|
February 2021
 Hello District G Residents,
Combating and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be at the forefront of our work in Clark County and the collective efforts of County Clark with the Southern Nevada Health District, UMC and other community health partners. Click here for vaccination locations and information on the recently established Second Dose Clinic. Nevada Medicaid is offering same-day transportation for our friends and family that may need assistance getting to and from COVID-19 testing and vaccination appointments.
It’s hard to believe we’re already two months in to 2021. With February upon us, it’s that time of year to be on the lookout for the emergence of Mojave Max from his winter nap. For those of you not familiar with Mojave Max, he is a desert tortoise that lives at the Springs Preserve and is the Clark County version of Groundhog Day’s Punxsutawney Phil. Will we have 6 more weeks of winter or will we have an early spring? If you know any children that would like to enter their guess, have them check out the annual Mojave Max Emergence Contest here.
We are so fortunate to have the likes of our Metro police officers from the Southeast Area Command helping our neighborhoods. They are dedicated community partners and work tirelessly in helping to keep our community safe. Please make sure to read this great article highlighting their hard work.
There is helpful and interesting information available in this month’s newsletter including the formation of a 1 October Memorial Committee, a walkability survey from the Regional Transportation Commission, a new newsletter from the Whitney Recreation Center, and the Clark County School Daze Program. When you have a few minutes, I would highly recommend taking time to see what’s happening in our community and how we’re trying to make it better.
As always, do not hesitate to email me at ccdistg@clarkcountynv.gov or call my office at (702) 455-5561 with any questions or concerns you may have. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Jim
|
|
 The RTC needs your help to improve streets for people walking and rolling. Please share your ideas through the following forums:
1. Register for their February 18th Virtual Community Meeting by clicking here.
2. Take a 5-minute survey by clicking here.
3. If you'd like to provide additional detail or highlight locations of walkability concerns in your community, please visit RTC's interactive map by clicking here.
LVMPD Southeast Area Command has been working hard with community partners and businesses to keep our community safe. A great article in Police1.com highlights this hard work and dedication to public safety. Please click here to read the article from Police1.com.
Tuesday, Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day, which signals the unofficial countdown to spring. Here, in southern Nevada, that countdown includes the official “Mojave Max Watch.”
Mojave Max is a real live tortoise that lives at the Springs Preserve. Although the live Mojave Max is still in brumation (reptilian form of hibernation), all students from Clark County, Nevada, in grades K-5, who are enrolled in public, private and registered home schools are encouraged to enter a guess as to when they think Max will wake up from his long winter nap.
Mojave Max has hosted the annual Mojave Max Emergence Contest since 2000 and has become the preeminent indicator of spring-like weather in Southern Nevada and the west coast.
Clark County, along with its partners, hosts the annual Mojave Max Emergence Contest, education programs and school assemblies in support of Mojave Desert environmental education. As part of the contest, students are encouraged to guess when Mojave Max will first exit his burrow each year. To enter the contest, you can log onto www.MojaveMax.com and click on the “Emergence Contest” button.
The Mojave Max Education Program is provided by a partnership among Clark County, the Clark County School District, the Springs Preserve and Get Outdoors Nevada.
Questions about the live Mojave Max tortoise should be directed to Tom Bradley with the Las Vegas Springs Preserve at (702) 822-8365. More information is available at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov or www.MojaveMax.com.
|
The Nevada Housing Division (NHD) has received approximately $124 million to provide additional temporary rental and housing expense assistance through the CARES Housing Assistance Program (CHAP). The CHAP program has served approximately 29,000 Nevadans to date. The additional funds are currently expected to help an estimated 20,000 households with rent and utilities.
“I am grateful for this additional relief to help thousands of Nevada’s families who are in need of emergency rental assistance,” said Governor Steve Sisolak. “I am proud of the work the Nevada Housing Division has done so far to connect to as many Nevadans as we can to these services, and we know that this work will continue in the future.”
Approximately 95% of the funds will be distributed by NHD to sub-grantees that currently administer the CHAP program including:
- $93.8 million to Clark County Social Service, serving Clark County
- $10 million to Reno Housing Authority, serving Washoe County
- $14.8 million to the Nevada Rural Housing Authority, serving all areas of the state outside of Clark and Washoe Counties
- The remaining 5%, or $6.2 million will be utilized for housing stability services.
