General News

Project Interfaith is taking its Ravel/UnRavel initiative to the streets starting this Sunday. Volunteers will be parking a classic Bel Air Wagon around the city, drawing attention to the project. 

The idea for Ravel/UnRavel unfolded in the spring of 2010 during the first week of a student project. 

For six weeks, kids took flip cameras and a list of questions concerning service, spiritual identity and beliefs, into the community. These interviews were then uploaded to a video blog on Project Interfaith’s website. 

Omaha’s 2013 budget proposal contains no property tax increase, and estimates sales tax revenue will grow 1 to 3 percent.

Mayor Jim Suttle introduced the 2013 budget at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The general fund budget is $319.8 million, a 2.76 percent increase over the 2012 spending plan. Most of the growth in the 2013 plan is due to Omaha Public Works’ budget.

The budget plan accounts for 1.75 percent raises for police, fire, and civilian personnel in 2013. It also includes a police department recruit class.

On July 1st, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed a new law into effect.  Under the new “Move Over” Law, motorists who are ticketed and convicted for not moving over for emergency vehicles will face increased penalties. 

Kim Snook is with the Iowa Department of Transportation. She says the purpose of the law is to keep emergency vehicles and highway personnel safe while they do their work.  Snook says there are two simple rules everyone should follow.

Annexation and budgets are on Tuesday's Omaha City Council agenda.

Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle is set to give his 2013 budget presentation to the City Council. No details are available at this point about the new budget. A public hearing will be held in August.

Councilmen will also vote on annexing eight Sanitary Improvement Districts in to the city of Omaha. If that’s approved, the city of Omaha will grow by 6,353 residents.

The Omaha City Council meets at 2pm Tuesday.

The Salvation Army of Omaha plans to have three cooling centers open this weekend as temperatures soar in to the upper 90s.

Salvation Army officials announced Friday that the Kroc Center, North Corps, and Lied Renaissance Center will be open Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 5pm.

Those three locations will be open from 8am to 8pm as cooling centers Monday through Friday next week.

The National Weather Service expects a high temperature around 95 Saturday and 97 Sunday.