Following a successful inaugural year in 2023, the Nevada County Health Fair will return Wednesday, October 9, to offer a one-stop shop for health care resources for the elderly, those with disabilities, and the caregivers who aid them.
“Last year we had over 350 people come,” said co-organizer Barbara Larsen. “It was really something. For a lot of us, what was so sacred about it is that coming out of COVID the vendors and the people who attended were feeling like, ‘Oh, here’s our community back again. We’re back with each other again.’ Everyone was very elated and very positive.”
With around 40 vendors being represented, guests will receive a goodie bag upon entry, which will include the updated Nevada County Elderly Care Provider Coalition’s Guide, a resource listing providers of different facets of health care.
Advertisement
“You could say on some level it is for everybody but really it’s for elders and people with a disability,” explained Larsen. “If someone is a younger person and is taking care of their mother or their father, anyone like that, of course they’re invited. And we have resources for them and for their loved ones as well.”
Larsen said that Nevada County is one of the rare counties in California that has Senior Outreach Nurses, a free service that provides Comprehensive health and safety assessments, continued in home follow up, fall prevention education, health screenings, and medication education/management resources.
“Placer County doesn’t have this; we have this,” Larsen said. “So if a person is 60 or older and is isolated and needs someone to come in, a nurse to do an evaluation, that’s all free of charge.”
Booths will be presented by vendors like Sierra Services for the Blind, FREED, and Foothills Compassionate Care (formerly Hospice of the Foothills).
“We are going to have the county nurses giving flu shots and Dokimos will be there to schedule COVID vaccinations,” said Larsen. “We’re going to have Gold Country Audiology there too, checking hearing and checking balance. It’s just going to be all these services and blood pressure checks. The only thing we ask is that if you want a flu shot to call 211 and schedule your time to get your flu shot.”
Advertisement
Preventative care is something Larsen said is generally lacking in the American model of health care, and just one goal of the health Fair is to raise awareness on how critical steps can be made throughout one’s life.
“We are not a nation that is preventative by nature, and especially our health care,” she said. “We’re spending more money toward the end of our lives than we do in preventing. I think this (fair) is another way to say ‘Oh, maybe I don’t need this now, but maybe I will in the future. Maybe my loved one is showing a little memory loss right now. Why am I waiting? What am I waiting for?’ (The fair is a chance) to see, what are the resources now that I can use for the future so that I will not be working out of crisis?”
Entry to the Nevada County Health Fair is free, and there will be snacks to enjoy. The Fair will take place Wednesday, October 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Gold Miner’s Inn, 122 Bank Street in Grass Valley. Nevada County Connects will be offering free rides to the event.
A Las Vegas casino abruptly pulled the plug on a prediction market conference over fears the event could draw scrutiny from Nevada gambling regulators, according to a report.
Predict 2026 had been slated for the Aria on the Strip before the MGM-operated resort canceled the booking just days after signing the agreement.
‘The [Aria] is issuing this notice in light of Nevada’s current regulatory and enforcement position regarding prediction markets,’ a lawyer for the resort wrote in a termination letter cited by Barron’s.
The dispute highlights escalating tensions between state gambling regulators and prediction market firms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which let people bet on the outcomes of all kinds of events.
Advertisement
The Aria on the Las Vegas Strip canceled a prediction market conference days after signing the contract amid growing scrutiny from Nevada gambling regulators. Ron Buskirk/imageBROKER/Shutterstock
Nevada regulators have taken an especially aggressive stance toward the fast-growing sector, arguing that some sports-event contracts resemble unlicensed wagering that bypasses state gaming rules and taxes.
Last October, the Nevada Gaming Control Board warned casino license holders that maintaining ties to prediction market operators could factor into whether they remain eligible for gaming licenses.
“If a Nevada licensee chooses to offer Sports and Other Event Contracts in Nevada or decides to partner with other entities offering Sports and Other Event Contracts in the state, the Board will consider these developments as it evaluates the suitability of the entity to maintain a Nevada gaming license,” regulators said in the guidance cited by Barron’s.
