Brian Mastre
Investigative Reporter / Weekend Anchor
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Brian Mastre can be seen weekdays reporting and anchoring for WOWT 6 News at 6 & 10. His in-depth reports, special projects and documentaries air throughout the year.
Brian has received numerous state, regional and national awards including a 2017 Heartland Emmy Award for a documentary analyzing the pros and cons regarding an upcoming vote on the death penalty in Nebraska. He also won a 2016 Heartland Emmy Award for a program examining the legal battle between Nebraska and Colorado over Colorado's recreational marijuana laws Photographer Jim Hinchik was the other half of the team for both projects.
Brian was also honored with a 2016 regional Radio-TV News Directors Association Edward R. Murrow award for a story about Memorial Little League in Omaha trying to save inner-city baseball. It was his 6th regional Murrow award in categories ranging from Investigative to Writing, Series to Sports.
In 2001, Brian was honored with a national Edward R. Murrow Award for a story about an aging softball team in South Omaha. Photographer Roger Hamer was the other half of the team on that one.
Brian grew up in small towns across Iowa. Clear Lake is his hometown.
He graduated with a Speech Communications: Radio/TV degree from Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota. The college has since changed its name to Southwest Minnesota State University. It's there where he met his future wife Beth.
Before coming to Omaha, he worked as the evening news anchor at KIMT in Mason City, Iowa.
He lives in Omaha with his wife and son.
Updated: May. 17, 2023 at 6:56 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
When Geraldine Tyler moved into a retirement home a few years ago, she fell behind on her taxes.
Updated: May. 17, 2023 at 6:09 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre and Gina Dvorak
After several hours of debate, Nebraska state senators voted Tuesday to attach AM1658 to LB574 before sending the bill back to second-round voting.
Updated: May. 16, 2023 at 3:47 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre and Gina Dvorak
After several hours of debate, Nebraska state senators voted Tuesday night to attach AM1658 to LB574 before bouncing the bill back to final-round voting.
Updated: May. 15, 2023 at 3:28 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Nebraska state senators don’t return to work until Tuesday, but when they do, they’ll be taking up two controversial bills at the same time.
Updated: May. 10, 2023 at 6:35 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
With 14 days left in this session of the Nebraska Legislature, there’s disappointment among a group of state senators who have watched their bills to help the poorest of the poor go nowhere.
Updated: May. 10, 2023 at 2:00 PM CDT
|By Gina Dvorak and Brian Mastre
A local branch of a national nonprofit backed by the Obama Foundation is being honored as one of its four exemplary community organizations from several across the country.
Updated: May. 9, 2023 at 6:47 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
The Omaha City Council approves a plan to spend nearly $3 million on the early stages of designing a new headquarters for police and fire.
Updated: May. 9, 2023 at 5:19 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
We’re getting a clearer idea on the details inside the new abortion ban amendment attached to a transgender care bill.
Updated: May. 8, 2023 at 5:54 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Nebraska lawmakers advanced an amendment Monday that would require companies with cellphone towers using Chinese-made technology to replace the parts immediately.
Updated: May. 4, 2023 at 10:28 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
While most investors never consider attending an annual meeting for any company, Berkshire Hathaway is the outlier.
Updated: May. 4, 2023 at 5:20 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Two huge ticket items — representing nearly a billion dollars in new spending — dominated debate among state senators at the Legislature on Thursday.
Updated: May. 3, 2023 at 8:10 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Nebraska state senators began debating the annual budget on Wednesday — mere hours after receiving a copy of the 181-page document.
Updated: May. 2, 2023 at 6:43 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
For the last four years, Curtis DeBerg has been personal security and driver for Warren Buffett.
Updated: May. 2, 2023 at 2:43 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Vinny Palermo remains on the Omaha City Council despite sitting in jail, but is no longer the council’s vice president.
Updated: May. 1, 2023 at 5:33 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
The latest on the public corruption case involving an Omaha City Council Member and two retired Omaha Police officers.
Updated: Apr. 27, 2023 at 4:30 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
The federal judge in Lincoln has indicated she will make her decision sometime Friday.
Updated: Apr. 26, 2023 at 5:49 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre and Gina Dvorak
A judge ruled Wednesday that Omaha City Councilman Vinny Palermo and two others facing federal charges will remain in custody until the evidence presented during Wednesday’s hearing can be properly reviewed.
Updated: Apr. 25, 2023 at 6:57 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Recognizing the work of thousands of students who have been lifted up by the community.
Updated: Apr. 25, 2023 at 11:06 AM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Tuesday, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed LB77, a bill to allow the permitless concealed carry of firearms.
Updated: Apr. 25, 2023 at 10:21 AM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Jury selection in the trial of Adam Price, the man accused of killing his two young children before fleeing to California, will begin this fall.
Updated: Apr. 24, 2023 at 3:37 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre and Gina Dvorak
The first of four men facing federal charges after two indictments were unsealed last week made his initial court appearance Monday afternoon.
