Good morning, this is Omaha Local Pulse for Friday, November 21, 2025.

We start today with some heartbreaking news shaking our community. We’re grieving the sudden loss of Zach Klein, who died in a car accident overnight. His impact reached many here in Omaha, and we know family and friends are feeling this tragedy deeply today.

Let’s move to city government, where the Omaha City Council has revealed a major investment in affordable housing. The Lozier Foundation is stepping up with forty million dollars, fueling nearly nineteen hundred new units along the upcoming streetcar route. A public hearing is set for Tuesday, and this could mean real change for families looking for housing relief downtown and midtown.

In weather, it’s a chilly and blustery November morning across Douglas and Sarpy Counties. We started below freezing, with a brisk wind making it feel even colder. Skies will stay mostly sunny today, but don’t expect much warmth—highs may barely top forty. By tonight, it dips back below freezing, so bundle up if you’re heading out for Friday night football or drinks in the Old Market. Into the weekend we’re looking dry, but chilly.

Downtown, there’s a fresh buzz as several new shops and eateries have opened their doors on South 13th Street and in Benson this week, creating about twenty-five new jobs. On the flip side, an Omaha fixture on Dodge Street, the historic City Cafe, has announced it’s closing at the end of the month after more than fifty years. The owner thanks Omaha for decades of support.

Turning to jobs, the city’s unemployment rate remains steady near three percent this month, according to figures from the Nebraska Department of Labor. Openings in logistics and health care are especially strong, with major local employers like CHI Health and Union Pacific continuing to recruit.

Sports fans, the Omaha Mavericks men’s basketball team is on the road tonight to battle LSU down in Baton Rouge. Tipoff is set for eight o’clock our time and they come in hungry for an upset. Locally, the Mavericks women’s team lost a tough one at Baxter Arena last night, falling eighty-two to seventy-three to CSU Bakersfield. They’ll look to bounce back Saturday, hosting South Dakota State.

Our high school athletes are making waves too. Omaha North’s football team powered into the state finals last night, stunning Lincoln East with a last-minute touchdown grab at Seeman Stadium. Congratulations to the Vikings and their dedicated fans.

In the job market, the city’s construction boom continues, with the Union at 16th and Nicholas reaching 70 percent occupancy just eight months after opening. That’s been a shot in the arm for downtown businesses, as new residents bring energy and demand.

Now, an important update from city hall on immigration. Omaha’s federal court remains overwhelmed, with its detained docket dominated by cases out of the new ICE center in McCook. Advocates worry about families and the growing backlog, as well as the impact on due process for people detained far from home.

Staying with public safety, Omaha police responded to a pair of serious incidents overnight. A robbery near 72nd and Cass Street ended quickly with one arrest, and officers are still searching for suspects in a car break-in at Village Pointe. If you saw anything unusual in these areas, authorities are asking for tips.

For community events, the Holiday Lights Festival kicks off tonight in Gene Leahy Mall. Expect food trucks, live music, and a tree-lighting at six. Saturday brings the Blackstone Small Business Fair and a winter coat drive at Lewis and Clark Middle School—donations welcome for those in need.

Before we go, a quick feel-good story. Graduates from the Douglas County Young Adult Court celebrated this week at the courthouse. Judge James Masteller honored nearly a dozen young adults turning their lives around....