Crime and safety news from around the valley, Nov. 19, 2015

Henderson Joining Forces results: Henderson Police officers arrested seven drivers on DUI charges and handed out more than 270 tickets to motorists during a recent enforcement effort targeting impaired drivers. Traffic officers conducted a Joining Forces event using saturation patrols to look for impaired drivers Oct. 16-Nov. 2. Henderson Police officers made a total of 224 stops with 272 total citations written during the 18-day operation. Officers issued 92 tickets to motorists for speeding and another nine citations for running a red light. Officers also issued 54 tickets for drivers with no insurance, registration violations and driving on a revoked, suspended or expired driver's license. The Henderson Police Department received $200,400 in federal funding through the Nevada Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety for the 2016 Joining Forces program.

Metro volunteer program: The topic is set to be discussed during a free safety forum planned at 1 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. The event is offered in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department. A safety forum also is planned at 1 p.m. Dec. 19, addressing emergency preparedness. Visit mobmuseum.org or call 702-229-2734.

NDOT awards contract: On Nov. 9, The Nevada Department of Transportation awarded Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. a $559.4 million design-build construction contract for Project NEON, a 3.7-mile-long widening of Interstate 15 between Sahara Avenue and the U.S. Highway 95 interchange in downtown Las Vegas. It's currently the busiest stretch of highway in Nevada with roughly 300,000 vehicles daily, or one-tenth of the state population, and sees roughly 25,000 lane changes an hour. Traffic through the corridor is expected to double by 2035. Visit 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., starting Nov. 9. One to two travel lanes will be restricted while work occurs. Construction is anticipated to finish by Jan. 15. Visit nvroads.com.

Free legal assistance clinic for seniors: The event is set from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway, addressing estate planning basics. Contact Carmela Reed at Nevada Legal Services at 702-386-0404, ext. 140, or creed@nlslaw.net.

New legislation directing buskers: Enforcement of a new ordinance that sets performance zones for street performers on the Fremont Street Experience began Nov. 16 to coincide with the launch of an online lottery system. City Attorney Brad Jerbic explained the registration and lottery for performance spaces on the Fremont Street Experience at a public meeting Oct. 22 at City Hall Council Chambers. The online lottery will be located on the city website at lasvegasnevada.gov. Performers will be randomly assigned spaces and assigned a QR code to be printed and placed in front of performers on the Fremont Street Experience so that it will be easy to check if the buskers are in their assigned spots. Along with setting the new performance zones, the ordinance also requires a rotation of performers every two hours on the Fremont Street Experience. The ordinance was a joint effort with input from the city of Las Vegas, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Fremont Street Experience and the performers themselves.

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.

New Lake Mead signal: A new traffic signal was activated at the end of October on Lake Mead Parkway at Cadence Crest Avenue/Mohawk Drive. The signal at the intersection was needed as traffic increased once the city completed the roadway project on Galleria Drive from Lake Las Vegas to Boulder Highway. Traffic also increased from the Cadence master-planned community. The city worked with Cadence during community planning and had the developer manage construction of the traffic light and surrounding sidewalks, curbing and ramps. Construction took approximately three months at a cost of nearly $400,000, which was paid by the developer. No tax dollars were used for construction. The city approved the plans, inspected the work and now takes ownership of the traffic signal and its maintenance. Visit cityofhenderson.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.

Kids cellphone safety: A free course on children's cellphone safety is planned Tuesdays and Saturdays in November at Thompson Taekwondo, 9030 W. Flamingo Road. Call 702-469-7700.