General News

The Douglas County Board is starting the process of putting together a 2012-2013 budget.

Douglas County’s new fiscal year begins July 1. Chairman Marc Kraft says everything is on the table, including a tax increase, because the county has limited sources of revenue. “The major challenge is that we have limited ability to create income sources. Most of our income comes from either grants or from property taxes, and a small amount comes from fees we charge.”

The current fiscal year budget of $311 million contains no tax increase. Kraft says the county board has worked to make services more efficient and cost-effective.

Seven high school seniors are the recipients of this year’s DJ’s Hero awards.

The scholarships were awarded at Monday’s D.J.’s Hero Awards luncheon. The awards, sponsored by the Salvation Army, honor young people who’ve overcome obstacles and given back to their community.

The Malcolm X Birthday Celebration features three days of events this week.

Walter Brooks is the Administrative Director for the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation.  He says the festivities kick off Thursday night with a program called “Verbal Gumbo.” 

The evening features spoken word artists and live music at the House of Loom.  Brooks says that’s followed by a presentation from a dynamic African-American motivational speaker on Friday called “Mental Liberation.”  

The guest speaker Friday is Nationally-acclaimed poet and author Basheer Jones.

The Omaha, Bellevue, and Papillion Fire Departments have announced a mutual aid agreement.

The automatic mutual aid agreement begins at 10 AM Wednesday. It means the closest fire department will respond to an emergency, regardless of jurisdiction. For example, if a Bellevue resident with an emergency lives closer to a south Omaha fire station, that station would respond first.

The cities previously had an agreement for mutual aid by request. Omaha Fire Chief Mike McDonnell says the move will improve response times, make each department more efficient, and save taxpayers money.

The Salvation Army's annual D.J.’s Hero Awards Luncheon happens Monday, May 14th.

Steve George, Chairperson for the event, says there are three goals of the event. One is to raise money for the Salvation Army’s programs. Another is to award scholarships to high school seniors who have overcome hardships in their lives, and the third is to feature a dynamic speaker. This year’s luncheon will be held at the Century Link Center.  George says there will be two guest speakers, Bob and Lee Woodruff.

The Omaha Farmer’s Markets kick off this weekend.  The markets offer attendees a variety of items, including local produce, flowers, meat, and cheese.  Project Manager Heidi Walz says there are also local vendors with non-food items, including handcrafted jewelry and wooden toys. 

This year’s downtown Omaha Farmer’s Market will feature 110 vendors. The Farmer’s Market at Aksarben Village has expanded to 75 vendors.  Walz says the mission of the markets goes back to community, and that’s why they accept SNAP cards at all their locations.