Road Work, Police Work Make Streets Safer
June 10, 2011 • No comments
Two main east-west thoroughfares in La Vista will get facelifts starting this week. Harrison Street at Gertrude Street and Giles Road from 66th to 69th Streets will be partially closed to accommodate the road work. According to a City of La Vista press release, the Harrison Street closure will cover the east-bound, right lane on either side of Gertrude Street. This will allow crews to build a right-turn land to serve the apartment and commercial project under construction on the south side of Harrison at the location. The road work started June 7 and will continue for two to three weeks. The Giles road closure started June 6 and should be complete today. Crews replacing sections of deteriorated asphalt. Giles remained opened in the evenings throughout the project. In other
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Bellevue Sandbags to Protect Infrastructure
June 4, 2011 • No comments
In anticipation of rising flood waters along the Missouri River, sandbagging and construction of a temporary berm east of downtown Bellevue are in the works. City officials, Sarpy County officials and members of the Papio Missouri NRD are coordinating efforts to protect areas such as: Offcuts AFB, STRATCOM, the City of Omaha Wastewater Treatment Plant and the City of Bellevue. More than 50 volunteers responded to a call for help in less than 24-hours and will be on-hand June 6 to help fill sandbags near Hayworth Park. Bellevue Community Relations Coordinator Phil Davidson, said the sandbagging will be part of work to construct a temporary berm across the Burlington Northern Railroad Tracks running under Highway 370 near the Bellevue Bridge. The tracks have already been
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Omaha Student Competes In National Spelling Bee
June 1, 2011 • No comments
Jenny Solheim, an eighth-grader at Omaha Westside Middle School, will be competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. During the three days of competition, Jenny will try to out spell 274 contestants from 50 states, as well as from U.S. territories, military schools overseas and other countries. All spellers take a written 25-word test on the first day of competition, the results of which count toward the oral preliminaries that begin Wednesday at 7 a.m. No more than 50 spellers will advance to Thursday's 9 a.m. semifinals. Championship finalists compete at 7:30 p.m. Fans can follow the round-by-round action on ESPN3.
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Editor’s Pick: Village Pointe Farmer’s Market
May 30, 2011 • No comments
Those looking for locally produced food should head out to Village Pointe between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday for the shopping center's summer Farmer's Market. All vendors produce their products in Nebraska or within 150 miles of the market. A small sampling of vendors and their products includes: - Grass-fed beef, pastured pork and free-range chicken and eggs from Pawnee Pride Meats in Steinauer, Neb. - Berries, vegetables and plants from Porter Ridge Farms in Ceresco, Neb. - Cheese from Jisa Farmstead Cheese in Brainard, Neb. - Pesticide-free produce, heirloom tomatoes and free-range poultry and eggs from Old Nelly Farms in Crescent, Iowa. The farmer's market gives west Omaha residents access to quality, locally produced food and also allows customers direct
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Use an App to Save on Gas Prices While You Travel
May 27, 2011 • No comments
Even though gas prices are significantly higher this month than they were earlier this year, my family will be part of the nearly 35 million Americans the American Automobile Association expects to travel more than 50 miles from home over the weekend. But thanks to the internet and smartphones, there are tools available to help us find the cheapest gas prices wherever we go. I especially like GasBuddy, which has a phone app in addition to its website, www.GasBuddy.com. Users can log gas prices as they travel to help everyone find the best deals. As of 10:45 a.m. today, it listed the cheapest price for regular gas in Omaha as $3.57 per gallon at the Kum & Go on 132nd and Fort. Check it out while you’re on the road, and you might save a few bucks.
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Summer Reading Programs Focus on World of Stories
May 25, 2011 • No comments
Whether or not newly-minted terms “staycation” and “daycation” make the next Webster printing, high food and gas prices make the practice of finding fun activities close to home likely to stick around like Nebraska humidity. Luckily, local libraries are on the ball. They are not only planning fun, educational and free activities closer to home — many are offering the world, as well. The 2011 summer reading program themes: One World, Many Stories, You are Here and Novel Destinations delve into world cultures. Omaha Public Libraries kicked off its program this week with seven days of parties, each focused on representing a different continent, ending with Africa Friday at Standing Bear Lake. Bellevue and La Vista libraries have planned their kids summer program
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Graduates Receive National Honors
May 25, 2011 • No comments
As colleges across the country honor their graduates this commencement season, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) commended College of Saint Mary (CSM) as a leader among institutions of higher education for its support of volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. CSM was admitted to the 2010-11 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction for its strong institutional commitment to service and compelling campus-community partnerships that produce measurable results for the community. The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted a total of 641 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to
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Millard Makes Newsweek’s “America’s Best High Schools”
May 24, 2011 • No comments
For the second year in a row, Newsweek magazine has named Millard North, South and West high schools in its list of America’s top 1,600 high schools. It's impressive feat for Millard, as only four Nebraska schools made the list. The selected schools rank in the top 6 percent of the nation’s public high schools, according to a rating system devised by Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews. The ratio is determined by the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2009, divided by the number of graduating seniors. The Nebraska schools and their national rankings, according to Newsweek are: Millard North at 799; Westside at 895; Millard West at 1,068; and Millard South at 1,313 What do you think about
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Summer Family Events: Dos and Don’ts for Dads
May 24, 2011 • 1 comment
Father’s Day is more than just about unwrapping neckties of questionable aesthetics — it signals the launch of a summer featuring a host of great family events. This issue, Neighborhood News offers a Dad’s Guide to navigating some of the season’s best crowd-pleasers. Taste of Omaha June 3–5 Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing This 14th-annual food-and-fun fest is a BBQ-basted, Thai-tinged, jalapeño-hopping, pesto-peppered sensory delight. Stay late into the night for music from some of the area’s hottest bands. Dos Do wear 'em if ya got 'em. Elastic-waisted pants may be passé for men, but your belt buckle will thank you on this one if you happen to own a pair of these technological wonders … Do pace yourself so you don't find yourself face to read more »
Editor’s Pick: Walk for Cady to End Distracted Driving
May 23, 2011 • No comments
C.A.R. Alliance for Safer Teen Driving will host its biggest fundraiser of the year Saturday, May 28 at Lake Zorinksy. The 4th Annual Walk for Cady will included a 1 mile and 4.3 mile course for walkers and runners. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the walk at 9 a.m. It includes water, bagels, fruit and other items (while supplies last), free kids activities, live DJ and more! You can go to their website to register for the walk or to bid on one of their silent auction items. Registration is only $20 for adults and $15 for students. The walk is held in rememberence of a Southwest Omaha teen, Cady Reynolds, 16, who died on May 31, 2007. The sophomore at Marian High School was struck by another teen driver who ran a red light at 132nd and West Center.
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