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Overdose awareness event honors those lost to drugs

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Overdose awareness event honors those lost to drugs


Public health and harm reduction experts came together in Las Vegas Saturday to mark the global day of spreading overdose awareness and advocating for prevention.

The Southern Nevada Harm Reduction Alliance hosted its 8th Annual International Overdose Awareness Day event, which took place at The Center, a Las Vegas nonprofit organization focused on serving the LGBTQ+ community.

The event marked International Overdose Awareness Day, which is observed yearly on Aug. 31, and was intended to honor those who have been lost to overdose, said Chris Reynolds, president of the Southern Nevada Health Consortium.

Robert Schomer hosted a training session on how to use naloxone, a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

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Schomer is the employment program coordinator for Foundation for Recovery, an addiction treatment center in Las Vegas.

“Naloxone is an effective antagonist against any type of opioid,” said Schomer. Naloxone typically comes in the form of a nasal spray that can be administered to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Harm reduction

With naloxone training, the goal is to reduce harm, said Schomer. A strategy that prioritizes harm reduction helps addicts take small steps towards recovery, Schomer explained.

“There’s a difference between quitting cold turkey and harm reduction,” said Schomer, “Harm reduction is acknowledging that you are willing to take steps to mitigate consequences.”

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For example, moving from injecting drugs to smoking instead is one of those steps, Schomer said. With injecting, there’s a higher likelihood of overdosing compared to other methods.

Schomer recalled a time where he was running a meeting and one of the attendees overdosed in front of him.

“We never know when we might unintentionally be the first responder in an overdose situation,” Schomer reflected, “Even though I do this training, its still a scary situation to be in.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 79,770 drug overdose deaths in 2022, which is more than the seating capacity of Allegiant Stadium, said Schomer.

“We have trainings every year and there’s always people who’ve been through the trainings that have saved lives because of it,” Reynolds said.

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‘Meet them where they’re at’

Reynolds urges people to always carry naloxone because they never know when someone may overdose.

Another aspect of harm reduction is making sure people can use safe needles, said Michele Jorge, the HIV outreach and linkage coordinator for Trac B Exchange.

Trac B Exchange, based in Las Vegas, exchanges dirty needles for clean ones and links people with housing and addiction resources when they’re ready for care.

“It’s all about keeping clients safe and healthy until they’re ready for change. We have to meet them where they’re at,” Jorge elaborated.

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Another organization present at the event was the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, where the aim is to normalize the conversation around suicide, said volunteer Dani Eicher.

“The more the conversation is normalized, the more we prevention we can have,” Eicher explained.

“This gives them the opportunity and the space to work through their emotions,” said Eicher. “Sometimes, there’s guilt and shame associated with it, but we have to remind people that they’re not alone.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a loved one or friend, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org.

Contact Annie Vong at avong@reviewjournal.com.

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HopeLink of Southern Nevada hosts Pickleball Fundraiser ‘Dink for HopeLink’

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HopeLink of Southern Nevada hosts Pickleball Fundraiser ‘Dink for HopeLink’


HopeLink of Southern Nevada is hosting its first-ever “Dink for HopeLink” Pickleball Tournament. This is the organization’s main fundraiser of the year Join them for some friendly competition while helping raise money to PREVENT homelessness in Southern Nevada.

HopeLink of Southern Nevada is a non-profit family resource center providing much needed assistance to PREVENT families, individuals and vulnerable seniors from facing homelessness.

‘Dink for HopeLink’ is happening at CHICKEN N’ PICKLE June 28th, 2026 from 1:30pm – 5pm.

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Dr. Brian Evans Selected as Nevada County’s Health Officer

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Dr. Brian Evans Selected as Nevada County’s Health Officer


Nevada County is pleased to announce that Dr. Brian Evans has been selected to serve as Nevada County’s next Public Health Officer.

 “Dr. Evans brings a long history of leadership in healthcare in Nevada County to the Health Officer position,” said Public Health Director Toby Guevin. “His expertise and knowledge of local health needs and providers across the county will be invaluable as we work to strengthen the health of our community. I also want to thank Dr. Cooke for her dedicated service as Health Officer for the past four years, guiding us through numerous challenges coming out of COVID 19.”

