Author: KESQ

Kiera McKinney

A recent e-bike arrest in Palm Springs is highlighting how new technology is changing the way police respond to calls.

Palm Springs police say a suspect riding an e-bike was committing multiple traffic violations and appeared to be trying to get officers to chase him through downtown.

Lieutenant William Hutchinson from Palm Springs Police Department said, “We deployed a drone, instantaneously followed him as he drove recklessly throughout the city. We didn’t pursue him because we didn’t want to endanger other motorists..once he got to a location where we could safely take him into custody and direct officers without him knowing.”

That drone launched from the Coachella Valley Real Time Intelligence Center, where officers monitor 911 calls and send information to the field in real time.

Lieutenant William Hutchinson said their drones launch in about 10 seconds and they are on scene in about less than a minute.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Springs couple aboard the LGBTQ cruise ship “Scarlet Lady” is speaking out after the ship was denied permission to dock in Turkey this week, and has now also been denied permission to stop at its substitute port in Egypt.

Colin Wright and his husband are among the 2,000 passengers onboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, who say they were notified in the middle of the night that the ship’s stop in Alexandria had been abruptly canceled.

The Palm Springs couple departed Athens on Sunday for a 10-day Mediterranean cruise with several stops.

Alexandria was selected as a substitute port after officials in Turkey denied the ship permission to dock.

The provincial government in Turkey posted that groups on the ship were known for quote “behavior incompatible with our society’s structure and moral values.”

The Egyptian government has not provided an official explanation, but many of the ship’s passengers say they’re concerned it could be a sign of growing hostility toward LGBTQ people.

((SOT Colin Wright/Passenger, Virgin Voyage’s Scarlet Lady 2:45 “It’s just more disappointing it’s led to this. We were very respectful. This cruise line has been in operation for more than thirty years. They’ve been to both Turkey and Egypt multiple times and never had any problems at all. But because of the political climate that we’re in right now, this is unfortunately what happened.” 3:06 BUTT 4:46 “We’re obviously a minority in the world, and so we’re kind of an easy target for a lot of people. And unfortunately that’s just where we are. I do think there is some increased hostility, but I also think that perhaps it’s a pendulum swinging and we’re seeing one end of the swing. Hopefully things will come back to a more moderate stance on issues that affect us.” 5:11))

Meanwhile, the company running the cruise, Atlantis, says this is unheard of, adding the ship had received approval to visit Egypt, as the company has done twice in the last two years.

The ship is now on its third itinerary, with new stops in Crete and Montenegro.

The LGBTQ cruise had been planned for more than a year and Atlantis says it has never had one of its charters denied permission to dock in its 36-year history.

Now, it has happened twice in a single week.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A local nonprofit is working to expand cultural programs in the East Valley.

“Green Room Theatre Company” just received a $100,000 grant from the “Tammis Day Foundation,” which will allow it to grow and focus on underserved communities.

Half the grant will go to producing mainstage artistic productions, while the other half will allow the theatre to expand its staff.

Green Room takes theater directly to communities throughout the valley.

“There are a lot of communities out there that don’t have the opportunity either by lack of theater themselves or financials, that do not have the ability to see theater. And we feel that the arts is something needed in our communities,” said Allan H. Jensen, Managing Director of GRTCCV.

A big portion of the theater company is its “ballet folklorico.”

For more information, visit https://grtccv.org/

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Athena Jreij

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Desert family is raising awareness on the dangers of triple digit temperatures, after their grandfather died when his home’s air conditioning failed.

Nikita Potter says her grandparent’s home was reaching 90 degree temperatures, when her 91-year-old grandpa, Chuck Potter, was found dead inside.

“My grandma frantically called me, and she said he fell, I found him on the floor. By the time we got there, we realized he passed away. Essentially, it was from their AC breaking down,” Potter said.

She claims her grandparents tried to replace the HVAC system, but faced mounting costs to cool their 2,300 square foot home.

“It’s 2 complete AC systems that have to be replaced and it requires crane work, that makes the bill even higher. I’ve talked to like Comfort Air and Timos, and those quotes were left with 20-25 K. Even with that, we’ve looked into warranties and stuff, but unless you have that extra chunk of change, you don’t really have a lot of options,” she said.

Potter now worries what’s next for her grandmother, as she lives in a hotel but awaits to go back home.

“The past three weeks, my grandmother fainted like twice. We’ve had to rush on to the E.R. and it’s from the heat,” she said.

Now, she wants others to check on their AC systems before it’s too late.

If you’d like to support the family’s funeral costs, visit: Honoring Grandpa Chuck & Supporting Grandma Nona In Crisis.

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Tommy Gallegos

The countdown to another season of hockey in the Coachella Valley is officially underway.

The Coachella Valley Firebirds announced their 2026-27 American Hockey League regular season schedule on Thursday, revealing a 72-game slate that begins Friday, Oct. 2, with a home opener against the Ontario Reign at Acrisure Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. PT.

Entering their fifth season as the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, the Firebirds will once again face every team in the Pacific Division while also taking on the Texas Stars from the Central Division.

