Area Briefing

EPA APPROVES COUNTY'S AIR QUALITY PLAN FOR OZONE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved Clark County's plans for maintaining the agency's air quality standard for ozone.

The county met five criteria to receive the OK, including improvement in air quality due to permanent and enforceable reductions in emissions and having an approved ozone maintenance plan.

The EPA approval is set to remain in effect through 2022. While county officials said it is significant, even stricter ground-level ozone standards are being proposed. In 2008, the EPA adopted a more stringent standard for ozone of 75 parts per billion. Air-quality officials said the county meets the new standard.

Officials determined that improvement in air quality was the result of various factors, including cleaner fuel, federal requirements for low-emission vehicles, local improvements in public transportation and road construction and greater understanding about the public's role in fighting ground-level ozone.

Unhealthy doses of ground-level ozone can reduce lung function and worsen respiratory illnesses, such as asthma or bronchitis. Exposure to ozone also can induce coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, even in healthy people.

To help reduce ground-level ozone:

--Fill up your gas tank after sunset.

--Plan errands so they can be done in one trip.

--Try not to spill gasoline when filling up gas tanks, and don't top them off.

--Keep your car well maintained.

--Use mass transit or carpool.

--Don't idle your car engine unnecessarily.

--Walk or ride your bike whenever practical and safe.

--Turn off lights and electronics when not in use.

--Consider low-maintenance landscaping that uses less water and doesn't require gas-powered lawn tools.

Residents can sign up for free text and email advisories and air-quality forecasts through the EnviroFlash service at enviroflash.org.

ELECTRONICS AND DOCUMENTS TO BE ACCEPTED FOR SAFE RECYCLING

The second annual Super Saturday recycling event is set for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Thomas & Mack Center, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway.

Attendees can recycle their electronics and documents safely.

Televisions, monitors and hard drives cost $15 each to recycle. All other items are free.

For more information, visit thomas mack.centerlasvegas.com.

RADON TEST KITS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AT AWARENESS PRESENTATIONS

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension plans to offer free radon test kits this month during three planned presentations.

The sessions are set for 4 p.m. today at the Sunrise Library, 5400 Harris Ave., and 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane.

Radon, a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, is the leading cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers, according to the Cooperative Extension. It comes from the natural decay of uranium in soil and enters homes through foundation cracks, openings and some of the porous materials used to construct foundations and floors of homes. It can reach harmful levels when trapped indoors, according to the Cooperative Extension.

For more information, contact Southern Area radon program coordinator Laura Au-Yeung at 702-257-5550 or au-yeungl@unce.unr.edu or visit radonnv.com.

CITY OF LAS VEGAS TO OFFER LIFEGUARD AND WATER SAFETY TRAINING

The city of Las Vegas plans to offer a new lifeguard training course for $125 from January through May at the Las Vegas Municipal Pool, 431 E. Bonanza Road, and the Pavilion Center Pool, 101 S. Pavilion Center Drive. Course sessions also are planned from June through August at the outdoor Baker Pool, 1100 E. St. Louis Ave.

Advance registration is required. The course is required for those who wish to be employed as lifeguards. Those who successfully complete the program will receive an American Red Cross universal certificate for lifeguarding/first aid/CPR/AED, which is valid for two years. The city said it will offer an employment opportunity to qualified course graduates.

The course lasts about 25½ hours. Participants must be at least age 15, attend all sessions and successfully complete the requirements to receive certification.

There is a minimum of six registrants required for each course. A pocket mask must be purchased before the first class meeting. Participants must download and print the lifeguarding manual before the first class. The manual can be purchased or printed at shopstaywell.com or redcrossstore.org.

Prerequisite skills include:

--Swimming 300 yards (12 lengths of a pool) in combination of front crawl and breaststroke.

--Treading water for two minutes using only the legs, with the hands under the armpits.

--Swimming 20 yards, surface diving seven to 10 feet, retrieving a 10-pound brick and exiting the water without a ladder, within 1 minute and 40 seconds.

For those who are unsure of passing the lifeguarding prerequisites, several sessions of a two-week pre-lifeguarding skills course are planned beginning this month.

Classes for American Red Cross lifeguard training instructor, water safety instructor and CPR/AED for professional rescuers and health care providers also are available.

Details on class dates, times, locations, costs and registration are available at lasvegasnevada.gov/files/splash_for_cash_2013.pdf or by calling 702-229-6309.

CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING PROGRAM ENDS TODAY AT VALLEY SITES

Free Christmas tree recycling is planned through today at various sites around the valley.

Before dropping off trees, remove lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, tree stands and any other materials. Flocked trees cannot be recycled. Trees more than 5 feet tall should be cut in half.

The trees will be chipped into mulch for area parks and other common areas. When chipped into mulch, cut trees become organic material used in landscaping projects that help conserve soil moisture and keep plants healthy.

Each year during the recycling program, area government agencies, nonprofits and businesses work together in a joint effort to keep Christmas trees out of Southern Nevada's landfill. The Las Vegas Valley recycled more than 17,000 trees last year.

The program was established in 2001 to educate the community on how recycling Christmas trees helps ensure the sustainability of the area by saving landfill space.

