Cal Poly baseball scores double-digit runs again in win against Fresno State

KEYT on April 23, 2025

Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Shortstop Nate Castellon knocked in three runs while second baseman Ryan Fenn and designated hitter Braxton Thomas both produced three-hit games as Cal Poly defeated Fresno State 11-6 inside Baggett Stadium.

It was the 12th time this year that the Mustangs have scored double-digit runs.

The result completed a sweep of the three midweek games played between the two schools this season. Cal Poly, which won its eighth straight midweek game and beat the Bulldogs 7-3 and 13-5 in March, improved to 28-11 while Fresno State fell to 19-21.

Castellon produced his fourth three-RBI game of the year with a first-inning single to left field, a third-inning sacrifice fly, and a seventh-inning safety squeeze bunt.

Fenn doubled once and singled twice for his eighth three-hit game of the season, knocking in one run, while Thomas, making his first start since March 25 at Pepperdine, contributed two doubles and a single for his second three-hit game of the year and a pair of RBIs.

Cal Poly earned its 13th come-from-behind win of the season by overcoming a 2-0 deficit in the first inning. A double from Fenn and a single by third baseman Alejandro Garza tied the score at 2-2 and the Mustangs, who sent nine men to the plate in the opening frame, added two unearned runs on RBI singles by Castellon and Thomas.

After Sky Collins homered to left leading off the second inning to close the gap to 4-3, Cal Poly pulled away with a run in the third (Castellon’s sacrifice fly) and three more in the fourth (Garza sacrifice fly and a two-run single up the middle by center fielder Casey Murray Jr.) for an 8-3 cushion.

Fresno State was not done, scoring three times in the sixth — the key blow was a two-run triple into the right field corner by Owen Faust — to trim Cal Poly’s lead to 8-6.

The Mustangs, however, scored another three-spot in the seventh to restore their five-run advantage at 11-6. Castellon’s squeeze bunt tallied the first run, Thomas doubled for the second run and a wild pitch produced the final run of the game.

Besides Fenn and Thomas, Cal Poly’s 14-hit offensive attack was also fueled by two-hit games from Garza and Murray.

Fresno State, the leader in the Mountain West Conference by two games over Nevada, New Mexico, and San Diego State, amassed 12 hits, including three each by Faust, Griffen Sotomayor, and Eddie Saldivar plus two from Collins.

The game featured the debut of Mustang junior southpaw Luke Kovach on the mound. He secured one out while allowing a walk and a single before leaving the game as a precautionary measure.

The Cabrillo High School (Lompoc) and Allan Hancock College (Santa Maria) graduate underwent Tommy John (elbow) and knee surgeries since his last pitching assignment for the Corvallis Knights in the summer of 2023.

Freshman left-hander Luke Kalfsbeek (3-0) earned the victory in relief of Kovach, allowing one run and three hits over 2 2/3 innings. Josh Morano, Chris Downs, Tanner Sagouspe, and Jake Torres also pitched for Cal Poly.

The loss went to Fresno State starter Tyler Patrick. Facing Cal Poly in all three games of the series, Patrick allowed four runs (two earned) and five hits in the first frame Tuesday, his only inning of work.

Making his first home start at first base since the Oregon State series March 21-23, Zach Daudet led off the first inning with a single to left field, extending his team-leading on-base streak to 17 games.

Cal Poly will now turn its attention to No. 12 UC Irvine, which visits Baggett Stadium for a crucial three-game Big West series Friday through Sunday. The Anteaters (29-9), who defeated No. 15 UCLA 5-3 on Tuesday, are 16-2 in conference games, one game ahead of the Mustangs (15-3).

Friday’s game begins at 6 p.m., followed by Saturday’s contest at 3 p.m. and Sunday’s series finale at 1 o’clock.

(Article courtesy Cal Poly Athletics).

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Local CIF-SS Beach Volleyball playoff roundup

KEYT on April 23, 2025

Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – First round CIF-Southern Section Beach Volleyball results

Division 2:

Santa Barbara 5, Foothill Tech 0 (SB at St. Joseph/Lakewood on Thursday)

Dos Pueblos 4, Hillcrest 1 (DP at Wilson/LB on Thursday).

Division 3:

Laguna Blanca 5, Bell Gardens 0 (LB hosts Pacifica Christian/OC on Thursday).

Mayfair 3, Bishop Diego 2

Camarillo 3, Irvine 2 (Cam hosts Canyon/A on Thursday).

Costa Mesa 4, St. Bonaventure 1

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Greater Palm Springs earns designation of Certified Autism Destination

KESQ on April 23, 2025

Cynthia White

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Committed to making Palm Springs a destination for everyone – Greater Palm Springs is now a Certified Autism Destination.

The announcement was made on Monday at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Greater Palm Springs spokespeople say this landmark designation champions accessibility and inclusion for all visitors.

In fact, the Greater Palm Springs area is only the second destination in California to achieve the certification and the fourth in the United States to do so.