Fans can expect familiar game times throughout the season. Weekday home contests will begin at 7 p.m. PT, while Saturday home games are scheduled for 6 p.m. PT. Sunday home games will feature either 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. start times. One notable exception comes on New Year’s Eve, when the Firebirds will host a special 5 p.m. puck drop on Thursday, Dec. 31.

The full schedule remains subject to change, with game dates, opponents and start times potentially adjusted throughout the season.

The Firebirds also announced that information regarding single-game tickets, additional ticket packages, promotional nights and theme nights will be released at a later date.

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Tommy Gallegos

Community members are invited to make a difference tomorrow by supporting the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Venezuela Quake Drive, a donation event benefiting families affected by the recent earthquake in Venezuela.

The drive will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Palm Springs Police Department Training Center.

Donations of clean, gently used, or new items are welcome. Needed supplies include clothing, shoes, blankets, bottled water, and other everyday necessities that can help families as they recover from the disaster. Organizers ask that all donated items be in good condition to ensure they can be distributed quickly and effectively.

Those who are unable to attend the drive but would still like to help can make a monetary contribution online by visiting califriedfoundation.com.

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Garrett Hottle

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) Train robberies sound like something out of the Old West. Investigators say they’re happening right now, across the Coachella Valley, and far more often than most people think.

The News Channel 3 I-Team went undercover on the desert train theft network. We rode along with an undercover Union Pacific Railroad Police agent and a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy. We’re hiding their faces to protect law enforcement operations.

The tracks cut through Coachella, Thermal and North Shore. Investigators say criminals are watching them closely.

Look back at March 19. A Union Pacific train derailed near North Shore. Law enforcement says thieves targeted the cargo left exposed in the desert. The undercover agent says more than $1 million in goods was stolen after the derailment.

“Ripping off the furniture, like living room furniture,” the deputy said. “They end up having to adjust parts of the train so they could open the doors, because they were hitting it so bad.”

Just this month, investigators say thieves went after a train carrying weed trimmers through the desert. The I-Team got video, never shown publicly, of boxes recovered after that theft.

In the Mecca area, deputies recently arrested several suspects accused of targeting trains and recovered nearly $200,000 in merchandise.

“Four people actively breaking into the train, and all four were caught,” the deputy said. “They didn’t care that police was right there.”

Investigators say crews follow trains through the desert and wait for them to slow near crossings or sidings before moving in. Some thieves are using social media to track stopped trains.

“People will take a photograph of the train, then post it on Facebook or Instagram,” the deputy said. “And they’re like, ‘See, this train is stopped.'”

The investigation also took us inside encampments built along the tracks. Investigators say many were filled with stolen goods.

“Queen-sized bed. They had TVs,” the agent said. “It was like a makeshift condo underground.”

In one case, investigators say thieves took hundreds of rifles off a train. Empty rifle boxes later turned up in Mecca and Coachella.

Deputies say the danger isn’t just the thefts. They say people have been killed on tracks in the area, and that trains are quieter than people expect.

“You don’t hear it until it’s like four or five seconds away from you,” the deputy said. “By the time you look up, if you’re not looking both ways — they’re very silent.”

The same tracks people drive past every day have become the center of a growing crime problem, and law enforcement is asking the public to pay attention.

Anyone with information about the weed-trimmer thefts or other railroad crimes can call Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP. Tips are anonymous and can earn a reward of up to $2,000.

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Athena Jreij

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside University Health System (RUHS) is warning residents about a dramatic rise in electric bicycle-related injuries across Riverside County.

According to county data, emergency room visits involving e-bike crashes have climbed sharply over the past three years, increasing from 224 cases in 2023 to 494 in 2024, and reaching 958 incidents in 2025—more than four times the number reported just two years earlier. Through the first half of 2026, at least 416 e-bike-related injuries have already been recorded.

The county has also experienced a rise in fatal crashes involving e-bikes. According to Riverside County Coroner records, e-bikes were involved in one fatality in 2024 and two fatalities in 2025.

Health officials say many of these injuries involve children and young adults, with riders between the ages of 10 and 24 accounting for the largest share of emergency department visits.

“E-bikes move faster and are much more powerful than traditional bicycles, so the injuries can be much more serious,” said Dr. Michael Mesisca, Chair of Emergency Medicine at RUHS Medical Center.

“Blunt head trauma, rib fractures, collapsed lungs and lacerations are more in line with what we’re seeing in the Emergency Department, particularly among teens and young adults. Those injuries can have dire, sometimes permanent impacts.”

Emergency department visits have risen significantly among younger riders. Cases involving children ages 10 to 14 more than doubled from 155 in 2024 to 339 in 2025, while injuries among riders ages 15 to 24 increased from 122 to 248 during the same period.

Officials believe the true number of crashes may be even higher, as hospitals continue refining how they classify injuries involving the growing variety of electric bicycles now on the road.

Second District Supervisor and Riverside County Board Chair Karen Spiegel said the increase highlights the need for greater awareness among both riders and parents.

“Unfortunately, too many youngsters riding around our communities on e-bikes are making dangerous choices by driving too fast, not wearing a properly fitted helmet or not following the rules of the road,” Spiegel said. “It’s time for all of us to slow down and commit to safety guidelines that will save lives.”

