Author: KESQ

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors today approved a $1 million loan and hands-on assistance from Riverside County agencies to keep the doors open to the emergency room at bankrupt Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe.

“This represents the county’s effort to preserve emergency medical care in the Palo Verde Valley,” county CEO Jeff Van Wagenen said ahead of the board’s 5-0 vote Tuesday. “The county provides safety net services across all of the county. We hope to stabilize the emergency department and make an assessment regarding next steps, then bring recommendations back to the board in the very near future.”

The loan agreement with the Palo Verde Healthcare District “does not solve every challenge the district faces, but it provides us breathing room to work on long-term solutions,” district board Clerk Joanna Gonzalez told the supervisors.

Without emergency services at the Blythe facility, the area’s roughly 20,000 residents would lose access to “timely treatment for life-threatening conditions where minutes matter,” according to a statement posted to the board’s agenda.

Less than two weeks ago, Van Wagenen, in coordination with Supervisor Manuel Perez, whose Fourth District encompasses the Palo Verde Valley, proposed the rescue loan, as well as a county health care “strike force” to develop an action plan for solving the hospital’s dire financial straits. Palo Verde Healthcare District administrators immediately accepted the offer.   

The district has only a few days’ cash on hand to fund operations, according to officials. The loan will be available to the district as soon as it establishes a stand-alone bank account for deposit of the seven figure sum, which will be drawn directly from the county General Fund.

Van Wagenen said the strike force will be composed largely of staff from the Riverside University Health System. They’ll spend the next six months conducting evaluations and identifying practices centered on rectifying deficiencies to, at minimum, restore the emergency department’s solvency.

The monetary agreement specifies the county will have “first priority” status among the health care district’s creditors and will under no circumstances be liable for any of the district’s debts. The loan structure calls for a roughly nine-month grace period, during which no payments on the loan are required.

However, starting in October, initial payment on loan principal will be necessary. A 3% annual interest rate would be assessed beginning January 2027, and the $1 million will have to be fully amortized by October 2031.

Without the hospital, the nearest option for emergency health care would be more than 70 miles away.

In a statement on Jan. 15, the Executive Office highlighted the likelihood of the loss of emergency medicine at the hospital after the California Department of Healthcare Services nixed a planned “voluntary rate range intergovernmental transfer” that would’ve extended $9.9 million in credit for remaining operations.

The Blythe City Council has since approved a $330,000 bridge loan, but that will only keep the emergency room’s doors open until the end of the month, officials said.

At the end of September, the Palo Verde Healthcare District Board of Directors voted to seek federal Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection while efforts were made to stanch ongoing financial losses.

Administrators noted the hospital had been struggling to remain afloat since the start of the current decade, with revenue streams withering while patient loads remained unchanged.

The California Health Facilities Financing Authority extended an $8.5 million infusion from the Distressed Hospital Program in 2023, but that turned into a short-term fix, according to the district. Administrators expressed frustration at the time about the inability to recruit a chief financial officer who would stay the course in sorting out possible solutions. Four CFOs came and went in an 18-month span.  

“Chapter 9 is the last tool left while we work to fix the financial management challenges that have so drastically impacted the hospital during the past several years,” PVHD Board President Carmela Garnica said in October. “Our community deserves a functioning hospital. We are doing everything we can to keep it open.”  

Only the emergency room remains open. All other hospital facilities have been shut down.  

The county loan will pay for staff salaries and benefits, pharmaceuticals, equipment purchases, utilities, billing operations and some legal expenses associated with Chapter 9 proceedings.

Van Wagenen emphasized that the health care district’s board of governors is independent of the county, its members elected by voters in and around Blythe. Neither he or Perez mentioned the possibility of a wholesale county takeover of the hospital’s emergency department, though the prospect may surface as a long-term solution.

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Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 71-year-old man is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning in Indio.

The crash happened at around 10:20 a.m. at the intersection of Monroe Street and Avenue 42.

Officers arrived on scene and found a bicyclist beneath a pickup truck involved, the Indio Police Department said.

The bicyclist sustained significant injuries and was transported by ambulance to Desert Regional Medical Center, where he is currently listed in critical condition.

Police confirmed the driver of the pickup truck remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

The intersection of Monroe Street and Avenue 42 was closed during the investigation, but was reopened just before 1:00 p.m.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. At this time, DUI is not suspected to be a factor, police confirmed.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Indio Police Department Traffic Division at (760) 391-4057.

