OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Crews have begun working at the future site of the long-awaited Omaha National Cemetery in western Sarpy County.
Local officials have been discussing plans for the cemetery for more than a decade. But they weren't able to immediately make it a reality due to a Department of Veterans Affairs rule requiring at least 170,000 veterans to live within a 75-mile radius of the proposed site.
In 2009, President Obama's administration relaxed the rule and started budgeting for the cemetery the following year.
The Omaha World-Herald (http://bit.ly/1WsS72n ) reports that cemetery director Cindy Van Bibber moved onto the property earlier this month. She says the VA plans to open a small portion of the property for in-ground burials in about a year.
Construction on the cemetery's first phase will continue into 2018.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, http://www.omaha.com
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