Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of July 2026

Local housing leaders celebrated a milestone Tuesday and discussed how federal legislation can help communities expand housing opportunities across the Omaha area.

While most of Nebraska's manufacturing job losses were in food processing, it's a particularly important sector for the state, with its vast acres of corn and soybeans and livestock production.

Both the American Red Cross and the Nebraska Community Blood Bank have declared blood emergencies and are asking donors to schedule appointments as soon as possible. 

A 41-year-old man has been charged with nine felonies stemming from a dispute and shooting at a bar before midnight Friday. 

None of the 23 cases of cyclosporiasis so far have been linked to a national outbreak of the illness, and most were acquired internationally. But state health officials are working to determine the origins of a small number of domestic infections. 

Omaha North High's stadium will be named after retired Principal Gene Haynes, a longtime advocate of the project. 

Approval of the ordinance may set the stage for a potential legal challenge from the state. Omaha's city attorney said he has already briefed outside attorneys. 

One nurse who was disciplined pushed back on the Nebraska Attorney General Office's findings.

Omaha will become the 11th U.S. location to launch Prime Air, allowing residents near Amazon's Papillion fulfillment center to get some deliveries within two hours of ordering — by drone.

Former Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert was among four Omahans recognized this week for contributions to the community by having streets named in their honor. 

Music bingo has become big around Nebraska and keeps people entertained on the weekdays while helping them discover new and old music.

Nonprofit restaurant Ooh De Lally opens participant housing for employees to help give them a second chance at life again. 

A 38-year-old man died after a 31-year-old woman allegedly failed to yield and the man’s motorcycle crashed into her SUV early Thursday in west Omaha.

Omaha's Durham Museum will host one of Nebraska's significant historical assets in their exhibit "In Search of the Signers," which includes documents from delegates that signed the Declaration of Independence.

The Omaha Police Department has identified the 54-year-old man who died Sunday after a car crash at 90th Street and Blair High Road.

Changes to the West Center Road and 114th Street intersection in Omaha come a week after a collision that eventually killed two boys.

Starting Sept. 24, United Airlines will fly between Omaha’s Eppley Airfield and Newark's Liberty International Airport. 

Potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel joined a beer picket line Monday alongside Democratic House nominee Denise Powell.

A federal judge sentenced a Venezuelan man to 20 years in prison after the man pleaded guilty to running a sex trafficking ring involving minors out of an Omaha hotel.

A Douglas County Court judge set bail of $1 million Monday against a 32-year-old man charged with threatening Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s family.

Omaha Mayor John Ewing said he signed the minimum wage ordinance into law after considering the importance of teen earnings to families.

The Omaha school districts is holding community meetings this week to discuss the district's proposed levy increase amid a $50.6 million budget shortfall. 

A fight over boundaries led to a grandmother’s death by suffocation in an Elkhorn area apartment last month, a Douglas County investigator testified Wednesday.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., paid tribute in a floor speech to the late Sen. Lindsay Graham by pressing Congress to pass legislation boosting Russian sanctions.

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts aims to hold the Army Corps of Engineers accountable for any delays in issuing a construction permit for the Perkins County Canal by early 2028. 

Nebraska Cancer Specialists and the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center are participating in a expanded access program that allows them to offer a new pancreatic cancer drug to patients while it is under review by the FDA.

Some Omaha-area districts will allow suspensions for pre-K through second-grade students in more cases this fall following a change in state law.

More than a month later, Jen Schmidt remains in recovery from multiple broken bones as her case becomes the first in Lincoln to result in a citation under Nebraska’s revised vulnerable road user law.

The Bellevue Police Department proposed the ordinance following a drastic uptick in complaints about children driving vehicles, especially electric motorcycles, on public roads.

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., wants Congress to reform birthright citizenship, not the president or the courts. But it's unclear whether it can. 

The 11-year-old Bennington boy who collided with a pickup truck while on an electric scooter has died.

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office hosted a training using a series of simulated active shooter scenarios to help deputies and medics practice response tactics and coordinated emergency protocols.

Three local orgs are teaming up to study electric mobility devices and how other communities regulate them to help governments address safety challenges posed by the growing use of e-scooters, e-bikes and e-motorcycles.

A growing number of traffic collisions involving electric bikes and scooters are prompting travel groups such as AAA to launch electric ride safety campaigns.

A Lincoln roundabout at 14th and Superior ranked as Nebraska's intersection with the most accidents last year, logging 37 crashes in new state data.

Work is beginning on a year-round, indoor public market at 8th and Farnam Streets in downtown Omaha near The RiverFront's Heartland of America Park.

The summer of 1934 in Omaha was characterized by extreme heat and dryness, leading to record-breaking temperatures, dust storms, and 38 heat-related deaths, mostly among the elderly.

