American shoppers are redeeming coupons every year to the tune of more than $5 billion in savings. It's a fact that manufacturers distribute more coupons when the economy slows, in an effort to motivate consumers to shop. So now is the best time to get into the coupon clipping habit.

But if you're just too busy or don't have the time, let the professionals do it for you for a small fee. It's why Henderson resident Julianne Shapin clips coupons every week.

“With three children and myself, I used to spend between $200 and $300 a week before I got heavy into coupons. Now, if I break $100, it would be crazy,” she said.

And out of that passion for saving money at the grocery store, Shapin launched her own company. Coupon Clippers of America is the first west coast based web service that offers coupons to shoppers – for a small fee.

“They just log on, pick the specific coupons they want, click on order and an email gets sent to me. I clip them, collect them and ship them out the same day,” she said.

Shapin charges a $.50 handling fee per order, no matter how many coupons you want. There's also a per-coupon fee that ranges from a nickel to a quarter, depending on the value of that coupon.

She says these small coupons add up to big savings for shoppers.

“If you match the coupon with store sales, you can save 50, 60 even 70-percent on your grocery bill,” she said.

And apparently the word is spreading fast. Since launching her website five short months ago, Shapin says her orders have tripled every week.

Coupon Clippers of America will soon move from the dining room of her Henderson home to the garage, and her next big investment will be a paper cutter.

Email your comments to Reporter Alyson McCarthy

The Southern Nevada Water Authority is mapping out a plan to tunnel through mountains south and east of Henderson and build more than 26 miles of new distribution pipeline as part of a massive expansion of the area water distribution system.

Public comment is being sought on what they're calling the South Valley Facilities Expansion Project. It would be built in phases from 2011 to 2025, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

To help shape that review, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is having a series of public meetings in Henderson this week.

The first meeting took place Monday.

Additional meetings will be at 4:30-8 p.m. Monday at the Sun City MacDonald Ranch Community Center, 2020 West Horizon Ridge Parkway, and 4:30-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Wingate Hotel, 3041 St. Rose Parkway.

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Drug testing for student athletes is set to expand dramatically at local schools. If it's approved by the school district, seven more schools will begin the program.

Centennial is one of those schools planning to use the program. The high school takes pride in girls basketball, volleyball and soccer. Behind the success are the 450 student athletes.

If a nearly $500,000 grant is approved, drug testing will begin there in July.

Principals like Trent Day have been watching the results of the first pilot program at Green Valley High School. He thinks the program can work at Centennial too.

“It's interesting to see such low numbers, which means that it's serving as a deterrent,” said Day.

Donna Tagliaferri, a Centennial parent said, “I think that when coaches ask them not to do drugs, so that the rest of the kids who depend on them – athletes are great kids.”

The testing will be mandatory for athletes and other students can opt in even if they aren't an athlete. Centennial, along with Del Sol, Desert Pines, Durango, Eldorado, Foothill and Mojave will begin the program in the fall.

If a student athlete tests positive, then the principal says they will meet with parents and look at a plan to deal with the problem. Any punishment for athletes who test positive would involve a discussion with the Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association.

But the main goal here is deterrence and counseling if necessary.

The City of Henderson is dropping all the charges against Zyber Selimaj. He's the ice cream truck driver pulled over by police in February. Moments later, his wife rushed to the scene and was shot and killed by police in front of her two children.

This really was done for the sake of those children. Although prosecutors still believe Zyber Selimaj was speeding and resisted officers that day, city attorneys say his kids have been through enough.

Two of them –11-year-old Alban and 5-year-old Arber were there as their mother Deshira was shot and killed near Seven Hills. The young boys were interviewed for the coroner's inquest process and had to recount the events that led up to their mother's death.

Officers testified Deshira Selimaj lunged at them with a knife. A jury cleared Henderson police of any wrongdoing.

The City of Henderson believes putting Zyber Selimaj behind bars – ”would have little rehabilitative value and in fact would impose undue stress and hardship upon the innocent children.”

A hearing scheduled for July 1 on all the charges, including speeding in a school zone and running a stop sign has been canceled. This brings this almost three-month old case to an end.

The family seemed to be holding up when Eyewitness News visited them three weeks ago. The children are all incredibly polite but you can clearly see they're still in pain from this incident.

Zyber is struggling financially, but he's making do — selling ice cream when he can.

Email your comments to Reporter Aaron Drawhorn.