Crime and safety news from around the valley, Dec. 31, 2015-Jan. 6, 2016

New Year's Eve road restrictions: The Nevada Department of Transportation and other local partners will restrict vehicle access along Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip) from Sahara Avenue to Mandalay Bay on New Year's Eve. South and northbound Interstate 15 on-ramps and off-ramps will be closed at 5 p.m. Dec. 31 at Spring Mountain and Flamingo roads and Tropicana Avenue. Motorists can still enter and exit Interstate 15 at Sahara and at Russell Road. Vehicle access will also be restricted at the following locations: Las Vegas Boulevard northbound at Mandalay Bay; Las Vegas Boulevard southbound at Sahara; Tropicana westbound at Koval Lane; Tropicana eastbound at Industrial/Dean Martin Drive; Flamingo eastbound at Valley View Boulevard; and the right lane on Sahara eastbound at I-15 will have one lane closed to allow a dedicated turn lane from the off-ramp at I-15 northbound to Sahara eastbound. Ramp restrictions will be lifted between 3 and 6 a.m. Jan. 1 or at the discretion of the Joint Operations Center in the Freeway Arterial System of Transportation.

Department welcomes new firefighters: The Henderson Fire Department welcomed 14 new firefighters to the ranks during a graduation ceremony Dec. 17 for Cadet Academy Class 42 at the Henderson Convention Center, 200 Water St. The cadets completed 16 weeks of academic and practical training in such areas as fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue and hazardous materials response. They will be certified at the Nevada State Firefighter 2 level upon graduation and will go on to complete an additional eight months of training focusing on Henderson Fire Department emergency operations as they complete their probationary year. Additional fire and rescue operations personnel will be used to staff a new fire station set to open in the Inspirada area in 2017.

New winter road condition website: The Mount Charleston Winter Alliance announced the launch of mtcharlestonwinter.com, a site that provides winter road conditions and weather updates along with safety tips and winter outdoor recreation information for visitors to the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. The alliance was created to promote and ensure public safety during the winter months when areas such as Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon see spikes in visitation.

Shop with a Cop: City of Las Vegas Ward 1 Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, Ward 3 Councilman Bob Coffin, members of the Clark County School District Police Department, Look Out Kids About and many community partners donated funds for 65 at-risk Clark County School District elementary school students for holiday shopping. The students received a $100 Wal-Mart gift card to purchase items of their choice Dec. 19 at Wal-Mart, 4505 W. Charleston Blvd. Officers from the Clark County School District Police, Nevada Department of Public Safety and Taxi Authority were paired with students to assist with their shopping.

NDOT announces new logo: Nevadans will see a different Nevada Department of Transportation logo and driver information as part of the department's new communications plan. In conjunction with University of Nevada, Reno Reynolds School of Journalism students, NDOT has crafted a communications plan to build an enhanced brand for the department. Part of the plan is a new Safe and Connected tagline highlighting the department's dedication to providing a safe and mobile transportation system for the state. The tagline is being added to the NDOT logo on department vehicles, signs, safety gear and more as the items are replaced or serviced. Visit nevadadot.com.

Firefighters offer tree safety: The Professional Firefighters of Nevada produced a Christmas tree safety PSA, offering tips to prevent home fires caused by indoor Christmas trees. The English version is viewable by visiting bit.ly/1MZjmgT and the Spanish version by visiting bit.ly/1jBS0mt.

NVEnergy offers holiday tips: NV Energy recommends the following holiday lighting conservation and safety tips: 1. Switch to safe, long-lasting, energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights whenever possible. 2. Use a timer to reliably turn off lights during daylight hours and other specified times. 3. Don't overload your electric circuits. 4. Adhere to manufacturer's designations and locations of use (indoor vs. outdoor). 5. Outdoor lighting should have insulated electrical cords and be plugged into a ground fault interrupter-protected receptacle only. 6. Don't run extension cords under rugs, around furniture legs, or across doorways. 7. Keep all plugs and connectors off the ground, away from puddles and sprinklers. 8. Make sure there's a bulb in each socket of a light string even if it is burned out. 9. Keep your natural tree well-watered to prevent bulbs from igniting dry branches. Never use electrical decorations on metal trees. 10. Ensure that the electrical setup is safe from small children and pets. For more energy-saving tips, visit nvenergy.com/home/saveenergy/energytips.cfm.

