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Less than two years ago, Greater Omaha's Chamber of Commerce touted plans for a 700,000-square-foot Amazon warehouse facility in the Omaha suburb of Papillion. The company expected the project to employ 1,000 people and add more than $200 million to the local economy, according to Omaha Chamber economists.

According to the Nebraska Examiner, despite construction being nearly complete, the facility won't open until 2024 as a dip in e-commerce has Amazon rethinking its massive warehouse portfolio.

"This project remains a crucial piece of our rapidly growing area and we will continue to facilitate its arrival," Veta Jeffery, the president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber told Insider.

Amazon declined to provide a price tag for the Nebraska facility, but plans included about 1,800 parking spots, trailer spaces, and bike racks, the Examiner reports.

In a statement, Amazon said it's still planning to launch the facility, but had to adjust its timing.

"We know the Papillion community is looking forward to the opportunities we'll be bringing to the area, and we'll share new timing along with information about the great jobs, pay, and comprehensive benefits we'll be offering just as soon as we can," a representative said.

The project joins a growing list of warehouse delays for Amazon. Brian Olsavsky, the CFO of Amazon, told reporters in April that the company is now stuck with "too much space" after adding to its real-estate empire between 2020 and 2022 to keep up with the pandemic-fueled surge in e-commerce demand.

Amazon is reportedly planning to sublet up to 30 million square feet of warehouse space or renegotiate leases, likely affecting warehouses in New York, New Jersey, Southern California, and Atlanta.

In June, Insider reported that Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon, was dissatisfied with Dave Clark, the company's former worldwide-consumer CEO, who the company viewed as responsible for Amazon's warehouse overexpansion, overstaffing, and spiraling costs.

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We've known that viral infections can be associated with neurological disorders for years. Some of the most common neuro-related diseases caused by viral infections include measles, meningitis, post-infectious encephalomyelitis, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, chickenpox and polio. Fortunately, these conditions are now rare or nearly nonexistent, thanks to routine immunizations.

The development of neurological disorders related to viral infections still occurs, however. Why some viral infections are associated with neurological conditions is complex and still under intense research.

"Even today, our knowledge of viruses is limited, knowing that we are surrounded by so many viruses that we don't even know about," says Rana Zabad, MD, Nebraska Medicine neurologist. "It is important to note that besides vaccines that are known to decrease the risk of acquiring an infection, there is no specific measure to prevent the progression to a neurological disorder. Additionally, we still don't know why some people will develop neurological issues after contracting a virus, and some don't. But we think that those who do may be genetically predisposed."

A common virus that is known to affect 90 to 95% of the population worldwide and may increase a person's risk for multiple sclerosis is the Epstein-Barr infection. A recent study by the National Institutes for Health found that individuals who contracted Epstein-Barr that progressed to infectious mononucleosis sometime during their lives were 32 times more likely to develop MS.

"While almost everyone acquires Epstein-Barr, most people are asymptomatic," says Dr. Zabad. "Only a small fraction of people will go on to develop infectious mononucleosis, also known as mono, which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Mono typically occurs in individuals who acquire the virus later in adolescence (after ten years of age) or young adulthood."

In addition to MS, cases of Epstein-Barr that progress to mono, are also associated with other inflammatory neurologic disorders in children and adults such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, transverse myelitis, encephalitis, meningitis and cranial nerve palsies such as Bell's palsy, notes Dr. Zabad. While these are all treatable conditions, they may leave the affected person with limitations.

There are several mechanisms that occur during a viral infection that may be associated with progression to neurological disorders.

When viruses and microorganisms invade the body, they can infect various organs and cause mild problems to more severe illnesses. Sometimes these viruses can directly invade the nervous system, such as is the case with meningitis or encephalitis.

"This direct infection may generate an inflammatory response throughout the body that can be further damaging," explains Dr. Zabad. "A current example is COVID-19, which can cause an inflammatory response that is responsible for clotting disorders that have led to strokes."

