Jessica Wade
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(She/Her)
As seen in:
Nebraska Public Media,
Washington Times,
ReadWrite,
Fairfield Citizen,
Omaha World-Herald,
Post and Courier,
Post and Courier Beaufort County,
The Aiken Standard,
Times Union (Albany),
Lincoln Journal Star,
Bryan-College Station Eagle
and
Covers:
City politics, city and civic issues
Senior Reporter | Nebraska Public Media Send news tips to jwade@nebraskapublicmedia.org | prev. w/ Omaha World-Herald ; Post & Courier
Articles by Jessica Wade
New $181M headquarters for Omaha police, fire planned at Crossroads
Omaha’s new public safety headquarters is planned to take shape within the long-awaited Crossroads development. City leaders say the $181 million facility will “move us into the 21st Century.” The 275,000-square-foot development is slotted for a 3.2-acre site between Cass and Chicago streets near 74th Avenue. It’s estimated to hold more than 300 public safety professionals from the Omaha Police Department and Omaha Fire Department.
Pete Buttigieg stumps for Nebraska CD2 candidate Denise Powell in South Omaha
A race of national significance brought a nationally known Democrat to South Omaha Tuesday. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg endorsed Democratic 2nd District Congressional nominee Denise Powell at a campaign event held in Metro Community College’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing.
‘Monumental opportunity': Omaha Inland Port Authority unveils plans for innovation district
The Omaha Inland Port Authority unveiled the location for its headquarters Tuesday morning, a major step in the publicly funded entity’s mission to grow economic opportunity in north and east Omaha. The group’s headquarters and innovation district will be built near Ames and North 28th avenues on a site zoned for commercial and light industrial uses. A “creative construction campus” will be the highlight of the district. The campus will develop training and businesses in 3D-printed homebuilding.
Omaha looks to transform parks and public spaces with boost from philanthropic dollars
“We are about $5 million short on our operating expenses annually,” Morrison said, “and about four and a half to $5 million short on our capital investments, compared to our peer cities.” Mayor John Ewing announced in March a $5 million investment from undisclosed philanthropic donors meant to close the funding gap and address needs highlighted in the study.
UNO continues work on $17.1 addition to Biomechanics Research Building
Work continues on the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s $17.1 million Biomechanics Research Building addition. Originally opened in 2013, the facility was the first stand-alone building in the world dedicated solely to biomechanics research. A 30,000 square-foot addition was completed in 2019. Construction of this second 19,000-square-foot, three-level addition is expected to be completed in early 2028.
$56.2M project will turn South Omaha grain silos into market-rate apartments
Decommissioned grain silos have long towered over a South Omaha neighborhood. By the end of 2029, they’ll be transformed into 223 market rate apartments. The $56.2 million project at 34th and Vinton streets includes the demolition of most of the 120-foot tall silos, with a few to be incorporated into the design. Plans call for four buildings. Two will be built atop the remains of the silos.
At Fontenelle Forest, a refuge gives injured raptors second chance at life
Ell Kinsey paused in front of a large, fenced in enclosure to glance at the two eagles inside. “Eat your fish, eagles,” she said. She carried on, ready to check in with the rest of the flock: an internet-famous screech owl, an inquisitive turkey vulture, and an attention-loving peregrine falcon. On the edge of Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, Kinsey is among a small team that cares for more than 20 winged carnivores. Raptor Woodland Refuge is 30 feet above the forest floor.
‘No room for error': UNMC reflects as quarantine ends for hantavirus cruise ship passengers
After 42 days in quarantine, the last of the hantavirus cruise ship passengers have gone home. Leaders at the University of Nebraska Medical Center said the experience offered lessons for the next quarantine unit activation and “showed what Nebraska is all about.” “It's a long activation period, and over those six weeks, there's really no room for error,” said Dr. Michael Wadman, chair of the National Quarantine Unit.
Omaha has another sinkhole. This one swallowed a sidewalk on the streetcar route
It happened again. The city of Omaha awoke to another sinkhole Sunday morning after a portion of sidewalk in the popular Blackstone District collapsed, exposing a basement. A stretch of Farnam Street between 38th Street and 38th Avenue remained closed Monday as crews assessed the scene. While the city hasn’t yet determined the cause of the collapse, the hole is on Omaha’s future streetcar route, which has been under heavy construction for months.
