OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – First Alert 6 has the headlines you need to know to get your Friday started.
Omaha area schools cancel Friday classes; metro braces for winter blast
The coldest air of the season has moved into the Omaha metro Friday morning and it’s stuck here all weekend.
“Temperatures have dipped below zero for the first time this winter. Wind chills have dropped into the -20 to -30 range too,” Senior Chief Meteorologist Rusty Lord says.
Light snow is showing up on radar south of the metro early Friday, but most of the day should be snow free before moisture fills in a little better overnight into Saturday morning, according to Rusty.
Due to these conditions, Friday and Saturday are both First Alert 6 Weather Days. In anticipation of the cold, several Omaha metro area school districts called off for Friday.
The list includes Omaha, Bennington, Elkhorn, Millard, and Westside schools. Council Bluffs will have remote learning.
Lewis Central, Atlantic CSD, and Missouri Valley CSD have also announced closures.
Omaha warming centers open amid extreme cold heading into weekend
If you find yourself needing somewhere to keep out of the cold, there are six warming centers open in Douglas County:
North Corps (2401 Manderson) 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. FridayHeritage Place at Renaissance Village (3612 Cuming St) 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. FridayKroc Center Omaha (2825 Y St) 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. SaturdayOpen Door Mission’s Garland Thompson Men’s Center (2705 N. 20th St. E #249) open 24/7Siena Francis House (1401 N. 18th St.) 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday and SaturdayYouth Emergency Services (2602 Harney St.) 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, must be 25 years old or younger
Health officials say to limit time outside and wear proper clothes. If you start to feel numbness at all while outside, get indoors as quickly as possible.
Nebraska National Guard to deploy 200 soldiers to Washington D.C.
The Nebraska National Guard has been requested to support an “ongoing critical mission” in Washington, D.C.
On Aug. 1, troops from 10 other states were deployed to Washington to guard monuments. As these forces are scheduled to rotate out, replacements are needed.
Governor Jim Pillen, along with Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly and Adjutant General Craig Strong, said roughly 200 Nebraska National Guard soldiers will be deployed to Washington at the end of February.
Kelly said Nebraska soldiers’ primary missions will be in the areas of monument security, entry control, traffic control and roving presence patrols. The mission is expected to last 90 to 120 days and is federally funded.
Pillen said Washington will see an influx of visitors ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Watch Friday’s 7 a.m. streaming newscast
Join our team at 7 a.m. weekdays for the latest morning headlines.Nebraska Medicine leadership under investigation
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has replaced the board of directors at Nebraska Medicine, announced Thursday.
The move comes as the board’s actions amid the Clarkson Regional Health deal come under the scrutiny of the state Attorney General.
The Regents issued a statement on Thursday morning, saying they had installed an interim board as a response to a lawsuit filed by Nebraska Medicine’s board against its owners.
Regents say the state Attorney General is investigating Nebraska Medicine over allegations that it threatened critically important and strategic initiatives.
The investigation comes as the University works to move forward with a $800 million deal to buy out Clarkson Regional Health Services’ 50 percent stake in Nebraska Medicine.
Former Bellevue officer faces new charges including terroristic threats
A former Bellevue police officer is facing new charges after being arrested for a prior incident involving children.
Ryan Agustin is now charged with terroristic threats, use of a firearm to commit a felony and false imprisonment. Court documents show these new charges stem from a dispute back in 2023.
Ryan Agustin(Sarpy County jail)
Prosecutors allege he put a gun to a woman’s head and held her against her will. The woman came forward after he was arrested in November following a child enticement investigation carried out by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Agustin remains in jail in Omaha. He is due back in court for a hearing on the child enticement investigation in early February.
Fire crews wrap up days-long work at South Omaha warehouse
Days after a fire broke out at a South Omaha warehouse, fire crews have finally wrapped up their work.
Firefighters were first called to the warehouse near Dahlman Avenue and L Street Saturday afternoon.
First Alert 6 is told crews weren’t able to enter the former wood pallet supplier because the building wasn’t safe.
In an update Wednesday, Battalion Chief Kurt Theiler told First Alert 6 that fire crews wrapped up their operations at 5 p.m. Tuesday and turned the scene back over to the building owner.
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