To receive the Certified Autism Destination designation, staff at certain hotels, entertainment venues and other businesses must undergo training to make sure they can serve guests with autism.

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Famous Budweiser Clydesdales visit Palm Desert ahead of Stagecoach Country Music Festival

KESQ on April 23, 2025

Cynthia White

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The world famous Clydesdales returned to El Paseo Shopping District in Palm Desert on Wednesday.

The horses and wagon made special beer deliveries to select restaurants along El Paseo before they moved on to get ready for the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio.

The horses were accompanied by their Dalmatian “Coach Dog,” who is trained to protect the regal horses and guard the wagon.

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Dead motorcyclist identified from April 16 crash in Santa Maria

KEYT on April 23, 2025

Caleb Nguyen

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A dead motorcyclist from an April 16 crash in Santa Maria was identified by the Santa Maria Police Department Tuesday night.

Phillip Wesley Leonard, an 78-year-old man from Santa Maria, died April 16 at Marian Medical Center after a bus failed to yield and later struck him fatally, according to the SMPD.

When he hit the bus, Leonard tried turning right onto an on ramp on Highway 101. No one on the bus was hurt in the crash.

Alcohol and drugs are not suspected factors in the crash and those with additional information on the incident are asked to contact the following number.

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Yucca Valley officials invite name suggestions for Old Town Beautification & Sustainability Project

KESQ on April 23, 2025

Cynthia White

YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Yucca Valley town officials are seeking suggestions for naming the town’s new development located on Elk Trail between Twentynine Palms Highway and Yucca Trail.

The project, slated for completion this Spring, will feature parking, charging stations, picnic areas and more.

Name suggestions are due by May 1st, and will be reviewed by the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Commission with a final recommendation announced to the Town Council later in May.

For more information and a link to the name suggestion form, visit yucca-valley.org/our-town/departments/public-works-engineering/old-town-parking-project.

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Guadalupe school officials tour soon-to-be-completed new junior high campus

KEYT on April 23, 2025

Dave Alley

GUADALUPE, Calif. — Guadalupe school officials toured the district’s still-under-construction junior high school and Early Learning Center (ELC) on Tuesday morning, getting a chance to see firsthand the soon-to-be-completed project.

Officials taking part in the 45-minute walk-through included members of the Guadalupe Union School District (GUSD) Board of Trustees, along with Superintendent Dr. Emilio Handall and Guadalupe Mayor Ariston Julian.

“We saw tremendous progress on all the different buildings, from the classrooms to the gymnasium to the Early Learning Center,” said Handall. “All of the necessary utility lines are being placed in and installing the field as well, so got a lot of things going on simultaneously.”

The effort to build a third school campus to join Mary Buren Elementary School and Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School has been a goal GUSD has been working on for 30 years.

In January 2024, after gathering the necessary funding, groundbreaking took place on a 17.6 acre site located in the Pasadera housing community.

“I think it’s very exciting for us as board members, as a school district because our community has waited for this for so long,” said Board President José Pereyra. “It’s a big investment. We’ve needed it for a long time. Both of our campuses are pretty impacted now with students, so having this third and fourth campus will allow us to expand and provide better services for our students.”

In addition to the junior high school, the project also includes what will be an entirely separate campus for the new ELC, which will be located adjacent to the junior high school, on the south end of the property.

“The Early Learning Center was actually a bonus that we threw in using state funds and federal funds,” said Handall. “We believe this is going to be a tremendous opportunity here in town to bring in all of our three and four-year-old students to give them a head start before they get to kindergarten. That project is very personal to me because I felt that there were so many students coming to us that weren’t ready for kindergarten. Now they’re going to have at least two years to come into kindergarten fully prepared to meet all of the necessary standards that need to be met. We are super excited about that.”

During the tour, the school leaders went into several rooms and buildings throughout the campus, including the highly-anticipated 11,000 square feet multipurpose building/gymnasium, as well as classrooms and the administration building.

“I went to school in the old City Hall that was built in 1929 and to see that as a comparison to what we have going here, it’s just a one thousand percent difference,” said Julian. “What a joy this is going to be for the families who live here and for the kids that come here. They’re going to see this as the community cares about them and the school district cares about them. It’s a big investment in kids. As they go to Righetti (High School) and as they go to Pioneer (Valley High School), they’re going to be well prepared after they get through our school system here.”

The tour came just a few days after the construction site was damaged by vandalism inside the junior high school gymnasium and administration building.

According to the builders, the damage was significant, but not enough to derail the opening of the junior high, which is slated to be ready for first day of school in early August.

“It was a little bit of a setback, but in talking to the construction folks, we’re still on track,” said Handall. “If anyone knows about who who inflicted the vandalism, we’d love to know. If you let the Guadalupe Police Department know, we’d love to find out who actually vandalized our campus. We’re moving forward and we know this is just a bump in the road.”

Once the new school is built, GUSD will adjust the configuration of its three campuses.

The new junior high will be for students in the 7th and 8th grades, while Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School will be for students in 4th through 6th grades.

