Area Briefing, Dec. 3-9

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OFFERS ADDITIONAL SHELTER BEDS

Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada plans to provide an additional 180 inclement weather shelter beds at 1511 Las Vegas Blvd. North for homeless men on cold nights.

The inclement weather shelter is scheduled to be open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily and provide beds, clothing, blankets, showers and case management. The services are in addition to the existing year-round shelter of 160 beds at Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, 924 S. Commerce St.

The extra beds are funded in part by a Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition grant. Visit catholiccharities.com or call 702-385-2662.

LANE RESTRICTIONS PLANNED IN SUNRISE-WHITNEY AREA

The Clark County Water Reclamation District plans lane restrictions on Betty Lane, Sir Edwards Drive, Tierra Buena Drive, Mescal Way, Sloan Lane and Charleston Boulevard as part of field survey work.

Intermittent lane reductions are planned from:

— 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through Friday through at least Dec. 6 on southbound Betty Lane and eastbound Sir Edwards Drive.

— 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through Friday through at least Dec. 6 on northbound Tierra Buena Drive and eastbound Mescal Way.

— 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily through at least Dec. 6 on southbound Sloan Lane between Charleston Boulevard and Alcott Avenue.

— 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily through at least Dec. 6 on Charleston Boulevard between Sunrise Mountain Drive and Betty Lane.

Drivers should take precautions, use alternate routes and allow extra time when traveling through the impacted area.

For more information and traffic updates, call the project hotline at 702-668-8668.

NORTH LAS VEGAS POLICE ISSUE 154 CITATIONS DURING SPECIAL PATROL

North Las Vegas traffic officers were joined by Mesquite Police Department officers to conduct a joining forces Click It or Ticket event Nov. 18 throughout North Las Vegas.

Officers issued 154 citations, including 21 seat belt/child restraint violations, 27 speeding violations, 22 red light violations, 29 driver’s license violations, 33 registration/insurance violations, 13 cellphone violations and 40 warnings.

The nationwide Click It or Ticket campaign is set to run through Dec. 10. Motorists can expect to see additional patrols focused on seat belt and child safety seat usage during this time period.

The event was made possible by a grant from the Nevada Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety.

BUSINESS TO DONATE SLEEPING BAGS, PAJAMAS FOR HOMELESS YOUTHS

Desert Call Connection, 4330 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite 118, plans to donate sleeping bags, pajamas and other necessities on Dec. 11 for an organization that helps homeless youths.

The Pancakes and Pajamas Day event is aimed at benefiting StandUp For Kids, which provides services for homeless youths 21 or younger. Desert Call Connection plans to make one donation per employee who comes to work in pajamas Dec. 11.

For more information, visit desertcallconnection.com.

UNLV REPORT: CHILD FATALITIES DECLINE OVER FIVE YEARS

The number of child fatalities in Clark County has declined from 311 in 2008 to 222 in 2012, according to an annual report recently released from the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy at UNLV.

The report encompassed 222 child deaths in Clark County during 2012, with cases ranging in age from birth to 17 years. The cases included natural deaths, accidents, homicides, suicides and undetermined causes.

Analyzing the information helps focus injury prevention programs and decrease child deaths in Clark County, the institute said.

Among the report’s findings:

— Motor vehicle deaths increased from 10 cases in 2011 to 19 in 2012.

— Suffocation and strangulation deaths increased from 15 cases in 2011 to 23 in 2012.

— Poisoning and overdose cases increased from nine cases in 2011 to 16 in 2012.

— Suicides decreased from 16 cases in 2011 to five in 2012.

— Deaths caused by weapons decreased from 30 cases in 2011 to seven in 2012.

— Homicides decreased from 19 cases in 2011 to eight in 2012.

The report also includes recommendations to help decrease child deaths. The findings can be accessed at tinyurl.com/2012childfatalities.

COLLECTION SITE TO ACCEPT USED COOKING OIL FOR RECYCLING

The Clark County Water Reclamation District has announced the return of its holiday cooking oil recycling program.

The Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., plans to collect the used cooking oil from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 26 through Jan. 15 in the south ticketing parking lot.

Residents should use a funnel to pour the used oil back into the original container before bringing it to the Springs Preserve. Funnels are set to be available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Clark County Water Reclamation District, 5857 E. Flamingo Road.

Smaller amounts of used cooking oil should be put into a can and disposed of in the garbage. The website paininthedrain.com explains how to can used cooking oil.

Used cooking oil gets recycled into biofuel, used for fueling trucks, buses and other vehicles. More than 3,500 pounds of used oil was collected last year, officials said.

The program is a component of the Don’t be a Pain in the Drain outreach campaign, aimed at decreasing the amount of sewer blockages and overflows caused by fat, oil, grease and grit disposed of in drains by customers.

FIRE DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZES LOCAL HEROES

The Clark County Fire Department celebrated its 60th anniversary Nov. 18 at Fire Station 18, 575 E. Flamingo Road, to honor firefighters and community partners whose actions over the last year deserved special recognition.

Award categories included Meritorious Service, Lifesaving, Community Service, Citizen Heroism, Citizen Community Service and Special Unit Citations.

For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov.

PHONE APP AVAILABLE FOR CPR-TRAINED RESIDENTS

Residents trained in compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation can use a smartphone app called Pulse Point to alert them when someone has suffered a cardiac arrest within 200 yards of them.

Members of Las Vegas Firefighters Local 1285 and the Southern Nevada American Red Cross have been volunteering to teach hundreds of Las Vegans how to perform compression-only CPR. About 1,000 people will have received the training by the end of year, said Scott Johnson, president of Las Vegas Firefighters Local 1285.

Most cardiac arrest victims who survive are given CPR by a bystander before paramedics arrive, according to the American Red Cross. The national average for surviving cardiac arrest hovers at roughly 5 percent, fire officials said. However, nearly 30 percent of cardiac arrest victims treated by Las Vegas firefighters survive due to the public CPR training, officials said.

For more information, visit iafflocal1285.org.

POLICE WELCOME 15 CORRECTIONS OFFICERS

Fifteen corrections recruits graduated from academy training, the Metropolitan Police Department announced.

A graduation ceremony for the class took place Nov. 7 at Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North, where the recruits took their oath of office.

CITY OF LAS VEGAS EXPANDS HOURS AT PARKING SERVICES OFFICE

The city of Las Vegas parking services office inside Las Vegas City Hall’s parking garage at 500 S. Main St. has expanded its hours to include Fridays and Saturdays.

The office, which handles parking citations, appeals and permitting, is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

For more information, visit lasvegasnevada.gov/parking or call 702-229-4700.

INFANT AND CHILD CPR CLASSES PLANNED AT UMC

University Medical Center plans an infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation class at 9 a.m. Dec. 14 at the Family Resource Center, 1120 Shadow Lane.

The class requires a refundable $10 deposit.

For more information or to register, call 702-383-2229.