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OMAHA WILL LOSE MILLIONS OF REVENUE THE CITY DEPENDS ON EACH YEAR, BUT SHE SAYS SHE’D RATHER THE CITY TAKE THE HIT NOW AND THEN MOVE FORWAR THE ROAD TO OMAHA TAKES A DETOUR THIS YEAR AS THE NCAA CANCELS ALL WINTER AND SPRING TOURNAMENTS. MAYOR STOTHERT: IT’S GOING TO BE A HIT, AND WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK AROUND IT. EMILY: VISIT OMAHA SAYS LOSING MARCH MADNESS IS AN ESTIMATED $5 MILLION LOSS TO THE CITY, AND THE MAYOR SAYS CWS IS A $70 MILLION DOLLAR HIT. MAYOR STOTHERT: IT’S A SEVERE BLOW TO OMAHA’S ECONOMY. EMILY: THE NCAA ANNOUNCED THE CANCELLATIONS ARE TO ENSURE TOURNAMENTS WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO SPREAD OF THE PANDEMIC. THE MAYOR AGREES, SAYING THIS IS THE BEST DECISION FOR PLAYERS AND FANS. MAYOR STOTHERT: THE REVENUE THAT THE CITY WILL LOSE IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT. IT’S PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTAN EMILY: THIS WOULD’VE BEEN OMAHA BASEBALL VILLAGE’S TENTH YEAR IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE OLD MATTRESS FACTORY BAR AND GRILL. >> THIS WILL BE A HUGE FINANCIAL IMPACT TO US, AND THINGS ARE OUT OF YOUR CONTROL, AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT THAT. EMILY: DESPITE AN ECONOMIC HIT, THEY REMAIN HOPEFUL. >> SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU LOSE SOMETHING AND YOU’RE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT IN THE DISTANCE WITH HOPE, IT’S GOING TO BE THAT MUCH BETTER IN THE FUTURE. EMILY: THE DUGOUT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM TD AMERITRADE OWNER, RICH TOKEHIM, SAYS HE’LL MISS THE SPORTS THE FANS, AND -- THE SPORTS, THE FANS, AND OF COURSE, THE TRAFFIC CWS BROUGHT IN. I THINK EVERYBODY’S A LOSER, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF BUSINESSES LIKE OURS WHO PUT THE MONEY OUT, AND THERE’S A FINANCIAL IMPACT ALONG WITH THE EMOTIONAL LOSS. EMILY: THE TWO BUSINESSES I SPOKE WITH SAY THEY HOPE THE CITY WILL STILL COME IN AND SUPPORT THEM THIS SUMMER THE MAYOR SAYS SHE DOES NO KNOW HOW MANY JOBS WILL BE AFFECTED, BUT SHE SAYS THERE’S STILL A GLIMMER OF HOPE THAT OTHER SCHEDULED EVENTS WILL BRING IN SOM

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The city of Omaha is taking a direct hit to its bottom line, and local businesses will feel the effects.On Thursday, the NCAA made the decision to cancel all winter and spring athletic championships.Mayor Jean Stothert says it's better to take the hit now and move forward."It's going to be a hit, and we're going to have to work around it," she said.Stothert spoke to KETV NewsWatch 7 on Thursday afternoon, just one hour after NCAA officials made the cancellation call, nixing March Madness entirely and the College World Series.The mayor said canceling the CWS alone will cost the local economy $70 million. According to Visit Omaha, losing March Madness is an estimated $5 million loss to the city."It's a severe blow to Omaha's economy," Stothert said.NCAA President Mark Emmert tweeted the announcement Thursday afternoon: "This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities."Stothert said she thinks this is the best decision for the safety of the traveling players and fans."The revenue that the city will lose is not the most important," she said. "It's public health and public safety that is the most important." She says there is still a glimmer of hope with the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials as that organization has not announced cancellations plans yet. This summer would've been the 71st year of the College World Series. It would've been Omaha Baseball Village's 10th year in the parking lot of the Old Mattress Factory Bar and Grill. Every CWS, Omaha Baseball Village is full of vendors, music and food and drink."This will be a huge financial impact to us," said Jenny Peters, marketing director. "Things are out of your control, and there's nothing you can do about that."Peters said she remains hopeful the city will support local businesses and overcome the loss."Sometimes when you lose something, and you're able to look at it in the distance with hope, it's going to be that much better in the future," she said.Rich Tokheim owns the Dugout directly across the street from TD Ameritrade Park. He said he'll miss the sports, the fans and the traffic the CWS brings in."I think just everybody's a loser but there are a lot of businesses like ours who put the money out, and there's a financial impact along with the emotional loss," he said. "It's going to test our resilience as citizens and so forth. We'll pull through it, it'll happen."