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Luis Avila

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Bella Vista Elementary School is approaching full capacity.

Lisa Arseo, principal of Bella Vista Elementary, say overcrowding is affecting everything from classroom availability to where students can attend school, raising concerns.

“Every classroom we have is full,” she reveals. “We don’t have a space for P.E. right now that’s a classroom space, so if there is bad weather they’re in the hallway or stage. We have a music teacher that travels from class to class.”

According to Arseo, the growing student population is pushing the campus to its limits and disrupting day-to-day operations. As a result, some incoming students are being reassigned to other schools within Desert Hot Springs that still have available space.

“We have students in certain grade levels that we need to get bused to another school because we have a cap in some of our classrooms,” Arseo said. “We prefer to keep all of our residential students with us, but unfortunately, because we are quite full, sometimes they get shipped to other schools.”

The reassignment process has created challenges for families — particularly those with multiple children in different grade levels.

District officials acknowledge the concerns and say they are working with families to minimize disruptions.

“When we’ve hit capacity in our class sizes and we can’t take in another student for that particular grade level, we certainly work with the families to make accommodations that we can for that student and any siblings involved,” said a district representative.

Bella Vista Elementary is currently operating at 91 percent capacity, with officials pointing to rapid residential development in Desert Hot Springs as a key factor driving the increase in enrollment.

“We are getting more homes built in that area to the west of Bella Vista,” the district said. “They have a very large school boundary area, and it’s starting to get a bit crowded.”

To address the issue, Palm Springs Unified School District is beginning to explore potential adjustments to elementary school boundaries in Desert Hot Springs. However, no changes have been approved at this time.

District officials say any boundary changes would likely be considered starting in the 2027–28 school year, allowing time to carefully plan and implement solutions.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Daniella Lake

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Festival Theaters in Palm Springs is entering a new chapter by focusing on independent, international films and LGBTQ+ films. General manager, Zack Solomon, says the theater hopes to become a destination for indie films in the Coachella Valley. They also plan to expand showtimes to make films more accessible.

This comes as theaters across the nation have closed doors since the pandemic. A recent poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that three quarters of Americans say they opted to watch a new movie on a streaming platform instead of going in person to the theater at least once in 2025.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from Festival Theaters about their new chapter.

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Gavin Nguyen

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – Before police officers are ready to make split-second decisions to save lives, their preparation begins with rigorous training.

Law enforcement officers utilize advanced training technology, including Virtual Simulation Training. These immersive simulations help officers refine their tactics, communication, and response protocols for situations like active shooter scenarios, domestic violence calls, and other high-stress, rapidly evolving incidents.

“We’re able to train in a controlled environment that if a mistake is made, we can just reset the scenario,” said Nelson Romero, one of the operators of the training and Senior Investigator with the District Attorney’s office.

The system uses a series of infrared sensors and projectors. The software allows training operators to tailor each scenario and respond to officers’ attempts to de-escalate – or escalate – situations.

It uses real firearms, like the Glock 19 handguns used during Tuesday’s training, fit with lasers inside the barrels. That allows trainers to track when and where shots are fired in the scenarios.

I tried it for myself and encountered several training scenarios that law enforcement also trains on. From a man armed with a knife closing the distance to a domestic violence incident that turned into a hostage situation, they all felt like the real deal.

Helping contextualize and teach the public about how dynamic these situations are is one of the main reasons law enforcement invites civilians to experience it for themselves.

“We’re able to highlight some of the science behind force options and, you know, talk through some difficult conversations,” said Romero.

“Everybody can walk away with a good understanding of why sometimes things happen during scenarios.”

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María García

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Indio police are investigating a head-on crash that left two people injured and resulted in one driver being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Officers were called to the intersection of Calhoun Street and Avenue 48 just after 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Police say a 28-year-old man driving a Lexus is suspected of driving under the influence. He was arrested at the scene and later booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on DUI charges.

A 25-year-old female passenger in the Lexus and the driver of the other vehicle, a 30-year-old man driving a Toyota, were both injured in the crash. They were transported by ambulance to Desert Regional Medical Center. The man is in stable condition while the woman is in critical.