While Predict 2026 was not sponsored by any prediction market company, Aria’s legal notice indicated that regulators had become increasingly sensitive even to indirect promotion of the industry.
Nevada regulators have warned casino license holders that ties to prediction market operators like Polymarket could affect their suitability to hold gaming licenses. Christopher Sadowski for NY Post
The Aria, which opened in 2009 and is operated by MGM Resorts after being sold to Blackstone in 2021, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Advertisement
The showdown highlights the widening divide between traditional casino operators and the new entrants into the prediction market space.
Legacy gaming giants such as MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment have largely stayed away from prediction markets even as companies including DraftKings have launched competing platforms to challenge businesses like Kalshi.
Prediction market operators insist that their event contracts are federally regulated financial instruments overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, allowing them to operate nationwide for users over 18.
Prediction market companies including Kalshi say their event contracts are federally regulated financial instruments, setting up a clash with state gambling authorities. Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Some state gaming regulators, however, have argued that sports-related contracts closely resemble sports betting and should fall under state gambling laws.
Nevada officials have already taken direct legal action against Kalshi.
Advertisement
The Nevada Gaming Commission sued the company over its sports event contracts, and the platform was briefly barred from operating in the state earlier this year, according to Barron’s.
The Post has sought comment from Polymarket, Aria and the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Nevada has a rich history of producing athletic legends.
A large part of that is the continued success of the numerous high schools across the state. Going back decades, the state has seen a rise from some programs being local giants to some going big on the national scale, such as MLB star Bryce Harper.
Which high schools in Nevada are considered the best for athletes today?
According to a study conducted by Niche, which accounts for survey feedback from students and parents—accounting for “reviews of athletics, number of state championships, student participation in athletics, and the number of sports offered at the school”—and data from the U.S. Department of Education, these are the top 25.
Advertisement
25. GV Christian School (Henderson)
Total number of sports: 11
24. Shadow Ridge High School (Las Vegas)
Total number of sports: 23
23. Douglas County High School (Minden)
Total number of sports: 15
22. Galena High School (Reno)
Total number of sports: 21
21. Albert M. Lowry High School (Winnemucca)
Total number of sports: 15
Advertisement
20. Spring Creek High School
Total number of sports: 9
19. Elko High School
Total number of sports: 10
18. Centennial High School (Las Vegas)
Total number of sports: 23
17. Pershing County High School (Lovelock)
Total number of sports: 12
16. Yerington High School
Total number of sports: 11
Advertisement
15. Indian Springs High School
Total number of sports: 7
14. Moapa Valley High School (Overton)
Total number of sports: 23
13. Robert McQueen High School (Reno)
Total number of sports: 15
12. Spanish Springs High School (Sparks)
Total number of sports: 14
11. Fernley High School
Total number of sports: 9
Advertisement
10. Democracy Prep at Agassi High (Las Vegas)
Total number of sports: 9
9. Reno High School
Total number of sports: 16
8. Incline High School (Incline Village)
Total number of sports: 21
7. Liberty High School (Henderson)
Total number of sports: 23
6. Sage Ridge School (Reno)
Total number of sports: 15
Advertisement
5. Churchill County High School
Total number of sports: 30
4. Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School (Las Vegas)
Total number of sports: 21
3. Sports Leadership & Management of Nevada (Henderson)
CARSON CITY, Nev. (KOLO) – The State of Nevada says it has designated more than 119,000 voters as inactive ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar says that in the spring of this year, counties updated 14,164 voter records, designated 119,533 voters as inactive and canceled the voter registrations of 7,583 people.
This is in addition to 2025 voter roll maintenance efforts that registered more than 138,000 voters inactive and canceled nearly 177,000 voter registrations.
“State and local election officials are working hard to prepare voters for the upcoming June Primary, and keeping Nevada’s voter rolls up to date is a critical part of that process. County election officials have dedicated significant resources to make sure Nevada’s voter registration records are accurate, so that all eligible Nevadans – and only eligible Nevadans – can cast a ballot,” said Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar. “Mail ballots are being sent to active, registered voters across the state now. Voters can support their local officials’ work by checking and updating their registration information on VOTE.NV.gov.”