Nebraska Humane Society’s $8M project looks to bring affordable vet care to the Omaha metro
An $8 million project at the Nebraska Humane Society looks to bring more affordable veterinary care in the Omaha metro. The nonprofit this week announced plans to transform its spay and neuter center into a low-cost Pet Wellness Center. The new space will offer spay and neuter services, preventative care, vaccinations and dental services with the goal of keeping pets with their owners. In the past, the spay and neuter facility operated as a “one and done” resource.
Omaha Chamber opposes ordinance to restore $15 minimum wage for younger workers
The Omaha City Council heard from the public Tuesday on a proposed ordinance that, if passed, would keep the minimum wage in the city at $15 an hour for all workers. The Greater Omaha Chamber is among those in opposition. to the council, Omaha Chamber President Heath Mello wrote that the metro must continue to grow wages, but through economic growth rather than an ordinance.
He’s been on parole for decades. Cannabis gummies could land him back in Nebraska prison
Donald Moore spends much of his day in the front room of his Fremont home. He sits in an old leather chair, watches television, cares for his wife and fixes up guitars to sell. The 61-year-old suffered a stroke several years ago that impacted his mental capacity. Recent heart issues and complications from COVID-19 have worsened his health. Amid a growing list of medications, he opted for what he calls “a holistic” approach.
Stingray Beach reopens at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo after renovations
Renovations are complete and the public is again welcome at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s interactive stingray exhibit. Stingray Beach closed last summer following the deaths of multiple stingrays. Zoo officials said the renovation process began with a comprehensive evaluation of the systems that support aquatic animal health.
Data centers take center stage at North Omaha townhall
The future of data centers in Nebraska took center stage at a North Omaha town hall Thursday evening. The event was hosted by State Sens. Terrell McKinney and Ashlei Spivey, who alongside Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh sponsored a bill in the Nebraska Legislature that looked to help regulate data centers. Parts of their bill were adopted and passed in LB1010, which requires reports on annual power usage, water usage and ownership.
Omaha City Council considers ordinance to restore $15 minimum wage for younger workers
“They went and voted on it overwhelmingly to support the dignity of workers, not to have a race to the bottom, but to have a minimum wage established,” Begley said. Under his proposed ordinance, the city’s Human Rights and Relations Department would implement the minimum wage law and “work with employers to ensure that employees are notified of the yearly changes” and that requirements are met.
Take a look inside Omaha’s $26M streetcar maintenance facility
On the eastern edge of downtown Omaha, a 30,000-square-foot building will hold the city’s future streetcars. Construction on the roughly $26 million streetcar maintenance facility is still underway. Within the next year, the concrete building east of Eighth Street along Riverfront Drive will become a hub for the ambitious streetcar project. “It will be the place where our six vehicles are maintained, washed and repaired,” said Omaha Mayor John Ewing.
Douglas County Public Defender seeks budget increase to challenge controversial forensic methods
Ballistic analysis, handwriting examination and fingerprint comparison are forensic methods used for decades within the criminal legal system that have come under scrutiny in recent years. Defense teams across the country increasingly hire costly expert witnesses to challenge what some call the misuse of forensic sciences. In Douglas County, the Public Defender’s Office recently requested a budget increase for the 2026-2027 fiscal year of $45,000 in professional fees needed to pay those experts.
Douglas County Public Defender seeks budget increase to challenge controversial forensic methods
Ballistic analysis, handwriting examination and fingerprint comparison are forensic methods used for decades within the criminal legal system that have come under scrutiny in recent years. Defense teams across the country increasingly hire costly expert witnesses to challenge what some call the misuse of forensic sciences. In Douglas County, the Public Defender’s Office recently requested a budget increase for the 2026-2027 fiscal year of $45,000 in professional fees needed to pay those experts.
Omaha Children’s Museum celebrates 50th anniversary, plans for new facility still paused
An Omaha staple recently celebrated a major anniversary. Last week, the Omaha Children’s Museum marked 50 years of service.
