Mold Remediation in Omaha, NE

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa baseball team took down Nebraska Omaha, 13-1, in 14 innings at Duane Banks Field on Friday evening.

Eleven different Hawkeyes saw the mound on Friday, collectively giving up one run on five hits. Cade Obermueller started the game firing two straight strikeouts before giving up a full-count home run to left field. The left-hander responded with another punch out and then retired the side in order in the second inning to finish his day on the mound.

Anthony Watts took over pitching duties in the third frame. The junior gave up a leadoff double, but a groundout and back-to-back strikeouts limited the damage. Watts then threw a scoreless fourth inning to cap off his strong outing.

Aaron Savary kept the Mavericks scoreless in the fifth, and Reece Beuter followed suit in the sixth and seventh frames. Sam Hart was the next Hawkeye to make a mound appearance, sitting down the Mavericks in order in the eighth.

Ben DeTaeye and Tyler Guerin each stranded a runner in the ninth and 10th innings, respectively. Combined efforts on the mound from Daniel Wright, Brant Hogue, Chas Wheatley and Will Pearson in the final few innings helped secure the Hawkeye victory.

The Iowa offense recorded 16 hits against the Mavericks. The Hawkeyes knotted the game with two outs in the third inning as a Miles Risley double turned into a Gable Mitchell RBI single. Iowa tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by another RBI single from Mitchell and a Reese Moore RBI SAC fly.

The Hawkeyes took advantage of Maverick miscues in the bottom of the seventh, plating three runs on zero hits. Blake Guerin extended Iowa’s lead in the eighth inning with a no-doubt dinger to left center. A three-run 10th inning, which featured a Ben Wilmes leadoff single, a Merrick Mathews RBI groundout and a Kellen Strohmeyer 2 RBI base knock, gave the Hawkeyes an 11-1 lead.

Iowa’s next run came in the 13th frame when Colin Coonradt hit a line drive up the middle to score Tyler Guerin. Strohmeyer then laced an RBI triple to the right-center gap to give the Hawkeyes their final run of the game.

Up next

The Hawkeyes will return to Duane Banks Field on Friday, Oct. 11, for a matchup against Iowa Western at 3 p.m.

iHub envisioned as another anchor of the Inland Port area near Eppley Airfield

OMAHA — A $30 million pot of money set aside by Nebraska lawmakers for an Omaha innovation hub up to now has drawn little public attention — though that’s likely about to change.

The Omaha Inland Port Authority opened the door Thursday to seeking a consultant that would lay out a framework for how such an urban hotbed of leading-edge institutions, business and entrepreneurs could operate within its 300-acre jurisdiction.

“So far it’s been a footnote,” Trevon Brooks, a former Nebraska Department of Economic Development manager, said of the iHub.

Delayed action

A state law passed this year directed $30 million to the Omaha port authority to fuel creation of an innovation district. In the four months since the entity’s governing board was installed, however, it has been busy with its own startup activities as well as a controversial business park proposal.

The iHub

“Geographic areas where leading-edge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators, and accelerators. They are also physically compact, transit-accessible, and technically-wired and offer mixed-use housing, office and retail.”

— Bruce Katz and Julie Wagner, describing the emerging trend in a 2014 report for the Brookings Institution, “The Rise of Innovation Districts”

That business park, to be funded with a separate $90 million state allocation, is to be another anchor within the port authority boundaries that stretch west of Eppley Airfield. The area is seen as key to producing jobs and economic development for North Omaha residents.

During the port authority’s monthly meeting, board members ultimately delayed the effort to seek requests for consulting services for the innovation district. Members said they wanted to further review verbiage.

No one from the public testified either for or against the proposal to seek the contractor.

According to public records, the consultant would, among other things, recommend strategic and financial approaches to shaping the innovation district. It would involve community members, local businesses and governmental entities to develop a shared vision.

‘Slap in the face’

Leaders of two existing state-designated iHubs in Omaha were present for the board’s discussion.

Julian Young, of the Julian and Brittany Young iHub, said after the meeting that his organization would like to partner with the Omaha Innovation Connection Hub to build the innovation district within the port authority.

Young believes it would be a duplication of services to hire a consultant when two iHub organizations have launched similar efforts.

“The idea of hiring an outside consultant is kind of a slap in the face to those who have been doing that work,” Young told the Nebraska Examiner.

Brooks, the former DED official, who now is CEO of Omaha Innovation Connection Hub, said his organization was interested in pairing with the Young group to create the iHub activities in the port authority boundaries. The $30 million would help further their mission within that area, he said.

State Sen. Terrell McKinney, who chairs the port authority, said that while the two organizations are designated as iHubs by the state, he has not seen “a lot going on.”

McKinney said the board could tap an existing iHub designee to manage the innovation district with the allotted state funding — or, he said, the port authority could choose to run the district itself.

‘Put our hands in the air’

According to reports recently submitted to the state, the Youngs say their iHub has raised $2.4 million in capital for businesses, enrolled 78 entrepreneurs in its program and helped 59 grow revenues.

The Omaha Innovation Connection Hub, in its report, said it has delayed programming but has raised more than $3 million. Brooks said in an interview that his team has been busy building partnerships and investors.

He said more than $80 billion in federal funds are expected to be distributed in coming year for iHubs activities across the country, and his team is building a foundation.

“Omaha needs to be in the game, and put our hands in the air,” Brooks said.