RUHS recommends riders wear a certified helmet that fits properly and is securely fastened, use bright or reflective clothing to improve visibility, and wear elbow and knee pads for additional protection. Riders should obey traffic signals, stop signs and right-of-way laws, and ride at controlled speeds. Riders should also participate in bicycle safety or e-bike training courses to help prevent accidents.

RUHS offers local training opportunities, educational resources for parents and a free e-bike safety pledge designed to help families reinforce safe riding habits throughout the summer

With e-bike popularity continuing to grow, health officials hope greater awareness and responsible riding practices can help reverse the trend of growing accidents and keep Riverside County roads safer for everyone.

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A public dispute between Oscar’s Palm Springs and the Plaza Theatre continues to escalate, with both sides offering conflicting accounts of negotiations over a room located inside the Oscar’s building.

The disagreement centers on a space the Plaza Theatre has used to support performers, known as the ‘green room.’ Oscar’s owner Dan Gore says the theater wants complete control of it, but believes he should be compensated because the space is part of his lease.

Gore said the relationship between Oscar’s and the theater changed after Oak View Group took over management of the Plaza Theatre.

Gore invited News Channel 3 inside the room. According to Gore, the room is uniquely valuable because it provides direct access to the Plaza Theatre’s backstage area and connects to six dressing rooms.

In a statement, the Plaza Theatre said it approached Oscar’s in 2024 about subleasing the space. The theater claims Gore instead requested that either the Plaza Theatre or the property owner buy out his entire business lease.

Gore disputes that account.

He showed News Channel 3 emails he says demonstrate the buyout proposal was only discussed after months of negotiations, when he believed the theater was unwilling to compensate him for continued use of the green room.

“I said that wouldn’t be a problem as long as I’m compensated because for the last several years prior to Oak View Group, I was compensated,” Gore said. “Not directly, trade or we sold booze and food to the theater patrons.”

The Plaza Theatre also said it offered several incentives during negotiations, including preferred caterer status, promotion and sale of pre-show dinners, and waived fees for use of Plaza Theatre facilities.

Gore says those proposals did not replace the value of the revenue Oscar’s previously received through its relationship with the theater.

“It was like, ‘No, you’re going to give us everything, in exchange for maybe helping you,'” Gore said. “It was all maybe.”

Gore also says the changes have not only impact Oscar’s, but the theater as well.

“They continue to do events and they stage events outside behind the library by the trash can area… because they refuse to even ask me for help,” Gore said. “I’m here to help us as a group and help the community as a group.”

The Plaza Theatre continues to deny Gore’s allegations, saying it negotiated in good faith and that any business challenges facing Oscar’s are unrelated to its actions.

News Channel 3 has reached out to Oak View Group for additional comment.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Timothy Foster

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Palm Springs Unified School District is now accepting enrollment for its Early Childhood Education programs, offering eligible families free early learning opportunities designed to prepare young children for success in school and beyond.

The district’s Early Childhood Education Department is enrolling children in its Head Start, Early Head Start and California State Preschool programs. District leaders say the programs provide a strong foundation during the critical early years of a child’s development while supporting families with educational and community resources.

Educators say the programs focus on much more than academics. Children learn social and emotional skills, communication, problem-solving, independence and classroom routines that help prepare them for kindergarten.

Head Start teacher Nancy Cortez has seen those benefits firsthand, both as an educator and as a parent.

“My two youngest were actually part of the program, the Head Start program, and I’ve just seen the way they are now, how this program has helped them get to that point,” Cortez said.

Cortez said watching children grow throughout the school year is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.

“It’s just building those relationships with the children and with the families and just watching them grow, having fun, those smiles and just those connections, those positive connections and their growth at the end of the year just watching them and seeing all that they’ve done they’ve accomplished throughout the year,” she said.

Early Childhood Education teacher Araceli Gonzalez said the classrooms help children build confidence before entering kindergarten.

“The programs are always welcome for parents if they’re unsure about enrolling their child. They can always come and observe and stay with their child,” Gonzalez said. “We help them first with social and emotional… it’s also important for their kids to be ready to deal with other students, with other kids.”

She said children who participate in the programs gain valuable experience interacting with classmates, building friendships and becoming comfortable in a classroom environment before starting elementary school.

District officials also say the programs can ease the burden on working families by providing a safe, structured learning environment throughout the day.

Early Childhood Education Director Linda Rodriguez said the programs are available at no cost to qualifying families.

“The most important thing is that it’s free,” Rodriguez said. “We know how hard it is in this economy right now, so having them in a safe environment… I invite the families to come on over.”

In addition to early learning, children enrolled in the programs receive nutritious meals, family engagement opportunities and access to support services designed to help families succeed.

Enrollment is open for eligible children ages 2 through 4. Qualifying families include those who meet income guidelines, families experiencing homelessness, foster children, children with disabilities and English learners.

Classes begin Aug. 10, and district officials encourage families to apply as soon as possible because space is limited.

Parents interested in enrolling or learning more can call 760-883-2703, email ECEstaff@psusd.us, or visit www.psusd.us for additional information.

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