Area briefing

Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center plans to host an AARP safe driving class from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday at its H2U office at 3061 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 102.

The class costs $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. Attendees may be eligible to receive a discount on automobile insurance upon completion of the class.

For more information, call 735-5510 or visit sunrisehospital.org.

HOLIDAY LIGHTING TIPS AIM TO HELP RESIDENTS SAVE MONEY, ENHANCE SAFETY

Valley consumers can take certain steps to improve safety and frugality when decorating this holiday season, according to NV Energy.

The company offers the following holiday lighting conservation and safety tips:

Switch to safe, long-lasting, energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights whenever possible.

Use a timer to reliably turn off lights during daylight and other specified times.

Don’t overload your electric circuits. Check fuses or circuit breaker panels to see what your home can handle, and stay well within the limits.

Adhere to manufacturer’s designations and locations of use (indoor vs. outdoor).

Outdoor lighting should have insulated electrical cords and be plugged into a ground fault interrupter-protected receptacle only.

Don’t run extension cords under rugs, around furniture legs or across doorways.

Keep all plugs and connectors off the ground, away from puddles and sprinklers.

Avoid stringing more than three sets of lights together and plugging into a single outlet.

Make sure there’s a bulb in each socket of a light string, even if it is burned out.

Keep your natural tree well-watered to prevent bulbs from igniting dry branches. Never use electrical decorations on metal trees.

FILL THE FIRE TRUCK TOY UNDER WAY

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation kicked off its 10th annual Fill the Fire Truck Toy Drive on Dec. 3, collecting toys at select Walmarts across the valley from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 18.

The 10th annual drive is aimed at brightening the holiday season for families by providing gifts for their children, foundation President Warren Whitney said.

Firefighters and volunteers will be collecting new, unwrapped toys and gift cards at the Walmarts at 7200 Arroyo Crossing Parkway, 8060 W. Tropical Parkway, 6464 N. Decatur Blvd., 4350 N. Nellis Blvd. and 540 Marks St., Henderson.

Local fire departments are joining together to supply volunteers and firetrucks to help make this year’s toy drive a success. Many local businesses also have partnered with the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation to sponsor this year’s drive. Local sponsors include Walmart, Storage One, the Vitality Medical & Wellness Center and the Links for Life Foundation. All local fire departments are supplying volunteers and trucks.

Several community service programs and organizations have partnered with the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation to distribute toys to families in need. Participants include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Urban League, the local chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation, the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada, the Clark County Department of Social Services, Cure 4Kids and many family resource centers and local elementary schools.

For more information, visit theburnfoundation.org or call 485-6820.

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation is a nonprofit organization that includes the Clark County, city of Las Vegas, city of North Las Vegas, city of Henderson and Nellis Air Force Base fire departments. The foundation reaches out to the Southern Nevada community during catastrophic situations and lends a hand in areas where other organizations are unable to.

For more information, visit theburnfoundation.org or call 485-6820.

LONE MOUNTAIN ROAD LANE RESTRICTIONS BEGIN DUE TO STORM DRAINAGE PROJECT

Lane restrictions began Nov. 28 on Lone Mountain Road between Jones Boulevard and Torrey Pines Drive due to a storm drain project, according to the city of Las Vegas.

The road segment will be reduced to one lane and manned by flaggers between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays. The road will be restored to two lanes by 4 p.m. each day to provide extra capacity for the heavy peak travel time, city officials said. The restrictions are expected to last until Dec. 19.

The construction is part of a $9 million Lone Mountain storm drain project conducted by the city of Las Vegas and the Clark County Regional Flood Control District. Work began in January and is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2012.

The contractor is Perini Construction. Las Vegas Paving is performing this portion of the work. Funding for the project comes from the Clark County Regional Flood Control District.

CONSTRUCTION ON PORTION OF LAS VEGAS BELTWAY TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW

Construction is planned on a northern section of the Las Vegas Beltway between Tenaya Way and Decatur Boulevard to transform the stretch of road into a nonstop, four-lane freeway.

The project is to take about 2 years to complete. Drivers should expect periodic lane and road closures, city of Las Vegas officials said.

