Nevada
‘Eliminating that stigma’: Hope Means Nevada hosts youth mental health forum
Clark County teenagers said during a forum Wednesday that they’re seeing more awareness among their peers about mental health resources, but there’s still fear about using them.
The topic arose during the third youth mental health discussion this school year hosted by Hope Means Nevada, a campaign by the nonprofit Nevada Medical Center that aims to eliminate youth suicide.
Students who are part of Hope Means Nevada’s teen committee shared what was happening in their schools related to mental health.
Ella King, 17, a senior at Coronado High School in Henderson, said a lot of improvement occurred during fall semester, including increased communication between students, teachers and counselors.
King said she has seen a lot more receptiveness toward mental health education. “Having that education is really, really helpful for our students.”
But even though students are learning that there are resources, they don’t really feel comfortable using them, she said.
Providing needed support
Ashley Leon Ramirez, a school counselor specialist in the Clark County School District, told attendees that results from a Panorama Education survey — administered three times a year to gauge wellbeing — shows youth are struggling with connectedness and “emotional regulation.”
There have been a lot of violent events around town and recent tragedies at schools that have had an effect on youth, Ramirez said.
The counseling department also has had a heavy focus on supporting special populations such as LGBTQ+ students and foster children, she said.
Ramirez also talked about the importance of supporting teachers, noting that morale is low.
About 20 attendees participated in the discussion from the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Las Vegas office. Participants also attended from NAMI’s Reno office and via video conferencing.
Hope Means Nevada was founded in April 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. President and co-founder Julie Murray told attendees that she’s proud of the progress being made.
‘Promoting the solutions’
King said that at her school, students have faced some “pretty standard challenges,” including academics, social isolation and getting along with family.
It’s not necessarily about eliminating the challenges, she said — noting they’re perpetual — “but I think what’s really important is promoting the solutions.”
Bishop Gorman High School Senior Cooper Cunningham, 18, said seniors soon will be hearing back about college acceptances or denials.
“The elephant in the room is obviously college applications and admissions,” he said.
Successes related to mental health at his school are that “we have been eliminating that stigma,” and developing new mental health clubs, Cunningham said.
Part of Wednesday’s discussion Wednesday centered on the new phone number for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Some attendees said they know youth who’ve been hesitant to use it.
Attendees also talked about another resource — the Nevada Teen Peer Support Text Line at 775-296-8336 — which provides peer support.
King said there’s ease in dialing 988, but it also makes youth think of 911 and a situation that’s “super severe.”
King and Cunningham made a video to help explain to their peers how 988 works. They tried to convey that students can call the number as a mental health resource for any reason and that no problem is too small, King said.
Cunningham said he thinks it’s important to emphasize that 988 is not only to help those with suicidal ideation, but also for those who who need help with any mental health struggle.
It’s also important to ensure that youth feel OK dialing the number, he said, and that they realize how strong they are for seeking help.
Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com. Follow @julieswootton on X.
The Las Vegas Raiders have orchestrated many groundbreaking moves this offseason, but none as important as the impact they made at a fundraising event.
Over the weekend, the Raiders hosted the Silver & Black Gala, raising $2.5 million for mental health in Nevada. Sunday marked the third time the organization had hosted the event, which has produced a tremendous turnout.
Several individuals spoke during the event, including Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and president Sandra Douglass Morgan, who each highlighted the importance of acknowledging mental health.
Davis’ Thoughts
- “We’re here to raise money for mental health, which is one of the most important things we can all deal with,” Davis said. “Every one of us is impacted by mental health and our families, friends, or anywhere else, we are all directly affected. That’s why it’s so critical to raise money for our community. We’re grateful for you all, and appreciate you being here.”
Morgan’s Thoughts
“Mental health remains one of the most urgent issues across Nevada,” Morgan said. “Through the Silver & Black Gala, the Raiders Foundation is helping expand access to trusted, community-based resources that meet people where they are. This year’s recipients reflect the depth and complexity of that work, supporting our community in schools, clubhouses, homes, shelters, and family systems statewide.”
The Raiders also honored former player Carl Nassib and NFL broadcaster Jay Glazer on Sunday night as the winners of the Commitment to Excellence award. Here is what each of them had to say.
Glazer’s Thoughts
- “First, this is incredible what the Raiders are doing,” Glazer said. “God blessed me with the ability to communicate, so I’m going to use that to try and help other people. When we’re willing to share our scars, we turn them into strength—into something that connects us as teammates with nothing to hide. That’s what builds a true team, a championship team. I’m proud to stand with you and be part of this team tonight.”
