Month: July 2026

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Palm Springs Unified School District has appointed veteran educator Kim Ballard as the inaugural principal of its new Middle College High School, set to open in the 2027-28 school year.

The district introduced Ballard during Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, where she briefly addressed trustees before they approved her appointment.

The Coachella Valley’s first Middle College High School will be located at the new College of the Desert Palm Springs campus, giving students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credits.

Ballard has been with Palm Springs Unified since 2005, beginning as a math teacher at James Workman Middle School before moving to Rancho Mirage High School in 2013. She has served as assistant principal there since 2017, overseeing programs including AVID, Career Technical Education, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment while working to prepare students for graduation and college.

She earned an Associate of Science in Education from North Idaho College, a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Idaho, and a master’s degree in Education Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

District leaders say Ballard’s student-centered approach and experience expanding academic opportunities make her well-suited to lead the new school as it prepares to welcome its first students in 2027.

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The number of automobile thefts throughout Riverside County plummeted 21% last year, while the county sheriff’s department ranked in the top five statewide among agencies that successfully recovered stolen vehicles, according to statistics released by the California Highway Patrol.

The number of countywide auto thefts reported in 2025 totaled 6,012, compared to 7,648 in 2024, the CHP said Tuesday in its annual publication of “California Vehicle Theft Facts.”

“Vehicle theft is not a victim-less crime,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said. “It fuels organized criminal activity and creates hardship for families across California. The CHP remains committed to holding offenders accountable, recovering stolen vehicles and working with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer.”

The local decline dovetailed with downward trends across California, where the total theft count last year amounted to 133,372, compared to 176,230 in 2024, reflecting a 24% drop, figures showed. It was the second consecutive year-to-year decrease.

Riverside County ranked No. 6 statewide for vehicle thefts last year. Los Angeles County was No. 1 at 47,191, according to CHP statistics.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department ranked No. 3 for theft recoveries statewide, securing 2,292 cars, trucks and motorcycles that had been reported stolen, data showed. No other Inland Empire law enforcement agency landed in the top 10 for recoveries.

Of the 6,012 vehicles reported stolen in all jurisdictions countywide in 2025, 4,795 were later recovered, though there was no mention in the CHP report regarding how many were damaged.

The agency said the majority of vehicles stolen in 2025 comprised SUVs and light pickup trucks, amounting to 43% of the total number of takings. Cars made up 37% of the sum, with commercial trucks and trailers, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, construction and farm equipment comprising the balance of thefts.

In the category of pickups and SUVs, the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado remained the No. 1 target last year, just like in 2024. Among cars, the 2013 Hyundai Elantra was the chief preference for thieves, while Honda motorcycles manufactured in 2023 were also at the top of the list, statistics indicated.

The estimated composite value of all the vehicles stolen in 2025 was $1.2 billion, according to the CHP.

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The story of a local grandmother in need has now reached thousands across the internet, and it all began with News Channel 3’s coverage about the family’s untimely air conditioning outage.

Earlier this month, News Channel 3 spoke with Nikita Potter, the granddaughter of 91-year-old Chuck Potter, who died in his home from heat exhaustion after the air conditioning unit failed. Potter was racing against the clock to install a new unit for her grandmother, Nona, with quotes between $20-30,000.

Potter told News Channel 3 her grandmother, Nona, was staying in hotels as they struggled to afford a new HVAC system.

“The Monday morning before you reached out, I had went to bed and I was crying and a little upset. I told my sister, we need a miracle to happen,” Nikita Potter said.

However, what began as a tragedy, ended in a new chapter for the Potter family.

After KESQ’s story aired, social media influencer and philanthropist, Jimmy Darts, reached out to help and has since raised over $90,000 to assist.

“I saw the news clip of the lady, in like the Palm Springs area, that her husband passed away. I was like, oh my gosh, it’s so hot there. I’m like, dang, this grandma needs a miracle,” Darts said.

Through one of Darts’ kindness challenges, the internet fell in love with Nona.

After connecting with Nikita, Darts met with Potter at a local Walmart and asked if a diamond ring found on the floor was hers. When she denied and told the truth, Darts offered her $1,000, and from there the viral video took off.

“I think everyone just kind of felt that connection with her, that she was such like a sweet lady and everyone felt like they were her grandkids. People from all over the country gave $5, $10, $20 and it just grew traction overnight,” Darts said.

In just 24 hours, the video blew up online and gathered the support of over $100,000.

Darts surprised Potter with the money at her home, where a free HVAC system was also awaiting her from Esser Air Conditioning and Heating.

“The fact that Esser really stepped up and handled everything. They handled the crane, the permits. It is such a weight lifted,” her granddaughter said.

It’s shined a light on a path forward for the Potters they never thought was possible before.

“I think if we didn’t get the interview we did on KESQ and getting the coverage that got and just all of it, I don’t think our miracle would have happened,” Nikita said.

Her granddaughter says Nona will use the money to pay off debts, taxes and bills accrued since her husband’s death.

As thousands of students prepare to head back to the classroom next week, the Palm Springs Unified School District is helping families with incoming transitional kindergarten students get ready for the new school year.

The district will host its Transitional Kindergarten Resource Fair on Thursday July 30th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Desert Hot Springs High School.

The free event is designed to help families make a smooth transition into transitional kindergarten by connecting parents with valuable school and community resources. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about after-school programs and other services available to support students throughout the school year.

District officials encourage parents of new transitional kindergarten students to attend, ask questions, and gather information that can help their children get off to a successful start.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – If you look around town, you might come across one woman searching for bottles and cans in the recycling bin.

“This is definitely a smelly job,” said Alisha Gerholdt, lifiting her shirt to cover her nose, laughing.

Her journey hasn’t been an easy one. Despite being a cardiac patient since she was a toddler and undergoing several heart surgeries, her fight and determination hasn’t wavered.

After her most recent open-heart surgery, she said changes to her health have changed her life for the worse. In the year since, she lost her home, belongings, financial stability, and independence – as well as her son, who she became separated with. She said because of her declining health, she could no longer provide a stable life for him, and she sent him to live with his father in Texas.

Now, she has created an initiative to reunite with him: “Recycle to Reunite.”

It’s a community-wide recycling campaign to raise money to purchase a used mobile home and move closer to her son in Texas.

That’s why, despite dealing with the heat, she goes out to sift through trash bins in search of bottles and cans. She recycles them, and slowly, nickel by nickel, she’s saving money with a dream in mind.

On her GoFundMe page, she wrote the following:

“Every can collected, every bottle donated, every dollar contributed, and every person who shares this story helps bring me one step closer to home.

I am not asking for someone to fix my life. I am asking for an opportunity to rebuild it.”

On the side, she’s been using some of the money to purchase supplies for “blessing bags” – a program her church provides to give the homeless key hydration, snacks, and other essentials to the unhoused in Palm Springs. Elders at Our Saviors Church in Palm Springs called her actions inspiring.

“It’s painful at times to see her go through her medical stuff,” said church elder, Chris Meyer. “Not to have anything, and to be homeless if it wasn’t for her grandmother. It makes us all a better person. We get to see God in action through Alisha.”

For Meyer, the most inspiring part of Gerholdt’s story was her selflessness. Despite going through so much, her willingness to help others stood out to him.

I asked Alisha that question: “How do you still find the ability to go out and make things like these homeless bags and be able to give back to the community?”

“Because it’s something I’ve always done regardless,” she said without missing a beat. “I’ve got things, but, you know, somebody else may have it worse.”

You can find her GoFundMe donation page by clicking here. She had put in $1,100 on the page in an offline donation, representing what she had saved and raised through recycling as of Wednesday, July 29th.