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Nevada County Public Health Brings Smiles to Nevada County Schools and Beyond

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Nevada County Public Health Brings Smiles to Nevada County Schools and Beyond


One morning, about a dozen children in Transitional Kindergarten (TK) through third grade at Deer Creek Elementary School were getting much needed dental care – from cleanings to addressing painful tooth decay that can make learning difficult.

“The reason why we’re here is because there’s a lack of affordable dental care in Nevada County. This is a big issue and Public Health is trying to bridge the gap,” said Health Education Coordinator Jamie Hanf.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic and preventable healthcare need for children in the state, according to the California Department of Education.

“We are seeing tooth decay earlier and earlier in children. Education is key, but there also needs to be a pathway to care, which unfortunately has been challenging in our county,” said Hanf.

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Nevada County’s Public Health team has been working to address this need by going school to school to provide free screenings to hundreds of students and follow ups with children who need extra care such as cleanings, sealants, fluoride treatment and referrals to dentists. A fully equipped mobile health van helps county staff meet kids where they are at. 

Colette Fontaine of Elemental Dental Care is a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice (RDHAP) who travels all over the state from her home base of Oakland to provide dental care to the most vulnerable, underserved populations.

The school-based screenings are part of Nevada County Public Health’s Local Oral Health Program and a coalition of school staff, nurses, parents, providers and community clinics known as Smile Nevada County. In April, during National Public Health Week April 7 – 13, county staff celebrated and highlighted the oral health program as one of several quiet-but-powerful county programs making a positive difference in the lives of local residents. 

At Deer Creek School, the program is already making a difference.

“Deer Creek is excited about this proactive approach, combining preventative screenings with convenient access to essential dental care, which reduces oral health problems and minimizes school absences. This partnership is a win for students, families and the school community as a whole,” said Principal Robin Black.

The dental program focuses on four things: Education, screenings, prevention and creating a pathway to care. Most of the screenings are for Kindergarten Oral Health Assessments, but this year, the team expanded services to include second and third graders who may benefit from sealants and other treatments. Every school in the county benefits from services, but the team prioritizes those with the highest needs and least access to dental care, including the San Juan Ridge and Penn Valley.

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The team makes dental health education fun with take-home dental kits, a colorful stuffed dinosaur named “Flossy Flossasaurus” and a giant toothbrush to show kids how to brush. By keeping early dental experiences positive, the team is building trust and creating good memories that will help create healthy oral health habits for a lifetime.

Health Education Coordinator Jamie Hanf shows kids that brushing is fun during a demo using “Flossy Flossasaurus.”Health Education Coordinator Jamie Hanf shows kids that brushing is fun during a demo using “Flossy Flossasaurus.”
Health Education Coordinator Jamie Hanf shows kids that brushing is fun during a demo using “Flossy Flossasaurus.”

So far this school year, the county program has screened hundreds of students in Western Nevada County and is planning a trip to Truckee schools soon. In total, the program will visit 19 schools and is reaching out to other vulnerable populations through programs such as Women, Infants and Children (WIC) – for children from birth to 5 years of age and Community Beyond Violence – a group that provides resources for survivors of domestic violence.

“We want to reach our most vulnerable populations. We realized the way to do this is by bringing services to them,” said Hanf.

Paving the road for other rural counties

For years, many children living in Nevada County, like other rural counties in the state, have struggled to get the affordable dental care they need. A couple of years ago, Nevada County’s Public Health team started providing dental screenings and quickly realized more was needed.

The team identified many children with urgent needs but there was nowhere to send them locally. Nearly half of Nevada County elementary students have Medi-Cal insurance coverage, yet there are not enough Medi-Cal dental providers to meet the need. Only two Medi-Cal dental clinics provide treatment for thousands of families, leaving many residents with long wait times or long drives just to find a dentist who accepts their insurance.

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Access to affordable dental care is a huge barrier and many families drive all the way to Sacramento or Yuba City for care, or go without.

“We realized pretty immediately that we would need to begin providing more than just screenings if we are to really make an impact on oral health in Nevada County,” said  Hanf.

The key to the success of the County’s state-funded Local Oral Health Program is bringing in Registered Dental Hygienists in Alternative Practice (RDHAPs) to provide cleanings and molar sealants. For those with emerging cavities, Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) stops decay and pain until a child can see a dentist.

The dental hygienists who work with Nevada County’s Local Oral Health Program travel all over the state to provide dental care to the most vulnerable, underserved populations. This nomadic model is likely the future of dental care in rural counties like Nevada County and is moving toward a concept known as Virtual Dental Home, which combines mobile care with telehealth.

By next year, Nevada County should have technological infrastructure in place to collect X-rays at school and community-based clinics and send information in real time to dental offices. Dentists review the care plans, approve them, and RDHAPs can provide much of the care or refer patients for more urgent care that can only be provided by a dentist. California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine is a partner and advisor of the program.

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“We’re paving the way for Northern California’s rural counties,” said Hanf.  

Why tooth decay is so harmful

A statewide assessment a few years ago found that 61 percent of third grade children in California already have tooth decay, according to the California Department of Public Health Office of Oral Health.

Tooth decay can lead to infections and more serious issues for children that can follow them all the way into adulthood.

“We now know that tooth decay can be responsible for many chronic diseases, including stroke, heart disease, lung infections, diabetes and more. Anytime you have an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the mouth, it causes inflammation in the body. That bacteria can spread within the body and do harm,” said Hanf.

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 Tooth decay, if left untreated, affects children’s academic performance, social-emotional development, sleep and nutrition, said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, California Department of Education. 

