Reader Radio

Latinos are the second-largest group of voters and the fastest-growing demographic in Nebraska. As they grow in political power, candidates in the 2nd Congressional District fight for their support. Elizabeth Rembert, a reporter with Nebraska Public Media News, reports in collaboration with The Reader's Bridget Fogarty. This is audio news story was first published by Nebraska Public Media News.

Back when vampires didn’t sparkle and downtown Omaha gave its oddballs room to play, a crew set out to hunt a Midwestern monster.

Listen to our reading of Gabriella Martinez-Garro's October story about the '90s Omaha vampire flick that's finding new life on YouTube.

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This episode was produced by Chris Bowling. Music also by Chris Bowling.

On a special Halloween episode of Reader Radio, Lynn Sanchez reads our story on Derek Everhart. The local business owner finds calm and community in the strange. For him, opening his business, Voodoo's Odd Shop on the corner of 13th and Martha Streets is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream he never thought possible.

This episode was produced by Lynn Sanchez.

Music by Chris Bowling.

The grand finale approaches. Over 40 hours of instruction condensed into five days prepare the campers to perform for a crowd of over one hundred at the Slowdown. Plus, Lucy, Ollie and Renee reflect on their experience.

This is the final episode in The Omaha Reader's six-part series spending a week with Omaha Girls Rock in July 2022.

This episode was recorded and produced by Isa Luzarraga.

Additional editing by Chris Bowling.

Music by Jon Rix (https://naturalistic.bandcamp.com/)

Excitement and nerves are at an all-time high as the campers prepare for dress rehearsal. Lucy, Ollie and Renne must overcome obstacles to get their songs completed and performance-ready. Renee has an unfortunate encounter during kickball.

This is the fifth episode in The Omaha Reader's six-part series spending a week in July 2022 with Omaha Girls Rock.

This episode was recorded and produced by Isa Luzarraga.

Additionally editing by Chris Bowling.

Music by Jon Rix (https://naturalistic.bandcamp.com/)

This is the fourth episode in The Omaha Reader's six-part series about Omaha Girls Rock, a nonprofit that empowers young girls and femmes with music, teamwork and performance. We spent a week in July 2022 hearing the campers stories. Today we sit down with program director Kat Ludwick.

Ludwick is no stranger to the stage. The frontwoman and guitarist of former folk band The Black Squirrels, she has always embraced the community and creativity that comes with making music. However, her exposure to OGR occurred somewhat surreptitiously.

This episode was recorded and produced by Isa Luzarraga.

Additionally editing by Chris Bowling.

Music by Jon Rix (https://naturalistic.bandcamp.com/)

It's day three of The Omaha Reader's six-part journey with the young musicians of Omaha Girls Rock and they're just starting to learn how complicated writing a song can be. Lucy, Ollie and Renee work within their bands during workshops and in band practice to fine tune their creations.

This episode was recorded and produced by Isa Luzarraga.

Additional editing help by Chris Bowling.

Music by Jon Rix (https://naturalistic.bandcamp.com/)

This the second part in The Omaha Reader's six-part series spending a week with Omaha Girls Rock as young girls and femmes learn instruments, put together a band and practice toward an end-of-week performance.

For the second day of camp, we sat down with the woman in charge. Omaha Girls Rock’s Executive Director, Halley Taylor helps campers find their love for music each week. However, her connection to OGR spans a decade and started when her younger sister Cecily attended the first year of camp in 2011.

This episode was recorded and produced by Isa Luzarraga.

Additional editing help from Chris Bowling.

Music by Jon Rix (https://naturalistic.bandcamp.com/)

In July 2022, The Omaha Reader spent a week with Omaha Girls Rock, a nonprofit that connects young girls and femmes with instruments and band instruction with the ultimate goal of writing, and performing, an original song.

This episode one of our six-part series "Omaha Girls Rock: Musicians with Ambition."

In this episode, our reporter Isa Luzarraga (and an alum of Omaha Girls Rock first-ever camp in 2011) takes listeners to the start of camp, which always starts the same way. A group of excited, anxious young people gather in the Holland Performing Arts Center’s recital hall. They are assigned an instrument, broken up into bands and guided into the world of music.

This episode was recorded and produced by Isa Luzarraga.

Additional editing by Chris Bowling.

Music by Jon Rix (https://naturalistic.bandcamp.com/)

Sometimes it's hard to forget that cities don't just appear. Omaha's office buildings and suburbs, highways and cobblestone sidewalks, are pinpoints in a constellation of decisions made year after year, decade after decade, that define a place, and more importantly the lives of the people who live there.

"You know, these houses don't really belong to us," said Ryan Reed, who runs East of 72nd, an Instagram account that tells the stories of Omaha's buildings. "You go down to the courthouse and go to the assessor's office and your name is on the deed, but they belong to the people before us and they belong to the people after us. So it's kind of like, part of our community and telling the story of our community."

But when development hits the crossroads of new vs. old, how do we decide what's worth keeping and what's worth taking away? Omaha has had to grapple with that question recently with the decision to raze its central public library to make way for a new Mutual of Omaha skyscraper which many in the public fought, unsuccessfully, to stop. It's a similar fight that's taken place in other areas of the city like Jobbers Canyon on the city's riverfront, the largest destruction of historic architecture in the country.

The advantages seem obvious, but what stories, history and opportunities do you lose?

Reporter Chris Bowling drove around with Reed to hear about what he's learned about that by researching the past of Omaha's buildings — from historic homes to downtown success stories to a former church with a disturbing past.

Produced by Chris Bowling

Music by Jon Rix (p0h_k https://p0hk.bandcamp.com/)