It was a merry Christmas indeed for Douglas County merchants who posted an 8.1 percent increase in taxable sales during December compared to the same month in 2011. Figures released by the Nevada Department of Taxation on Tuesday showed taxable sales for December 2012 at $62.7 million for the month, $4.6 million higher than the previous year and $20 million up from November 2012.The Forest Service is expected to continue burning up to 20 acres today up near Glenbrook. There'll be signs up on the highway and not much wind, so hopefully we won't get smoked out in the Valley.We're …