After attempting to arrest a suspected shoplifter, Police Officer Jeffrey Wittstruck was caught in a struggle and subsequently shot in the face and at the top of his head. He was taken to UNMC and is recovering. Wittstuck is in stable condition, but there is currently a bill in the legislature to give compensation to families of fallen officers and other first responders such as firefighters.

Responding to a 911 call on Thursday February 25th, Omaha Police Officers found the remnants of what looked to be a Molotov cocktail on the stairs of the Nebraska Chinese Association building.

While this could be another incident of anti Asian hate, crimes of which are rising nationwide, it has not yet been declared one. Investigators so far cannot confirm if it was a hate crime as the intent of the violence is still unclear.

Emails revealed through a records request by the ACLU of Nebraska show the Omaha Police Department used Facebook, bodycams, and at least one fake social media account to surveil Black and Brown activists during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. These records are considered public and have now all been released to the media by the ACLU of Nebraska. NOISE spoke with several of the activists monitored by OPD, and corresponded with the Omaha Police Department about their intelligence tactics which included tracking one organizer’s birthday party.

As the nationwide vaccine rollout picks up, it can be disheartening to hear that some doses are going to waste, yet we know it's happening around the country. In one of Governor Rickett’s recent COVID-19 news conferences, the state’s Chief Data Strategist said that she could not offer an estimate of how many vaccine doses have gone to waste in Nebraska.

There are many ways to crunch the numbers. The CDC collects data from local healthcare facilities and public health authorities tracking the vaccine roll out. Looking at their data, Nebraska currently ranks 42nd in terms of utilizing the doses given to the state, according to a list from the online publication, Becker’s Hospital Reviews. The New York Times, NPR, and Becker’s Hospital Reviews all show Nebraska has used between 56%-57% of it’s allocated doses as of February 5th. Other states neighboring us near the bottom of the list are Idaho, Missouri and Kansas, all having used around 54% of their allocated doses.

Actress and model, Cicely Tyson, died at the age of 96 on Thursday, Jan. 28. Her distinguished career spans over 7 decades on both the stage and screen.

Tyson was born in East Harlem to immigrant parents from the Caribbean. While working as a secretary for the American Red Cross, Tyson was scouted for modeling during her lunch break. Shortly after, she fell into acting and started classes, recognizing she had a lot to learn about this new interest of hers.

In mid-January of 2021, North Omaha lost a cherished matriarch and pioneer for Omaha Public Schools. Shirley Tyree was a fierce advocate for Omaha Public Schools’ students and staff while serving the Board of Education for 20 years. Tyree, 82 died January 12 in her home surrounded by family members after her battle with blood cancer. Image: Thomas Funeral Home

The summer of 2020 ushered a racial reckoning into Omaha and other U.S. cities that many say is long overdue. Yet, protests in the name of Black lives were met by extreme force from police nationwide and in Omaha. Now, a settlement in a federal civil rights lawsuit forces the Omaha Police Department to adopt tighter restrictions on their use of chemical irritants and brings in more accountability with a badge number requirement. The settlement also required the rewriting of the city ordinances used to arrest the over 120 peaceful protestors in mass last summer.

n the days after Kenneth Jones was shot and killed by an Omaha police officer, the police department publicly released still photographs from the bodycam footage instead of the raw video of the police killing. Broderick Turner, Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech, says, this practice is used nationwide by police departments in cases of possible police misconduct. So, Turner is gearing up for a new research project looking at how the human brain interprets still photographs vs video clips.

Both the Senate and the House have now approved a seven-day stopgap coronavirus relief bill after months of deliberation and debate. Approval came late in the evening of December 21st as a shutdown was in sight - federal agencies would run out of funding. The bill comes as the coronavirus pandemic worsens and American’s still struggle with lost jobs and wages.

The Omaha City Council approved a new five-year police union contract at a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Under this agreement, officers will receive an average annual wage increase of 2.9 percent over the next five years and a paid holiday to recognize Juneteenth, as outlined by KETV. While some additions to this new contract are set out to increase accountability, many opponents of the contract felt these changes were not enough within the context of discussions of police brutality in 2020. Primarily the opposition is to the increased pay and the use of arbitration whereby police officers can appeal to get their job back after being terminated.