Remember leg warmers, mix tapes, and high-impact aerobics? They’re back – sort of. The Southern Nevada Health District hopes to reduce Nevada’s obesity rates to 1980s levels with free online programs available to help residents increase their physical activity and make healthy food selections. For five weeks beginning Monday, Jan. 6, the health district’s Get Healthy Clark County website, www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org will revisit 1980s health and fitness topics and bring them up to date. Participants who sign up for the free online programs, the Nutrition Challenge or Walk Around Nevada and continue to participate will be eligible for prizes including some 1980s specialty items. For information on any of the health district’s online programs visit www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org or www.SNHD.info.

The Southern Nevada Health District is reporting an increase in influenza activity and has received reports of the first flu-related deaths in Clark County. The deaths were reported in two middle-aged individuals and one elderly person.

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.

As the United States marks the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s report on smoking, the Southern Nevada Health District is celebrating the great progress that has been made in reducing tobacco use, while also noting that much more needs to be accomplished in order to win the fight against what is still the nation’s number one cause of preventable death.

Just as those New Year’s resolutions are starting to wane the Southern Nevada Health District is launching its annual 10-in-10 Challenge, the online program that helps participants both cut and burn more calories. The free program kicks off Monday, Feb. 10 and signups begin Monday, Feb. 3 on the Get Healthy Clark County website, www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org.

The Southern Nevada Health District commends CVS Caremark Corp. for its recent decision to end the sale of tobacco products at its stores throughout the United States, including Clark County.

Friday, Feb. 7 marks the 15th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and the Southern Nevada Health District is encouraging everyone to learn their HIV status.

Beginning Monday, March 3, the Southern Nevada Health District’s East Las Vegas and Henderson public health centers will offer new hours at both locations.

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.

Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday, March 9. It’s the perfect opportunity for Southern Nevadans to check their family emergency stockpiles, change batteries in radios and flashlights, replace or rotate food items in the kit, update any family information including medications, or determine what items might be missing. Still don’t have your family’s kit put together? 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.

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 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.

It’s time to kick some butt… Wednesday, March 19 is national Kick Butts Day, a nationwide initiative, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to stop tobacco use by children and young adults.

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 2013, there were 75 cases in Clark County and a total of 92 reported throughout the state.

The Southern Nevada Health District has received increased reports of gastrointestinal illness in the community and has confirmed norovirus as the cause of a recent outbreak. The health district is stressing the importance of practicing appropriate hygiene to limit the spread of norovirus and other types of gastrointestinal illness. People who are sick should stay home from work or school until at least three days after their symptoms have ended. In addition, people who are sick or who are recovering from a gastrointestinal infection, including norovirus, should not prepare food or care for others until three days after they have recovered.

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, April 10 is the inaugural National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day to provide information about HIV infection and the importance of testing. The Southern Nevada Health District encourages everyone to learn about his or her HIV status.

Are your tots up to date on their shots? The Southern Nevada Health District and United Way of Southern Nevada’s Young Philanthropists Society are sponsoring the 3rd Passport to Immunizations and Health Fair, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sat., May 3 at the health district’s main public health center, 330 S. Valley View Blvd., at the corner of Meadows Lane. The event caps this year’s National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 26 – May 3. This free event will offer no cost childhood immunizations for eligible children up to age 36 months, health screenings, and family resources information. 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 www.SNHD.info.

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 were honored at the April 28 Southern Nevada District Board of Health meeting.

Know your status? The Southern Nevada Health District and the Gay and Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada will kick off a monthly Saturday HIV/STD testing clinic on May 3. The clinic will be available from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

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. Each issue provides a public health perspective on a particular topic.

Fruit, vegetables, physical activity . . . these three things are good for you. It’s a simple message and one that 6,000 Clark County School District elementary school children took seriously as they participated in the 7th annual UNLV Coaches Challenge. A UNLV head coach will visit each of the four winning classrooms to congratulate the students for their efforts and to encourage them to make healthy choices and to be physically active.

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 Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and the Regional Trauma Advisory Board today launched an educational initiative as part of National Trauma Awareness Month. In the coming months, the agency, board and partners will introduce a new website to provide residents and visitors information about critical components of the system.

La Oficina de Prevención de Enfermedades Crónicas y Promoción de Salud del Distrito de Salud del Sur de Nevada tiene el programa de prevención de ahogamientos de niños.

The Southern Nevada Health District’s annual mosquito control and West Nile surveillance program is under way for 2014. Property owners are urged to eliminate mosquito breeding sources to decrease the mosquito population.

National HIV Testing Day is Friday, June 27. The annual event is an opportunity for everyone to learn his or her HIV status. The Southern Nevada Health District and its partner, the Gay & Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada and the center’s MPowerment Project encourage all Southern Nevadans to get tested.

They’re here . . . triple-digit temperatures. The Southern Nevada Health District offers tips to stay safe and healthy during the long, hot summer. The health district reminds parents about the ABCDs of drowning prevention, tips to prevent mosquito breeding and bites, information about swimming safely to prevent illness, and heat safety.

The Southern Nevada Health District is urging parents to beat the back-to-school rush by bringing their pre-schoolers, kindergartners, and 7th graders for mandatory vaccinations at one of its conveniently located public health centers. For information, contact the health district’s immunization clinic, (702) 759-0850 or visit www.SNHD.info.

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 Southern Nevada Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition is hosting a forum to bring community leaders together to address strategies to reduce teen pregnancy rates as a means of improving the state’s health status, strengthening education and workforce competitiveness and reducing taxpayer costs.

Who needs vaccines?