‘It’s devastating’: As legal avenues close, undocumented Nebraska immigrants live with uncertainty
Nebraska Public Media made the editorial decision not to publish Mayra’s full name amid her pending immigration case. Mayra set a large stack of papers on her kitchen table. She took a seat and shuffled through copies of legal records, letters from attorneys and interview schedules. The mother of four had saved hundreds of documents tied to her immigration case. She pulled from the pile a “letter of intent” filed in 2023.
‘It’s devastating’: As legal avenues close, undocumented immigrants in Nebraska live with uncertainty
The Reader made the editorial decision not to publish Mayra’s full name amid her pending immigration case. Mayra set a large stack of papers on her kitchen table. She took a seat and shuffled through copies of legal records, letters from attorneys and interview schedules. The mother of four had saved hundreds of documents tied to her immigration case. She pulled from the pile a “letter of intent” filed in 2023.
Omaha-area shopping center purchased by New York-based company
One of the metro’s most popular shopping centers has a new owner. Shadow Lake Towne Center in Papillion was purchased in early May by New York-based company DLC for more than $94 million. The previous owner, PREP Property Group, bought the open air retail space in 2018. The purchase is the first Omaha investment for DLC, said Chief Executive Officer Adam Ifshin. The company specializes in open-air retail spaces, with properties across the United States.
A haunting mystery in a Nebraska town: How a federal Native American boarding school lost its dead
No one can find the graves. For 50 years, Native American children from across the country were brought to the Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School, a federally run boarding school in rural Nebraska. Multiple generations were stripped of their language, physically abused and isolated from their communities in the name of forced assimilation. At least 86 students are known to have died there. Records show nine students were buried in the now-missing school cemetery.
$120M Malcolm X cultural center aims to make North Omaha an international destination
Ambitious plans call for a $120 million mixed-use campus to rise on the site of Malcolm X’s birthplace in North Omaha. The project, led by the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, would place a cultural center and museum at 34th and Evans streets. Future phases include affordable housing units, a financial incubator, public green space and a hotel.
$120M Malcolm X cultural center aims to make North Omaha an international destination
Ambitious plans call for a $120 million mixed-use campus to rise on the site of Malcolm X’s birthplace in North Omaha. The project, led by the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, would place a cultural center and museum at 34th and Evans streets. Future phases include affordable housing units, a financial incubator, public green space and a hotel.
Cavanaugh leading tight race for Nebraska's 2nd District
If Cavanaugh wins, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen can appoint a replacement to complete his term, which ends in 2028. Pillen is expected to appoint a conservative representative in the reliably Democratic district. If no other seats in the Legislature flip from Republican to Democrat in November, that would solidify a filibuster-proof supermajority for Republicans. This outcome is not a guarantee, however.
City of Omaha approved $52M in TIF loans in 2025. These are the projects that made the cut.
Multi-family housing, commercial space and a Little Bohemia revitalization. Upward of $159 million in tax-increment financing, or TIF, was allocated in 2025, according to the city’s annual TIF report approved by the Omaha City Council this week. The total accounts for 22 projects. Used in Omaha for more than four decades, TIF is a financing tool regularly sought in local development efforts.
Omaha’s professional soccer team is getting a downtown stadium
A new 6,500-seat soccer stadium in downtown Omaha is one step closer to breaking ground following an important approval last month. Union Omaha, the city’s professional soccer team, plans to build the stadium as the anchor of a 20-acre entertainment district in north Downtown. The City Council last month unanimously approved $48 million in tax-increment financing for the $332 million project.
The tracks Omaha paved over: How the 20th-century streetcar shaped a growing city
Editor’s note: This story is part of a collaboration between Flatwater Free Press and The Reader examining Omaha’s future streetcar. Ernest Wintroub ushered his 7-year-old son Frank out the door of their Dundee home on a brisk spring evening in 1955. They stood on the street corner and listened for the familiar rumbling. For 86 years, streetcars had crisscrossed Omaha.