State Route 160 changes: The Nevada Department of Transportation awarded a $16.5 million contract to Aggregate Industries SWR Inc. for a 5-mile widening of state Route 160 (Blue Diamond Road) in southwest Clark County. The project will widen the highway from two lanes to four travel lanes between Mile Marker 10.89 (just past state Route 159 or the Red Rock Canyon Road junction) and Mile Marker 16.63. The improvements will flatten side slope shoulders for safer vehicle turnouts while installing new drainage pipe and tortoise fencing. Other work consists of placing barrier and guardrails as well as hydro-seeding 38 acres. Construction will entail moving enough dirt to fill 1,800 average sized swimming pools, and enough placing asphalt to pave 8,000 driveways. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2017. Although the speed limit will be lowered to 55 mph during construction, one lane will remain open at all times. Visit nvroads.com.

Yellow Dot program: The 2015 Nevada Legislature passed AB 176, bringing the Yellow Dot program to Nevada. The voluntary program has participants provide important medical information about themselves and their passengers in the glovebox of their vehicles. First responders are alerted that this information is in the vehicle by a yellow dot decal placed in the lower left corner of the rear window. Residents can pick up a free Yellow Dot kit at one of more than 40 participating locations across the valley. For a list, visit rtcsnv.com/yellowdot, or to request the kit, call 702-676-1754 or email YD@rtcsnv.com.

Radon tests available: Free radon test kits are available through Feb. 29 at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension offices and partner locations statewide. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, comes from the ground and can enter homes and accumulate to elevated concentrations. At elevated concentrations, the odorless, colorless gas can raise the risk of lung cancer for unsuspecting homeowners. For more information or a list of free kit locations, visit radonnv.com, or call the Radon Hotline at 888-723-6610.

Report illegal discharge activity: The Nevada Department of Transportation urges residents to protect water quality through prevention by reporting illicit drainage and discharge onto state roads and transportation facilities. Illicit discharge is anything entering a roadway drainage system that is not natural stormwater. Pesticides, construction dirt or materials, as well as materials from neighboring properties and roadway runoff containing fertilizers, vehicle oil and chemicals are examples. New legislation grants NDOT rights to issue permits for certain water discharges onto state roadways, as well as assess fines if needed. Illicit discharge onto state transportation facilities can be reported by contacting 775-888-7013 with the location and type of drainage or discharge. For more information, visit nevadadot.com/stormwater. In addition, a pollutant spill impacting a Nevada waterway must be reported to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection's spill reporting hotline at 888-331-6337.

NDOT soil testing: The Nevada Department of Transportation is planning to start geotechnical exploration drilling along the east and west sides of Interstate 15 between Sahara Avenue and U.S. Highway 95 at Martin Luther King Boulevard through Jan. 15. The daytime work is related to soil testing for Project Neon. Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. is the design-build general contractor. There will be some temporary noise and vibration disruptions as well as moving lane restrictions. Call the Project Neon hotline at 702-486-0486; the Spanish hotline at 702-384-1694; or visit the project website at NDOTProjectNeon.com.

NDOT road repairs: The Nevada Department of Transportation is set make $250,000 in concrete bridge deck and paving repairs along southbound Interstate 15 between Lake Mead Boulevard and the U.S. Highway 95 interchange as well as north and southbound U.S. Highway 95 from Eastern Avenue to Martin Luther King Boulevard in Las Vegas. Galt Development is the general contractor. Work was set to occur during weekday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Jan. 15. One to two travel lanes will be restricted while work occurs. Visit nvroads.com.

Tropicana Avenue upgrade: The Nevada Department of Transportation plans to upgrade East Tropicana Avenue between Eastern Avenue and Boulder Highway from January through fall 2016. The $7.67 million upgrade is slated to include new asphalt pavement, raised median islands and widened sidewalks. The project is aimed at preventing additional roadway cracking and deterioration and providing pedestrian enhancements, the department said. Work is expected to take place primarily during overnight hours. Visit nvroads.com.

State Route 160 upgrades: The Nevada Department of Transportation plans the $794,000, 21-mile project through early January in Clark County to improve cable median barriers. The project is set to create 14 new paved median crossovers between mileposts 22 and 43.16 to allow emergency personnel to safely cross the highway as needed. Visit nvroads.com.