Updated: Apr. 24, 2023 at 2:53 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre, Gina Dvorak and Cassie Crowe
The four men facing federal charges after two indictments were unsealed last week made their initial appearances in a Lincoln court on Monday afternoon and were back in jail that night.
Updated: Apr. 19, 2023 at 9:03 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
A bill working through the Nebraska Unicameral could wipe local control of handgun licensing if a permitless conceal carry bill takes hold.
Updated: Apr. 17, 2023 at 8:08 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
On the 63rd day of its first session, the 108th Legislature has passed its first bill.
Updated: Apr. 17, 2023 at 6:48 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
A district judge in Sarpy County issues a critical decision in a double murder case.
Updated: Apr. 17, 2023 at 11:07 AM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Seth Marek is running the race with two other participants from Omaha.
Updated: Apr. 13, 2023 at 4:11 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Another win for conservatives at the Unicameral made for an emotional day on the legislative floor as Nebraska state senators voted to move LB574 to its final reading.
Updated: Apr. 12, 2023 at 5:59 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
The Nebraska Unicam begins floor debate Wednesday morning on an abortion bill.
Updated: Apr. 11, 2023 at 5:13 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
The Nebraska Unicam begins floor debate Wednesday morning on an abortion bill.
Updated: Apr. 6, 2023 at 6:53 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
At noon today, for nearly an hour, some 100 people came to the Nebraska State Capitol carrying a message.
Updated: Apr. 6, 2023 at 11:33 AM CDT
|By Gina Dvorak and Brian Mastre
A day after the seat became vacant, Gov. Jim Pillen announced Carolyn Bosn as the next state senator for Dist. 25 in Lancaster County.
Updated: Apr. 5, 2023 at 7:52 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Lawyers for the man accused of killing an Omaha woman were granted more time to get all the evidence from the state.
Updated: Apr. 5, 2023 at 6:11 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Hours after State Sen. Suzanne Geist announced she was stepping down from the Nebraska Legislature, Gov. Jim Pillen’s office said he will appoint her replacement the next day.
Updated: Apr. 4, 2023 at 5:51 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
While this year’s legislative session has largely been dominated by the filibuster, some senators had a different approach Tuesday.
Updated: Mar. 14, 2023 at 5:24 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Attorneys for a death row inmate say their client should get a new trial.
Updated: Mar. 14, 2023 at 4:45 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
Another day of filibustering in the Nebraska Legislature.
Updated: Mar. 13, 2023 at 6:24 PM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
The Nebraska Legislature is on week three of a one-woman filibuster.
Updated: Mar. 13, 2023 at 10:56 AM CDT
|By Brian Mastre
The latest chapter in a disturbing case of child neglect.
Updated: Mar. 9, 2023 at 7:11 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
A record number of people decided to pay their outstanding property tax bills this past month in Douglas County.
Updated: Mar. 8, 2023 at 5:09 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
A bill working through the Nebraska Unicameral could wipe local control of handgun licensing if a permitless conceal carry bill takes hold.
Updated: Mar. 7, 2023 at 6:46 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
There are efforts in Nebraska to change what is often referred to as a school-to-prison pipeline.
Updated: Mar. 7, 2023 at 4:45 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
LB753 would set aside $25 million for tax credits for those who donate scholarships to private schools. That figure would grow to $100 million in a few years.
Updated: Mar. 7, 2023 at 4:13 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
A former Nebraska police chief has pleaded not guilty to charges of official misconduct.
Updated: Mar. 6, 2023 at 4:27 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
Nebraska lawmakers debate a bill that would create a tax break for those who donate to private schools.
Updated: Mar. 2, 2023 at 7:24 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
State senators continued their work in Nebraska’s state capitol pushing forward with efforts to turn bills into law while even as one lawmaker has promised to delay by using the rules.
Updated: Mar. 1, 2023 at 4:34 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
Should Nebraskans be allowed to conceal a gun without a permit or training? Omaha’s mayor and the police chief for the state’s two largest cities oppose it.
Updated: Feb. 28, 2023 at 10:20 AM CST
|By Brian Mastre
A Sarpy County District Judge sentenced Brittany King to prison Tuesday morning for her role in a Fourth of July fireworks attack on strangers last year.
Updated: Feb. 27, 2023 at 3:36 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
The city says the streetcar will pay for itself with a route from midtown to downtown -- meaning because a streetcar boosts the values of what it’s near, a number of businesses will want to build next to it to take advantage of the benefits.
Updated: Feb. 22, 2023 at 8:51 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
It didn’t take long for folks to see what the state sees: rejected Nebraska vanity plate requests.
Updated: Feb. 22, 2023 at 8:14 PM CST
|By Brian Mastre
He’s critical of the process Nebraska uses for funding highway construction, pointing the problems out on the east side of town with Highway 30 to Fremont.
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