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Home trade shows coming to Las Vegas this month

For home builders, home decorators, home renovators and furniture dealers, Las Vegas is the place to be in January.

The Winter 2015 Las Vegas Market, the most comprehensive furniture, home décor and gift market in the United States, will be Jan. 18-22 in the World Market Center. During this biannual event, retailers and designers can shop a broad assortment of product from thousands of manufacturers of furniture, mattress, lighting, decorative accessories, floor coverings, home textiles, tabletop, general gift and more.

Las Vegas Market is a partner event during the upcoming second annual Design &Construction Week, which features the co-location of the two founding partner shows Jan. 20-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center: the National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders’ Show and the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s Kitchen &Bath Industry Show.

Design &Construction Week will also include two other partner events: the International Window Coverings Expo, Jan. 20-22 at the Convention Center, and The International Surface Event, Jan. 20-23 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

These shows are trade-only events and only professionals from the industry will be allowed to attend.

Learn how to reduce the radon health risk

January is National Radon Action Month, and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program offers Nevada residents free radon test kits through Feb. 28. Test kits are available for pickup at the Cooperative Extension office at 8050 Paradise Road.

In addition, radon educational presentations will be given at various Las Vegas libraries in February. Free test kits for homes also will be available at the presentations.

Scheduled presentations in Las Vegas are:

n Feb. 7 — West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., at 10:30 a.m.

n Feb. 7 — Spring Valley Library, 4280 S. Jones Blvd., at 3 p.m.,

n Feb. 8 — Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, at 1 p.m.

n Feb. 9 — Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane, at 1 p.m.

n Feb. 9 — Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, at 6 p.m.

In Nevada, one in four homes already tested have shown radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level. According to experts, living in a home with radon concentrations at the action level poses as much risk of developing lung cancer as smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day.

The Nevada Radon Education Program is a program of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and is funded by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Since the program began in 2007, more than 36,000 radon test kits have been distributed and more than 18,000 homes have been tested.

Cooperative Extension, the EPA and the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health urge all Nevadans to get their homes tested for radon. For more information, visit the Nevada Radon Education Program website at www.RadonNV.com, call the Radon Hotline at 888-RADON10 (888-723-6610).

Final week to recycle Christmas trees

Most people have already taken down their Christmas trees and packed away the decorations. But there are still those procrastinators who want to extend the holiday season a little longer.

If you plan to dismantle your tree in the next few days, don’t just throw it to the curb. Help the community by taking it to one of 22 drop sights where it will be recycled.

After drop-off, the tree will be chipped into mulch that is used in public gardens and parks throughout the valley to help conserve soil moisture and keep plants healthy.

There are no fees to participate in this community effort; just a short amount of time is all that is required.

Before dropping off the tree, all nonorganic objects such as lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments and nails should be removed. Foreign objects contaminate the mulch and damage the chipper. Flocked trees cannot be recycled.

For more information, visit www.unce.unr.edu/counties/clark; call Angela O’Callaghan at 702-257-5581; or email ocallaghana@unce.unr.edu.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has been involved with the Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Committee for 11 years.

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