A 63-year-old woman was taken to Nebraska Medicine Friday after being pinned between two vehicles by a car that fled the scene near 38th and Q Streets.

Wehrspann Lake glittered in the background as 35 people gathered to honor Wyatt Bernal on Saturday night.

Nebraska's only immigration court now runs 'mega master' hearings — sometimes more than 100 cases a day. Lawyers say people are being ordered deported without a fair chance.

The "Git-R-Done" comedian said in a post on X on Sunday that he had his appendix removed after spending two days in the hospital.

The national suicide prevention and mental health crisis lifeline, 988, observed it's fourth anniversary since Nebraska implemented the service on July 16, 2022. Here's the impact. 

A rare parasite is driving Nebraska's biggest cyclosporiasis outbreak in years. Here's what health officials know — and what they don't.

Separately, the Nebraska Community Blood Bank said it has made progress addressing the blood emergency it issued earlier this month, but supply is still not where it needs to be.

The Douglas County Attorney's Office sought protective custody after a judge dismissed charges against a man who allegedly chased two young girls in a park.

Authorities allege that a woman was shot Monday by her ex-boyfriend as they both drove along Interstate 80 in Council Bluffs.

One person was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center after being hit by a vehicle Tuesday morning in North Omaha.

No one else was reported injured. Police could be seen searching a Toyota 4Runner SUV in the parking lot.

Thunderstorms are expected Thursday and Friday in Omaha as cooler weather returns to the area after the heat advisory.

An Omaha program is preparing 5,000 kits to make sure students have the hygiene products they need to feel confident as they return to the classroom. 

The Police Department said Wednesday the man was crossing Ames Avenue near the North 31st Street intersection shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday when he was hit.

The Omaha City Council unanimously approved a special use permit that will allow Aksarben Curling to build a dedicated curling facility on Irvington Road.

Nathan Dudley’s 43-to-50-year sentence came after he pleaded no contest to the Feb. 27, 2025, death of 34-year-old Milan Jones in southwest Omaha.

Police have apprehended a fourth teenager from Omaha after a Tuesday night crime spree in Lincoln.

Lincoln Police say the 21-year-old Lincoln man who accidentally shot himself outside Scheels had been demonstrating racking the gun for his girlfriend as she took video when it happened. 

Nebraska State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg is encouraging residents to search for unclaimed property, including forgotten bank accounts, gift cards and assets.

A 57-year-old Omaha man charged in Douglas County District Court for his alleged participation in a sex trafficking ring now faces a child porn charge in federal court.

Boys Town National Research Hospital is growing near 144th and Pacific Streets. In the works is a 254,000-square-foot expansion with two wings.

Omaha police released camera footage of a May 24 shootout that wounded one man and left 34 shell casings, seeking public help to identify the four shooters.

Police are investigating a hit and run that left a man critically injured in central Omaha Friday night, the Omaha Police Department said.

Eastern Nebraska residents watching their water bills rise with use could get a break this week in the battle to keep gardens and lawns green. 

A former Harvard, Nebraska, police chief is charged with lewd conduct and unlawful possession of a firearm while attending a sex trafficking seminar at UNO.

A Douglas County Court judge denied bail to a 21-year-old Omaha man accused of setting up the robbery that led to the May death of an 18-year-old man.

Nebraska's teacher vacancy numbers are improving. But the gains mask uneven progress, questionable counting and a growing reliance on nontraditional hiring.

Nominations are now open for the fifth annual Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska competition. The public will vote on 16 Nebraska-made products in a bracket-style tournament

Several Omaha-area districts will head back to school next week, while others have a week or two left of summer vacation.

A 19-year-old Omaha man accused of shooting and killing a man he was trying to rob in the Benson neighborhood last year has taken a plea deal

Nebraska schools put students with challenging behaviors in seclusion rooms. The practice — not regulated by state law — disproportionately impacts children with disabilities. Advocates see it as child abuse. 

Douglas County health officials said Tuesday that they believe cases of cyclospora infection in the county likely are tied to a multistate, national outbreak linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce.

Enjoy the waterslides and a stargazing party at Heartwood Preserve this month.

An Arkansas flight instructor who briefly contracted with Omaha police’s ABLE-1 helicopter team has been arrested in a sexual assault case.

Dog Gone Problems founder David Codr will present a free dog training event Saturday at 11 a.m. at The RiverFront’s Performance Pavilion in downtown Omaha.

Petition organizers say uncertainty over ballot qualification prompted a new signature drive for three proposed Lincoln City Charter amendments.

A man accused of chasing two young girls through a park has been ordered to undergo a risk evaluation as the county pushes to put him in protective custody.

