American Friends of our Armed Forces honors Marines with day of golf

KESQ on December 2, 2025

Cynthia White

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The American Friends of our Armed Forces (AFAF) hosted its 17th Annual Military Appreciation Golf Tournament on Monday, honoring around 75 active-duty Marines from Twentynine Palms, Camp Pendleton, and Miramar.

The Marine golfers represented more than 60,000 service members stationed across Southern California. Civilian and retired golfers joined them for a day of camaraderie, gratitude, and connection at Classic Club in Palm Desert.

Participants enjoyed breakfast, 18 holes of golf, and a buffet luncheon that featured awards for top teams and special contests, including “Closest to the Pin,” “Longest Drive,” and “Straightest Drive.”

American Friends of our Armed Forces President Walt Van Benthuysen said of the event, “It’s a great satisfaction to meet these fine young men and women that are part of the Marine Corps and the Navy also that are here. And we just have a great time. We enjoy it and we look forward to every year. When this year is over, we’ll start thinking about next year.”

During the luncheon, retire Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Alicia Lopez, the mother of fallen Marine Corporal Hunter Lopez, addressed the Marines and guests.

Organizers say the annual event reflects the deep appreciation of the Coachella Valley community for those who serve our nation.

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Gabby Petito and Dylan Round’s parents back in Idaho with a message about domestic violence

KIFI on December 2, 2025

Chris Nestman

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — In a forum at the College of Eastern Idaho, it was all ears as the parents of Gabby Petito and Dylan Rounds shared messages about the signs and symptoms of domestic violence.

“You know, domestic violence, it has a pattern, and patterns are predictable and what’s predictable is preventable,” said Nichole Schmidt, the mother of Gabby Petito and president of the Gabby Petito Foundation. “What happened to Gabby didn’t have to happen, and so we’re trying to prevent that from happening to others.”

The Schmidts shared their story about Gabby, how she met her fiance and eventual killer, Brian. They also discussed who she was and the slow changes that happened to her before tragedy struck.

The Schmidts say some of those changes are red flags they want people to know about.

“Just knowing that you could potentially save one life and if you can just save one life, then everything is worth it,” said Jim Schmidt, Gabby’s father. “Whatever the heartache, and discomfort we have over going through it and reliving the worst day of our lives over and over again, we can battle through it if we can save even just one person.”

The Schmidts were invited by Candice Cooley, mother of Dylan Rounds who similarly advocates for domestic violence education awareness via the Dylan’s Legacy foundation.

In addition to today’s forum, law enforcement from around the state met at College of Eastern Idaho for training on digital forensics, a major method that helped solve the cases of both Dylan Rounds and Gabby Petito.

For information specifically about domestic violence and the messages from the Schmidts you can visit the Gabby Petito Foundation HERE.

For more information about about the Dylan’s Legacy Foundation, you can go HERE.

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33rd annual International Tamale Festival returning to Downtown Indio this weekend

KESQ on December 2, 2025

Cynthia White

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Get ready to savor traditional family recipes and creative new flavors at the 33rd annual International Tamale Festival in Downtown Indio this weekend, December 6th and 7th.

The Festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day. Admission is free, with free parking at the Riverside County Fairgrounds and a complimentary shuttle to Miles Avenue Park.

The journey starts at the Chavez Jessup GMC Tamale Trail – the heart of the tamale experience. Every stop along the trail celebrates the rich culture and flavor behind every dish.

Entertainment at the event includes live music, cultural performances, and carnival rides, along with lucha libre Mexican wrestling. Families can visit Santa’s Village for crafts and photo opportunities, and spread cheer at the Holiday Toy Drive by bringing an unwrapped, new gift to Santa’s Workshop.

The festival also features the crowd-favorite Tamale Eating Contest where the goal is to eat the most cheese tamales in two minutes, as well as a juried Best of the Fest Tamale Competition.

You can also kick off the holidays and celebrate community at “Flock the Block,” a festive lane of decorated trees by schools, nonprofits, neighbors, and local businesses.

For more information, visit indiointernationaltamalefestival.com and @IndioTamaleFest on Instagram.

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Federal immigration officials issue arrest detainer for trucker charged in Highway 20 double-fatal crash, say he was in U.S. illegally

KTVZ on December 2, 2025

Barney Lerten

(Update: Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Federal immigration officials said late Monday a California truck driver arrested after a crash east of Bend that killed a newlywed couple has been in the country illegally for three years, and that they have issued an arrest detainer.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in a news release that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an arrest detainer for Rajinder Kumar, whom they called “a criminal illegal alien from India.” They said he entered the U.S. illegally near Lukeville, Arizona on Nov. 28, 2022.

