Month: June 2026

Matthew Pearce

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Summer has begun, bringing high temperatures and seasonal challenges for unhoused residents.

Since Riverside County adopted its Homeless Action Plan in 2022, the county shows a 19% decrease in unsheltered residents. Locally, the city of Palm Springs reports a 63% decline in unhoused people as recently as 2025.

However, local programs like Well in the Desert have conflicting numbers, stating they have seen an increase in attendees at their meal programs that serve hot meals Monday through Friday.

The Palm Springs City Council is scheduled to discuss the needs by numbers for extreme-weather facilities for unhoused residents tonight. Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Tommy Gallegos

A popular Palm Desert restaurant is preparing to remove its outdoor dining deck, even as city leaders move to extend rules allowing outdoor patios throughout the city.

Little Bar announced that its well-known “Big Deck” patio will be removed on Monday June 29th, with Saturday June 27th marking the final day customers can enjoy the outdoor space.

The closure comes despite the Palm Desert City Council’s recent 4-1 vote to extend outdoor dining patio guidelines for another year while officials work toward permanent regulations. The decision followed public outcry from residents and business owners who have urged the city to preserve the COVID-era outdoor dining spaces that have become a staple for many local restaurants.

Little Bar owner Skip Paige says in a post on social media that the restaurant still cannot meet a city requirement that would make his landlord financially responsible for city-owned parking spaces occupied by the deck, as well as any liability associated with the structure.

Paige said the restaurant offered alternative solutions, including carrying its own insurance, paying for the parking spaces, and assuming liability for the deck. However, he says those proposals were unsuccessful.

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The issue stems from permit criteria approved by the city in October. According to Paige, the rules require property owner approval and place financial responsibility on landlords for any damage or incidents involving structures located on public property.

City officials say those requirements are necessary.

The debate over outdoor dining patios has intensified as restaurants faced a June 30 deadline under existing regulations. Business owners have warned that losing outdoor seating could hurt revenue and staffing levels.

While the city has extended its temporary patio guidelines for another year, officials say they are continuing to work on long-term regulations that could provide a permanent framework for outdoor dining throughout Palm Desert.

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Tommy Gallegos

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — The City of Cathedral City is advising residents and visitors about upcoming construction work on East Palm Canyon Drive scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2026.

The pavement repair project will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the eastbound side of East Palm Canyon Drive between Date Palm Drive and Sungate Way.

Construction crews will perform utility trench repairs, requiring eastbound lane closures in two alternating phases throughout the day. City officials noted that at least one eastbound lane will remain open to traffic at all times.

Motorists traveling through the area should expect lane reductions and possible delays during work hours. Drivers are encouraged to slow down in construction zones, remain alert for workers and equipment, and consider using alternate routes when possible.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS (CNS) – The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will offer active and retired U.S. military personnel free admission throughout the entire month of July.

During the tramway’s Military Days promotion, qualifying individuals will receive complimentary tram admission along with a special gift with valid military identification. Spouses of deployed military members, and widows of deceased troops, will also qualify for the promotion.

Additionally, up to four guests accompanying service members will receive 25% off regular admission, officials said.

Attendees can visit more than 50 miles of hiking trails within Mount San Jacinto State Park, guided nature walks led by park volunteers and dining options. More information about the tramway is available at pstramway.com.

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Gavin Nguyen

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Power outages, planned or unplanned, are an obvious inconvenience to residents impacted by them.

From food spoiling in the refrigerator to a lack of air conditioning for potentially hours at a time, utilities maintain it’s ultimately a necessity to keep the grid operating safely.

Over the past week, a number of residents, ranging everywhere from Palm Springs to the High Desert, have reported outages that left them with more questions than answers to our newsroom.

One of those residents, from the Yucca Mesa area, reported nearly daily power shutoffs that would happen for an hour or two, then turn back on. He reported his power company, Southern California Edison, didn’t notify him or his neighbors about the outages or any repair timelines.

Southern California Edison confirmed with News Channel 3 that those outages were unplanned, but crews have been working diligently to repair the issues. They said the outages can be caused by a number of factors, and repair timelines differ due to that variance.

We took those concerns straight to the utility company.

“How do you balance that summertime heat with keeping people safe?” I asked.

“It’s exactly that,” responded Scott Johnson, a spokesperson with Edison. “The balance to make certain that the infrastructure is in good working condition… We try to identify times and days that will be the least impactful upon our customers.”

Sometimes they have the luxury of being flexible to identify those times, but there are other circumstances where the utility can’t pick and choose.

“Obviously, to maintain a system as wide and vast as Southern California Edison is, it does take a amount of maintenance and project upkeep. In addition to that, we also implement what’s referred to as public safety power shutoffs, which are planned outages in the event that the conditions are possibly whether it be heat, the lack of of rain or humidity or dryness that could possibly lead to a fire,” said Johnson.

Other times, a power line can be damaged by things like wind, an animal, debris, or a person driving into a pole. Regardless of the cause, Johnson said teams are ready to respond as fast as possible around the clock.

He pointed to being sure you’re signed up with your utility company for notifications on planned outages and repair timelines. Those options include text or e-mail notifications and checking outage maps. The utility also sends letters to affected customers and lists planned outages on billing statements.

The utility company said the best practice ahead of any outage – planned or unplanned – is to be prepared, especially for our desert communities where temperatures soar well into the triple digits during the summer.

Edison listed a number of upcoming maintenance outages, including spots in Indian Wells, Cathedral City, and Palm Springs, that will impact residents this week. You can find more information on its outage map.

Edison provided a list of items that you should keep handy before an outage strikes. That includes an emergency kit, equipped with flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, and of course, water. They also said a generator is a good idea. They suggest running it outdoors and keeping a heavy-duty extension cord handy.

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