For drop-off sites and other additional information, visit springspreserve.org or cdsn.org/christmastreerecycling. html.

USED COOKING OIL TO BE ACCEPTED THROUGH TODAY AT SPRINGS PRESERVE

Residents can dispose of their holiday cooking oil in an eco-friendly way by taking part in the Clark County Water Reclamation District's annual oil recycling event.

Cooking oil is scheduled to be accepted from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through today in the south ticketing parking lot at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

The recycling program is a component of the district's Don't Be a Pain in the Drain outreach campaign, geared to decrease the amount of sewer blockages and overflows caused by fat, oil, grease and grit disposed of in drains by customers.

The used cooking oil that is collected is recycled into biofuel for trucks, buses and vehicles.

Participants can pour their used oil back into the original container or use funnels that are available between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the water reclamation district's offices at 5857 E. Flamingo Road. Smaller amounts of used cooking oil and grease can be put into a can and disposed of in the garbage.

For more information, visit paininthedrain.com.

HENDERSON RESIDENTS CAN APPLY FOR CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY

The Henderson Police Department is accepting applications through Monday for its Citizen Police Academy, set for Feb. 5 to May 5.

The academy is set to meet from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays to provide insight into the various functions of the police department. Topics are scheduled to include community policing, the use of force, gang enforcement, detention center operations, communications, SWAT operations and criminal investigations. All classes are mandatory.

The academy is open to all Henderson residents, including city employees and their family.

Participants must be at least age 18 and complete an application, a background check and undergo an interview with an officer.

The first 30 residents to complete their applications and pass their background checks will be considered for the academy. Applications can be downloaded at cityofhenderson.com/police/citizens_academy.php or picked up at the department's East Command, 223 Lead St.; North Command, 225 E. Sunset Road; West Command, 300 S. Green Valley Parkway; or community relations office inside the Galleria at Sunset mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road.

For more information, call the department's training bureau at 702-267-4850.

DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND OFFICERS RECOGNIZE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's Downtown Area Command recently recognized 14 students at Martin Middle School for their participation in the department's Going Above and Beyond essay contest, part of its Downtown 360 initiative.

The winners were presented with a certificate and voucher Dec. 20 for the Flightlinez zip line at the Fremont Street Experience.

The students' essays ranged from examples of bravery displayed Sept. 11 by first responders to personal responsibilities each child takes on at home.

The Downtown 360 program focuses on properties in the downtown area that are receptive to a proactive police program for crime reduction.

POSTER CONTEST OPEN TO FIFTH-GRADERS

Nevada Child Seekers and the U.S. Department of Justice are sponsoring a Missing Children's Day poster contest open to all fifth-graders.

The winner will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., for an award ceremony. The contest's theme is, "Bring Our Missing Children Home." The deadline for entries is Jan. 28.

For more information, email carole@ nevadachildseekers.org.

FREE HELMETS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO YOUTHS AT SKI RESORT DURING LIDS ON KIDS EVENT

The Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort and Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center plan to distribute free helmets to youths during the seventh annual Lids on Kids safety education campaign from 9:30 to 11 a.m. through Feb. 2.

Trained Lids on Kids volunteers will fit toddlers through preteens for a helmet. Children and their parents will participate in a short education program presented by members of National Ski Patrol to learn and understand the skier/snowboarder code of safety and responsibility.

The free program coincides with National Ski Area Association Safety Week, Jan. 14-22, and Learn to Ski/Snow Month in January. The program launched in 2006 after a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report that said wearing a helmet while skiing or snowboarding could prevent or reduce the severity of 53 percent of head injuries for those younger than 15.

To date, the ski resort has provided more than 1,000 free helmets to local youths, with more than 300 given out in the 2011-12 season. Last year the resort received the National Ski Areas Association's National Ski Area Safety Award for the program.

WINTER PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN EFFECT ON MOUNT CHARLESTON

The Nevada Department of Transportation has implemented parking restrictions during the winter travel season from December through March on Mount Charleston.

Due to the number of visitors in the area on the weekends and holidays, motorists are not be allowed to park or walk on the roadways. "No parking" signs will be placed throughout Kyle and Lee canyons. The Metropolitan Police Department and the Nevada Highway Patrol will enforce the restrictions.

Parking will be eliminated on the transportation department's right-of-way on state Route 157 from state Route 158 to the Mount Charleston Lodge and on state Route 156 from the Meadows to the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort and by the fire station in Lee Canyon.

In areas where parking is allowed - the Resort on Mount Charleston, the U.S. Forest Service parking lots/land and east of state Route 158 - vehicles must park in spaces or off the road. Wheels must be to the right of the white lines to prevent damage to vehicles and to allow medical, police and fire personnel to respond to emergencies. Vehicles parked over the white lines, in no-parking zones or that otherwise impede the flow of traffic will be ticketed and towed. Fines begin at $190. Visitors should also must refrain from playing or parking on private property, residential areas or sites marked as closed. Trespassing fines begin at $150.

Motorists who stop in travel lanes to put snow chains on their tires will be cited.

The restrictions are part of the transportation department's public safety outreach efforts.

For more information about the restrictions, visit nevadadot.com.