The funding that will be distributed by the Division comes from the state’s $124.6 million share of a total $208 million received through the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 for emergency rental assistance. Approximately $83.2 million was allocated directly to cities and counties.
Households earning up to 80% of area median income are eligible for assistance, however, the program prioritizes assistance to those that are unemployed or have not been employed for 90 days, or renters whose incomes do not exceed 50% of area median income. Information about CHAP program eligibility and how to apply can be found by visiting the Nevada Housing Division’s website- https://housing.nv.gov/.
|
 |
|
Nevada Free Taxes Coalition's Volunteer Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides FREE income tax assistance to qualifying individuals and families. VITA is a safe, simple way to file your taxes. If you would like to make an appointment for the VITA program, please click here. For more information, please click here. For information in Spanish, please click here. |
 You are invited to follow the work of the 1 October Memorial Committee and participate as we develop a permanent memorial that remembers those who lost their lives and honors the survivors, first responders and everyday heroes who inspired the nation with their bravery, and celebrates the resiliency and compassion of our community. For information, please click here.
|
|
The Las Vegas Convention Center will be the site of the Southern Nevada Health District’s COVID-19 second dose clinic site, the agency and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced today. The appointment-only clinic will open on Tuesday, February 2, for people who received their first dose at a Health District clinic and are eligible to receive their second dose.
The Las Vegas Convention Center clinic will be open Tuesday through Saturday in the C-1 area of the facility’s Central Hall. Dedicated parking is available in the Silver Lot off Paradise Road and Convention Center Drive. People eligible to receive the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at this site received their first dose at clinics held at Western High School, Cashman Center, or the Southern Nevada Health District’s main public health center.
“We are pleased to be able to announce the location of our second dose clinic site at the Las Vegas Convention Center,” said Dr. Fermin Leguen, Chief Health Officer of the Southern Nevada Health District. “The facility offers our community a centrally located site to access the vaccine, and we appreciate the continued support the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has provided during the response the pandemic.”
For more information, please click here to visit the Southern Nevada Health District's website.
Are you helping prepare your friend or loved one to get the vaccine or testing? This can be an extremely challenging time for Nevadans who are already struggling. Navigating the methods for getting the vaccine when it is available can be even more challenging. Nevada Medicaid is asking Nevadans to plan ahead by knowing how to schedule a vaccine appointment and lining up transportation.
“Ask your friends and family if they know the steps and if they need help,” said Suzanne Bierman, Nevada Medicaid Administrator. “This is the time to offer help, ask for help, and give help.”
Nevada Medicaid is offering Medicaid recipients a flexible same-day transportation service with a variety of options including gas mileage reimbursement, bank card funding to take the bus, and, in most instances, same-day rides from ride services. Information is available in English and Spanish by clicking the link here under Appointment Resources or by calling 1-844-879-7341.
For a list of COVID-19 Vaccine locations and links to make an appointment, please click here.
|
|
Paradise Town Advisory Board
Click here for the most recent agenda, minutes and audio.
Whitney Town Advisory Board
Click here for the most recent agenda, minutes and audio.
|
|
 The City of Henderson is partnering with the Southern Nevada Health District to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to Henderson residents and Vegas Valley neighbors as effectively and efficiently as possible. For current information, please call the State of Nevada call center at 800-401-0946 or visit cityofhenderson.com/covid19.
 The State of the City address presented by Henderson Mayor Debra March will highlight the community’s preparedness for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, accomplishments of the past year and what’s on the horizon for Henderson. Watch the virtual premiere at 11am on February 11 at cityofhenderson.com/sotc.
 Free food assistance is available 9am-11am on February 26, March 12 and March 26 to any Clark County resident in need. Each order contains approximately 40 pounds of assorted, essential food items. Held at Heritage Park, 350 S. Racetrack Rd. For more information, visit cityofhenderson.com.
|
|
 |
|
Do you have road construction projects in your neighborhood or on your drive to work? The RTC's Seeing Orange Construction Projects is an interactive website that allows the public to look at information on road construction projects throughout the valley. Please click the link below and take a look at this informative tool to learn more about the road projects going on around you. https://gis.rtcsnv.com/seeingorange/ |
|
|
 Whitney Recreation Center has a new newsletter with information on program and activities available at the center. Please click here to look at what's new and available to the community.
