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🌱 Patch AM: Why NDOT says Omaha drivers must change habits this winter

Spotted on the Omaha calendar: Christmas In Taylorville

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Friday December 19th Patch AM
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Hi there, Omaha! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why NDOT says Omaha drivers must change habits this winter
  • Will 186th and Q finally get the traffic light neighbors want?
  • How Omaha’s only youth shelter is changing homeless teens’ futures

Also on today's calendar: Bushwackers Ugly Sweater Christmas Party and 6 more events.

Find out what's happening in Omahafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Omahafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Partly sunny and breezy, with a high of 43 and low of 34 degrees.
  • Saturday: Breezy in the morning, temps: high: 47, low: 24.
  • Sunday: Times of sun and clouds, with a high of 45 and low of 31 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Slow down and stay back: NDOT reminds drivers winter work never stops (3newsnow.com) — Nearly half of Nebraska’s traffic moves through the Omaha metro, and NDOT is urging local drivers to slow down, give plows space, and check 511 as winter weather continues. Crews work year‑round on bridges, roads, and snow control, but officials stress that simple habits like staying 200 feet behind plows and buckling up are crucial to keeping Omaha‑area highways safe.
   

2. West Omaha neighbors demand traffic light after three crashes in two days at 186th and Q (3newsnow.com) — West Omaha neighbors near 186th and Q are pushing for a traffic light after three crashes in less than 48 hours this week injured two pedestrians. Douglas County officials say a signal could come within five years, but residents argue the widened Q Street has already made the intersection too dangerous to wait.
   

3. Omaha transitional living program helps homeless youth build independent lives (wowt.com) — Young people in Omaha facing homelessness can turn to Youth Emergency Services’ Transitional Living Program, which offers apartments, case management, and life-skills training for up to 18 months. With demand surging during winter, staff say long-term support is helping teens and young adults move from emergency shelter to stable work, school, and independent living.
   

4. Merritt's heart: A second chance at life and the Nebraska volleyball connection that sparked a smile (nytimes.com) — A young Iowa girl awaiting a heart transplant is receiving life-saving care at Children’s Nebraska in Omaha, where surgeons are on standby to fly out and secure a donor organ. Her family’s long hospital stay was recently brightened when Omaha Supernovas volleyball star Merritt Beason, her namesake, visited, offering rare moments of normalcy and hope during the holidays.
   

5. Financial tech company settles with Treasury over Iran sanctions violations (clevelandjewishnews.com) — An Omaha-based financial technology company, Exodus Movement, has agreed to pay more than $3.1 million to settle federal allegations it helped users in Iran evade U.S. sanctions while using its digital asset wallet. Treasury officials say Exodus staff allegedly advised some customers on masking their locations and that the firm lacked strong compliance procedures, though part of the penalty will fund improved sanctions controls.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • I have never been prouder to be a member of a diverse family then I am now.
    It makes me so proud to know that we respect every member of our family and every member that's not in our family. Some of my relatives have holiday… (Nextdoor Peony Park)
  • LOST SHIHTZU !!!!!!!!!
    LAST NEAR 38TH AND SARATOGA & CENTRAL PARK ELEMENTARY WE MISS HER SM, PLEASE CALL ME @402-547-9861 IF FOUND. OUR HEARTS ARE SO BROKEN WITHOUT HER. … (Nextdoor Central Park)
  • McDonald's posted a job opening for Shift Manager in Omaha. Apply here.
  • PrimeFlight Aviation Services posted a job opening for Mail Cargo Agent- Omaha Eppley Airport (OMA1) in Omaha. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Omaha here.

Ok Omaha! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
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