It can also cause a lot of missed school days and ultimately impact school funding. In California, tooth decay is the cause of 874,000 school days missed each year, costing schools $29 to $32 million annually in average daily attendance funding.

That’s why Nevada County Public Health’s dental screening program is so important. It helps to reverse these trends and get families on the path to health and wellness.

“At Public Health, we care deeply about the health of our community,” said Hanf. “The work of our Local Oral Health Program to expand access to dental care through innovative school and community-based clinics reflects Public Health’s commitment to meeting people where they are in the community and addressing barriers to care, like transportation and dental care provider shortages, through mobile health,”

To learn more, or to find local dental resources and educational tools, visit SmileNevadaCounty.com.

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Oregon lands commitment from Nevada punter

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Oregon lands commitment from Nevada punter


Oregon has found its next Australian punter.

Bailey Ettridge, who averaged 44.66 yards on 47 punts at Nevada this season, committed to transfer to the Ducks on Sunday. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

From Lara, Australia, Ettridge had 15 punts over 50 yards and 18 inside opponents’ 20-yard lines this season. He also had two carries for 26 yards, both of which converted fourth downs.

Ettridge replaces James Ferguson-Reynolds, who is averaging 41.64 yards on 33 punts for UO this season. Ferguson-Reynolds and Ross James are both out of eligibility after the season.

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Ettridge is the first scholarship transfer to Oregon this offseason and his addition gives the Ducks 81 projected scholarship players in 2026. He is the lone punter presently on the roster.



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‘Winnemucca Day’ helps fuel Backus, Wolf Pack to 58-40 win over Utah State

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‘Winnemucca Day’ helps fuel Backus, Wolf Pack to 58-40 win over Utah State


RENO, Nev. (Nevada Athletics) – Nevada Women’s Basketball returned to Lawlor for the first game of 2026, hosting Utah State.

The Pack picked up its first conference win of the season with the 58-40 victory over the Aggies.

Freshmen showed out for the Pack (5-9, 1-3 MW) with Skylar Durley nearly recording a double-double, dropping 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Britain Backus had five points to go along with two rebounds and a season high four steals.

Junior Izzy Sullivan also had an impactful game with 17 points, going 6-for-11 from the paint and grabbing five boards. She also knocked down Nevada’s only two makes from beyond the arc, putting her within one for 100 career threes.

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The Pack opened up scoring the first four points, setting the tone for the game. It was a close battle through the first 10 as Utah State (6-7, 2-2 MW) closed the gap to one.

However, Nevada never let them in front for the entire 40 minutes.

Nevada turned up the pressure in the second quarter, holding Utah State to a shooting drought for over four minutes. Meanwhile, a 5-0 scoring run pushed the Pack to a 10-point lead.

For the entire first 20, Nevada held Utah State to just 26.7 percent from the floor and only nine percent from the arc, going only 1-for-11.

For the Pack offense, it shot 48 percent from the paint. Nevada fell into a slump coming out of the break, only scoring eight points.

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It was the only quarter where the Pack was outscored.

The fourth quarter saw the Pack get back into rhythm with a 6-0 run and forcing the Aggies into another long scoring drought of just under four and a half minutes.

Durley had a layup and jumper to help with securing the win.

Nevada will remain at home to face Wyoming on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

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EDITORIAL: Nevada’s House Democrats oppose permitting reform

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EDITORIAL: Nevada’s House Democrats oppose permitting reform


Politicians of both parties have promised to fix the nation’s broken permitting system. But those promises have not been kept, and the status quo prevails: longer timelines, higher costs and a regulatory maze that makes it nearly impossible to build major projects on schedule.

Last week, the House finally cut through the fog by passing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act. As Jeff Luse reported for Reason, the legislation is the clearest chance in years to overhaul a system that has spun out of control.

Notably, virtually every House Democrat — including Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford from Nevada — opted for the current regulatory morass.

The proposal addressed problems with the National Environmental Policy Act, which passed in the 1970s to promote transparency, but has grown into an anchor that drags down public and private investment. Mr. Luse notes that even after Congress streamlined the act in 2021, the average environmental impact statement takes 2.4 years to complete. That number speaks for itself and does not reflect the many reviews that stretch far beyond that already unreasonable timeline.

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The SPEED Act tackles these failures head on. It would codify recent Supreme Court guidance, expand the projects that do not require exhaustive review and set real expectations for federal agencies that too often slow-walk approvals. Most important, it puts long-overdue limits on litigation. Mr. Luse highlights the absurdity of the current six-year window for filing a lawsuit under the Environmental Policy Act. Between 2013 and 2022, these lawsuits delayed projects an average of 4.2 years.

While opponents insist the bill would silence communities, Mr. Luse notes that NEPA already includes multiple public hearings and comment periods. Also, the vast majority of lawsuits are not filed by members of the people who live near the projects. According to the Breakthrough Institute, 72 percent of NEPA lawsuits over the past decade came from national nonprofits. Only 16 percent were filed by local communities. The SPEED Act does not shut out the public. It reins in well-funded groups that can afford to stall projects indefinitely.

Some Democrats claim the bill panders to fossil fuel companies, while some Republicans fear it will accelerate renewable projects. As Mr. Luse explains, NEPA bottlenecks have held back wind, solar and transmission lines as often as they have slowed oil and gas. That is why the original SPEED Act won support from green energy groups and traditional energy producers.

Permitting reform is overdue, and lawmakers claim to understand that endless red tape hurts economic growth and environmental progress alike. The SPEED Act is the strongest permitting reform proposal in years. The Senate should approve it.

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