Area Briefing
POLICE LAUNCH DOWNTOWN 360 COMMUNITY PRIDE INITIATIVE
The Metropolitan Police Department's Downtown 360 initiative kicked off Oct. 6 with a cleanup event at three locations.
The community policing squad at the Downtown Area Command, 621 N. Ninth St., developed the Downtown 360 program to strengthen community partnerships through neighborhood cleanup, graffiti removal and a lecture series.
The two-hour inaugural cleanup took place near 2900 E. Charleston Blvd., 600 E. Bonanza Road and 2000 Paradise Road.
The program focuses on area apartment complexes and committing 60 minutes a day to proactive activities. The goal is to build lasting partnerships and help residents take pride in their neighborhoods.
Downtown 360 is put on in partnership with the city of Las Vegas, AlertID, Siegel Suites and Zappos.
For more information, call 702-828-3822.
PROGRAM OFFERS SCHOLARSHIP FOR RADON MITIGATION STUDIES
The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Nevada Radon Education Program is offering a scholarship to help residents train and get certified to be a radon mitigation professional in Southern Nevada.
The grant-funded scholarship program of the Nevada State Health Division is offering the funds toward online mitigation entry level training through the Center for Environmental Research & Technology Inc. and the national certification exam through the National Radon Proficiency Program. The regular price for the course, including study materials, is $750, and the cost of the exam is $100. Nevada residents living in Lincoln or Clark counties are eligible.
The application deadline is Nov. 30. Experienced building and remodeling contractors or plumbers licensed with the Nevada State Contractors Board who wish to expand their business are encouraged to apply.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas present in many homes, schools and buildings and is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, according to the Cooperative Extension.
For more information, call Laura Au-Yeung at 702-257-5550 or the radon hot line at 888-723-6610.
COMPANY OFFERS SECURE SOCIAL NETWORKING PROGRAM
AlertID recently launched its Secure Social Network program, allowing users to share information safely.
The program is geared toward users such as families, communities, schools, co-workers and public safety officials who are concerned about the safety of communicating on traditional social networks. To sign up for a free account or for more information, visit alertid.com.
AlertID said it does not scan members' communication and postings to sell to advertisers or anyone else, nor does it sell information that would personally identify members to advertisers. The program also prevents search engines from scanning users' information.
Features include:
n My Neighborhood, which enables users to share messages about suspicious people, crime, missing pets, and post pictures and videos, sharing the content with other AlertID members in the vicinity.
n My Groups, allowing the creation of private or public groups. Groups may or may not be location-based and can be created for schools, homeowners associations, public safety organizations, neighbors, families and more.
n Homeland Security Reporting, allowing users to easily report suspicious activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security from mobile devices, iPads or computers.
SHADOW LANE IMPROVEMENTS SCHEDULED THROUGH OCTOBER
The second and final phase of a public infrastructure improvement project on Shadow Lane between Alta Drive and Charleston Boulevard is planned through Oct. 31, the city of Las Vegas announced.
Construction is set for 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and will include half-street road closures, the city said. Motorists are advised to use Rancho or Tonopah drives as alternative routes.
Work involves the west half of the roadway and includes soil stabilization, asphalt paving utility adjustments and final roadway striping.
Completed work for this phase of the project includes sidewalk ramps, sewer main pipe and manhole replacement and paving of the east half of the street.
The first phase of work was completed this year and consisted of improvements to sidewalk areas to meet federal Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, the installation of an underground traffic signal conduit and construction of traffic signal poles and foundations to make a future traffic signal at the intersection of Pinto and Shadow lanes possible without disturbing the new roadway.
City of Las Vegas Department of Operations and Maintenance personnel are managing the project. Aggregate Industries Inc. is the contractor. Funding is provided by the city of Las Vegas and the Clark County Regional Transportation Commission. The estimated cost for this phase of the improvements is $1.2 million.
5K RUN to HELP STOP BULLYING IN SCHOOLS
The Run Walk Roll is planned for Sunday at Tivoli Village, 302 S. Rampart Blvd., with proceeds scheduled to benefit the nonprofit Nevada PEP's Bullying Prevention Program.
The event is being put on in conjunction with National Bullying Prevention Month, observed in October.
Registration is set for 8 a.m., the 5K run at 9 a.m. and the 1.5-mile event at 9 a.m.
The early registration fee is a $25 donation for the 5K run. A $15 registration fee is required for the 1.5-mile Fun Walk. Children 6 or younger are free. Paid participants will receive a T-shirt.
