Hello, happy Wednesday! I’ve been kicking around the idea of hosting Omaha Circle’s first event, and I have a few ideas I’m pretty excited about. Nothing is set in stone yet because I want to make sure it’s actually something you’d want to show up for, but I’ll share one of the ideas with you soon and see what you think.

I hope your week has been treating you well, now lets get into it!

September went out with a bang, rain-wise. Omaha finished the month with 11.92 inches of rain, making it the second-wettest September on record. The record is 13.75 inches, set in 1965. All that rain also sent the Missouri River up from 13.79 feet to 16.2 feet since last week.

As for the Omaha Weather Betrayal Count, I’m leaving it at 2. I already gave the rain a point last week, and I’m not going to double-dip.

If you didn’t book last week, this is your last chance to use the Omaha Circle discount and get an amazing massage. Ben says 10% is just the starting point, and if you need a little more, don’t be shy about asking. His philosophy? Pretty much everything is negotiable.

Most massages are built around the clock. Ben looks at it a little differently: buy my energy, not my time.

When you book with Arch Hero, Ben blocks out up to four hours and focuses on the whole experience instead of watching the clock. His goal is simple: give you the full hero treatment for as long as you need it.

So if you’ve been thinking about it, don’t miss out. Let Ben give your body a rest.

This week: Jason Moore, Owner of Custom Solutions Omaha

Small change of plans from last week: The person I teased won’t be this week’s interview. Maybe you’ll still see them here someday, but in the meantime, I got to sit down with Jason Moore, and I’m really glad I did.

Talking with Jason Moore is one of those conversations where you quickly realize he knows a ridiculous amount about a ridiculous amount of things. Electronics, 3D printing, CNC machines, circuit boards, cars, software. You name it, there is a decent chance Jason knows how it works, how to fix it, or how to make it better.

That curiosity is pretty much the story behind Custom Solutions Omaha. Jason had always been interested in electronics, but when 3D printing started taking off, it opened another door. He became fascinated with how the machines worked and eventually splurged on his first 3D printer in 2014.

Then his neighbor needed some parts made for work.

Jason printed them, made enough from the job to basically pay for the printer, and noticed something else. People were buying that same model, breaking parts on them, and abandoning them on eBay. Jason could buy those machines, use his working printer to make the broken parts, fix them, and sell them again. Suddenly, the hobby was starting to pay for itself.

That same mindset is still all over Custom Solutions today. Jason explained that the name is pretty literal. Someone might need a part, a circuit board, or even a machine that doesn’t really exist yet, and his job is figuring out how to make it happen.

At one point, he told me about a machine in his shop that couldn’t hold a certain type of part the way he needed it to. Instead of buying another machine, Jason used the machine itself to make an interface plate that gave it the capability he needed. A machine literally making a part to upgrade itself. I thought that was insanely cool.

And that is where Jason can really get going. He explained how a design moves from a computer through different software, into a control board, and eventually into the motors and machinery that make the actual part. Then he casually mentioned that he has written firmware, designed circuit boards, built parts, worked on websites and applications, and could build or modify an entire machine for a specific job.

I also noticed Jason was wearing his Custom Solutions Omaha shirt, which felt very fitting because even when I asked what he does outside of work, his answer was basically... more tinkering. He loves taking things and making them better, whether that means fixing a car, modifying a machine, or bringing something back to life.

Even his completely responsibility-free Saturday would probably be spent in the shop turning a design from his computer into a real part. Designing is actually how he relaxes at night, so he can build it the next day.

After talking with Jason, the only way to describe him is: a guy who just really, really likes figuring out how things work. And once he figures that out, his next question seems to be, How can I make it better?

Learn more about Custom Solutions →

01 - A Market, But Make It Year-Round

Omaha is getting its first year-round indoor public market at 8th and Farnam. The three-story space will fit dozens of local vendors, plus a teaching kitchen, event spaces and outdoor seating overlooking Heartland of America Park. Unfortunately, we have to wait until summer 2028.

02 - LEGO Takes Over the Luminarium

The Luminarium has a new exhibit, and yes, it involves a whole lot of LEGO bricks. Brick Masters Studio features massive creations from artist Sean Kenney, plus hands-on building challenges where you can test your own skills. It’s open now through January.

Thank you so much for your submissions to both this section and Pet Of The Week! I have seen some very cool pictures and very cute pets. If you have a picture you think would fit, don’t hesitate just submit it!

Thanks to Cristy for this beautiful picture taken between Crescent and Underwood.

5:00 PM | Nebraskaland at 100: Preserving the Legacy
A special evening celebrating 100 years of Nebraskaland and the stories behind the magazine. More details

7:30 PM | Big Head Todd & the Monsters
The longtime Colorado rock band brings nearly four decades of music to Omaha for one night. More details

6:30 PM | Spooky Space!
UNO’s planetarium mixes Halloween with astronomy, exploring black holes, zombie stars, ghostly nebulae and other creepy corners of space. More details

7:30 PM | PetRock with the Omaha Symphony
Omaha’s own ’70s tribute band joins the Omaha Symphony for one very groovy night. More details

12:00 PM | Heartwood Fall Festival
Thousands of pumpkins, free decorating, giant pumpkin carving and putt-putt make for a very fall afternoon. More details

1:00 PM | Halloween Boo Bash
Trick-or-treating, characters, balloon twisting and magic shows make for a packed afternoon. More details

7:00 PM | Dancing Queens: The ABBA Celebration
Omaha native Kirbi Jo Long and Amy Whelchel bring ABBA’s biggest hits to Elkhorn. More details

9:00 AM | AfroCon
Panels, artists, vendors and plenty of nerd culture come together for this free, all-ages convention. More details

11:00 AM | Fall Kite Festival
Some of the world’s biggest kites fill the sky, complete with candy drops throughout the day. More details

4:00 PM | Handel’s Water Music
The Omaha Symphony brings Handel’s Water Music to the huge acoustics of St. Cecilia Cathedral. More details

And that’s a wrap on week four. If you made it all the way down here, thank you for spending a little bit of your Wednesday with me.

If you liked this issue, send it to someone you think would enjoy it too.

See you next Wednesday 😎