LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — More money is coming to Nevada to help battle the prescription opioid epidemic.
On Friday, Nevada Attorney General announced that Publicis Health has agreed to paying states $350 million to settle a lawsuit over opioids. Of that $350 million, Nevada is set to receive $4,122,056.40.
As part of the terms of the settlement, Publicis has agreed to recognize the harm the company caused and to disclose thousands of internal documents on a public website, detailing their work for opioid companies like Purdue Pharma.
According to a press release, a consent judgment states Publicis was Purdue’s agency of record for all its branded opioid drugs, including OxyContin, and they developed sales tactics that relied on using data from recordings of personal health-related, in-officer conversations between patients and providers.
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The company also agreed to stop accepting work related to opioid-based Schedule II or Schedule III controlled substances.
Ford’s office states that to date, Nevada has received $1.1 billion to remediate the harms caused by the opioid epidemic.
CONTINUING COVERAGE:
Meantime, Clark County is using some of the money from the opioid settlement fund to create additional resources to help those battling addiction. According to the Southern Nevada Health District, from Jan. 2018 to July 2022, 1,412 people died from opioid-related overdose deaths in Clark County and police said they’ve been tracking a spike in fentanyl overdoses and deaths related to xylazine, which is also a horse tranquilizer.
Last June, commissioners approved plans for an opioid treatment center.
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Clark County, Gensler
The facility would be located on 14.3 acres of land that is west of Bessley Drive and north of Las Vegas Boulevard, near Nellis Air Force Base and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The project is expected to cost about $150 million and at least $64 million would be coming from the opioid settlement fund. However, all of that money won’t be coming in at one time.
“We initially identified opioid settlement dollars and we have additional settlements over longer periods of time, which will help sustain that, but they’re not necessarily received in total in year one. Some of those are over a 15-year period, so that’s all being incorporated into this process,” county manager Kevin Schiller said in September.
Further details about designs, plans, and costs for the facility are set to be presented at a later date.
Mojave (Nev.) head football coach Wes Pacheco announced on Sunday morning that he’s stepping down from his position, according to a social media post.
Pacheco announced his resignation after six seasons at the helm of the Rattlers, putting together a 29-22 overall record from 2020-2025.
“I have officially stepped down as Head Coach of the Mojave Football Program,” Pacheco said in his social media post. “Thank you to Principal Cole for giving me the opoortunity make an impact on the lives of Mojave Student-Athletes. I am grateful and blessed to have labored through a 6-year journey of successes, failures, life lessons, character building and growth with the student-athletes myself and my coaching staff have served. I will forever love my Mojave Family, the Mojave Community and believe in the notion that SUCCESS can be attained by showcasing character, treating everyone with respect, and always have the courage to dream big and trust that “ATTACKING THE HARD WORK” & “HIGH MOTORING EVERYTHING” can yield SUCCESS that you want to achieve in life!”
During Pacheco’s half dozen seasons leading Mojave, his best record came in the 2024 season when the Rattlers finished with a 12-1 record. Located out of North Las Vegas, Mojave had to compete against the likes of national high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman during the regular season.
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Mojave ended the last season with a 4-6 record and as the state’s No. 23rd ranked team, according to the final 2025 Nevada High School Football Massey Rankings.
More about Mojave High School
Mojave High School, located in North Las Vegas, NV, is a dynamic public high school that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement. Home of the Rattlers, MHS offers a wide range of academic programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities. With a strong commitment to student success, Mojave emphasizes leadership, college and career readiness, and a supportive school culture that prepares students for life beyond graduation.
For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across Nevada.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
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So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
