Jesus Reyes
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)- It was a day of celebrating you being you and the amazing community we live in.
News Channel 3 brought you live coverage of the Palm Springs Pride Parade in downtown with News Channel 3 chief meteorologist Patrick Evans and weekend anchor Athena Jreij, with Meteorologist Katie Boer from Inside the Parade.
News Channel 3 anchor Peter Daut is this year’s Grand Marshal!
Daniella Lake
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Association of Fundraising Professionals CA Desert Communities Chapter (AFP) honored the desert’s outstanding philanthropists, volunteers and nonprofit professionals today at their National Philanthropy Day awards luncheon.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals has been hosting the Philanthropy Day Awards for 19 years. It’s a moment to pause and reflect on the contributions locals have made to improve their communities.
News Channel 3’s Chief Meteorologist, Patrick Evans, was the emcee for the event, which was held at Agua Caliente Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, on Friday morning.
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from the honorees.
City News Service
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A felony settlement conference is scheduled for Nov. 18 for a registered sex offender charged with attempted child molestation and other crimes for allegedly attempting to meet with a person he believed was a teenager, but was actually an undercover investigator.
Victor Gabriel Perez, 44, of Azusa, began communicating through a social media platform with an undercover investigator with the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team posing as a 13-year-old girl in September, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
The online communication continued until Tuesday, when Perez allegedly arrived at an agreed-upon location to engage in sexual activity with the person he believed to be the minor, authorities said.
Perez was arrested by members of the Child Exploitation Team and booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center.
Perez pleaded not guilty to all charges on Thursday, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He was also charged with arranging to meet with a child for sex, sending harmful material to a child and communicating with a child for sexual gratification.
Perez remains in custody in lieu of $60,000 bail.
News Team
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The Fairway Condominiums Complex in Pocatello flooded early Friday morning as a result of a main pipeline bursting.
A representative from Axium Properties, who manages the Fairway units, told us the property has experienced plumbing issues in the past because of the buildings’ old age. Only one of the units had significant water inside, leaving the tenants evacuated for a couple of hours.
Otherwise, there was only wet carpet found in the hallways of one Fairway building. By mid-afternoon, Roto Rooter Plumbing of Pocatello had pumped the water out of the building and everyone was returned to their units.
Phillip Willis
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Winnie and Mo’s Bookshop hosted a book release party for “Energy and Nothingness” by Kevin Vallejo.
“I hope that through this book, I can invite more people into being curious about what our universe is made of,” Vallejo said.
Vallejo attained his Ph.D in Material Science from Boise State, with an emphasis on semiconductor physics. His passion for the craft drove him to write poetry about it. You can see more of his work on his website here.
Vallejo says he was inspired to write “Energy and Nothingness” by a thesis that he never finished. He reports having spent countless hours on an academic piece that tried to answer the question “What is energy?”
The thesis, as it turns out, was not required to complete the requirements for his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at El Paso. But he cites his study of energy as something fundamentally transformative.
You can buy the book “Energy and Nothingness” at Winnie and Mo’s Bookshop, or online here.
KESQ News Team
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs Pride reached new heights this weekend — literally — with the debut of a 100-foot Ferris wheel that quickly became one of the festival’s biggest attractions.
Throughout the day, long lines formed as attendees waited for their turn to take in sweeping views of Palm Canyon Drive and the colorful crowds below. The towering ride offered a one-of-a-kind vantage point over the heart of downtown, adding a new dimension to this year’s celebration.
But many festivalgoers say the Ferris wheel is just part of what makes Palm Springs Pride so unique. It’s the atmosphere — the combination of community spirit, desert backdrop, and inclusive energy — that gives the event its signature feel.
From high above downtown to the lively streets below, the sense of connection and celebration could be felt everywhere. The weekend continues with a full lineup of performances, parties, and community events, all leading up to Sunday’s highly anticipated Pride Parade.
For more information, click here.
KESQ News Team
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Mark Hunter Seymour, entrepreneur, community leader and champion for LGBTQ visibility, was honored with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars on Friday.
The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce made the announcement last month, stating Seymour is deserving of the star for his role in the LGBTQ+ nightlife and community advancement for more than four decades.
Seymour founded Hunter’s Nightclub in Palm Springs – one of the city’s first gay-owned and operated full service nightclubs that supported numerous nonprofits that helped support the LGBTQ+ community.
Of the honor, Seymour said, “I can’t thank the community enough. They came together and put this up, put this together for me. I am just filled with pride and gratitude. It’s wonderful.”
Seymour’s star, in the categories of Entertainment and Civic/Pioneer, is the 481st. It is located at 302 East Arenas Road.
