Weekly Newsletter

On Sep 30th, we proudly held the state’s first-ever Infrastructure Summit at the Las Vegas Convention Center, bringing together stakeholders from across Nevada and the country to discuss historic investments coming into our state. Investing in infrastructure means investing in real jobs for real Nevadans. To date, Nevada has received more than $1 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These funds mean good-paying jobs, expansive health care, education, clean energy and equity across our state – and we are committed to using the dollars in the best, most efficient way possible to help the most Nevadans. I was honored to be joined at the Infrastructure Summit by White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, U.S. Under Secretary of Transportation Carlos Monje, Las Vegas Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan and so many more for these critical discussions.

Earlier in the week, I was joined by Coordinator Landrieu, Under Secretary Monje and Las Vegas City Councilwoman Olivia Diaz at the East Las Vegas Community Center to discuss the future project “GreeNVision,” which will upgrade Stewart Avenue in East Las Vegas. This project highlights just how important investing is infrastructure is – because it means investing in our neighbors.

This week, First Lady Kathy Sisolak and I were also proud to host “The First Lady Presents...” Second Annual Art Reception at the Governor’s Mansion in Carson City. This statewide initiative, lead by Kathy, is dedicated to showcasing cultural awareness, education and diversity through art. Learn more here.

Answering Nevada's Questions

Help is just 3 numbers away – 911, 988, 211. The Governor’s Office wants to ensure Nevadans know how to find the assistance they need.

Q: What’s the difference between 911, 988 and 211?

A: All three phone numbers can provide assistance for different needs:

Call 911 for immediate, emergency assistance, including:

•  Medical, fire, crime, abduction, suspicious activities.

Call or text 988 (or chat online) to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline when you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, including:

• Thoughts of suicide, emotional distress, substance use crisis.

Call 211 for everything else, including assistance when it comes to:

• Food, housing, healthcare, transportation, legal services.

You can also download the Nevada 211 app to search for essential resources available in your neighborhood.

This Week’s Nevada Small Business Spotlight: Blue Lizard Farms

Blue Lizard Farms grows a wide variety of produce on 10 acres in Caliente, Nevada. From squash to root vegetables, and lots in between, owner Rodney Mehring can be found on the farm tending to crops and harvesting food for other Nevadans. “I started farming so I could provide nutritious food to my children, and now that they are grown my farm can provide produce to other families in Nevada," said Mehring. 

Produce from Blue Lizard Farms can be found at a variety of restaurants in Las Vegas. You can also order produce directly from Blue Lizard Farms online to be picked up at the farm, at Caliente Farmers Market or at Panaca Farmers Market. Visit www.bluelizardfarm.com to see what is available and place an order. 

This year, Blue Lizard Farms is also offering their produce to food insecure Nevadans through the Home Feeds Nevada program. Through this program, the Nevada Department of Agriculture purchases food grown or produced in Nevada for distribution to those in need through local food banks. Blue Lizard Farms marked the first delivery of the Home Feeds Nevada program with 600 pounds of tomatoes delivered to Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas. Learn more about the Home Feeds Nevada program here.

Resources for Nevadans

Clark County Asking for Creative Submissions for the Permanent 1 October Memorial

With your help, the permanent #1OctoberMemorial will reflect our community, our strength and resilience after 1 October – and honor the lives lost and the lives forever impacted. There are several ways you can give your input, with drawings, songs, short videos and more.

Clark County launched the 1 October Memorial Gallery to showcase the creative expressions that have been submitted so far that design team finalists will review. You can view the gallery on the app.

The call for creative submissions goes through October 30.

Learn more HERE.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Call Center No Longer in Service

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Call Center is no longer in service. If you have questions about your PUA claim please email [email protected]

In the email please include the following information to better assist you:

• Full name
• Date of Birth
• Last 4 of your SSN
• PUA Claim ID
• Phone number

Now people won’t have to wait in line anymore. They can just email, we hope it will be more efficient. Staff will call them if necessary. This will also allow staff to spend more time with adjudication and appeal support.

Free Digital Discount Prescription Drug Card Available Now for All Nevadans

Nevadans can enroll for ArrayRx, a discount prescription drug card to save up to 80% on certain prescriptions. The digital discount card can help insured and uninsured residents save on prescription drugs.

Enrolling online takes only a minute, and all Nevadans are eligible regardless of age or income, and all FDA-approved prescriptions are eligible for discounts.

Learn more on ArrayRxCard.com.

Window Shopping with Nevada Health Link begins October 1

Start window shopping Saturday, October 1, to preview health insurance plans and see what's new for 2023. All plan options for Plan Year 2023 will be available Saturday, October 1, and can be viewed by using the “window shopping” feature HERE. Take advantage of this preview opportunity, so you're ready when Open Enrollment begins on November 1st.

Nevada Health Link has a statewide network of licensed enrollment professionals who have been trained to assist you with the application and enrollment process, and their assistance is available to you at no cost. Find FREE Assistance near you. If you have questions or need help understanding your coverage options, give Nevada Health Link a call at 800-547-2927. The call center will be open Saturday, October 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Provides Private, Secure Support

Privacy concerns regarding 988 are currently making the rounds, and we want to address those questions. What you say about yourself is your choice when you call, text or chat 988. The 988 Lifeline has several safeguards to address concerns about privacy. You can learn more about those safeguards here.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call, text or online chat.

Apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program to Save Money on Internet Bills

Recently the Affordable Connectivity Program replaced the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. This investment in broadband will help people afford the internet connections they need. This program provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet for eligible households and up to $75 per month for homes on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider.

Learn if you qualify for the program and how to apply here: AffordableConnectivity.gov.

Eligible Families Can Still Apply for the Expanded Child Tax Credit

This year the expanded Child Tax Credit is available to the families with children, offering up to $3,600 per child under 6 years old and $3,000 per child between 6 and 17 years old from the IRS. Even though the tax season has ended, it’s not too late for eligible families to claim the tax benefits they qualify for! The credit is not a loan.  

All you have to do is file a simplified return through GetCTC.org/nv3 through November 15, 2022. Families who received monthly payments last year should use GetCTC.org/nv3 to get the second half of the credit this year. If you missed out on payments during 2021, you’ll still get the full credit when you use GetCTC.org/nv3 through November 15, 2022. 

The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) has announced the 10-Day Application Period for Cannabis Consumption Lounge Licenses 

• Application period opens: October 14, 2022, 8:00 a.m. (PT) 
• Application period closes: October 27, 2022, 5:00 p.m. (PT) 

The application must be completed and submitted in the Accela Cannabis Customer Portal. 
Detailed tools and resources to assist applicants in preparing for and submitting a complete application can be found on the CCB website

Learn How You Can Help During Disasters or Emergencies

As National Preparedness Month wraps up, we are reminding Nevadans to get involved in your community and remember to teach the youth on how to prepare for disaster. 

Learn how you can help your community before, during and after a disaster or emergency. During disaster response, affected communities depend heavily on local and national volunteer organizations to provide trained volunteers and much-needed donated supplies. Get involved today by donating to or volunteering with a reputable organization. Consider these tips: 

• Join a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program and get trained on basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. 
• During a disaster, you can donate to a reputable organization of your choice through the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD), and volunteer to respond to disasters and help your community. Remember, after a disaster, the best way to help is to donate cash to nonprofits organizations. 
• Remember to teach youth how to prepare for disasters: Emergency planning, response, and recovery efforts should take into account the unique needs of children, who make up roughly a quarter of the U.S. population. Get kids involved in building their own emergency kits. Make sure to include your child's favorite stuffed animals, board games, books or music in their emergency kit to comfort them in a disaster.  

Follow DEM on social media for preparedness information throughout the year on: 

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

DEM also maintains the state’s Plan Ahead Nevada Preparedness website, a one-stop resource for detailed information about what to do before, during and after disasters.

Nevadans Reminded of COVID-19 Resources

The Nevada Health Response wants to remind Nevadans to take steps to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 and prevent spread. COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses are available in locations statewide and can protect against serious infection. Pre-exposure medication or oral antivirals and monoclonal antibody treatments are available to those that are eligible soon after infection occurs.

Resources available to help Nevadans mitigate the risk of COVID-19:

• Get vaccinated against COVID-19. Learn about the vaccines available, and where and how to get your vaccination appointment at NVCOVIDFighter.com or call the vaccine hotline at 800-401-0946.

• Get tested if you are exposed or have symptoms. If you have symptoms or know that you have been exposed to COVID-19, get tested to prevent disease spread. Learn more about testing clinics, or free at-home tests available for pickup at https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/find-covid-19-testing-in-nevada/

• Learn about therapeutics. COVID-19 treatment appointments can be made through Nevada’s hotline at 800-401-0946. The hotline can help determine if you are eligible for oral antivirals or monoclonal antibody treatments after infection or for pre-exposure medication to increase immune response if you were to be infected in the future. The pre-screening can also be done online at NevadaCOVIDTreatment.com

Getting to Know Your State Government

Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation

Established in 2019, the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation (NDOR) is housed within the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (NDCNR), and focuses on advancing sustainable, equitable, world-class outdoor recreation opportunities in every community throughout the state. NDOR collaborates with user groups, government agencies, outdoor businesses, nonprofits, and advocacy groups to promote outdoor recreation and business development through advancing a vibrant recreation economy that centers on protecting Nevada’s natural and cultural resources. Working with programmatic partners in NDCNR such as the Nevada Off-Highway Vehicle Program, the Nevada Division of State Parks, and Conserve Nevada, NDOR seeks to identify high-impact opportunities to enhance outdoor recreation experiences across Nevada.

NDOR’s recent highlights and successes:

• Manage the Nevada Starry Night Sky Destination Program, following the passage of Senate Bill 52 in the 2021 Legislative session, which advances dark sky conservation, education, and tourism opportunities statewide
• Helped secure $160,000 to support development of the nation’s first-ever Trail-Building school in Ely
• Collaborated with state and federal recreation partners to sign Nevada’s first-ever Outdoor Recreation Shared Stewardship Agreement
• Helped secure $1.9 million federal EDA grant to support dark-sky tourism and conservation in Boulder City

To learn more about NDOR, visit ndor.nv.gov.

To learn more about NDCNR, visit dcnr.nv.gov and follow @NevDCNR on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.