For more information and early registration specials, visit nvpep.org or call 702-388-8899.
LAKE MEAD-PECOS INTERSECTION CLOSED FOR SIX-WEEK PROJECT
The intersection of Lake Mead Boulevard and Pecos Road is scheduled to remain closed through October as the city of North Las Vegas upgrades the Las Vegas Valley Wash box culvert.
The project aims to improve flood control and enhance the wash's capacity to withstand a 100-year storm event.
During construction, traffic will be detoured along Civic Center Drive on the west, Las Vegas Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue on the north, Lamb Boulevard on the east and Owens Avenue on the south. Alternative travel routes also will be permitted on Carey Avenue, Walnut Road and James and Palmer streets.
Crews are slated to work 16 to 24 hours a day and keep noise levels at a minimum during late-night and early-morning hours, city officials said.
This $24.2 million project is funded by the Clark County Regional Flood Control District and the Bureau of Land Management. Meadow Valley Contractors is performing the work.
The city and Meadow Valley Contractors have set up a project hot line that businesses and residents can call for information or to voice concerns at 702-880-8442.
RED CROSS INTRODUCES EARTHQUAKE APP
The American Red Cross recently launched a free earthquake app for people who live in or visit earthquake-prone areas.
The app, available in English or Spanish, provides access to local and real-time information on what to do before, during and after earthquakes. Users can receive earthquake notifications and monitor activity where other family and friends reside.
Nevada is the fourth-most seismically active state in the U.S., according to the United States Geological Survey. Also, the National Earthquake Safety Council has reported that Nevada is ranked third behind Alaska and California for the likelihood of a large-magnitude seismic event. Eight fault lines run through the Las Vegas Valley, said Scott Emerson, CEO of the Southern Nevada American Red Cross chapter. The earthquake app is the third in an American Red Cross series. First aid and hurricane apps also were created by the agency.
For more information, visit redcross.org.
POLICE DEPARTMENT SWAT TEAM WINS ANNUAL COMPETITION
SWAT team members from the Metropolitan Police Department recently won a regional competition against 30 other agencies.
The two-day Best of the West competition was hosted Sept. 21-22 by the Santa Clara, Calif., Sheriff's Office and required SWAT teams to negotiate seven different courses, testing physical fitness, tactics, weapons proficiency and teamwork.
The Metropolitan Police Department's SWAT operations are staffed with two full-time tactical teams. The teams respond to about 60 hostage/barricade events annually and serve more than 400 search warrants each year. Other duties include dignitary protection and hosting/instructing the annual Intermediate SWAT School that welcomes students from around the world.
PERFORMANCES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN
A variety of public and private anti-bullying shows are planned around the valley for students in preschool through third grade.
The shows, to be performed by Michael Darby & Smile, are aimed at helping children feel empowered to make a positive difference in the world.
Public shows include:
n 1:40 p.m. Nov. 3 during the Vegas Valley Book Festival at a Las Vegas venue to be announced.
n 2:30 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson.
Private shows include:
n 8:30 a.m. March 7 at Alexander Dawson School, 10845 W. Desert Inn Road.
n 8:30 a.m. March 19 at Bonner Elementary School, 765 Crestdale Lane.
For more information, visit michaeldarbyandsmile.tv, email aimhighsmile@gmail.com or call 702-271-9428.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION HONORED FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION PROGRAM
The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Living With Fire program was recently named an Exemplary Project by the Association of Public Land-grant Universities.
The Living With Fire initiative teaches Nevadans how to live more safely in high-fire hazard environments.
As part of the honor, the Living With Fire program earned a plaque and is set to be recognized during the Association of Public Land-grant Universities' annual meeting, scheduled for November in Denver.
The Living With Fire program stresses that the key to reducing wildfire threats to homes and communities is implementing preventative measures such as replacing wood roofs, screening vents and managing vegetation.
The program, coordinated and implemented by the Cooperative Extension, is a partnership that includes local, state and federal firefighting and emergency organizations. Partners meet routinely to plan events and provide input for projects.
Launched in 1997, the program has helped thousands of homeowners and communities prepare for extreme wildfire dangers, Cooperative Extension dean and director Karen Hinton said. One of Nevada's most pressing natural resource and safety issues is the threat of wildfire to human life and property, she said.
For more information on Living With Fire: livingwithfire.info.
