New Journal Star feature highlights everyday people shaping Lincoln

One of those friendly faces was a cashier whom I occasionally noticed sketching while waiting for his next customer. His nametag read “Bort,” though he admitted his real name was Joe. Those small observations made me wonder: What’s his story?

Thanks to reporter Livia Ziskey and her story in the Journal Star, I feel like I know Joe Humpal a little better. He’s an artist, like his father, and he created a new whimsical mural at Open Harvest to help celebrate 50 years of business. And he loves Lincoln.

It’s people like Joe Humpal that we plan to write about in our new weekly feature, The Bright Side.

These are the people who make good things happen in the place we call home. We know the usual newsmakers. But we also want to shine a light on those whose stories don’t always come with a microphone or a press release. The people you might pass every day without knowing the journey that brought them here.

Look for The Bright Side logo in print, online and on social media. You can also explore past stories on our website — and submit your ideas for future ones.

That’s part of the heart of this effort. We want to hear from you: who inspires you, who makes our community brighter, and whose story deserves to be told.