Area Briefing

AMERICAN RED CROSS HONORS LOCAL HEROES

Thirteen Everyday Heroes Award winners were recently announced by the American Red Cross' Southern Nevada chapter.

The awards, distributed in various categories, recognize those who have done something extraordinary for someone else, saved a life or courageously responded during an emergency.

The recipients are Debbi Golding of Centennial Hills ; downtown residents Sue Brooks and Derris Hunt ; officers Raymond Steiber, Paul Shreiber and Ernest Jefferson of the Metropolitan Police Department; James Brathor and Joy Medeiros of Henderson; Matthew Ryan Hutchinson of the Summerlin area; O.K. Hubble of Sunrise ; Jonah Schreiner of the southwest area; Dr. Maj. Jeremy Kilburn of Nellis Air Force Base; and Terry Choyce of Pahrump.

For details about the award recipients, visit http://www.redcrosslasvegas.org/2012_Heroes_Winners.php .

CONFERENCE TO OFFER SPECIALTY TRAINING DEALING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The Las Vegas Municipal Court plans to host a conference titled Taboo Topics in Domestic Violence, Oct. 3-4 at the East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave.

Topics are set to include cultural diversity, ethics, gender and sexual orientation, immigration laws, the female domestic violence perpetrator, confidentiality and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 privacy and security rules.

The training is geared to increase understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence across many cultures, Chief Judge Cynthia Leung said.

Workshops are planned for 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. On-site registration is set for 8:30 a.m each day. The cost is $175, with registration available by mail, fax and at lasvegasnevada.gov/municipalcourt.

The conference is appropriate for peace officers, counselors, attorneys, judges, children's service workers, correctional facility staff, marriage and family counselors, drug and alcohol counselors, educators, law enforcement officers, pastoral counselors, social workers, psychologists/psychiatrists, hospital/clinical staff and treatment facilitators for domestic violence batterers.

For more information, contact Dena Williams at 229-6442 or drwilliams@ lasvegasnevada.gov.

COUNTY PERMIT AMNESTY FOR RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION SET TO END

The Clark County Building Department's 90-day amnesty for residential construction conducted without permits is set to end Sept. 30.

The program offers homeowners in unincorporated Clark County a chance to pay regular fees for permits, inspections and plan reviews, with no penalty costs.

Fees for residential construction range from $150 to $400, depending on the project. The county building department's permit application center is at 4701 W. Russell Road.

The initiative is aimed at giving homeowners the chance to address any home repairs that require permits and inspections so that the residence is safe and abides by code.

The most common residential projects built without the necessary permits include garage conversions, room additions, patio covers and water heater installations, county officials said.

Work conducted without permits may not be covered by insurance, and residents could face costly repairs when they try to sell their homes, according to the county. In addition, faulty installations can cause fires, flood damage and other hazards, county officials said.

FIRE STATION GETS NEW RESCUE VEHICLE

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Station 107, 9398 Sundial Drive in Sun City Summerlin, recently added a new vehicle to transport patients to area hospitals.

The vehicle will be used by paramedic and rescue unit personnel.

Station No. 107 opened June 19 and is now operating at full staff.

For more information, visit lasvegasnevada.gov/government/fire.htm.

NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL INSTALLED IN WARD 2 AT CHARLESTON BOULEVARD INTERSECTION

The city of Las Vegas recently installed a traffic signal at Charleston Boulevard and Indigo Drive.

The signal is meant to help provide safe access onto Charleston for residents and businesses in the area.

D.A.R.E. PROGRAM ENDS AFTER 25 YEARS IN VALLEY'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Metropolitan Police Department announced Aug. 28 the suspension of D.A.R.E., its youth anti-drug program, due to budget cuts.

The department previously ran the program at 130 schools, launching it in the valley 25 years ago.

The Clark County School District Police Department pledged to develop a curriculum similar to D.A.R.E., to be taught by Clark County School District Police Department officers.

Las Vegas has 1.83 police officers for every 1,000 residents, below the standard of 2.0, police officials said.

As a result of the shortage, the D.A.R.E. program was suspended in order to place those officers back on the street. A squad from the department's saturation team also has been reassigned to patrol. The saturation team squads seek to reduce crime, deal with social disorder, neighborhood decay and detect emerging patterns in terrorism and intervene to prevent incidents.

The Metropolitan Police Department said it is facing an unprecedented budget shortfall of $46 million, despite building up $78 million in reserves over the last four years and cutting millions in expenses.

POLICE SEEK CROSSING GUARD VOLUNTEERS

The Metropolitan Police Department seeks reliable adults to serve as school crossing guards throughout the school year. The guards will assist elementary schoolchildren crossing the streets.

For more information, call 828-3446.