Omaha's Buffett Institute hopes to demystify what it means to be kindergarten-ready as it works with school districts to start preparing for the transition earlier. 

Open Omaha returns Saturday with behind-the-scenes tours, architecture, rooftop views and nearly 50 places to explore for free.

In a news release, HHS said that 92 of Nebraska's confirmed 218 cases have been linked to the ongoing, multistate outbreak.

The Elk Creek rare mineral project is one step closer to operation, with developer NioCorp entering a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday with Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defense contractor.

Newly obtained records show most rejected signatures on three Lincoln charter petitions were flagged as suspected fraudulent. The group behind the measures plans to regather signatures.

Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon said his office was working to bring the five suspects back to Nebraska. They were arrested in Florida, Missouri, Nevada and Washington, D.C.

The agency once spent hundreds of millions on lead remediation in Omaha. New soil tests by the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica show yards still have harmful levels of lead.

The Nebraska State Board of Education delayed a vote to approve Identity Preparatory Academy after some board members expressed concerns that the school's website previously referenced an "abolitionist" framework.

Youths' artwork helps bolster the sister city bond between Omaha and Carlentini, Sicily. The mural project marks a step toward state designation of Little Italy as a creative district.

An Omaha police dog bit and injured a bystander Thursday in pursuit of a suspect, leaving the bystander with bite marks that required dozens of stitches.

Tucked away between two highways, is La Platte, an unincorporated Sarpy County hamlet with origins dating to before Nebraska statehood. 

The Nebraska Republican Party has sued to stop the state from letting the fledgling America First Party form. 

Dr. Harold M. "Hal" Maurer, who served as the University of Nebraska Medical Center's chancellor for 15 years, died Saturday at age 89. 

The first thing signature reviewers do is identify a petition signer, and then they check their signature against the election commissioner's secure database of voter signatures.

Omaha police and firefighters collected 80 guns and 16,000 rounds of ammunition Saturday during the city's amnesty event.

Omaha police officers issued more than 700 tickets during a recent two-week campaign targeting traffic scofflaws.

An umbrella could be a handy implement this week in Omaha with chances for thunderstorms and sunshine trading blows in the forecast. 

A deadly online beef turned into a decades-long prison sentence for a 20-year-old Bellevue man.

Omahan Fred Hutchinson, 80, was a beloved Westside High School math teacher and coach of a championship track team. He died July 28 after a short battle with cancer.

The Nebraska State Board of Education has voted to approve a Black-founded school in North Omaha after concerns over references of an "abolitionist framework" delayed the process. 

From Sept. 1 through Sept. 11, officials urged Omaha-area residents to perform acts of service to honor of those who sacrificed on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

Resident of Cass County have through Thursday to dispose of unwanted tires for no cost at two recycling centers.

Students at Millard's Cody Elementary were greeted with band music and a confetti cannon Wednesday as they headed back to school.

Now-changed photos on the Douglas County Treasurer's Office's website and Facebook page depicted skylines that resembled but were not Omaha. The photos were replaced after a reporter's calls.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled Saline County and its sheriff cannot be sued over a corrections officer's 2020 sexual assault of an inmate, citing qualified immunity.

A Republican National Committee lawsuit challenging a Nebraska law allowing certain overseas voters to vote in the Cornhusker State is over.

No injuries were reported, but some parts of the state were picking up debris from high winds, particularly in central Nebraska's Valley and Greeley Counties.

Power generation is essential for economic growth, according to business leaders. Some Nebraskans remain steadfast in their opposition to wind and solar.

County attorney candidate Randy Ritnour is calling for an independent prosecutor to oversee charging decisions in the Good Government Lincoln petition investigation.

Two Lincoln families have filed what’s believed to be a first-of-its-kind-in-the-nation lawsuit accusing the state’s K-12 education system of violating their free-speech rights by only funding their children’s schooling if they accept “the government’s educational viewpoint.”

Every day, 92-year-old Demetrios Deligiannis arrives on the seventh floor of Union Bank Place near 13th and O streets to hem jeans and fit wedding attire.

Cass County approved a 12-month moratorium on data center development this week, joining a slew of other Nebraska counties that have already hit pause.

Erich Christiansen and Doyle Tipler tell the story of a longtime Omaha band in the new book, “The History of Luigi Inc.”

Omaha police demonstrated electric gloves already used in schools as ICE prepares to spend millions on the same technology.

Omaha police are investigating a shooting Saturday that sent a victim to a local hospital with critical but non-life-threatening injuries.

Visit Turner Park this weekend to see all sorts of colorful chalk works of art.

A startup company with Nebraska ties is working to bring to market a low-cost wearable device intended to detect gait changes — hopefully enabling earlier diagnosis of certain diseases.