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Conflict arises over how best to use public funds to transform South Omaha’s ‘Plaza de la Raza’
OMAHA — Conflict is brewing over how public funds should be used to improve the South Omaha historic business district, and it has led to 100-plus critics signing a letter to city and state elected officials. The discord centers on Plaza de la Raza — a surface parking lot at 24th and N Streets, an […]
Relatively rare case of tuberculosis at northwest Omaha child care center sparks investigation of 500 possible exposures
OMAHA — Nebraska’s largest county is investigating more than 500 possible exposures to a “relatively rare” case of active tuberculosis at a northwest Omaha drop-in day care center, officials announced Thursday. The Douglas County Health Department also said that an official declaration of a public health emergency is forthcoming, due to the potential risk for […]
UNMC declares interest in ‘second phase’ of Omaha streetcar route
OMAHA — The University of Nebraska Medical Center said Wednesday it is interested in participating in a second phase of Omaha’s modern streetcar project, one that could take the streetcar route west onto UNMC’s growing campus. UNMC responded to the Nebraska Examiner in a statement, saying that its leadership has provided the City of Omaha […]
Omaha streetcar route to shrink several blocks, to accommodate possible extensions
OMAHA — The latest design for Omaha’s $300 million-plus streetcar project calls for a shortened route, at least initially, through the urban core of Nebraska’s largest city. Architects of the plan say the modifications would make it easier if, in the future, the route was to be extended into North Omaha or westward onto the […]
‘Open house’ events in North and South Omaha hosted by NE Department of Economic Development
OMAHA — The Nebraska Department of Economic Development, a state agency responsible for the selection and oversight of millions of dollars in grants, will host a pair of open houses next week in South and North Omaha. Organizers say the events provide an opportunity for residents of the urban areas to meet staff members who […]
Two Omaha metro education institutions partner to ease path to advanced health care science degrees
OMAHA — To help smooth a path to advanced health care science degrees, Clarkson College of Omaha and Iowa Western Community College are joining forces in a new program. Representatives of the two institutions were to sign an “articulation” agreement Tuesday that allows Iowa Western students graduating with an associate degree to move swiftly and […]
Unprecedented effort to ward off rabies spread in Omaha moves into new phase; no red flags so far
OMAHA — Another phase of an unprecedented local operation to prevent a wildlife rabies outbreak launched Wednesday — with some 18,000 oral vaccine bait packets being placed around Nebraska’s most populated county. Spreading out across a 62-square-mile area of Douglas County to drop the two-inch sachets coated with a fishmeal attractant are investigators with county, […]
Construction officially kicks off at $105M Omaha building site, key to flurry of UNMC development
OMAHA — Construction officially kicked off Tuesday on a “cornerstone” of a multibillion-dollar flurry of building initiatives in midtown Omaha poised to further elevate the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s profile. Gathered southwest of Saddle Creek Road and Farnam Street, a group of medical, government and business leaders celebrated what is to rise there as […]
$2 million aims to boost reading skills of Nebraska preschoolers, eliminate ‘book deserts’
OMAHA — Seeking to eliminate “book deserts” in Nebraska, the State Department of Education has directed $2 million toward getting more than a half-million books into households with the youngest Nebraskans. The Nebraska Growing Readers effort kicked off Monday with a batch of books distributed to Educare of Omaha at Indian Hill, one of 18 […]
Nebraska mulls participation in new child nutrition program that could bring $18M in benefits
LINCOLN — A child nutrition program poised to launch nationwide on a permanent basis could deliver an estimated $18 million in grocery-buying benefits to Nebraska families next summer. While that’s an encouraging prospect to child welfare advocates and struggling families, state government officials first must decide whether to opt into the new Summer EBT program […]
UNL journalism graduate and humanitarian gifts $2 million to alma mater
LINCOLN — A journalist and humanitarian who graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has, along with her husband, pledged a $2 million gift to create an endowed deanship at her alma mater. Jane Olson, through her work and travels with human rights organizations, captured stories about people in places such as Rwanda, Ukraine and the […]
Passenger pickup and drop-off routine to change at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield during multimillion-dollar construction project
OMAHA — Starting Friday about 10 a.m., passenger pickup and drop-off routines at Omaha’s airport will change temporarily to accommodate the $65 million terminal drive and canopy construction project that’s underway. Pickup and drop-off lanes at Eppley Airfield will relocate to Level 1 of the South Garage. Until spring 2025, motorists will be seeing the […]