City News Service
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Jury selection is slated to get underway Monday for the trial of an ex-Riverside County sheriff’s deputy accused of harassing and abducting a woman, as well as possessing child pornography.
Alexander Ravy Vanny, 34, of Hemet was arrested last year following an investigation by the sheriff’s department’s Special Victims Unit.
Vanny is charged with kidnapping, stalking, possession of child porn, unauthorized use of protected electronic data, maliciously destroying a wireless device, witness intimidation, illicit eavesdropping, using a concealed camera to invade a person’s privacy, illegal use of a tracking device, interference with a traffic control device and possession of a firearm in violation of a protective order, with a sentence-enhancing allegation of perpetrating a felony while on bail.
Vanny’s case was moved Wednesday from the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta to the Larson Justice Center in Indio, where Superior Court Judge James Hawkins is expected Monday to summon multiple panels of prospective jurors for screening as to their availability and qualifications. The courthouse will be closed Tuesday for the Veterans Day holiday, after which jury selection will likely resume.
Vanny is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Kelleher, Special Victims Unit detectives received word at the end of last November regarding Vanny’s alleged harassment of the woman, whose complaints earlier in 2024 had prompted a separate investigation into the defendant’s alleged misconduct.
Sufficient evidence was gathered to book the former lawman into custody.
Vanny was first arrested on June 22, 2024, following an investigation that began weeks before when the victim, identified in court documents only as “M.P.G.,” told a law enforcement officer that she allegedly had been assaulted by the defendant.
At the time, the victim was confirmed to be a sheriff’s department volunteer at the Hemet station, where Vanny was then assigned.
He was booked into the Banning jail but posted a $1 million bond and was released. He was initially placed on paid administrative leave, but within a few months, he was fired from the department, according to sheriff’s officials.
The criminal complaint against him alleged that he abducted M.P.G. sometime between May and December 2024. The document stated that he “unlawfully, maliciously and repeatedly followed and harassed” the victim.
He also gleaned specific data from a government computer system, copied it and loaded the information onto his personal electronic device, the complaint alleged.
It further said that he allegedly destroyed a mobile phone “to prevent the use of the (phone) to … notify law enforcement of a crime.”
No additional details were provided.
While he was on bail, Vanny was separately charged with possession of child pornography.
He had been a sworn peace officer since he was hired by the sheriff’s department in 2016.
Cami Porter
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend Design Conference kicked off today at Oregon State University – Cascades, marking its 10th anniversary and a new chapter for this popular creative gathering. Running through tomorrow, the event brings together artists, designers, and makers from diverse backgrounds to explore creativity, inspiration, and new approaches to work and community.
For a decade, Bend Design has provided a unique platform for participants to reexamine branding, advertising, and business strategies, while sparking fresh ideas and connections. The conference has broadened its focus over the years to include food, community, and sustainability, reflecting Central Oregon’s innovative spirit.
Today, attendees met at OSU-Cascades to listen to speakers from a range of design disciplines discuss how they find motivation and make a living through their craft.
“So far? Just a lot of inspiration. It’s been really cool to hear people talk about subjects I don’t know a ton about, but they always seem to inform whatever I’m thinking about or working on at the time, so—it’s been great,” shared local artist Jake Kenobi.
OSU-Cascades is known for fostering creativity and bold ideas and was selected as the new venue due to its commitment to interdisciplinary thinking and sustainability. “One of our goals at OSU-Cascades is to really be a place of gathering and of learning for people of all ages and in all areas of life. And so the Bend Design conference, being here on campus, we’re excited for community members to come learn about campus, to come learn together,” said Shannon Lipscomb, associate dean at OSU-Cascades.
Artists from the conference are also opening special exhibits at Scalehouse Gallery in downtown Bend, offering further opportunities for attendees to engage with new works and the local creative community. The conference continues through November 8th, with more workshops and the unveiling of two new gallery exhibitions — AnnexPublic (Art)Works and Disparate, Desperate & Determined.
For tickets, schedules, and a complete list of speakers, visit the Bend Design website.
Cynthia White
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) – Gerald Ford Elementary students celebrated their veteran and active duty family members at the school’s annual Veterans Day Tribute on Friday.
The students dedicated songs, poems and readings to their families to honor the courage and sacrifices of our nation’s veterans and service members.
Principal John Preston says he feels it’s important to teach the students about the men and women who fight for our country, adding, “We really want to give back to our community, especially the community that gave so much to our military and our armed forces, and we really want to celebrate them. We want to teach our students that people that serve and helpers in the world deserve something back.”
The school also awarded the Gerald Ford Veteran of the Year for 2025 to Office Specialist Jessica Cazares, who served in the Marine Corps for over five years and was deployed three times to Iraq.
See News Channel 3’s list of Veterans Day events for information on tributes planned throughout the valley next week.
