Crime and safety news from around the valley, Sept. 10-16, 2015

Clark County Law Library to offer free classes

The Clark County Law Library and community partners plan to offer free classes on Wednesdays through Nov. 4 on how to seal criminal records in Clark County and restore civil rights in Nevada. The classes are being offered as a community service by UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law, the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Nevada Legal Services and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada.

Classes will be held at the Clark County Law Library, 309 S. Third St., Suite 400. Topics include requirements for sealing records and how to receive free help. Qualified participants may apply for a pro bono attorney after attending class.

Visit clarkcountynv.gov/lawlibrary, call 702-455-4696 or email askinfo@clarkcountynv.gov.

Class to cover fraud and other personal crimes

Clark County park police officer Wade Barnhart is set to discuss keeping safe from fraud and other personal crimes during a class slated from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 24 at the West Flamingo Senior Center, 6255 W. Flamingo Road. The cost is $2 and includes a light lunch. Registration is required at clarkcountynv.gov/parksregistration using activity number 711800-03.

Free event to offer document shredding, prescription drug disposal

Residents can shred documents and get rid of unwanted prescription medication during a free event slated from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 26 at Opportunity Village, 6300 W. Oakey Blvd.

The limit is five boxes or bundles of documents per car.

Call 702-229-6405.

Exit on U.S. Highway 95 in northwest valley renamed for master-planned community

The street and exit formerly known as Horse Drive off of U.S. Highway 95 in northwest Las Vegas was recently renamed Skye Canyon Park Drive.

The change commemorates the new master-planned community, Skye Canyon.

Skye Canyon is geared toward people who share a passion for outdoor activity and immersive living.

Visit skyecanyon.com.

Grant to help Freedom House expand services

Freedom House Sober Living, 3852 Palos Verde St., recently announced a $200,000 donation from the Engelstad Family Foundation.

The donation is set to help Freedom House expand its services. Founded in 2010, the organization provides a structured transition from homelessness for individuals with substance abuse issues.

In 2013, the Engelstad Family Foundation gave Freedom House $100,000.

Visit freedomhousesoberliving.com.

Smoke Ranch Road project to cause lane closures

Road improvements are scheduled through early October on Smoke Ranch Road between Rainbow Boulevard and Rancho Drive.

Work is planned from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Traffic will generally be restricted to one lane in each direction, according to the city of Las Vegas.

Lake Mead Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue are recommended as alternate routes for eastbound and westbound traffic.

Work will consist of the installation of rapid-flashing beacons at the intersections of Smoke Ranch with James Bilbray Drive and Maverick Street; reconstruction of deteriorated areas of pavement; and installation of new traffic delineations.

Following completion of the project, Smoke Ranch Road is set to have two travel lanes and a bicycle lane in the eastbound and westbound directions between Rainbow and Rancho.

Visit lasvegasnevada.gov.

Horizon Ridge Parkway project to cause lane restrictions

Lane restrictions are planned through September on Horizon Ridge Parkway between Green Valley Parkway and Valle Verde Drive as Southwest Gas replaces a high-pressure gas line.

The eastbound left lane of Horizon Ridge Parkway between Green Valley Parkway and Valle Verde Drive will be closed until the construction is completed, according to the city of Henderson. The project will affect traffic in both directions of Horizon Ridge Parkway.

During construction, slated from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, eastbound motorists will be redirected to a westbound lane, reducing traffic to one lane in each direction. From 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, one eastbound lane and both westbound lanes will be open on Horizon Ridge Parkway. Night work will not be conducted.

Visit cityofhenderson.com.

Police offer tips for children and parents for the school year

With the new academic year underway, the Metropolitan Police Department offered bicycle and pedestrian safety tips for parents and children traveling to and from school.

— Parents should take the time to walk or drive the path that their children take to school and show them where to cross streets safely.

— Children should cross the street in marked crosswalks when possible and make sure they look left and right before proceeding.

— Children riding bicycles should obey all traffic laws. When crossing busy streets and intersections, they should get off and walk their bicycles using a marked crosswalk.

— Parents and children should hold hands in parking lots and at busy intersections.

— Children should make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.

— Avoid distractions, such as cellphones and other devices.

— Children should wear bright-colored clothing, and at night, they should carry a flashlight.

Websites with additional tips and information about pedestrian safety include safekids.org and nhtsa.gov/Pedestrians.

Pole Position Raceway to host Zero Teen Fatalities event

To bring awareness to unsafe driving behaviors in teenagers in Southern Nevada, Pole Position Raceway — in partnership with the Nevada Department of Public Safety, the Office of Traffic Safety's Zero Teen Fatalities program and others — is set to host a Zero Teen Fatalities kickoff event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at Pole Position Raceway, 4175 S. Arville St.

With teen drivers involved in 38 fatalities in Nevada last year, the organizations have teamed up to offer an evening out for teens and their peers. The event is the kickoff for a yearlong campaign to create awareness among teenagers in Nevada of how inexperience behind the wheel combined with behaviors such as aggression and distraction can lead to teen-involved crashes.

Teen attendees who register can enjoy free races and arcade game credits, food courtesy of Raising Cane's, beverages provided by Coca-Cola, music from CBS Radio, and prizes and giveaways.

Call 702-227-7223 or visit polepositionraceway.com.

Fostering Futures to honor advocates of children in foster care

Fostering Futures of Las Vegas, formerly Court Appointed Special Advocates, plans to honor volunteers who speak for children in foster care, as well as other valley child advocates, during a gala scheduled from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 10 inside the Titian and Veronese ballrooms at The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

Tickets are available for $200 per seat or $1,800 for a table of 10 at fosteringfutureslv.org. Proceeds will benefit Fostering Futures of Las Vegas.

Fostering Futures of Las Vegas is a community-based program that recruits, trains and supports volunteers to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children in courtrooms and communities.

Exhibitors sought to showcase health and safety products, services

The city of Henderson Fire and Police departments are seeking businesses and nonprofits to exhibit during the Henderson Community Expo 2015 — National Night Out, planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17 in the south parking lot at the Galleria at Sunset mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road.

Exhibitors must register by Sept. 24. The fee is $95 for businesses and $25 for nonprofits. The fee includes a 10-foot-by-10-foot tent canopy, an 8-foot table and two chairs. Registration forms are available at cityofhenderson.com.

Applicants should offer products and services promoting health and wellness, crime and fire prevention and public safety. Interactive demonstrations and activities that appeal to all age groups are encouraged.

Henderson's Fire and Police departments are partnering with community organizations, civic groups and area businesses to increase public awareness regarding health and safety resources in Southern Nevada.

The free event will be open to the public. Call the Henderson Fire Department at 702-267-2222 or email kathryn.hooper@cityofhenderson.com.

Free legal assistance and education clinics planned for seniors

Clinics for free legal assistance and free legal education are planned for seniors in the coming months.

— Legal assistance clinics at the West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., are set from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 16, covering identity theft, and Nov. 18, focusing on estate planning basics.

— A legal education clinic at the West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., is slated from 5 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28, dealing with sealing criminal records.

— Legal assistance clinics at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway, are scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 21, focusing on identity theft; and Dec. 16, addressing estate planning basics.

Contact Carmela Reed at Nevada Legal Services at 702-386-0404, ext. 140, or creed@nlslaw.net.