Author: KESQ

KESQ News Team

CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIF. (KESQ) – One person was transported to the hospital with moderate injuries following a two-vehicle crash in Cathedral City Tuesday evening.

The collision happened just before 6:30 p.m. near 30600 Landau Boulevard, in a residential area of the city. According to police, two vehicles collided with each other before both crashed into a nearby wall.

Emergency crews responded to the scene and evaluated multiple people involved in the crash. Officers say one person suffered moderate injuries and was taken to a local hospital, while the remaining individuals were treated for minor injuries.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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Luis Avila

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Acrisure Arena is gearing up to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community with its annual Pride Night, bringing inclusion both on and off the ice.

For Matt Kenny, however, this year’s event has a deeper meaning.

Kenny grew up playing hockey before having to step away. He says it became difficult to balance the sport he loved with his sexuality.

“I had to leave the game before going any further because I didn’t really think that the game would be able to love me back the way I loved it,” he explained.

He thought he would never return, until watching Heated Rivalry, a popular Canadian show that follows a romance between two professional hockey players competing on opposing teams. That’s when he found the courage to lace up again and hit the ice at the Berger Foundation Iceplex.

Kenny recalls, “I legitimately broke down, it cracked me wide open, I had a panic attack, I couldn’t breathe and like twenty years of memories and trauma came back and, I don’t know why, but my gut told me the only way that I could heal this was to repair my relationship with hockey.” He adds, “For the first time in over a decade, I grabbed some skates and put them on. It felt amazing.”

Paul O’Kane, founder of Coachella Valley Pride Hockey, says Pride Night sends a message of hope to those facing similar challenges.

“When a young person sees someone like the Firebirds celebrate Pride, celebrate diversity in our community, it really means so much,” O’Kane says. “It tells that young LGBT kid or that young female kid or even older adult who hasn’t played, that hockey is for me too.”

Since sharing his story on story media, Kenny has been able to connect with others who relate to his experience. He hopes he and events like Pride Night can help change the game.

Pride Night will feature special performances, LGBTQ+ youth initiatives, and a game-worn jersey auction to benefit Palm Springs Pride youth services programs.

The Coachella Valley Firebirds will face off against the Henderson Silver Knights, with puck drop set for 6 p.m. tomorrow at Acrisure Arena.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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City News Service

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man who sold fentanyl-laced pills that caused the overdose death of an active-duty San Diego-based U.S. Marine was sentenced today to 20 years in prison.   

Nameer Mohammad Atta, 25, was found guilty by a San Diego federal jury of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death for selling pills that killed the victim identified by prosecutors only as C.M.R., a 26-year-old active-duty lance corporal.  

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, C.M.R. was found in his barracks at Miramar in May of 2020 “in the midst of an overdose.” Fellow service members and responding paramedics tried in vain to revive him.  

Prosecutors allege Atta, who was 19 years old at the time of C.M.R.’s death, sold the victim dozens of counterfeit pills in April and May while knowing they contained fentanyl. He also told buyers on social media that his pills were the “most trusted” in San Diego, while texting others to say his were the “most trusted” and “most potent” in the area, prosecutors said.

Atta was arrested in 2021 following an investigation that included a search of the victim’s phone and the discovery of communications between C.M.R. and Atta.

The victim’s father made a statement during Friday’s sentencing hearing in which he told Atta, “My son trusted you at your word while desperate, in pain and making a mistake. You deserve this sentence because you just did not care who you impacted.”

Defense attorney Anthony Colombo said his client intends to appeal the conviction.  

The attorney said he advised Atta not to make a statement at the hearing while the appeal is pending, but told U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro that Atta considered the victim a friend and that he was “genuinely remorseful” and “not a day goes by that he doesn’t wish this didn’t happen.”

The 20-year sentence is the mandatory minimum term for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.  

Atta was convicted in 2022, but the sentencing saw numerous delays over the next few years as Atta’s attorneys filed ultimately unsuccessful motions for a new trial.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians have selected a date of June 3 to hold a joint meeting regarding a controversial proposed warehouse project.

The tribe’s proposed 217-acre Desert Mountain View Business Park is planned to be built on Highway 111 at Tipton Road. The project would include four warehouse buildings ranging in size from 248,000 square feet to 1.14 million square feet. An environmental impact report found that there will be “significant and unavoidable” air quality impacts.

The meeting will be held at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros. The public is invited to attend.

Officials said more time is needed for the developer to resolve a number of technical items related to the project. A June meeting will also provide both the public and City Staff additional time to review the project and the complex environmental documents so that the meeting can be as productive and informative as possible. 

While the City’s role is limited, the Joint City Council/Tribal Meeting will allow the public to learn more about the proposed development as well as provide feedback directly to the Tribal Council, who will ultimately make the final decision on the project later this year.

Last month, the city council voted to send a report of concerns and recommendations to the tribe regarding the project. The Oswit Land Trust led a protest before the meeting, arguing the review process was being rushed and that the project raises significant environmental and infrastructure concerns — including air pollution, potential harm to endangered species, and increased traffic congestion.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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City News Service

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) –  Coachella officials will host a solar showcase installation on a residence under the Coachella Prospera initiative designed to reduce energy costs and increase resilience during the valley’s extreme heat, slated for next week.

The event will take place Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 84712 Calle Pino.

