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Once Again

Host Bill Kelly is on a mission: digging through archives, dusting off documents and uncovering compelling stories from the past that matter again for the new history podcast Once Again.

Season 1

  • Season 1

A Church Divided

S1 Ep4 | 39m

Riding the Train in Style

S1 Ep3 | 39m

The Rise and Fall of the Ak-Sar-Ben

S1 Ep2 | 38m

Meyer v. Nebraska

S1 Ep1 | 34m



Host Bill Kelly is on a mission: digging through archives, dusting off documents and uncovering compelling stories from the past that matter again for the new history podcast Once Again.

“As a longtime reporter, I think it’s important to view current events through the lens of history. This podcast dives deep into intriguing news stories from Nebraska’s past and connects them to today’s headlines.” –Bill Kelly, Host

Whether you’re just casually curious or a devoted history hunter, each episode revisits a fascinating chapter from recent Nebraska and Great Plains history and draws stunning parallels from the past to the present.

Episode 5 coming Thursday, May 29.

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Episode 1
Meyer v. Nebraska
In the 1920s, a Nebraska law made teaching German to children illegal. Soon after the law went into effect, Robert Meyer was arrested, charged and convicted. Rather than paying a fine, he fought. He challenged the ruling all the way to the United States Supreme Court. This decision sparked conversation about which liberties in America should be guaranteed, and Meyer v. Nebraska has been cited in some of the most consequential court decisions of the past 50 years.
Episode 2
The Rise and Fall of the Ak-Sar-Ben
More than a century ago, one of the most popular horse racing tracks in America called Nebraska home. Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha drew race fans from across the Midwest, flourishing in the state’s largest city. That is until the 1990s when the track vanished. But how did Ak-Sar-Ben go from being the place to be to shuttering its gates for good? Now, nearly 30 years later, Nebraska voters have once again put the state in the horse racing business.
Episode 3
Riding the Train in Style
Through the middle of the century, a trip by rail was viewed as glamorous. But by the 1970s, the business turned so unprofitable that the government was forced to take it over, creating the Amtrak service. Now, demand has Once Again increased for rail travel, with more and more people thinking of punching a ticket. Nebraska Public Media’s Bill Kelly climbs aboard the California Zephyr to explain the history of passenger rail in America and how its future might hang in the balance.
Episode 4
A Church Divided
In the 1990s, a Methodist Church in Omaha began blending talk of religion with talk about sexual orientation – a conversation far out of the norm. Next came a controversial wedding. Normally a happy occasion, it quickly turned ugly, and the pastor who performed the wedding ended up on trial, cracking the foundation of the Methodist Church. The fight within the church spanned months with Reverend Jimmy Creech front and center.

Upcoming event

once again event graphic

Once Again: An Inside Look at Nebraska Public Media’s New History Podcast

Thursday, May 29
6:30 p.m. CT

Nebraska History Museum
131 Centennial Mall N, Lincoln, NE 68508

Please join us on May 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Nebraska History Museum to go behind the scenes of Nebraska Public Media's new podcast “Once Again” hosted by Bill Kelly.

Whether you're just casually curious or a devoted history hunter, each episode revisits a fascinating chapter from recent Nebraska and Great Plains history and draws stunning parallels from the past to the present.

Join us for a night exploring the stories, research and creative process that brings Nebraska's history to life through the power of the podcast! Presented by Bill Kelly, Nebraska Public Media Senior Reporter, Producer and Emmy award-winning journalist.

RSVP