KTVZ News reported last week that Oregon State Police said Kumar, 32, of Fresno, Calif., jackknifed his semi-truck and trailer on the night of Nov. 24 on U.S. Highway 20 about 50 miles east of Bend, blocking both lanes.

A westbound Subaru Outback traveling at highway speeds collided with the trailer. The driver, William Micah Carter, 25, of Springfield, and passenger Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, of John Day, died at the crash scene, troopers said. Kumar reportedly was uninjured.

An OSP investigation led to Kumar’s arrest on two counts of criminally negligent homicide and a count of reckless endangering.

Lower’s father, Tom Lower, had reached out after the tragic crash to KTVZ News and said she and Carter were newlyweds who had met on a blind date last April and had married in Portland just 16 days before the tragic crash.

Tom Lower said Jennifer was from Preston, Idaho, a University of Oregon graduate and marched in this year’s Rose Bowl Parade with the U of O Marching Band. On the night they died, they were driving back to Oregon, hoping to settle in the Salem area.

DHS said Kumar “was released into the country by the Biden administration” and given a work authorization in 2023. He was issued a commercial driver’s license by “(Governor) Gavin Newsom’s California,” the agency added.

While OSP listed his name as Rajinder Kumar, KTVZ News learned late Monday that the charges were filed in Deschutes County with the name reversed, as Kumar Rajinder. District Attorney Stephen Gunnels told us that the crash reports apparently listed his name both ways; we reached out to OSP for a clarification and they said their report listed him as Rajinder Kumar.

Court records show that Kumar was initially arraigned last Wednesday on the two felony and one misdemeanor charges, assisted by a Hindi interpreter in a video hookup from the jail.

Circuit Judge Randy Miller set bail at $100,000 and ordered that he surrender his passport before he could be released on bail, as well as standard conditions of obeying all laws, keeping in touch with his attorney and appearing for all future court hearings.

Miller held another hearing Friday, court records show, at which he made no changes in those release conditions, including surrender of the man’s passport.

The truck driver is due to appear in court again Tuesday afternoon for a pre-trial release hearing. Court records show he a Wednesday afternoon hearing is scheduled for arraignment on an expected grand jury indictment. The judge also will address the passport issue “and address his correct name per DCSO (the Deschutes County Sherff’s Office,” court records show.

In his post-hearing order, the judge said the defendant already had posted bail (10% of the $100,000 bal) “but does not have a passport available to surrender in order to be released. Jail officials confirmed to KTVZ News that the passport issue was why he was still being held.

Gunnels acknowledged to KTVZ News that the name discrepancy is unusual, but such issues are usually resolved before or when a grand jury reviews the evidence and issues an indictment.

In the Department of Homeland Security news release, the agency said, “Since Oregon is a sanctuary state, ICE will make all necessary efforts to bring Kumar into custody, should he be released from custody.”

The DHS release also listed three other fatal crashes this year involving truck drivers who they said were in the U.S. illegally.

Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin is quoted as saying: “How many more senseless tragedies must take place before sanctuary politicians stop allowing illegal aliens to dangerously operate semi-trucks on America’s roads? Our prayers are with William and Jennifer’s families. Under Secretary Noem, ICE will continue its efforts to get illegal alien truck drivers off America’s highways.”

KTVZ News also has reached out to Kumar’s defense attorney for any statement or comment about the developments.

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DAP Health commemorates World AIDS Day; community gathers for candlelight vigil

KESQ on December 2, 2025

Shay Lawson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)  – Dozens gathered at DAP Health Monday night for a candlelight vigil honoring the lives lost to HIV/AIDS and reflecting on the ongoing fight against the epidemic.

David Brinkman, DAP Health CEO, addressed the crowd, alongside community members who shared emotional, personal testimonies about their experiences.

Many described the ceremony as a space for healing, remembrance and solidarity.

After the vigil, attendees moved inside for a viewing of select panels of the historic AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Organizers said it’s a powerful display honoring those who died during the height of the crisis, with around 50,000 panels.

4 original panels from the National AIDS Memorial quilt are on exhibit at DAP Health Sunrise from December 1–5, open daily from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.

