Nebraska

Worrying about paying bills and potential eviction are just two of the many stressors that come with renting on a low income in Omaha, where affordable housing is in short supply.

Debate over the GOP-backed “Let Them Grow Act” roiled Nebraska’s usually cordial unicameral legislature. With battle lines drawn for and against gender-affirming care, the PAC aims to use its national platform to support state-level candidates who will support their mission.

The departure of the churches in Kansas and Nebraska comes as UMC congregations around the country are debating the UMC position “that all people are of sacred worth and are equally valuable in the sight of God.”

A state program is meant to help Nebraskans who have been raped, abused, assaulted, or family members reeling from the death of a loved one. It’s helping very few of them, a Flatwater Free Press analysis shows.

Lack of rainfall and water restrictions are two early signs of the future that are causing water worries to bubble up in Lincoln. As drought plagues the state, and with climate change promising more of the same, there is a plan to have a second water supply in place by 2048.

The national battle against abortion has reached small local governments. Towns in Iowa, Nebraska and Texas have banned abortion within their borders, even if they don’t have a clinic. But in one community, that effort could interrupt abortion access for the entire region.

Two political newcomers seek to represent Kansas House District 37 after what many Wyandotte County voters feel was two years of lost time with a scandal-plagued lawmaker. Plus: the abortion debate has gone local with many towns across the Midwest banning procedures inside city limits.

A North Platte television news director was fired by her station for helping collect signatures for a ballot initiative to ban abortions in the neighboring town of Curtis.

Sept. 21 marked the anniversary of when the Otoe-Missouria tribe was forced out of their lands, which would later become the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, and moved to a reservation in Oklahoma. Now the tribe hopes the day will serve as an annual reminder of reconciliation.

Fatima Larios grew up on California’s central coast. Her softball teammates at Chadron State College in Nebraska quickly caught on to her bright spirit and positive impact on others. Years later, her family says the school has quietly tried to distance itself from her death by suicide.

Mount Rushmore and the Great Lakes are a couple of the Midwest’s tourism magnets, but some states have to work against their reputations to attract visitors. They’re getting creative by highlighting amenities that can be a bit off the beaten path.

The North Omaha Station, a coal burning power plant, was supposed to stop burning coal next year. But its owner wants an extension to keep burning coal for three more years.