In 2018, Preston Love Jr. began taking a busload of Omaha students to civil rights historic locations in the South. Now in its fifth year, the Face-to-Face with Black History Tour has provided this opportunity— free of charge— to over 300 students. NOISE maker Elle Love spoke with Preston Love (no relation) about this year’s tour which he says was “The best one yet.”

Are you a potential employer? Stop by the meet-and-greet tonight between 6-8 p.m. at the Omaha Journalism Lab at 1911 Harney Street. Email Matt Wynn at mwynn@flatwaterfreepress.org to learn more.

OPPD was supposed to shut down coal burning at North Omaha Station by 2023. Now, it proposes to burn coal until 2026. On Sunday, July 24, 2022 from 1 - 4 p.m., Eric Williams, OPPD director representing North Omaha and Subdivision 6 will be at Miller Park Pavilion from 1 - 4 p.m. to explain why this is happening and, more importantly, to hear what the public thinks about it.

Taking the right steps to ensure that all future generations of young Nebraskans will have access to quality education systems, robust transportation, affordable housing, healthcare and professional opportunities was at the forefront of the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency’s Heartland 2050 Summit: “Baby Steps, Giant Leaps.” NOISE interviewed the keynote speaker, Omaha native, lawyer and urban planner, Tamika Butler.

From Nebraska Medicine/UNMC: The dominant coronavirus variant nationwide is BA.5. "The original omicron variant is gone now," says infectious diseases expert Dr. Mark Rupp. "Currently subvariants of omicron are circulating, including BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.12.1.” The best way to prevent new variants is to slow the spread of the virus through proven public health strategies. Click on the link for more information from our local health experts.

From The Reader: In Nebraska, being denied Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) is the norm for families that apply to the program. In 2020, around 90% of families that applied for ADC were denied, according to federal data — Nebraska’s denial rate for applications to get direct cash assistance surpasses that of all but three states in the nation. This story closes out a series published in The Reader and on omahajobs.com from September 2021 — June 2022 that spotlights the experiences of low-income, working families in Omaha, part of a larger series about inequity in Omaha, titled “(Dis)Invested.”

Roe v. Wade may be overturned but abortion is still legal and accessible in Nebraska. NOISEmaker Elle Love spoke to Dr. Carolee Jones of Methodist Physicians Women’s Clinic and Ashlei Spivey, founder of the reproductive justice organization I Be Black Girl, about how a post-Roe world may be more dangerous for Black women. But, according to Sen. Megan Hunt, senators are ready to fight any proposed bans of abortion in Nebraska.

From Flatwater Free Press: Private equity-backed companies are gobbling up vast swaths of residential property across the country, including in Omaha. According to a recent investigation by Flatwater Free Press and KETV Channel 7, Vinebrook Homes has been the largest buyer of single-family homes in Douglas County in the past two years. Vinebrook now appears to be the third-largest landlord in the city, with most properties concentrated in North Omaha. Across the nation and the Omaha metro, community groups and local leaders are searching for answers to the following question: Should they combat companies like Vinebrook? If so, how?

From Nebraska Medicine/UNMC: COVID-19 vaccines are now available for children ages six months to five years. More than two million cases of COVID-19 have been reported among children ages six months through four years with 400 deaths in that age group. Call the experts at Nebraska Med to schedule an appointment for your child's vaccine.

NOISE continues its coverage of the Omaha City Charter review convention. For a fifth time the convention met on June 23, missing five of its fifteen members. In an hour-and-a-half, they discussed and passed a series of proposed amendments to the city’s charter, mainly focusing on policies concerning the city council and mayor’s office. The amendments will be sent to the city council, which will vote on whether they should go on the November 2022 ballot for voter approval. The next meeting is tonight, June 30.