When people think of law enforcement officers, they think of a variety of things: One person might think Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach's character on Law & Order) while another might think of Brett Hankison, the Louisville Metro Police Department officer who, in March 2020, shot Breonna Taylor. No matter one's perception, I think we can all agree that being an officer of the law is a tough job—one that takes its toll on employees' mental, and physical, health. Our cover story digs into how this happens, and what is being done about it.
March has long been one of my favorite months for several reasons, one of them being it is when Omaha Film Festival occurs. This year is the 20th anniversary of the festival, and Marc Longbrake and his team have cultivated an incredible event of which Omaha can be proud. At presstime, Longbrake was able to reveal to me that he's particularly excited about two films coming this year: Porcelain War, a documentary about three artists in the Ukraine who continue to create art as they defend their country, and culture; and "The Rose Man of Omaha," a short film produced here in Nebraska.
Omaha Community Playhouse is another reason to love Omaha, and, believe it or not, they are celebrating their 100th anniversary this spring with a gala fundraiser. John Lloyd Young is the entertainment for the evening, and this Tony- and Grammy-winning singer and actor cut his theater teeth at OCP, which also boasts Norbert Leo Butz, Henry Fonda, Andrew Rannells, and more.
Major League Baseball starts in mid-March with a series in Tokyo between the Dodgers and the Cubs, then opening day is on March 27. One team to watch this year might be the San Diego Padres. They have been great onfield, making it to postseason for the third time in five seasons last year, but moreover, you can watch one of Omaha's own on the pitching mound. Matt Waldron has been throwing for the Padres since 2023, and he's often seen pitching the knuckleball, a wildcard throw at best. How Waldron became a name in baseball is the subject of our sports story.
At the editorial meeting to curate ideas for this edition, one of the employees brought up Everett's, stating she ate the "best sandwich ever!" at this restaurant. That's a big statement, especially in a foodie town such as Omaha, so I sent my friend, and former colleague, Mike'l Severe to go find out if the claim rang true for him. Mike'l wrote food reviews for the Omaha World-Herald and his own Run the Damn Kitchen podcast, among other places. You can discover his review in this issue.
Another article I am excited about is the story of Carver Jones. Many in the area may have known him as a basketball player for Millard North, but these days he's a successful musician who has written with McKenna Grace, the talented singer and actress who played Callie Spengler in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
There are so many great articles in this issue. I'm excited for all the stories, and I hope you read them all.
Daisy Hutzell-Rodman
Interim Editor-in-Chief
Omaha Publications
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