There is also an indirect effect that may occur in predisposed people. This is called molecular mimicry. Following the viral infection, molecules are left behind similar to those found in the body and nervous system. In some cases, the immune system may become confused and mistakenly attack similar molecules in the healthy nervous system.

"The scientific community is one step forward in understanding one of the many, yet important factors that might associate neurological disorders with viral infections," says Dr. Zabad.

Need a specialist? To schedule an appointment with one of our neurologists or other specialists, call 800.922.0000.

The STEM TRAIL Center receives recognition of programs that are making a difference for all underrepresented groups in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Today, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s NE STEM 4U Program received the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.

The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). UNO will be featured in the September 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

Inspiring Programs in STEM Award winners were selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity based on efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research, and successful programs and initiatives.

A.T. Miller, Ph.D., UNO’s Chief Diversity Officer celebrated the recognition. “I am deeply impressed by the many existing resources that not only advance DEAI efforts on the UNO campus but reach into the community to create the pipelines that will define the future of higher education in our metropolitan area,” Miller said. “The STEM TRAIL Center is transforming the fields toward full participation and unleashing the potential for much greater excellence in STEM across the board. This kind of outreach and collaboration is exceptional and should be recognized and shared nationally!”

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected UNO’s NE STEM 4U Program because of its steadfast contribution to serving the broader community through active engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning. The program partners with schools that are under resourced in staffing, active engagement, and quality programming in STEM areas. It relies on collaboration between the university, K-12 partners, and non-profit partners to make the program a success.

Since its inception in 2012, the program has expanded access in the STEM pipeline, creating pathways and opportunities for nearly 8,000 youth and mentorship opportunities for 200 undergraduate students who are persons of races or ethnicities that are often underrepresented in the field.

Within its design, the mutually beneficial nature of the program helps UNO retain more students in STEM through graduation while fostering curiosity and interest in STEM career pathways among youth. Previously published research on the program identified gains in STEM content knowledge, improved achievement in STEM areas among underprivileged youth, and overall advancement in fostering communitywide curiosity, inquiry, and scientific thinking.

Furthermore, undergraduate students serving as mentors in the program have been shown to outperform their peers in critical thinking with the program having a 97% retention rate to graduation, notably higher than the national average of 40-60%.

“We know that many STEM programs are not always recognized for their success, dedication, and mentorship for underrepresented students,” Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, said. “We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in STEM. We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”

For more information about the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award and INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, visit insightintodiversity.com.

GRETNA, Neb. —

The drive to add an interchange to Interstate 80 through the western half of the Omaha metro is ramping up, but the process to get it done has plenty of speed bumps along the way.

"This is the start of a very long process to use federal money to actually build a new access point on the interstate," said Mike Helgerson, the executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency.

It's toward the end of a Planning and Environmental Linkages study focused on I-80 between Highway 370 (mile marker 439) and Highway 31 (mile marker 432). Public comment wrapped up in August and Helgerson hopes to have the PEL ready for review by December.

"It's really an effort to balance the demand between existing interchanges," Helgerson said.

Anyone familiar with rush hour in the area knows both on-ramps and exit ramps can get crowded during morning and evening rush hours. According to MAPA, by current traffic standards, exits 432 and 439 fail to meet today's demand. The 2021 data from the Nebraska Department of Transportation shows the seven-mile stretch of interstate averages about 53,500 vehicles per day.

"Growth happens rapidly and then it gets to a point where it becomes exponential," said former Gretna mayor and current Sarpy County Commissioner Jim Warren.

That stretch of I-80 cuts through the western portion of Sarpy County. Nebraska's third largest county has grown by about 35,000 people since 2010, a climb of 22% in the last decade.

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"You need to be able to get people out of this area and onto the interstate to get to Lincoln or Omaha," Warren said.

He also joked that he hopes a new interchange is built in his lifetime.

"We're not building an interchange tomorrow," said Helgerson "At a minimum, it'll be five to 10 years before we start to see anything happen."

The PEL focuses on costs, community impacts, environmental impacts, and potential locations. The front-runner right now appears to be an area around 192nd street near the Capehart Road overpass.