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Hundreds gather at groundbreaking for Palm Springs AIDS Memorial

KESQ on December 2, 2025

Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – On Monday – World AIDS Day – the groundbreaking was especially meaningful for the Palm Springs AIDS Memorial at Downtown Park.

Hundreds gathered to witness a major step in finally bringing the Memorial to life. It has been more than a decade in the making, planned for completion in spring of 2026.

The event also included a moving tribute to those lost to HIV and AIDS.

The groundbreaking was the culmination of the 12-year effort to create a lasting place of remembrance, healing, and hope. Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Task Force member Mike Richey said, “It’s going to create awareness about the disease, it’s going to create awareness about the people who helped those who were ill very early on were caregivers for them, it’s going to help those we lost and remember them.”

Monday’s ceremony symbolized more than the start of construction on the Palm Springs AIDS Memorial. For many, it represented the community’s resilience through decades of loss, care, and activism.

Local artist Phillip K. Smith designed the piece, called “The Well of Love,” pro bono. Smith said, “This is a project that’s been talked about for so long, and it’s finally happening.”

Hundreds of donors and residents contributed time, energy, and money toward the $1.2 million fundraising goal, leaving just $275 thousand to go. The Memorial will be gifted to the city and added to its public art installation.

Smith continued, “It’s not in a park somewhere that you have to park and walk to, it’s part of the city, part of the fabric of the city, part of the experience of being in downtown, and that was really important for the whole task force.”

The 11-foot tall stone structure will share three different messages: “Forever Remembered,” Forever Loved,” and Forever Celebrated.” Each vertical glass face holds an oval pool of tears unique to its message.

Vincent Corrales, who has lost friends to AIDS, said, “This memorial here is something that will help us to remember all our friends who have passed and the work ahead to find a cure for HIV.”

Members of the Memorial Task Force say the project will do more than honor the past – It will ensure the history of the AIDS crisis in Palm Springs is never forgotten.

Task Force member Dan Spencer said of choosing World Aids Day for the groundbreaking, “It is an important day because of awareness, and because of the memories we have of so many we lost. And because people are still living with HIV and AIDS and so the community provides a lot of support.”

A digital component will also accompany the physical Memorial, including a QR code to share the Memorial’s concept and to highlight the timeline of HIV and AIDS in Palm Springs.

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Migrant crossings remain low, but stash house numbers are similar to last year’s in Juárez

KVIA on December 2, 2025

Heriberto Perez Lara

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) — The Chihuahua State Police Department (SSPE) continues to rescue migrants held at stash houses by alleged human smugglers in Ciudad Juárez.

According to a spokesperson from SSPE Chihuahua, this year they have found 261 migrants so far, compared to 265 last year. Across the entire state, they have found 268 migrants this year so far, and 310 last year.

“Some years ago, it was a topic with a lot of social mobility, where thousands of people arrived in caravans, by train, walking, and there were even cases of people getting lost in the desert,” said SSPE Assistant Police Chief Luis Ángel Aguirre. “There were situations where even people walking on the road got involved in traffic accidents because a car hit them or something.”

According to Assistant Police Chief Aguirre, binational security meetings are held to prevent migrants from being kidnapped or crossing illegally into the U.S.

In Mexico, SSPE Chihuahua collaborates with the Mexico Attorney’s Office (FGR), the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office (FGE), the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and the Mexican Immigration National Institute (INAMI), among others.

Aguirre also said that collaborations with U.S. agencies are a key factor in their success in locating stash houses, with HSI assisting them the last time to find one.

In that stash house, SSPE officers and detectives found 17 migrants, three alleged smugglers, firearms, and over $16,000 in cash.

Along with Border Patrol and other binational agencies, SSPE Chihuahua continues their “mirror operation,” patrolling both sides of the border wall simultaneously to prevent illegal crossings.

Over the past 51 months, SSPE has conducted more than 206 operations with Border Patrol, rescuing approximately 1,576 migrants.

Migrants are often told by smugglers that they will be taken across the border to the U.S. before being held at stash houses, where criminal organizations ask for money for their release.

“So what they (smugglers) did was practically receive these migrants, coordinate them, carry out all these irregular activities of prostitution, drug sales, collection, use of space, all these situations to which this irregular ecosystem of these migrants lends itself and that this has led us to identify networks, to identify which local gangs they are linking with, that is also a reality,” said SSPE Assistant Chief Aguirre.

