Nevada
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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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