Legacy on rails: How Omaha's historic streetcars shaped the city
The antiquated public transportation tool had outlived its useful life as cars took the wheel of Omaha’s westward expansion. An editorial published by The World-Herald a month before the final trolley run in 1955 offered an apathetic eulogy: "San Francisco may cling to its obsolete cable cars, but we surmise there will be few lamentations when the last of Omaha's streetcars goes out of service," the editorial said.
‘Immense price pressure’: UNO navigates uncertain financial future with new strategies
As public universities around the nation navigate an uncertain financial future, the University of Nebraska at Omaha is adopting policies and strategies meant to support students and the workforce. A forum on UNO’s campus Monday brought university leaders, faculty and students together for an update on budget issues and strategy. Last year, a less-than-expected state appropriation led the NU Board of Regents to adopt $20 million in cuts across the system and implement a 5% tuition increase.
Omaha’s new library opens this weekend. Here’s what visitors can expect.
For months, thousands of Omaha residents have driven past the city’s new library on the southwest corner of 72nd and Dodge Streets. On Sunday, the public will finally get a look inside. There’s nothing else quite like it in Omaha. Hundreds of horizontal windows offer a glimpse of the 96,000-square-foot building’s interior.
Omaha’s new library opens this weekend. Here’s what visitors can expect.
For months, thousands of Omaha residents have driven past the city’s new library on the southwest corner of 72nd and Dodge Streets. On Sunday, the public will finally get a look inside. There’s nothing else quite like it in Omaha. Hundreds of horizontal windows offer a glimpse of the 96,000-square-foot building’s interior.
2nd District Democratic candidates address affordability, immigration and Iran war
On the war in Iran, Cavanaugh called for Congressional oversight. The state senator said the military action “has put in jeopardy the lives of American service people and civilians across the world.” (Trump’s) unchecked aggression overseas is a huge problem. It's driving up gas prices at home and abroad.
A growing number of teens are aging out of foster care. This Omaha coffee shop offers a lifeline
Astute began in 2015 as Omaha’s Bike Union and Coffee, a place that sold bikes and fresh cups of coffee out of a unique circular building at 19th and Dodge streets. Founder Miah Sommer changed gears during the pandemic. He did away with the bikes to focus more on his original mission: workforce development for Nebraskans aging out of the foster care system. “It's just amazing what people can do if you just give them the space to do it,” Sommer said.
Big spending and high stakes steer Nebraska’s 2nd District race
National attention and a crowded Democratic primary have made for a heated 2nd District House race as eight candidates vie for the seat held by Rep. Don Bacon since 2017. There’s a lot on the line for both parties. The race holds the potential to influence political control of the House of Representatives. The high stakes have brought high spending to Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
Omaha City Council directs task force to consider affordable housing incentives in TIF projects
A resolution passed by the Omaha City Council on Tuesday aims to address the city’s affordable housing shortage. The approved resolution calls for the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force to work with the city Planning Department and the Tax Increment Financing Committee on a policy that would incentivize or require affordable housing in development projects that receive TIF. Councilman Pete Festersen was the main architect of the resolution.
Here’s who’s running in Nebraska’s crowded 2nd District House Race
Cavanaugh hails from a prominent Nebraska political family. His father, also named John Cavanaugh, was a Democratic Congressman who represented Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District from 1977 until 1981. His sister, Machaela Cavanaugh, is also a state senator.
Omaha Mayor announces $5M philanthropic investment in city parks
Omaha’s philanthropic community will invest millions of dollars into the city’s public parks. In his first State of the City address, Omaha Mayor John Ewing highlighted the upcoming public-private partnership, which he said holds “transformational potential to do more than plug a maintenance hole.” Undisclosed philanthropic partners will contribute $5 million, an amount the city aims to match. The money will fill a gap identified by a consultant hired by the city.
Omaha mayor’s office rolls out discounted parking program as streetcar construction woes continue
Omaha Mayor John Ewing announced an upcoming parking program Wednesday that’s meant to bring more patrons to downtown businesses hit hard by streetcar construction. The program, set to begin in a few weeks, will offer $1 parking sessions in two downtown garages. Ewing and his staff also met with Omaha business owners at City Hall on Wednesday to discuss the impacts of the city’s streetcar project.