Coachella Prospera was formed through a community planning process led by the city’s Economic Development Department. Residents, local businesses and other public agencies participated in workshops and meetings to identify projects that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The city secured $22 million from the California Strategic Growth Council through the state’s Transformative Climate Communities Program.   

The Calle Pino residence will be the first residential solar installation under the Transformative Climate Communities funded Coachella Prospera initiative.

“We are celebrating more than the start of a solar project,” said Yoselyn Eckert, director of Outreach for GRID Alternatives Inland Empire, said in a statement. “This installation reflects a vision for Coachella where families can lower their energy bills, breath cleaner air and access new opportunities.”  

In partnership with Grid Alternatives Inland Empire, a nonprofit solar installer and workforce development organization, the city will celebrate in launching what officials refer to as a community-led energy investment.   

For the next three years, Grid Alternatives will install solar systems to roughly 75 homes at no cost to income-qualified Coachella Prospera households. With each installation, it will include workforce training and youth education.

“This first solar installation demonstrated what is possible when residents, the city and community partners work together,” said Councilwoman Denise Delgado. “Through Coachella Prospera, we are delivering climate solutions that reduce pollution, support local workforce development and directly benefit the neighborhoods most impacted by environmental and economic challenges.”

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Police issued an advisory to the community after an apparent mountain lion was spotted in a Palm Springs neighborhood Friday morning.

The adult mountain lion was reportedly seen between approximately 6:00 and 6:30 a.m., near the Upper West Vista Chino area, in the vicinity of the 500 block of Vista Chino. The reporting party later lost sight of the animal, the Palm Springs Police Department announced.

PSPD’s Animal Control Officer followed up on the incident, officials said.

Wildlife officials have been notified and are aware of the activity in the area. Police said the situation is being monitored.

Police reminded residents that wildlife does frequent in the desert community.

“We encourage everyone to remain aware of their surroundings when outdoors. Residents with pets are advised to keep them supervised and within view when outside, rather than allowing them to roam unattended,” reads a PSPD announcement. “If you encounter a mountain lion or other wildlife, sightings should be reported directly to the Wildlife Incident Reporting System at wildlife.ca.gov. This allows wildlife officials to track activity and determine if further action is needed.”

The Palm Springs Police Department can also be notified at 760-327-1441 so they are aware and can assist if necessary.

Additional resources can be found at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Living-with-Wildlife

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City News Service

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – A mulch fire that erupted today in Thermal was contained.

The non-injury blaze was reported shortly after 5:30 a.m. Friday in the 82200 block of Airport Boulevard, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.  

The agency stated that crews contained the 100-by-100-foot fire shortly before 9:50 a.m.  

Mop-up was expected to last for a few days.  

There was no immediate word on what might have triggered the fire.

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Garrett Hottle

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) A Riverside County veteran, Charles Hunter, remains hospitalized in the Philippines, where his family says a dispute over medical bills is preventing him from returning home for continued care.

The veteran became critically ill while visiting the Philippines, suffering what relatives describe as a severe foodborne infection. He is currently in an intensive care unit, on a ventilator, according to the family.

Relatives say the hospital has declined to release him because his California-based insurance is not accepted overseas and outstanding medical costs continue to grow. The family says his visa has also expired, complicating efforts to bring him back to the United States.

Family members are working to raise money to cover medical expenses and transportation costs. If you want to help you can visit this link.

News Channel 3 will be speaking with the veteran’s family later today to learn more about his condition, the financial hurdles they are facing, and what help they are seeking to bring him home.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Growth in payrolls across most sectors of the regional economy pushed Riverside County’s unemployment rate down below 6% in November, according figures released today by the California Employment Development Department.

Statewide labor market figures for that month were released Friday, following delays stemming from the federal government shutdown in the fall, which impacted all data collection and publication by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in turn affecting EDD’s publication schedule.

The October data remains undetermined, leading the agency to skip over that month for now.  

The belatedly released figures for November indicated that the countywide jobless rate, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 5.5%, compared to 6.1% in September.

According to data, the November 2025 rate nearly equaled the rate of November 2024, when countywide unemployment stood at 5.4%.   

The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties — the Inland Empire — was 5.4%, down from 5.9% in September, the EDD said.

Bi-county data indicated that, during November, payrolls expanded by the widest margin in the broad sector designated “trade, transportation and utilities,” where an estimated 16,100 positions were added, largely in warehousing and logistics.

Additional gains were recorded in the agricultural, financial, health services, leisure, professional business services and public sectors, which grew by an aggregate 6,400 positions, according to figures.

Payrolls contracted by the largest amount in the construction sector, where cuts numbered about 2,700 in November. The manufacturing and mining sectors, along with miscellaneous unclassified industries, altogether shed 1,200 positions, EDD said.

The information technology sector was unchanged.   

The statewide non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in November was 5.4%, according to state officials.

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Kendall Flynn

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission’s Outreach Team is working to help individuals with resources, but they say the weather has made it more difficult. Staff say cooler temperatures reduce individuals willingness to go out and seek aid.

CVRM sets up a portable shower trailer and table with supplies on Fridays at churches in Indio. On Friday, the team was set up at Trinity Baptist Church.

Staff say they tend to see up to 20 people in the four hours they’re at the church, but during cooler days like Friday they only see between one to five. Many of the people they help are individuals they’ve reached out to by driving around the city.

Stay with News Channel 3 at 5 p.m. to hear from staff about what they’re doing to help homeless individuals during cooler weather.

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