Mary Buren Elementary School will be for students in kindergarten through third grades, and the new ELC will be for preschool and transitional kindergarten students.

The new junior high will be named Guadalupe Junior High School and will accommodate just under 500 students and include 16 classrooms, plus the multipurpose building/gymnasium and library.

The ELC will support about 200 students on its site adjacent to the junior high school.

Handall said the cost to build both sites will be about $50 million, with funding provided through a variety of sources, including the passage of two school bonds over the past several years.

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173-acre prescribed burn conducted five miles northeast of La Pine

KTVZ on April 23, 2025

Barney Lerten

Update: Prescribed burn underway)

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District firefighters were conducting up to 173 acres of prescribed burning Wednesday about five miles northeast of La Pine, near Ogden Group Camp and McKay Crossing Campground.  

A test fire Wednesday morning was favorable to proceed, officials said.

Smoke will be visible from La Pine, Sunriver, Highway 97 and the surrounding area. Residents in La Pine and Newberry Estates are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours.  

No trail or road closures are planned. Smoke impacts are possible across Highway 97 during prescribed burning operations, as well as overnight and in the early morning hours. 

Firefighters implement understory prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk to communities. Prescribed burning reintroduces and maintains fire within our fire-dependent ecosystem by removing concentrations of vegetation and restoring forest health while increasing public and firefighter safety. 

Fire management officials work with Oregon Department of Forestry smoke specialists to plan prescribed burns. Prescribed burns are conducted when weather is most likely to move smoke up and away from our communities. While prescribed fire managers take significant preventive measures, it’s likely that communities may experience some smoke during or immediately after a prescribed burn.  

What does this mean for you? 

During prescribed burns, smoke may settle in low-lying areas overnight and in the early morning hours.  

All residents are encouraged to close doors and windows at night to avoid smoke impacts. 

If available, use a portable air cleaner. Air cleaners work best running with doors and windows closed. You can also create a DIY air cleaner. 

If you have a central air system, use it to filter air. Use high-efficiency filters if possible. 

When driving in smoky areas, drivers should slow down, turn on headlights and turn air to recirculating. 

If you have heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions, pay attention to how you feel and if symptoms of heart or lung disease worsen, consider contacting your health care professional. 

Go to centraloregonfire.org to learn more about smoke safety and prescribed burning in Central Oregon and visit When Smoke is in the Air for more smoke preparedness resources. 

For more information on prescribed burning in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ and for information specific to the Deschutes National Forest visit www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes. Follow us on X/Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts. 

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Law enforcement investigating multiple thefts at La Quinta Resort during Coachella weekend

KESQ on April 23, 2025

Shay Lawson

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ)  – Over $100,000 worth of personal belongings, gone.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said it’s investigating multiple thefts reported at La Quinta Resort & Club during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

One victim said at least 9 people were hit, and together they lost over $100,000 worth of valuables.

Several guests contacted News Channel 3, saying they returned to their rooms after the festival to find their belongings missing including vintage handbags, jewelry, sunglasses and family heirlooms.

On Tuesday, a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson confirmed law enforcement is investigating multiple thefts from separate locations on the resort property.

As of Tuesday, they said no arrests have been made.

In a statement to News Channel 3, Chris George Area Director of Marketing with La Quinta Resort & Club said:

“The safety and security of our hotel guests and team members is our top priority.

 As soon as we were made aware of claims of theft at the resort, we immediately engaged local law enforcement and have been actively working alongside authorities. At this time, we are unable to provide further information on the ongoing investigation, but are committed to a swift resolution for all that may be impacted.

We believe this to be an isolated incident and took immediate action to eliminate a further risk.”

However, Heather Aune told News Channel 3 she experienced a similar theft at the same resort during Stagecoach Festival weekend last year.

“I told them a year ago about this and I can’t believe now there’s all these reports of additional burglaries,” Aune said. “Nobody took me serious last year and they totally blew me off.”

At least one group told News Channel 3 they booked their accommodations at the resort through a Goldenvoice travel package, which bundles GA or VIP festival passes with hotel stays and shuttle transportation.

News Channel 3 has reached out to Goldenvoice for comment and is still waiting for answers.

Mayor Linda Evans said the city is not involved in the investigation and that it is being handled by law enforcement.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates in this developing story.

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CVRM presenting new expanded Women’s and Children’s Shelter on April 29th

KESQ on April 23, 2025

Allie Anthony

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission is continuing to help women and children in need. On Tuesday April 29th, the rescue mission will host it’s ribbon cutting event for their new Women’s and Children’s expansion shelter.

The expanded shelter space adds an additional sixty beds to care for clients. Women and children who stay here are provided wrap-around services – things like meals, health care, education, and job training.

CVRM Development Coordinator Kristen Crawford says that the expansion is meant to give security to women and children who are experiencing homelessness for a number of reasons.

All the new beds within the expanded shelter space have already been assigned to women and children in need. Shelter officials say the expansion was made possible through the help of the county and from community members who donate.    

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