Dr. Evans was selected through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, which drew from a pool of highly qualified candidates nationwide. His start date is planned for July 1, 2026, pending approval by the Board of Supervisors at their June 16 meeting.

“I’m honored to step into the role of Public Health Officer for Nevada County,” said Dr. Evans. “This is an opportunity to strengthen partnerships across the community, focusing on prevention, preparedness, and improving health outcomes. I look forward to supporting a science based public health team that is responsive, transparent, and grounded in the needs of our residents.”

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Dr. Brian Evans

Dr. Evans is a physician with more than two decades of clinical and leadership experience. Since 2022, he has served as Chief Medical Officer for Tahoe Forest Health, overseeing clinical quality, patient safety, emergency preparedness, communicable disease response, and regulatory compliance across two critical access hospitals and a broad network of services. He has served as both CEO and Chief Medical Officer at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, and served as CEO at Mercy Folsom and Chief Medical Officer at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento.

A board-certified emergency physician, Dr. Evans practiced for 15 years in Grass Valley after completing residency at UC Davis. He holds an MD from UCLA, an MBA from CSU Sacramento, and a BS in Biology from UC Davis. Dr. Evans lives in Nevada County with his wife, Jennifer, and has two adult daughters.

California law requires each county to appoint a licensed physician as Health Officer. The Health Officer is responsible for carrying out provisions of the State Health and Safety Code and serves as the physician of record for all Public Health clinical services. The Health Officer reports to the Public Health Director.





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Nevada DMV Enforcement cracks down on stolen luxury cars sold openly on social media

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Nevada DMV Enforcement cracks down on stolen luxury cars sold openly on social media


LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Nevada DMV Compliance Enforcement Division is cracking down on stolen luxury cars being openly sold on social media, with criminals listing them using code words and asking as little as a tenth of the normal price.

In one case, a 2021 Hellcat TRX was advertised for $12,000. The vehicle normally sells for at least $100,000.

In an ad for the high-end truck on Facebook, the first word of the description said “lien.”

“It’s pretty blatant. I mean, it’s like advertising drugs for sale online on a public website,” said JD Decker, chief of Nevada DMV’s Compliance Enforcement Division.

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Decker said the word is code for stolen.

“You won’t be able to register it or title it in your name… therefore the discounted price,” Decker said.

Investigation leads to recovery

Decker’s team tracked down the truck in the city of Las Vegas.

“We found the vehicle had been stolen locally and then wrapped to hide the color and mask the vehicle,” Decker said.

There were other signs the vehicle was stolen. The person pulled out the module from under the dash and started it by hot wire, touching the wires together. The VIN was not centered and was not a stamped manufactured VIN. The VIN also had 16 digits instead of the standard 17. A fake temporary tag was also used.

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The team got a warrant to arrest the seller, though they say he fled the state.

“That subject had his first court appearance and had an attorney appear on his behalf. We know he operated between a couple different states. He had previous charges in a couple different states,” Decker said.

Decker said these openly stolen cars advertised for sale are known as striker vehicles.

“When you’re selling a striker vehicle to someone who knows it’s stolen, you really don’t have to make much effort to hide the fact that it’s stolen because that’s kind of assumed in the transaction,” Decker said.

There are also websites that will advertise and sell striker vehicles. According to Decker, the negotiation takes place on offshore encrypted websites that aren’t subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

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If you ever have doubts about a vehicle you want to buy, have the seller meet you at the DMV’s VIN inspection station.

“We’d be happy to do that. It’s free. There’s generally no waiting. And if the vehicle comes from out of state, it’s going to require a VIN inspection at DMV anyway,” Decker said.

Decker said his team is constantly on social media looking for stolen vehicles for sale, especially high-end vehicles. He said the ongoing problem with fake tags contributes to this problem. FOX5 has previously reported on that problem

Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.



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