San Marcos sweeps Athlete of the Week honors at Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table luncheon

KEYT on April 22, 2025

Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – It was a Royal luncheon at Harry’s.

San Marcos Royals Austin Downing and Liv Plourde were honored for their big performances in rivalry action.

Downing was awarded the Male Athlete of the Week after leading San Marcos boys golf to wins over rivals Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos.

The sophomore Downing fired a 1-under par 69 versus the Dons and a 1-over par 73 against DP as San Marcos stayed undefeated in the Channel League.

Lacrosse standout Liv Ploude is the Female Athlete of the Week after racking up 8 goals in two wins.

Her 4 goal, 5 assist performance against Dos Pueblos was also an historic game as the senior set a new program record for career goals.

Ploude broke the old mark of 105 and now has 108 goals and counting.

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Dos Pueblos can’t match offensive firepower of Oxnard

KEYT on April 22, 2025

Mike Klan

GOLETA, Calif. – Dos Pueblos kept up with Oxnard for the first couple of innings but the Yellowjackets showed why they are 10-0 in the Channel League with a 13-4 victory.

Oxnard scored 3 runs in the top of the first inning as Destinee Herrera slugged a 2-run homer to right field.

But DP answered right back with 4 runs in the bottom of the first scoring all the runs with two outs.

Juliana Brunner singled in two runs as did Vereniki Maniadi to make it 4-3 Chargers after one.

But the Yellowjackets grabbed the lead for good with a 3-run third inning and put the game away in the sixth with five more runs.

There were 30 total hits in the game.

Dos Pueblos had 12 hits which included Vereniki Maniadi going 3-4 with 2 rbi on the day, Anastasia Brunner went 3-3 and Zella Cassidy and Juliana Brunner each went 2-4, with Brunner getting 2 RBI.

Oxnard’s offensive highlights include:

Layla Mukul-2/2, 2RunsKayla Lorona 2/3, 2RunsNatalie Rodarte 3/5,3RRaelene Rangel 2/4, 2R HR,4RBIDestinee Herrera 3/5 2R HR,3RBI,SRachel Godoy 4/4, 5RBI, WP

The same two teams meet on Wednesday in Oxnard.

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Drawing for St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is April 29 – There’s still time to buy tickets

KESQ on April 22, 2025

Cynthia White

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is holding an open house for this year’s Dream Home Giveaway.

News Channel 3 was live at the home on Avenida Villa in the La Quinta Cove on Monday, just in time for the ribbon cutting ceremony!

The deadline for purchasing tickets for the Giveaway is quickly approaching – The drawing for the home is set for April 29.

Tickets are just $100, and benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s mission of battling childhood cancer.

The 2,000 square foot home features top of the line amenities along with three bedrooms, three baths, and a two car garage. There’s also plenty of lighting and an amazing walk-in closet with a rotating shelf.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital treats more than 8,000 children a year, at no cost at all to their families.

All you have to do is call 1-800-535-6748 to buy a ticket for a chance to win this beautiful Dream Home – while supporting St. Jude. Only 17,500 tickets will be sold.

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McCollum and Mendez deliver late as UCSB celebrates walk-off win over Cal Baptist

KEYT on April 22, 2025

Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (27-12) returned the favor to California Baptist (22-19) on Monday night, walking off the Lancers, 7-6, the same scoreline by which CBU had claimed victory in Riverside a year prior. Jonathan Mendez’s RBI single drove in the winning run for the Gauchos in the bottom of the ninth, with LeTrey McCollum the one scoring it. Earlier in the game, McCollum’s first career grand slam had helped Santa Barbara re-take the lead.

HOW IT HAPPENEDSanta Barbara got pretty much everything they wanted to start Monday night’s game, with Reed Moring making his return from injury on the mound. The righty struck out the first batter he faced and retired the next two for a perfect inning in his first work since Feb. 25. Xavier Esquer and McCollum got the bottom of the first started with back-to-back singles, and a walk to Mendez loaded the bases. Nate Vargas hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate Esquer with the first run of the game.

Moring’s day was done after the one inning, with Cole Tryba taking over on the bump for a rare bit of long relief. The lefty worked a perfect second, stranded a two-out single and hit batter when a Lancer baserunner was hit by a batted ball in the third, then worked a perfect fourth.

Tryba carried on into the fifth but exited after a two-out single. A walk and another single allowed that run to score and tie the game, and the Lancers would take a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth. A bunt single and two-out home run to center field gave the visitors the lead, though Rowan Kelly came agonizingly close to robbing the long ball.

A double play quashed the Gauchos’ attempt to rally in the bottom of the sixth, and CBU added a run after a lead-off single, sacrifice bunt and single in the top of the seventh. Nathan Aceves was summoned from the bullpen to put out the fire, and he did with a strikeout and lineout to center.

