Did you know that 2.2 percent of Southern Nevada’s homeless population consists of teens? A special outreach event called Street Teen Outreach Day is scheduled from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Saturday, May 4, at the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, 1417 N. Las Vegas Blvd. The event will offer free toiletry “care packages,” free dental and HIV/STD screenings, and free haircuts for teens between the ages of 13 and 19. In addition, information about free community resources will be available.

May 1 marks the 12th National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, an annual observance to educate teens about the importance of postponing pregnancies and parenthood.

The message is simple . . . fruit, vegetables and physical activity are good for you. Clark County School District elementary school children from several schools took the message to heart and won the 6th annual UNLV Coaches Challenge, a collaborative program that encourages grade-school children to choose healthy food and participate in physical activity.

The Southern Nevada Health District announced its annual Public Health Heroes, recognition given to individuals or organizations whose efforts positively affect the health and well-being of the community. This year’s winners will be honored at the April 22 Southern Nevada District Board of Health meeting.

The Hearing Officer, under authority granted in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 241.020, conducts hearings to settle cases involving restaurant, food facility, child care establishment matters.

The Southern Nevada Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition is hosting its fourth free workshop for parents and guardians interested in developing skills to effectively talk to their pre-teen and teen children about sexual relationships, preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. For more information, or to sign up for a workshop call (702) 759-0831. Space is limited.

The Solid Waste Hearing Officer, under authority granted in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 444.629, conducts monthly hearings to settle cases involving illegal dumping and other solid waste matters.

Get tested . . . that’s the message from the Southern Nevada Health District as it encourages Valley residents to discuss their sexual health with their health care providers and their partners, especially during STD Awareness Month.

The Southern Nevada Health District is now offering full services at its newest location at 330 S. Valley View including food safety training cards and birth and death certificates. The center also offers a range of nursing and environmental health services, and houses its EMS/trauma system office, human resources and administrative offices. The public health center is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Hours of operation vary by program. Check the health district’s website, www.SNHD.info for information on specific program hours of operation.

The Hearing Officer, under authority granted in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 241.020, conducts hearings to settle cases involving restaurant, food facility, child care establishment matters.

This Sunday, March 24, is World TB Day, the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced he identified M. tuberculosis, the bacteria responsible for one of the world’s most dreaded diseases. Today, tuberculosis affects approximately two billion people worldwide. In 2012, there were 70 cases in Clark County and a total of 85 reported throughout the state.

The Southern Nevada Health District and the United Way are sponsoring a Shots 4 Tots event, Passport to Immunizations and Health Fair, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, April 20 at the health district’s main public health center, 330 S. Valley View Blvd., at the corner of Meadows Lane. The event kicks off National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 20-27. This free event will offer no cost childhood immunizations for eligible children up to age 36 months, health screenings, family resources, and well-baby checks on a first come-first served basis. Parents should bring their children’s immunization records. For more information about the clinic or immunization services, contact the Southern Nevada Health District’s immunization clinic, (702) 759-0850 or visit www.SNHD.info.

If it’s March 20 . . it’s Kick Butts Day. Members of Evolvement, a smoke-free youth group, will participate in Kick Butts Day, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Wednesday, March 20. A display of 100 Rebel mustaches will be placed in the grass of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas free speech area, with 82 of those representing the percentage of non-smokers on campus. Youth members will collect message cards in support of a smokefree college campus. Kick Butts Day is a nationwide initiative, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to stop tobacco use by children and young adults.

The Southern Nevada Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition is hosting its third free workshop for parents and guardians interested in developing skills to effectively talk to their pre-teen and teen children about sexual relationships, preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. For more information, or to sign up for a workshop call (702) 759-0831. Space is limited.

The Solid Waste Hearing Officer, under authority granted in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 444.629, conducts monthly hearings to settle cases involving illegal dumping and other solid waste matters.

The most recent edition of “The Perspective,” the Southern Nevada Health District’s quarterly e-newsletter, is now available on the health district’s website, www.SNHD.info.

National Nutrition Month is the perfect opportunity to visit the local farmers’ markets throughout Southern Nevada. This month, the Southern Nevada Health District and its partners encourage everyone to “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day,” with farm fresh food (F2OOD: Farm Fresh Out of the Desert.) The health district, Las Vegas Farmers’ Market®, fresh52 Farmers’ Market, and two Bet on the Farm farmers - Van Dyke Farms and Cowboy Trails Farms - are joining the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) to commemorate the observance.

The switch to Daylight Savings Time this Sunday, March 10, is the perfect opportunity for Southern Nevadans to check their family emergency stockpiles, change batteries in radios, replace expired food items, rotate items in the kit, update family information, or determine if there are any items that are missing. The Southern Nevada Health District has information about emergency preparedness as well as a calendar to help develop a family kit on its website, www.SNHD.info.

A hearing, under authority granted in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 446.880, can be requested by a permit holder.

The Southern Nevada Health District will offer immunization clinics for adults and children on a quarterly basis at its Laughlin Public Health Center. The first clinic is scheduled for Friday, March 1. Additional dates for the remainder of the year are tentatively scheduled in the spring, and summer prior to the start of the school year, as well as fall.

The Solid Waste Hearing Officer, under authority granted in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 444.629, conducts monthly hearings to settle cases involving illegal dumping and other solid waste matters.

Thursday, Feb. 7 is the annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and the Southern Nevada Health District is encouraging everyone to learn their HIV status. In Clark County, approximately 25 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS are African-American. Testing is always available at the health district and no appointment is necessary. For additional information and testing information, contact the health district’s Sexual Health Clinic, (702) 759-0702 or visit www.SNHD.info.

Community Counseling Center and the Southern Nevada Health District will kick off a hepatitis education campaign today. Testing for hepatitis B and C, and hepatitis immunizations will be administered along with free HIV testing at the Community Counseling Center, 714 E. Sahara Ave., Ste. 101, every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., and 8 a.m. – 1p.m. on Thursdays. For information, contact the Community Counseling Center, (702) 369-8700 or the health district’s Sexual Health Clinic, (702) 759-0702.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Nevada and across the country. In 2009, heart disease caused the deaths of more than 4,000 Nevadans. To commemorate American Heart Month, the Southern Nevada Health District’s office of chronic disease prevention & health promotion is joining the national Million Hearts™ campaign to prevent more than one million heart attacks and strokes in the United States.

Ten pounds in 10 weeks . . . really? The Southern Nevada Health District will launch its 10 in 10 Challenge, the online program to help participants cut calories they eat and increase the number of calories they burn. The free program kicks off Monday, Feb. 4 and signups begin Monday, Jan. 28 on the Get Healthy Clark County website, www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org. The program is also available in Spanish.

The Solid Waste Hearing Officer, under authority granted in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 444.629, conducts monthly hearings to settle cases involving illegal dumping and other solid waste matters

Currently Southern Nevada is experiencing moderate influenza activity. However, with reports of widespread activity throughout the country, cases are expected to increase locally. The Southern Nevada Health District is reminding Valley residents, especially those most at risk from complications from the illness, that it is not too late to get vaccinated. Influenza season typically peaks in Southern Nevada in January or February and an influenza immunization is the best method to prevent illness. For more information, contact the health district’s immunization clinic at (702) 759-0850 or visit www.SNHD.info.

The most recent edition of “The Perspective,” the Southern Nevada Health District’s quarterly e-newsletter, is now available on the health district’s website, www.SNHD.info.

The Southern Nevada Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition is hosting a series of free workshops for parents and guardians interested in developing skills to effectively talk to their pre-teen and teen children about sexual relationships, preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. For more information, or to sign up for a workshop call (702) 759-0831.