Several lanes were temporarily closed while officers investigated the crash. The roadway fully reopened just after 6:30 a.m.

Stay with News Channel 3 for updates.

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Shay Lawson

PALM SPRINGS , Calif. (KESQ)  – Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills took to social media Monday to comment on the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.

Federal immigration officers shot and killed Pretti in Minnesota on Saturday.

In his statement, Mills said in part, “I’d like to say I am shocked at the latest shooting in Minneapolis, but I am not. I expected it. Reckless, unconstitutional and immoral enforcement tactics spurred by poor leadership is now being exploited by anarchists who thirst for antigovernment violence. We are at a tipping point.”

News Channel 3’s Shay Lawson spoke with Chief Mills about why he shared his thoughts with the public.

“It’s important for our community to know exactly where the police chief stands on matters of crime and law enforcement and all the interactions between the community and the police,” Mills said.

We asked how the PSPD would respond if a similar incident happened in Palm Springs.

“It’s not going to happen here. The reason it won’t happen here is because I have full confidence in our ability and our community members to be peaceful,” Mills said. “We are going to continue to press our federal partners to let us know when they’re in town and they are not currently. And to make sure that we’re doing everything we can do to protect our community and make sure that people are responding appropriately.”

Chief Mills also called for federal accountability.

“At some point, the federal government has to figure out how they’re going to straighten this out,” Mills said. “How they’re going to make sure that these things don’t continue to happen.”

He said community members should exercise their constitutional rights peacefully.

“Don’t interfere. Don’t ever use violence against law enforcement. That will never end well,” Mills said. “But other than that, speak your mind. Be heard in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, and we will do everything we can to support and protect our community.”

Stay with News Channel 3 for the full report at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.

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Jesus Reyes

BIG BEAR, Calif. (KESQ) – Jackie the bald eagle has laid her second egg at the Big Bear nest!

Jackie had her egg at a little after 5 p.m. on Monday, the Friends of Big Bear Valley team announced.

She laid her first egg on Friday.

According to FOBBV, the two eggs should hatch closer together.

“Bald Eagles practice delayed incubation. They intermittently incubate and stay off or hover over the egg(s) until the last egg of the clutch is laid. Once the last egg is laid, they should incubate all the eggs more regularly. Since Jackie consistently lays eggs 3 days apart, this process slows the development of the first egg(s) laid so hatching will occur closer together, the eaglets will be closer in size, and all eaglets will have a better chance of survival.”

– FOBBV via Facebook

You can follow along with Jackie and Shadow on the FOBBV livestreams on YouTube:

Stay with News Channel 3 for any upates.

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Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 56-year-old man was sentenced Monday for stabbing a senior citizen withoutprovocation on the CV Link in Palm Springs.

Jacob Ethan Masters was officially sentenced to 8 years after being convicted of cruelty to elder/adult with an enhancement of injuring someone who is 70 years or older, according to court records.

Masters admitted the allegations Monday under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors dropped several related charges against Masters.   

During the hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Tucker certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the stipulated sentence.

Masters was arrested on Jan. 11 near the CV Link trail in the area of the Cimarron Golf Course.

The arrest stems from a stabbing on Dec. 31 along the CV Link trail between Golf Club Drive and Cathedral Canyon Drive.

The victim, a man out for a walk, reported that he made eye contact with a man on the trail as they passed. The victim said that about 15 minutes later, as he headed toward home, the suspect was still in the area.

Police said the suspect reportedly put on a ski mask, approached while yelling profanities, and assaulted the victim, knocking him to the ground. The victim fought back, and the suspect fled on foot. After the altercation, the victim learned he had been stabbed.

The victim was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and later released.

Police said that the incident appears to have been an unprovoked attack. The suspect did not demand property, and the motive remains under investigation.

Court records show Masters has prior convictions for domestic violence and auto theft.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A hiker was rescued after falling at the Art Smith trail near Palm Desert Monday afternoon.

The incident was reported at around 1:25 p.m.

“Firefighters responded to reports of an adult hiker that had fallen, approximately 1.5 miles from the Art Smith trailhead,” reads a post by CAL FIRE. “Firefighters hiked to the hiker’s location and rendered aid until the hiker could be loaded onto RSO helicopter rescue 9, and delivered to a waiting ground ambulance.”

The hiker suffered non-life threatening injuries, authorities said.

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