Whitney Rec Center is offering a number of different programs this Spring. The programs include RC Flyers, Tiny Tot Sports, Art Class and Tumbling. The programs range in ages and times.
For information on RC flyers, click here.
For information on Tiny Tot Sports, click here.
For information on Art Class, click here.
For information on Tumbling, click here.
|
|
 The Las Vegas Valley had our first and maybe last winter snow storm of the year in January. As many of us know, snow is not common in the Las Vegas Valley. Looking back at the snow storms that have hit the valley over the years, one the most memorable was in 1979. On January 30, 1979, the Las Vegas Valley received 10 inches of snow. The down fall lasted almost 24 hours and cause closures in schools and the McCarran International Airport. These photos are courtesy of UNLV Libraries Special Collections and Archives and Vintage Las Vegas.
|
|
 The Clark County Department of Family Services (DFS) is the local child welfare agency that works to protect children from abuse and neglect. They do this by partnering with our community to build safe, nurturing and stable families, support family preservation when possible, and provide permanent families for those children who cannot safely return home and to ensure the well-being of children in our care. The divisions of DFS include adoption programs, foster care and Southern Nevada Children's Advocacy Center.
The department of family services' adoption program is to assist children with circumstances that prevent them from returning to their biological parents. When this happens, adoption is the best option for providing a permanent, healthy and loving environment where they can thrive. Adoptive parents are people who understand that all children, particularly adoptive children, need a tremendous amount of love, nurturing and support. If you are interested in becoming an adoptive parent, please contact DFS at 702-455-0800 or by clicking here for more information.
The Department of Family Services' foster care is about believing and investing in the future of a child and their biological family. Our foster and adoptive program is designed to provide temporary care of children who are unable to reside with their biological families. Children in foster care need strong and supportive caretakers who are willing to work with their biological families and the Department of Family Services to reunify them with their families. For more information, please click here.
The Department of Family Services' Southern Nevada Children's Advocacy Center (SNCAC) brings together child abuse professionals in one location where they work collaboratively to reduce the amount of trauma children experience, enhance response to child maltreatment, and support the needs of child victims and their families. Staff at the center are highly skilled professionals who comprise a multidisciplinary team including child protection workers, law enforcement officers, medical providers, prosecutors, family/victim advocates, forensic interviewers, and mental health professionals. This team works collaboratively to provide necessary services to the child with the least amount of negative impact. The forensic interview is the cornerstone of the process, done by trained forensic interviewers while key team members observe from a separate location, the forensic interview is child-friendly, supportive, and designed to reduce the number of times a child is interviewed about abuse. Please click here to learn more about SNCAC.
If you would like to learn more about Clark County's Department of Family Services and what they do for our community, please visit there website by clicking here.
|
|
This past Fall, Clark County launched a new reporting tool called “FixIt Clark County” that allows residents to report quality-of-life issues and request services. The location-based tool allows residents to easily report an issue of concern via an address or pin drop based upon the user’s current location. They also can upload pictures and descriptions of their concerns to this centralized issue management system.
Residents can report issues via the Clark County website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/FixIt or through an app that may be downloaded from the website or from the Google Play and Apple app stores.
Issues that may be reported include potholes, graffiti, street light issues, trash and debris, illegal short-term rentals, COVID-19 health violations, homeless encampments and more. Additionally, users may submit requests for information to the County and to residents’ County commissioners.
Once residents report issues, they can track through the app the progress being made. County staff will be able to manage these requests, view their reported location, and update the citizen with the status, many times responding directly from the field. Residents also may track issues that have been reported in their neighborhoods and provide comments about them, and even vote to fix problems submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all the issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests — not just the ones they report.
County departments and offices initially tied into the app are Public Works, the Public Response Office (code enforcement), Business License and the commissioners’ offices.
|
|
|
|
|
