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New pedestrian safety measure being added to Omahas Benson neighborhood [Video]

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – In December, a project was approved by city council to put bollards in Benson.

Bollards, which are essentially just steel posts meant to block vehicles, have become a major topic of conversation across the U.S. over the past 48 hours after a man drove a pickup truck through a crowd of people in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve.

“What we’re trying to accomplish here is some basic safety measures we think are appropriate for a neighborhood business district that enjoys activities in the evenings with retail operations and restaurants,” said Omaha City Councilman Pete Festersen.

It’s a welcomed idea by business owners.

“Anything that can keep people visiting Benson safe and make them feel more comfortable, that’s a huge improvement,” said Adam Van Osdel, owner of Edge of the Universe.

Benson has already seen changes for pedestrian safety like curb bumps and shorter crosswalks. The steel bollards will add to that in 27 spots between 58th …

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Small Business Ideas

Fitness helping women build friendships with strangers [Video]

As an adult, it can sometimes be difficult making new friends. There's no step-by-step process. But, a Milwaukee social group is working to make it easier for people by combining friendship with fitness.With this group, there's no need to run or jog. These women walk and call themselves "Girls Who Walk Milwaukee," The idea is to build friendship one step at a time. Sam Schulte founded the group and created something she saw a need for. "I think it's really accessible for a lot of people and it's easy to talk and meet people and connect and share conversation while you're walking," said Schulte. With one foot in front of the other, dozens of women walked around Estabrook Park in Shorewood. They braved the cold with their coats, scarves and coffee for a common purpose -- fitness and friendship, which is not always easy. "Meeting new friends as an adult is really hard," said Schulte. It's the reason Ariana Brooks joined; she moved to Milwaukee less than a year ago. "To meet people in the Milwaukee area, more girls," said Brooks. "I've gotten to know a couple girls like more so in person than Instagram. So, it's been great."One new friend she met is Anna Brandt who says she loves the walking group. Girls Who Walk Milwaukee started in May 2023. At some of the first walks, Schulte says 20-30 people showed up. Now, she says, there are sometimes 70 women. With each step, strangers turn into friends. It's one of the best parts for Schulte. "That's one of my favorite parts of the walks is when there's people kind of lingering around afterwards, exchanging phone numbers and Instagram handles. So it's really cool to see that happen," said Schulte. The dates and locations for the walks vary. The group is always looking for new routes to explore. The next walk is Saturday at 10 a.m. at Lakefront Brewery. If you can't make it this weekend, visit the group's Instagram page for the schedule.