Dem challenger fights to stay in Douglas County sheriff race, takes appeal to Nebraska Supreme Court
A potential Democratic challenger in the Douglas County sheriff race filed an appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court over his removal from the ballot. Mark Martinez’s eligibility was called into question last week by the Douglas County Republican Party. The group cited a Nebraska law the party alleges requires candidates for sheriff to possess an active peace officer certificate.
Grandmother killed in Nebraska wildfire was ‘fearless’ and ‘loved by many’
Rose Mary White is being remembered by family and friends as “fearless.” She was a mother of four, a grandmother of six, and a great-grandmother of 12. White died in her Arthur home Thursday as a massive wildfire spread quickly across the Nebraska prairie. She was 86 years old. In her , White’s loved ones wrote that family was the most important thing in the world to her.
Longtime deacon at Omaha Catholic church found dead, son arrested
A 36-year-old Omaha man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of killing his father, a longtime deacon at a local Catholic church. John Zak, 69, was found dead in his home near 36th and Cass streets late Wednesday following a missing person report. His son, Martin Zak, was booked into the Douglas County Jail on suspicion of homicide, felony flight to avoid arrest and felony theft, police said in a press release.
‘There’s fear’: ICE arrests surge in Nebraska with 329% increase in 2025
Inside the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, the phone rarely stops ringing. The nonprofit near 42nd and Center Streets in Omaha is home to the Nebraska Immigration Legal Assistance Hotline, a resource for immigrants and refugees in search of answers. “What we're hearing more often is loved ones or the actual detainee calling in seeking any answer or seeking an attorney to help them with their next court date,” said hotline coordinator Stacy Marquez.
Candidates of Nebraska 2nd District House race weigh in on Iran war, with clear divide along party lines
There’s a clear political divide in the 2nd Congressional District race on U.S. actions and aspirations in Iran. With Don Bacon, an outspoken voice on military operations, soon to be out of office, a crowded field of candidates hoping to fill his place are weighing in on war in Iran. Brinker Harding, the lone Republican in the race, shared a statement in support of the U.S.-Israeli operation that killed Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Eyes in the sky: New technology has changed policing in Omaha
Omaha Police Lt. Allen Straub can see much of the city from his desk. With the help of more than a thousand cameras, he and other specially trained officers can monitor traffic hazards, assist emergency responders and track suspects — all without leaving the police department’s central headquarters in downtown Omaha. Straub oversees the Real-time Operations Center, also known as the ROC.
Events planned in remembrance of Nebraska’s federal Native American boarding school
The Sheldon Museum of Art will host a community event Friday in recognition of one of the nation’s largest federal Native American boarding schools. The Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School operated from 1884 to 1934. At its peak in 1932, the school’s 640-acre campus housed 599 students, who ranged in age from 4 to 22 years old. Children from more than 40 tribes were taken from their families and communities and stripped of their language and culture.
Snow sculptors push through warm Nebraska weekend to compete for chance at nationals
Armed with shovels and scrapers, competitors gathered in a West Omaha park Saturday to turn snow into art. The warm weather didn’t stop the six teams from creating various snow sculptures. One group went for a Valentine’s Day rocket ship, while another one leaned into a gnome theme. Matt Seeley, an international award-winning snow sculptor and organizer of the competition, said the main mission of the snow sculpture battle is to have a Nebraska team represented at the U.S. National Competition.
Omaha Police Union warns staffing levels approaching 'dangerous low’
The Omaha Police Officers Association raised the alarm Friday on what the group calls an urgent and dangerous staffing crisis. In a widely shared Facebook post, the police union wrote that from March 1 to April 4, some areas of the city typically covered by five to 10 officers will be covered by one. That means that for more than a month, there will be an 80% or greater reduction in force in some of Omaha’s busiest precincts, according to the officers association.
Omaha Police Union warns staffing levels approaching 'dangerous low’
The Omaha Police Officers Association raised the alarm Friday on what the group calls an urgent and dangerous staffing crisis. In a widely shared Facebook post, the police union wrote that from March 1 to April 4, some areas of the city typically covered by five to 10 officers will be covered by one. That means that for more than a month, there will be an 80% or greater reduction in force in some of Omaha’s busiest precincts, according to the officers association.
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