"Transportation is everything," Warren said. "It's not just your location; it's how do you get from your location to where you need to go?"

Warren said he's heard costs would likely be at least $20 million. When asked, Helgerson said tens of millions of dollars.

"The sooner, the better," Warren said.

Sarpy County has budgeted $70,000 in 2023 for the next step in the process: an Interstate Justification Report, or IJR.

"That IJR process is really requesting from the federal government a new access point," said Helgerson, who mentioned the process could take a couple of years.

As for who pays for the potential project, the costs would be shared. The federal government could pay for up to 80% of the tab, according to Helgerson.

According to N-DOT, the Omaha metro hasn't seen a new I-80 interchange since 1992. But the next one could still be a decade away.

It's a slow process to steer growth in the right direction.

OMAHA, Nebraska — A Nebraska woman has been charged with helping her teenage daughter end her pregnancy at about 24 weeks after investigators uncovered Facebook messages in which the two discussed using medication to induce an abortion and plans to burn the fetus afterward.

The prosecutor handling the case said it's the first time he has charged anyone for illegally performing an abortion after 20 weeks, a restriction that was passed in 2010. Before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, states weren't allowed to enforce abortion bans until the point at which a fetus is considered viable outside the womb, at roughly 24 weeks.

In one of the Facebook messages, Jessica Burgess, 41, tells her then 17-year-old daughter that she has obtained abortion pills for her and gives her instructions on how to take them to end the pregnancy.

The daughter, meanwhile, "talks about how she can't wait to get the 'thing' out of her body," a detective wrote in court documents. "I will finally be able to wear jeans," she says in one of the messages. Law enforcement authorities obtained the messages with a search warrant, and detailed some of them in court documents.

In early June, the mother and daughter were only charged with a single felony for removing, concealing or abandoning a body, and two misdemeanors: concealing the death of another person and false reporting. It wasn't until about a month later, after investigators reviewed the private Facebook messages, that they added the felony abortion-related charges against the mother. The daughter, who is now 18, is being charged as an adult at prosecutors' request.

Burgess' attorney didn't immediately respond to a message Tuesday, and the public defender representing the daughter declined to comment.

When first interviewed, the two told investigators that the teen had unexpectedly given birth to a stillborn baby in the shower in the early morning hours of April 22. They said they put the fetus in a bag, placed it in a box in the back of their van, and later drove several miles north of town, where they buried the body with the help of a 22-year-old man.

The man, whom The Associated Press is not identifying because he has only been charged with a misdemeanor, has pleaded no contest to helping bury the fetus on rural land his parents own north of Norfolk in northeast Nebraska. He's set to be sentenced later this month.

In court documents, the detective said the fetus showed signs of "thermal wounds" and that the man told investigators the mother and daughter did burn it. He also wrote that the daughter confirmed in the Facebook exchange with her mother that the two would "burn the evidence afterward." Based on medical records, the fetus was more than 23 weeks old, the detective wrote.

Burgess later admitted to investigators to buying the abortion pills "for the purpose of instigating a miscarriage."

At first, both mother and daughter said they didn't remember the date when the stillbirth happened, but according to the detective, the daughter later confirmed the date by consulting her Facebook messages. After that he sought the warrant, he said.

Madison County Attorney Joseph Smith told the Lincoln Journal Star that he's never filed charges like this related to performing an abortion illegally in his 32 years as the county prosecutor. He didn't immediately respond to a message from the AP on Tuesday.

The group National Advocates for Pregnant Women, which supports abortion rights, found 1,331 arrests or detentions of women for crimes related to their pregnancy from 2006 to 2020.

In addition to its current 20-week abortion ban, Nebraska tried — but failed — earlier this year to pass a so-called trigger law that would have banned all abortions when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

A Facebook spokesman declined to talk about the details of this case, but the company has said that officials at the social media giant "always scrutinize every government request we receive to make sure it is legally valid."

Facebook says it will fight back against requests that it thinks are invalid or too broad, but the company said it gave investigators information in about 88% of the 59,996 times when the government requested data in the second half of last year.