When he came back out on to the mound, Aceves found himself in line for the win. Back-to-back singles to the pitchers, one a swinging bunt and the other a true bunt, gave the Gauchos a pair of baserunners to start the bottom of the seventh, and an error at second base loaded the bases with nobody out. The Lancers brought in a new reliever to face McCollum, but after the veteran outfielder looked at two balls, he blasted a pitch deep into the trees behind left field for his first career grand slam, giving Santa Barbara a 5-4 lead. The Gauchos were not done either, as Cole Kosciusko kept the rally going with a single into right, prompting the second pitching change of the inning. That did not stop the runs though, as Mendez’s double moved Kosciusko to third, and Vargas collected his second sacrifice fly of the night to drive Kosciusko home.

Aceves and Donovann Jackson combined to get through the top of the eighth with Santa Barbara’s 6-4 lead intact, but the first two Lancer batters in the top of the ninth hit a single and a two-run homer to re-tie the game. Stunner Gonzalez came in for just his third inning of collegiate pitching, easily the highest-leverage one of his career. The rookie gave up a single and a sacrifice bunt, then the Gauchos issued an intentional walk to load the bases with just one out. But Gonzalez got out of the jam, striking out the next Lancer up, then getting a groundout to second to end the frame with the scores still tied.

Esquer nearly walked it off as the first batter in the ninth, hitting a fly ball to right that carried and carried right up to the wall, bouncing off it for a double that Esquer was thrown out trying to stretch into a triple. The next man up, McCollum, dropped a fly ball on the one spot in right field that no Lancer could get to it, but he was initially called out too, trying to get to second base. Luckily for the Gauchos, the umpires reviewed the play and saw that McCollum was clearly safe. After Kosciusko’s groundout moved McCollum to third, Mendez smacked a single between the third baseman and shortstop to win the game.

BY THE NUMBERSWith the win, the Gauchos claim the season series against California Baptist, having won a neutral-site game in San Diego back in February. It is the fourth season series Santa Barbara has played against the Lancers, and they are yet to lose one, winning three-game sets in both 2019 and 2025 while splitting two-game affairs in both 2023 and 2024.McCollum has especially enjoyed playing the Lancers this season, hitting both his first career home run and his first career grand slam in games against CBU. Across the three contests, McCollum hit .615/.615/1.231 with two doubles, two homers and seven RBIs.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos will now take their show on the road for seven games, their longest road trip of the season. Up first for Santa Barbara is a trip to San Diego, taking on UC San Diego April 25-27 and the University of San Diego on April 28. The Gauchos then head to Cal State Fullerton, May 2-4, before returning home to host USC on May 6.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)

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Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage adds more gaming space

KESQ on April 22, 2025

Cynthia White

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – A new expansion is open at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage.

The ribbon cutting on Monday introduced the casino’s addition of over 12,000 square feet of gaming space. The expansion includes over 250 new slot machines and table games.

The month of April also marks Agua Caliente Casinos’ 30th year in gaming – since starting back in 1995.

Chief Operating Officer Saverio Scheri says they’ve purchased over 500 additional games for the tribe’s three casinos.

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Riverside County residents invited to give input on county services, budget at workshops

KESQ on April 22, 2025

Cynthia White

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The County of Riverside Supervisors and the County Executive Officer have offered a series of community budget workshops this month to inform residents about the county’s services and budget process.

More than 40 county departments provide services ranging from healthcare and housing to law enforcement and public works projects. All these services require funding, whether it’s from locally generated property taxes or from the state and federal government. These workshops will provide a “Budget 101” overview that will go over where the county’s revenue comes from and which public services that money goes towards.

“As Chair of the Board of Supervisors, I am excited we are doing new things this year to increase outreach to community members during the budget process,” said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “For the first time, we will be bringing these discussions to our communities, in all five Supervisorial districts of Riverside County. We want to hear from you about what is most important in your county government.”

These feedback sessions are open to all residents and will provide an opportunity to give input into county services and priorities ahead of next fiscal year’s recommended budget in May and the annual budget hearings in June.

The workshops have been held throughout the county this month – Supervisor V. Manuel Perez will be hosting the District 4 workshop on Tuesday, April 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Classic Club, 75-200 Classic Club Boulevard in Palm Desert.

County officials say the goals of the community workshops are to make a complicated process more accessible and to ensure that the county’s budget reflects the needs of its growing population. For more information or to access a copy of “Budget 101: The County Budget Explained,” visit www.RivCo.org/budget.

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C&R Market in Fulton closing

KMIZ on April 22, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

C&R Market in Fulton is closing its doors, the store announced Monday afternoon on its social media.

