker Hansen says she can see why. It has a retro-fun look and a succinct but creative menu of tamales, shared plates, tacos, tortas and some uber-creative cocktails. Read the review 🔗 buff.ly/5d9PqBn

New at Flatwater: It has been a family home, a hotel and a safe place for Black travelers during Jim Crow. Now, the castle-like house in North Omaha is officially in the National Register of Historic Places. 🔗 buff.ly/D0SntFc

“It came from those Midwest heathens,” “Nope — straight to jail” and “What kind of savage does this” are printable Reddit reactions to chili and cinnamon rolls. But Nebraskans love it—and proudly claim the dish. 🔗 buff.ly/jtL9z8r

A Nebraska woman received dozens of court appointments to manage the lives and finances of vulnerable adults with little oversight. In most cases, she maintained her control even after she was accused of financial abuse in November. 🔗 buff.ly/iq67axs

In late 2022, Archer Daniels Midland’s facility in Fremont experienced a dust explosion. Days later, federal safety inspectors found some areas inside with about an inch of combustible dust — about eight times the acceptable limit. From Investigate Midwest reporter Sky Chadde 🔗 buff.ly/SHj773M

In four years, the all-woman punk band Estrogen Projection has gone from unknown act to local headliner. Now, they want to lift up the next wave of musicians in Lincoln. Read more 🔗 buff.ly/wcbXlwp

Nebraska legend Jordan Larson is retiring from pro volleyball after this season. Read our 2024 story about Jordan's incredible journey -- a prodigy from Hooper, a single-minded drive, professional and personal highs and lows and finally a newfound peace. Link: buff.ly/6Hwu7xO

New at Flatwater: A court appointee who managed the finances of dozens of vulnerable Nebraskans was charged with theft in November. For more than a month afterward, she maintained control over their accounts in what advocates called “a systemic failure." buff.ly/iq67axs

New from Flatwater and Omaha Magazine: Dr. Ali Khan has traveled the globe hunting diseases. Back home in the U.S., the dean of UNMC’s College of Public Health worries about the “undermining of public health.” 🔗 buff.ly/w83Kn65

Some respected punk rockers have come out of Lincoln. The latest is Estrogen Projection, an all-woman quartet blending Nebraska Nice with profane aggression. They’re packing venues and inspiring a new generation of musicians. buff.ly/wcbXlwp

New at Flatwater: Our new-and-improved public payroll database, which now allows you to search for salary info for 58 different Nebraska public agencies, including state government, city governments and more. 🔗 buff.ly/y4rYdOh

New at Flatwater: When Nebraska’s DHHS unveiled a plan to divvy up opioid settlement money, one recipient stood out: The Central Wyoming Counseling Center, which got $3.4 million. The Wyoming center’s former CEO: Steve Corsi, who now runs DHHS. 🔗 buff.ly/3UaJfY2

New at Flatwater: A small number of state employees are working mind-boggling amounts of overtime. They're doubling their salaries while toiling in extremely short staffed positions. It's costing us, the state auditor says. 🔗 buff.ly/gptXGrx

New at Flatwater: Stigma. Shame. Confusion. Seven Nebraska families say that after they lost a loved one to an overdose, nobody was there to answer their questions, including: What happened? The latest in “Dying Blind.” 🔗 buff.ly/4fzUpmg

ProPublica and Flatwater Free Press want to help Omahans understand the lead risks in their own yard. Sign up for our free soil testing. 🔗 buff.ly/B0MrBGH

The Lincoln Diocese removed a priest from his parish after a mother raised concerns about his behavior toward her teenage son. Years later, that teen, now an adult, believes the diocese hasn’t done enough. 🔗 buff.ly/MKT6z5G

The investigation of a teen’s death at Pillen Family Farms was marred by missteps, The New York Times and the Flatwater Free Press found. Among them: The farm blocked investigators from conducting timely air quality tests. 🔗 buff.ly/oy9OswZ

After a teen died at Pillen Family Farms, his mom grew frustrated that no one could say why. She requested tissue from his body to independently test. The county attorney said no. “My son is dead,” says Justy Riggs-Panther. “There ought to be answers.” 🔗 buff.ly/oy9OswZ

New at Flatwater: Tessa Domingus struggled with mental health issues and addiction before being sent to prison. There, she connected with the nonprofit that would help her find a sense of purpose. This weekend, at age 44, she’ll become a college graduate. 🔗 buff.ly/oY51EfK

New at Flatwater: The investigation of a teen’s death at Pillen Family Farms was marred by missteps, The New York Times and the Flatwater Free Press found. Said Dr. Erin Linde, who did the autopsy: “The type of investigation that really should have been done wasn’t done.” 🔗 buff.ly/oy9OswZ

Faced with a bleak financial situation, lawmakers turned to a little-known fund to help domestic violence survivors and pay for other priorities. But now that fund doesn’t have enough money to cover those commitments. 🔗 buff.ly/AlWr51J

Do you live in or near the Omaha Superfund site and want to know if you’ve been exposed to lead? ProPublica and Flatwater Free Press will test your soil for free. 🔗 buff.ly/B0MrBGH

New from Flatwater: What’s the best steakhouse in Omaha? After a year of reviewing steakhouses, and ranking them in a variety of steakhouse classic categories, Sarah Baker Hansen thinks she knows. 🔗 buff.ly/ck1V04g

New at Flatwater: A department at UNL has produced homegrown meteorologists and geologists who have gone on to serve in critical roles. Earlier this month, NU’s regents eliminated the program. 🔗 buff.ly/bDFeSBm

New from Flatwater and ProPublica: Omaha residents face a hidden danger – the lead in our yards. 🔗 buff.ly/ckuPQHN

Across the state and country, it has become increasingly difficult for hospitals like The Pender Community Hospital to keep their doors open. 🔗 buff.ly/0dvxvBV

New at Flatwater: A Lincoln Diocese parishioner alleged misconduct by a priest. The diocese barred the priest from being alone with kids. But church officials have never publicized the allegations or looked for other victims, the priest’s accuser says. 🔗 buff.ly/MKT6z5G

Heading into the final two matches of the regular season, Dani Busboom Kelly described Allick as a “team player and somebody that’s ultra competitive” and noted her growth as a leader over the past 10 months. 🔗 buff.ly/l4E53nR