In case you haven't heard, the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce is now able to offer an association health plan for sole proprietors! Open enrollment ends Feb 28, 2019 and your rate is guaranteed through June 2020. Contact the Chamber or your broker for more information about these association health plans, sponsored by the Clark County Health Plan Association (CCHPA).

This month's Monthly Mixer is being hosted by Beauty Kitchen Boutique. There will also be a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the Boutique along with the latest from the Chamber and networking. Heather Marianna, owner of the Beauty Kitchen will have Chamber member freebies along with discounts all night. Bring your business cards and be ready to network with other businesses. All businesses and public are welcome!

Wells Fargo is offering a workshop designed to help you build financial confidence. Join your local Wells Fargo branch on Tuesday February 12 at 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. and learn how to get your finances healthier. This includes learning new habits, saving for retirement, reviewing your insurance, managing your credit and creating a safety net. Bring your questions and concerns and learn the steps you can take to get in control. This workshop is for businesses and consumers alike! If you have any employees that would be interested, feel free and share it with them. The workshop is being held in the Chamber Conference Room and offers two times; RSVP to Kassie at 702-293-2034.

Following the enactment of the continuing resolution, staff at Lake Mead National Recreation Area have resumed regular operations. During the shutdown of the federal government, the park remained as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures. Park roads, lookouts, trails and lunch ramps at Lake Mead National Recreation area remained accessible to visitors. "We are grateful for our park partners who continued to provide first-rate services and for the support we received from our community during the shutdown." said Todd Suess, acting superintendent. The focus is now to resume normal operations in a safe and orderly manner. As the park begins to transition, some services such as visitor centers and ranger programs may be temporarily unavailable. For current conditions, please visit www.nps.gov.lake. "Lake Mead National Recreation Area employees are happy to be back at work serving the American people and welcoming visitors to their national park." said Suess.

Five local women including one from Boulder City have been awarded a total of $4,500 in scholarships for the coming spring semester by the Boulder City branch of the AAUW. Scholarships were presented to four women in Henderson and Sherri Henderson-Kresser of Boulder City who is majoring in elementary education with a special education concentration. The scholarship recipients are all students at Nevada State College and were chosen from more than 30 applicants from four colleges and universities. Application information for fall semester scholarships is scheduled to be posted this month on the local groups website bouldercity-nv.aauw.net/scholarships.

If you're a small rural business or an agricultural producer who is looking to reduce energy costs, then you'll want to read on....

USDA Rural Development Nevada encourages you to apply for assistance through USDA's Rural Energy for American Program (REAP). A REAP grant can assist with up to one-fourth of the cost of installing a renewable energy system, such as wind, solar, small hydropower, geothermal, renewable biomass and hydrogen derived from those renewable resources. REAP grants can also pay up to one-fourth of the cost to make energy efficiency improvement such as new lighting, windows, HVAC, insulation, fans and automated controls that reduce energy consumption. Fortifiber in Fernley, used REAP funds to offset purchase of a roof-top solar system to reduce energy costs. Nevada retail stores, a veterinarian and manufacturers are seeing benefits of installing new HVAC, LED lighting or automations systems to reduce energy costs. Contact State Energy Coordinator Laura Chavez at 775-887-1222 ext 4764 to learn more or visit the USDA's REAP website here.