Nassib’s Thoughts
- “It is truly a privilege to be up here,” Nassib said. “We’re creating space for people to be vulnerable—and that work is truly lifesaving. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up and reminding people they’re not alone.”
Overall Thoughts
This has been a tremendous event over the last few years, and the Raiders’ organization has done a great job of raising awareness for mental health. This will be an event that the team will continue to host in the future.
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Nevada
Nevada workers fear homelessness as housing, jobs vanish before July deadline | Fox News Video
The final casino resort in Primm, Nevada, will close this summer after years of declining tourism, ending gaming operations in the once-busy border town and putting hundreds of employees out of work.
Primm Valley Casino Resorts is shutting down its remaining hotel and casino operations in July as experts point to increased competition, changing travel habits and post-pandemic losses behind the decline.
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) is in a strong position heading into the thick of his 2026 reelection bid — a huge war chest, almost universal name recognition and strong favorability numbers among the electorate.
Though Lombardo is likely focusing on the general election already, he faces 6 longshot candidates in the GOP primary seeking to upset him in June.
Nevada Governor GOP primary: 6 longshot candidates taking on incumbent Joe Lombardo
The challengers face a ‘Herculean’ task, said Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Insights, an Arizona-based nonpartisan pollster focusing on the Southwest region.
“I see it as a Herculean task for anyone. If someone was coming in with like, I don’t know $10 million or something to spend, sure I can see that might be competitive, but I don’t see any of them coming anywhere near close to that. And so again, I just think I think it’s a non-factor at this point,” Noble said.
RELATED | Ballot Battleground: Nevada podcast: Early Noble poll shows dead heat in governor’s race
Despite the long odds, News 4-Fox 11 reached out to all candidates requesting an interview as part of our commitment to 2026 election coverage and our Know Your Candidates series. Three of the 7 running interviewed with us — Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Lombardo and Jose Zelaya did not respond to multiple emails requesting an interview.
We asked them similar questions about Gov. Lombardo’s leadership as governor, how they would pass a balanced budget and whether they support taxpayer subsidies for sports teams or major projects.
Click the candidate’s name to watch their full interview. Quotes below have been edited for space and clarity.
Donald J. Beaudry Jr. is an entrepreneur who founded BlkEdgeAi, a financial technology firm specializing in AI-driven trading systems and market strategy, according to his campaign website.
He told News 4-Fox 11 that Nevada has been drifting the last four years with ‘no captain, no vision.’ He believes his Wall Street-like trading market called NGEX (Nevada Global Exchange) would generate enough revenue to eliminate sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes and vehicle registration fees.
“I completely blueprinted it out and calculated that this model could generate enough revenue in this state that we could eliminate all the state taxes and fees that are currently in place and use that as the revenue source for the state and make everybody, every man, woman and child throughout Nevada, a shareholder in the dividends of that exchange … it would be a kind of Wall Street type of stock market, but far broader, more advanced, and exponentially more profitable.”
Matthew Rian Winterhawk is the founder of SmartSlaps foundation, a nonprofit that works to help schools and students with civic engagement and community responsibility.
If elected, he described going through a DOGE-like review of the state budget to determine which areas can be cut or kept depending on their ‘dollar to impact’ ratio.
“What I would like to do is go through every department, I’m talking top to bottom, from here from the primary to the beginning. We will cut every piece of administrative bloat across the system … I need more money for my teachers. Teachers never see it, students never see it, the impact never reaches the classroom. It’s 100% administrative bloat.”
The son of immigrants, Barak Zilberberg is now an entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Las Vegas. He ran for governor in 2022, earning 0.2% of the vote in the GOP primary. He told News 4-Fox 11 he’s also running for President in 2028.
He said he’s running for governor to improve the educational system, bring jobs to Nevada and open up federal land to build more affordable housing.
“We’ve got get high-speed railing systems in here where we can transit very easily, efficiently, and basically moving around between economies of both cities. Not only that, I’d like to bring Disneyland here and the Olympics, sponsor the Olympics here. I just want to make this a well-known place of entertainment, a hub.”
To help voters make informed decisions this election year, News 4-Fox 11 is publishing and broadcasting dozens of interviews with candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot.
In fairness to all candidates, they were asked a series of similar questions. We are posting the full interviews online so voters can watch their responses in their entirety.
Visit our Know Your Candidates 2026 page to view other race previews and meet other candidates.
Email reporter Ben Margiott at bjmargiott@sbgtv.com. Follow @BenMargiott on X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.
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