Young and Brooks said they were excited to hear the port authority board discussion, as iHubs in places such as Kansas City, Atlanta, Des Moines and St. Louis already have taken off.

No action on business park

Also Thursday, the port authority board again delayed action on the business park proposal by a partnership led by the nonprofit Omaha Economic Development Corp.

The OEDC team — which includes Burlington Capital and the Greater Omaha Chamber — needs a letter of support by the board. The team said it is hamstrung without a release of at least part of the $90 million to carry out pre-development activities.

The OEDC-led group seeks to use the $90 million to prepare a shovel-ready business park where industry can build factories and create jobs. It has focused on two potential sites: One is a former dump site and the other is occupied by dozens of homes. Many of those residents have said they either don’t want to leave or don’t believe they’ll get a fair deal on relocation.

Board members during the meeting also mentioned the possibility that a third site might be in the mix now.

McKinney again raised concerns about the OEDC partnership, saying it has failed to provide information he has asked for and has not engaged the community enough.

Moving the goalpost

George Achola of Burlington Capital said, however, the board has moved the goalpost since the DED awarded the contract.

“We are literally right now at an impasse,” he said.

Said McKinney: “We’re not moving the goalposts. You just dropped the ball.”

Achola said he wouldn’t continue the disagreement. “It’s not going to serve any purpose at this point.”

Board member Jacob Hoppe said that without the release of some funding, it appeared “they’re kind of stuck.”

In the end, Davielle Phillips, board vice president, asked board members to submit questions that “outline the rules of the game” and that would provide a comfort level to finally vote on the letter of support.

Achola said the team would answer additional questions.

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OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Missouri native Chappell Roan is a rising pop star with a huge following. She's performing Thursday night in Council Bluffs and her fans prepared with a special shopping event at Albany and Avers in Dundee.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

My generation had Madonna, Millennials had Britney Spears and Gen Z has the Midwest Princess, Chappel Roan.

I’m neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel.

On Thursday night, Roan is playing Council Bluffs and this Dundee boutique is helping its customers get ready.

“It’s such a big deal.”

Amanda Failla owns Albany and Avers. A huge Chappell Roan fan, she’s hosting a pre-concert shopping party.

“Chappell has no rules with her clothing and I love that about her, too, anything goes ... There’s pictures of her wearing camo and then there’s pictures of her all dressed up wearing sparkles and sequins,” said Failla.

Known for her over-the-top style, fashion is part of the experience at a Chappell Roan concert. Anna Rodriguez-Popp is shopping for the concert with friends.

“It’s the whole part of making the memory, right? Like, you want this to be memorable so the going out and buying something that is specific for this event, you’re going to be able to look at and be like, ‘Man, there’s so many great memories that are attached to this outfit,’” said Rodriuez-Popp.

For fans in Iowa and Nebraska Roan’s music is relatable.

“Having her be from like, Missouri, some place so close, like, we see the way she dresses, the things that she experiences so it’s easier for us to connect to the music,” said Rodriguez-Popp.

Failla, who mostly sells pre-owned clothing, appreciates Roan's commitment to thrifting some of her outfits as well as her openness.

“Chappell is a great ice for the LGBTQ community, which, we don’t always get people around the Midwest again who have a stance like that and who want to be known for that,” she said. “Also her stance on mental health. I think that’s a thing that we don’t always hear about very often.”

Shoppers were lined up early outside Albany and Avers on Wednesday. Most said they would also line up early, probably by afternoon, for the concert at Westfair, which starts at 8 pm tonight.

At Albany and Avers in Dundee, with all the Midwest Princesses, I’m your neighborhood reporter, Katrina Markel

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Preparations are underway to turn Werner Park into a rodeo arena.

Wednesday, crews began transforming the ballpark for Saturday’s series finale of Extreme Bull Riding.

Anthony Goetz Manager of Special Events at the park, says the idea came to him while watching a minor league game in Texas last year.

“I saw an advertisement for bulls at the ballpark,” said Goetz. “Instantly it just kind of clicked and said I have an idea I am going to take back with me.”

When Goetz returned to Nebraska, he pitched the idea with great success. He knew the event would be a perfect fit for the community as the Omaha metro-area have hosted similar events in the past. Werner have hosted non-sporting events in the past but nothing of this scale.

Goetz reached out to Shad Smith, owner of Double S Bull Company, who produce Extreme Bull Riding. In September, the company hosted EBR finals in Nebraska City. He tells 6 news before signing onto the project he had never been apart of something like this.

When he was presented with the idea, he said yes instantly. “To come in like this in a really nice ball field, it will be really unique,” said Smith.

On Wednesday, field crews got to work marking and flagging the outline of the arena. Over the next few days, they will laydown fabric matting to protect the field. After matting is down, comes dirt, arena walls, rodeo chutes, bull alleyways, banners and more will be installed on Friday ahead of this weekend’s big show.

Goetz says with the Union Omaha soccer season wrapping up, keeping field integrity after Saturday is important. He is optimistic a successful show could open the doors for similar events like dirt bikes, monster jam and others.

Goetz would also like to expand out community events like ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, 6 man football, “the skies the limit,” he said. Along with rodeo fans, first time visitors will also get a chance to experience the ball park as well.

Shad Smith says he is excited to welcome those first time fans. "Gonna have lots of fans that have not been exposed to rodeo directly and they have never been to a place where they will be this close to this,” said Smith.

Extreme Bull Riding starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets start at $25 for adults and $15 for kids.

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