“The unique aspect of the Aragua train is that they form alliances with all the local gangs to have stronger logistics and communication, because what they want is to take advantage of the flow of people to traffic drugs, to traffic people, to traffic any type of contraband,” added SSPE Assistant Chief Aguirre.

Since the current Chihuahua state administration began, SSPE has arrested 144 suspected human traffickers, seized 65 firearms, over 5,500 rounds of ammunition, more than 17 kilos of various drugs, as well as over 128,000 Mexican pesos and $52,000.

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City of Coachella to host two holiday events in downtown area

KESQ on December 2, 2025

City News Service

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – The city of Coachella will celebrate the holiday season with two free events this week in the downtown area.   

“The holiday season is one of my favorite times in Coachella,” Councilman Frank Figueroa said. “This is when our downtown comes alive with magic, we honor residents who have made an impact in the community, and we all come together to share in the excitement and spirit of the season.”

The city’s annual Christmas tree lighting event will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in front of City Hall on Sixth Street.   

The day will feature photos with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, special holiday treats and giveaways.  

“The Enchanted Holiday Parade” will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, with Grand Marshal Lee Espinoza and hosted by Coachella Valley Unified School District Superintendent Frances Esparza.

The event will include Santa’s Bounce House Village, a scavenger hunt, face painting, and balloon twisting.   

Both events will be livestreamed on the city’s social media pages.

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Sanctuary Heavily Fined for Housing Exotic Animals Without Permit

KEYT on December 2, 2025

Alissa Orozco

FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (KEYT) – A local animal sanctuary is facing a hefty fine after being found in possession of multiple restricted animals earlier in this year.

On March 3rd, 2025, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) received multiple reports of restricted animals being housed at the site of Born to Be Free, Inc., an animal sanctuary operating in Frazier Park, without proper permits or authorization.

A consent inspection conducted days later on March 18th found Born to Be Free was indeed in illegal possession of 15 different restricted species including African lions, leopards, a leopard–tiger hybrid, a lion–tiger hybrid, warthogs, a serval, a fishing cat, a European brown bear, and a wolf–dog hybrid.

According to a press release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, the sanctuary did not possess the correct permits to house any of the animals. Sanctuary owner, Rhea Gardner, had accepted the transfer of exotic animals from another organization prior to incorporating her business on March 3rd.

Gardner told investigators she did not apply for a permit of her own because she believed she could house the animals under a permit formally held by the property’s former owner.

Under California Law, a Restricted Species permit must be obtained before importing, possessing, or caring for any restricted species – ensuring keepers have the proper experience, facilities meet safety standards, and that exotic animals do not endanger public safety, native wildlife, or agricultural interests. Restricted Species Permits are non-transferable.

“California’s restricted species laws exist for a reason – these animals require specialized care, secure facilities, and experienced handlers,” said Nathaniel Arnold, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of Law Enforcement. “Meeting permit requirements is essential to protect the public, safeguard native wildlife, and ensure these animals receive proper care.”

Ventura County Superior Court condemned the violations, imposing a permanent injunction, civil penalties, and reimbursement of investigative costs to CDFW.

Born to Be Free, Inc. is required to:

Comply with a permanent injunction prohibiting the possession of restricted species without a valid RSP.

Pay a civil penalty of $10,000.

Reimburse CDFW $40,000 for investigative costs and relocation of the animals.

Pay the $435 court filing fee

A total financial obligation of $50,435.

The Ventura County DA’s Office says all restricted animals were removed from the site on May 21st and 22nd, 2025, and relocated to multiple licensed sanctuaries across the country that hold the proper permits. Several of which are accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

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Michelle Rodemeyer announces candidacy for Jefferson City Board of Education

KMIZ on December 2, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Michelle Rodemeyer announced in a Monday evening press release that she will be running for a spot on the Jefferson City Board of Education.

The release says she is a certified public accountant at Estes and Associates and previously worked at the Missouri State Public Health laboratory as a budget and fiscal officer. The release says she has more than 30 years of experience in financial and grants management, budget, tax preparation and audit work. The release also says she has been involved in the Parent Teacher Organization for more than 13 years.

Rodemeyer grew up in Jefferson City, has lived in Holts Summit for 26 years and one of her two children currently attend Jefferson City schools while the other is a recent graduate, the release says.

Priorities of her campaign, according to the release, include: Staff recruitment and retention; student, family and teacher support; fiscal accountability and making sure students are ready for college or their career path.

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