Employees of the store – located at 640 Commons Drive – have been offered positions at other store locations, the post says. The chain’s website shows several locations around Mid-Missouri, including Shelbina, Monroe City, California, Boonville, Fayette and Slater.

A final day of operation was not explicitly stated in the post, however the store wrote that a “closeout sale” would begin Wednesday.  

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Tim Myers, formerly of One Republic, discusses Congressional campaign in CA-41

KESQ on April 22, 2025

Peter Daut

In the fight for the U.S. House, Democrats are hoping rockstar power will help to oust long-serving valley Republican Rep. Ken Calvert.

Tim Myers, a Grammy-nominated former bassist for the band “One Republic,” announced he will challenge Calvert in the 41st District.

At a time when there are fewer competitive House contests nationwide, Democrats consider Calvert’s closely divided district, which stretches from Corona to the Coachella Valley, one of the party’s best opportunities to gain ground in the chamber.

Myers was born and raised in Corona, but News Channel 3’s Peter Daut asked Myers if he still lives in the district.

“You currently live in Corona?” Peter asked Myers.

Myers said, “Corona is so important in this district and Ken Calvert’s over in Washington, he’s completely corrupt.”

Peter responded, “I’m just asking what city do you currently live in?”

Tim answered, “I was born and raised in Corona, and I love this district, I love the people.”

Peter once again asked, “You don’t live in Corona, though?”

“I’m not saying that, I’m just sharing I was born and raised in Corona,” Tim answered.

A spokesperson for the campaign arm of House Republicans issued a statement that Myers is “Everything wrong with today’s radical left: a Hollywood liberal trying to fake his way into Riverside County.”

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage on this race.

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Palm Springs student hit by vehicle in school parking lot

KESQ on April 22, 2025

Cynthia White

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A Raymond Cree Middle School student is recovering Monday after being struck by a vehicle in the school parking lot.

The incident happened after school hours, around 4:00 p.m. A Palm Springs Unified School District spokesperson says the student was sitting on a curb, and the driver of a car backing up did not see the student.

The student sustained a moderate leg injury and was transported to a local hospital. Palm Springs police report the driver was cooperative with the investigation, and neither drugs nor alcohol were suspected to be factors in the collision.

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How Pope Francis’s background in science informed a local educator’s teachings

KRDO on April 22, 2025

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – One of the many things Pope Francis was known for was his background in science before becoming a priest. He was the first pontiff in history to take a public stance on combating climate change. It’s that work and so much more that has left a lasting impact on one local teacher.

Seamus McGuire is a scientist and educator at St. Mary’s Catholic High School. He heads the STEM department at the school. When McGuire was in college, he spent a year studying in Rome.

“It became a part of everyday life to be walking through the Vatican on a Wednesday evening or Sunday morning, and you would see Pope Francis up on his balcony, giving his address. He’d be praying the Angelus. He would be just speaking and meeting with people, and it was so normal to see him engage with the everyday people of the city that it just was, oh, yeah, there’s the Pope. He’s doing what he does. He just meets with people. He’s there to help and guide and lead. And that really formed how I view my own faith as a Catholic. And about the mission of the Catholic Church and our need to meet people where they are and become a part of everyday life,” shared McGuire.

He says Pope Francis’s teachings and history as a scientist helped to inform his lessons as a science teacher.

“I really connected with Pope Francis on that personal level because of his background as a biochemist, where he had this entire career of working as a scientist, doing research. And that bleeds into the way that he talks and views the world,” explained McGuire.

Every week, he shares a catholic scientist with his class to inspire them and show how other catholics have had successful careers in science.

“The job of a scientist is to question. It’s to find loopholes. It’s to find the failings of the universe around us and then work on a solution for them. And you have to have some faith in your hypothesis. There’s going to be an answer to it. And when I bring that up, they go, yeah, of course, I have faith that my hypothesis, I’m going to find a solution to it. That’s faith right there. That’s religion. That’s what I’m doing every day, believing that there is a God and that faith, that trust, is at the core of religion and science,” explained McGuire.

That’s how he found answers to the intersectionality of science and religion. He shared how, during his time in Rome, he was able to study scientific research done with the belief in God. These studies and the teachings of Pope Francis have carried on in his lessons to this day.

“He really pushed for education and for making sure that our students and the next generation were set up to be successful, not just as catholics, but as human beings,” shared McGuire.

McGuire teaches students how the slightest act of kindness can make a world of a difference. 

“It’s that one small handshake, that one tiny thing that Pope Francis kept him going. So it’s, you know, those small things are really important,” explained McGuire.

Just like the Pope left that impact on him. 

“Touching his hand one time in a papal audience, even that left me so, you know, touched by how incredible of a human being he was. It’s a lot of emotions that run through your mind,” McGuire recounted.

McGuire said there will be services and prayers for students of St. Mary’s High School this week.

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