As part of the project, new highway interchanges will be built at Jones and Decatur boulevards, and a new bridge will carry Bradley Road over the freeway.

When finished, commuters can expect to see improved traffic flow across the northern Las Vegas Beltway as there will be more than seven miles of nonstop freeway from just east of U.S. Highway 95 to Losee Road, city officials said.

FIRE STATION OPEN HOUSE PLANNED

The Clark County Fire Department plans to host an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Fire Station 28, 10820 W. Sahara Ave., near Town Center Drive.

Information on fire, drowning prevention and other life-safety topics will be available. Clark County Commissioner Susan Brager of District F plans to attend.

Staff members from the Clark County business license office are scheduled to be on hand from 2 to 3 p.m. McGruff the Crime Dog also is set to attend. The fire department’s fire safety house will be available to teach children how to get out of their homes safely in case of fire.

The open house coincides with a holiday toy drive in partnership with the Southern Nevada Burn Foundation. Visitors are welcome to donate unwrapped toys at the open house.

For more information, visit fire.co.clark.nv.us or call 455-7311.

RADKIDS CLASSES TO TEACH KIDS LIFE-SAVING SKILLS

Nevada Child Seekers plans to offer free radKIDS classes next month at Karate for Kids, 6020 W. Flamingo Road, Suite 6.

The sessions are set for 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 27 through 30 for 4- to 8-year-olds and 1 to 3 p.m. the same day for 9- to 12-year-olds.

The program is dedicated to providing life-saving skills for children by teaching them how to resist aggression defensively. Topics include fire, the home, the Internet, bullying and abduction.

The classes are taught by DARE officers who are certified radKIDS instructors.

All children who graduate will receive a T-shirt, a wristband and a graduation certificate bearing their picture. They also will receive a certificate allowing them to attend any radKIDS class in the future, up to age 13, free.

Parents will receive a family manual so they can follow their children’s progress at home or during class. Parents are encouraged to sit in on the classes as often as they can.

Residents can register at Karate for Kids or by calling Maria Pinot at 375-5617. For more information, call 458-7009, email carole@nevadachild seekers.org or visit radkids.org.

SEWER WORK UNDER WAY ON FOX LAKE AVENUE AND CASCADE RIVER STREET

The Clark County Water Reclamation District is conducting a sewer rehabilitation project through at least Friday on Fox Lake Avenue and Cascade River Street.

Roughly 70 feet of pipeline will be replaced, and two manholes will be rehabilitated during the project, which began Nov. 14.

Travel lanes on Fox Lake Avenue and Cascade River Street will be affected while crews install new sewer line, rehabilitate manholes, install a temporary bypass sewer system and remove existing infrastructure, district officials said.

Work will take place from 6:30 a.m. through 3 p.m., with lane restrictions 24 hours a day to protect trenches and the bypass sewer lines.

For more information, call the project hot line at 668-8668, or visit thelvpipeline.com.

SHOP WITH A COP PROGRAM SEEKS DONATIONS for december event

The Friends of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Foundation is seeking donations to help fund the annual Shop With A Cop event in early December.

The program is in need of several thousand dollars to help more than 130 children.

Kids team up with police officers for a shopping spree, allowing the children to select gifts for themselves. It’s also a chance to promote good will between police and the community, the department said.

For more information or to make a donation, email contact@lvmpd foundation.org or call 539-5741.

CORRECTIONS OFFICER RECRUITS HIRED AT AREA AGENCIES

Eight recruit corrections officers recently joined the ranks of law enforcement in Henderson and Las Vegas after graduating Nov. 9 from the Southern Desert Regional Police Academy.

Six of the officers will work for the Henderson Police Department and two will join the Las Vegas Department of Detention and Enforcement.

The graduation took place at the College of Southern Nevada’s Henderson campus.

The recruit officers received academic and practical training on various topics, including ethics, criminal law, defensive tactics, firearms, principles of investigation, community policing and crisis intervention training during the 13-week academy.

The Henderson police recruit correction officers will now complete a 12-week field training program.

The Southern Desert Regional Police Academy is a partnership between the Henderson and North Las Vegas police departments and the College of Southern Nevada.