The Southern Nevada Health District’s 2nd annual Soda Free Summer Initiative is underway to encourage children and adults to choose healthier beverages and reduce or eliminate sugary drinks from their diets. Soda Free Summer pledges are available on the Get Healthy Clark County website, www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org.

As teen pregnancy rates and birth rates decline across the nation Nevada continues to remain in the top 10 for teen pregnancies. This evening the Southern Nevada Teen Pregnancy Coalition will host a forum to bring community leaders together to address strategies to reduce teen pregnancy rates as a means of improving the state’s health status, strengthening education and workforce competiveness, and reducing taxpayer costs.

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 Southern Nevada Health District has partnered with the Clark County Parks & Recreation Department and First Class Vending to develop and provide healthier options for vending machines. Vending machines in several county recreational facilities throughout the Valley now offer healthier snacks and beverages.

If an emergency or natural disaster occurred today, are you and your family prepared to be on your own for a few days or weeks? The Southern Nevada Health District encourages everyone to create a preparedness plan for their families or businesses, especially during Emergency Preparedness Month.

The Southern Nevada Health District is reporting a case of West Nile virus in a male over the age of 50 with the more serious neuroinvasive form of the illness. This is the first human case of West Nile illness in Clark County in 2014. There were nine cases reported in 2013. The health district has identified additional positive mosquito pools in the 89014, 89120, 89123, 89131, 89134, 89143, 89144, 89145, and 89146 zip codes.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in older adults; each year, one in three older adults will fall; an injury from a fall can impact quality of life for older adults; and every 15 seconds, an older adult is seen in an emergency department for a fall-related injury. Falls are preventable and they are not an inevitable part of aging, according to the National Council on Aging. Visit http://www.gethealthyclarkcounty.org/be-safe/senior-fall-statistics.php for statistics and information about injuries related to falls among seniors.

The Southern Nevada Health District and Clark County Emergency Management will host two community meetings in Moapa to discuss mosquito surveillance and abatement related to the recent flooding. The meetings are scheduled for Monday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. at the Moapa Valley Community Center, 320 N. Moapa Blvd., Overton, 89040, and at 6 p.m. at the Moapa Community Center, 1340 E. State Highway 168, Moapa, 89025.

Today the Southern Nevada Health District was awarded a grant of $2,650,555 to address tobacco use and exposure; poor nutrition; physical inactivity; and lack of access to chronic disease prevention, risk reduction and management opportunities in Clark County.

The weather is cooling off, the leaves are falling, it’s almost Halloween . . . that means flu season is right around the corner. This year, the Southern Nevada Health District’s flu vaccine clinics will begin Monday, Oct. 6 at all locations. The cost of the vaccine is $40; the high dose vaccine for people age 65 and over is $56. For more information, contact the health district’s immunization clinic at (702) 759-0850 or visit www.SNHD.info.

Have you spent the entire year sticking to your resolution to adapt healthy eating habits, to lose weight, or exercise more during 2014? The holidays are right around the corner but that does not mean you have to ruin a year’s worth of good habits. For the 5th year, the Southern Nevada Health District’s free, web-based program, the Get Healthy Holiday Challenge kicks off Mon., Oct. 13.

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.

Fruit, vegetables, physical activity . . . three keys to good health and the message that more than 10,000 Clark County School District elementary school kids will take to heart in the 8th annual UNLV Coaches Challenge. This year’s Challenge kicks off at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20 at Elise Wolff Elementary School, 1001 Seven Hills Dr., Henderson, 89052 with Lady Rebels’ basketball coach, Kathy Olivier. For additional information, visit www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org or call the Southern Nevada Health District’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, (702) 759-1270.

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States with approximately 9.3 percent of the population impacted. That translates to about 29.1 million Americans who have diabetes with 8.1 million of them undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association. In Clark County, 9.5 percent of adults have diabetes, according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). As part of National Diabetes Month, the Southern Nevada Health District and its community partners continue to offer education, self-management classes, and support for people with diabetes and their families as well as programs that can help people lower their risk of developing diabetes. For information, contact the health district’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, (702) 759-1270 or visit the Get Healthy Clark County website www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org. or the Spanish-language site, Viva Saludable www.VivaSaludable.org.

There’s an app for that! The Southern Nevada Health District recently launched a new app for smart phones that can help Southern Nevadans connect to the Valley’s 600+miles of walking paths and trails. The app can be downloaded through the Apple Store for iOS devices: https://appsto.re/us/sTYf3.i or from Google Play for Android: http://bit.ly/1zirwNo. For additional information, visit the Get Healthy Clark County website, www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org.

The Great American Smokeout debuted in 1976 as an opportunity for smokers to give up the habit for just one day with hope the decision would lead to a permanent change. This year, the American Cancer Society has designated Thursday, Nov. 20 as the Great American Smokeout. The Southern Nevada Health District encourages smokers in the community to participate and to commit to a long-term plan to quit for good. For information about tobacco products, secondhand smoke, or to access downloadable No Smoking signs, contact the health district’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, (702) 759-1270 or visit www.SNHD.info. or www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org.

The Southern Nevada Health District recently identified flu cases in the Las Vegas Valley through its sentinel surveillance program. Although current flu activity is mild in Southern Nevada and throughout the country, activity increases during the holiday season. The 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.

Thanksgiving is practically here and with it comes the excitement and energy of the holiday season. Whether the bird is big or small there are a few tips to help make the holiday healthy and happy.

The annual World AIDS Day is Mon., Dec. 1. In commemoration, the Southern Nevada Health District and its community partners will observe the occasion with free testing at several locations on Mon. Dec. 1. For more information, contact the Southern Nevada Health District Sexual Health Clinic (702) 759-0702 or visit www.SNHD.INFO for additional testing sites.