Month: September 2025

Garrett Hottle

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) joined fellow lawmakers and health professionals this week to warn about what they call the dangerous public health consequences of President Donald Trump’s environmental rollbacks.

Speaking at a press conference, Ruiz  a physician who has practiced in the Coachella Valley said attempts to roll back the EPA’s endangerment finding threaten families across Riverside County.

“As a doctor, I have seen the human cost of air pollutio… Families in Indio, Thermal, Mecca and North Shore face emergency room visits for asthma that are 60 to 80% higher than the state average,” Ruiz saidruiz.

Ruiz warned that rolling back protections could worsen smog, heat-related illnesses, heart disease, and lung disease in communities already living with pollution levels “two to three times above what’s considered safe”.

He called on Congress to reject efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act and instead invest in clean energy, resilient infrastructure, and protections for frontline communities.

Check back for updates and new reaction tonight on News Channel 3 at 4,5, and 6.

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Athena Jreij

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – The rich botanical history of Sunnylands is on full display in their new exhibit, ‘Curating Canopy: Trees at Sunnylands.’

The new exhibit and catalog debuted this Wednesday to the public following their summer break and is a photographic gallery of the estate’s most iconic and storied trees.

“The most exciting thing was when we first brought our interns in to see this, they said they felt like bugs, that they were in the trees and could see all of this. I think our guests will like this. We’ve sort of made things bigger or played with color and we’ve got black and whites and infused color,” Michaeleen Gallagher, the director at Sunnylands Center and Gardens.

Told through the lens of London-based photographer David Loftus, it includes photos of trees that have curated the lush sanctuary Sunnylands offers away from the desert, and the new environmental decisions the estate is making to include more native plants.

“A lot of these trees were installed in the 60s. We had a different water ethic then. We had a different thought of this desert then. So, we thought it was a good thing to talk about these conflicts of sustainability, history and adaptive reuse, and how do historic sites deal with that?” Gallagher said.

All the trees featured in the exhibit are still present at the estate, but Gallagher says they are taking action against water-smart plants.

“If you come to the Center and Gardens it’s all native, arid adapted plants from other countries. One of the things we’ve already done is remove entire rows of tamarisk trees that are historic, that do speak to the historic story here, but they’re trees that we need to start to moving out of Sunnylands,” she said.

It’s a lesson in caring for the desert landscape Gallagher hopes viewers will take home with them.

The ‘Curating Canopy’ exhibit will be open for two years through June 2027. Entry to the public is free Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Gavin Nguyen

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — The City of Indio is preparing to unveil a striking new 9/11 memorial on Thursday, featuring a 12-foot steel artifact from the World Trade Center.

The city provided these artist renderings:

A spokesperson for the city outlined the purpose of the new memorial: 

“The proposed design for the Indio 9/11 Memorial Project aims to inspire a sense of collective humanity and community by creating a physical space that invites remembrance and contemplation, and which can act as a catalyst for further conversation and learning.”

According to the city, it was entrusted with the steel beam four to five years ago. In the time since then, it searched for artists, selected a design, and carefully mulled over the best place to put the memorial.

James Dinh is the artist behind the piece. He said he submitted his design in 2023, and he described the thought process that went into it.

“It’s such a moving remnant people will be able to physically touch. I mean, it’s such a powerful gesture,” Dinh explained, referencing the centerpiece of the memorial.

A large, curved steel wall, engraved with “09 11 01” and punched with thousands of tiny holes will serve as a backdrop to the steel beam.

“All these little holes [are] illuminated like they’re intended to be, kind of like a constellation of stars, you know. So, yes, these people are no longer with us, but, you know, their… the memory is always there.”

The city said with the groundbreaking set for Thursday, the finished piece is expected to be done in the next six to nine months. Dinh explained everything still needs to be made – from fabricating the steel backdrop to fixing the steel artifact to the site.

In the meantime, city leaders, like Indio’s Chief of Police, Brian Tully, said they’re excited to see so much time and thought go into the memorial, and are glad the city took the time it needed to find the perfect spot.

“Going forward, what a fantastic place to gather, to remember in Miles Park. And what a great place to have it… I think it’s perfect for our city,” said Chief Tully.

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City News Service

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – Five journalists and broadcasters will be inducted into the Coachella Valley Media Hall of Fame next year in Rancho Mirage, the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation announced today.   

The third annual Hall of Fame ceremony will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2026 at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, 41000 Bob Hope Drive.

Laurilie Jackson, reporter and anchor at KESQ and journalism educator at College of the Desert, will emcee the event.   

The following honorees will be inducted:– Jimmy Boegle, founding editor at the Coachella Valley Independent;

— Larry Bohannan, golf writer at The Desert Sun;

— Lina Robles, co-host of morning radio show “El Show del Grenas” on our sister station La Poderosa.

— Ric and Rozene Supple (posthumously), radio station owners and philanthropists.

In addition, a number of local journalists will be honored with Journalist of the Year and Rising Star awards.   

Admission will cost $200 per person, and all proceeds will support local newsrooms via grant making by the foundation, organizers said.   

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cvjf.org.

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