Author: KESQ

Jesus Reyes

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Hot Springs has a new city manager, and it is a familiar face for residents.

On Tuesday, the city council voted to appoint Doria Wilms as the new city manager of Desert Hot Springs.

Wilms was unanimously appointed the acting city manager in February, following the retirement of Frank Luckino. The city council will vote on Tuesday on whether Wilms will fill the position permanently.

Wilms first joined the city’s government in 2016. She started as a city clerk before filling a variety of positions in the city manager’s office, including assistant city manager and deputy city manager.

She previously served as an interim city manager in 2023 following the resignation of Luke Rainey.

According to city documents, Wilms’ salary will start at $242,000 and rise the next year to $253,000. The city council will conduct performance reviews in or around January 2026, June 2026, and yearly thereafter.

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City News Service

NORTH SHORE, Calif. (KESQ) – An $8.5 million project to upgrade roads throughout North Shore will get underway in the next couple of weeks, with the goal of making travel safer and smoother in the eastern Coachella Valley community.

“This is a significant investment that Riverside County is making. I am glad these roads will be taken care of, which improves the community and makes a difference for our residents,” Fourth District Supervisor Manuel Perez said in a statement.

Vance Corporation of Beaumont will repave and resurface about 5.4 miles of road, which includes Avenue 70, Vander Veer Road and Sea View Way, Avenue 68, Avenue 72, Commerce Street and Compass Drive and “at the entry to the community from the train tracks on Bay Drive,” county officials said.

The road work will commence later this month, and will possibly run throughout the summer. Residents can expect traffic delays along the aforementioned streets.

Funding for the project was provided by the county’s gas tax and transportation funds.

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KRDO

WASHINGTON (KRDO) — The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed federal charges against Mohammed Sabry Soliman, the 45-year-old man accused of setting people on fire in Boulder on Sunday.

The FBI called it a targeted terror attack, as he allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at people gathered for a demonstration in support of the Israeli hostages. Soliman’s criminal complaint alleges he yelled “Free Palestine” during the attack.

The DOJ is seeking federal hate crime charges, according to court records.

pic.twitter.com/GmmP5VddGr

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2025

“(Soliman) stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” the criminal complaint read. “Soliman stated he would do it (conduct an attack) again.”

According to the complaint, Soliman had allegedly been planning the attack for a year and waited until his daughter graduated to carry it out.

“The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world,” read a statement from Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.” 

He reportedly traveled from his Colorado Springs home, where he lived with his wife and five kids, to Boulder.

Editor’s note: Previous information from the FBI spelled the suspect’s name as “Mohamed.” The criminal complaint spells his name “Mohammed.” Because a criminal complaint is a legal document, KRDO13 is currently reporting that spelling unless other information comes to light.

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Gavin Nguyen

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – New research is showing that groundwater from the Colorado River Basin, or CRB, is depleting more quickly than most first thought.

Researchers from Arizona State University published the research letter just last week. They say since 2003, enough groundwater has been pumped out of the Colorado River Basin to fill Lake Mead (which has already lost significant surface water itself).

More alarmingly, researchers point out, is data they found showing an acceleration in groundwater usage in the past decade.

Using observations from NASA’s GRACE satellite, the team of researchers were able to track changes to the desert Southwest’s groundwater usage. By comparing gravitational anomalies within water trapped in snowpacks and surface water (any water the collects in rivers, lakes, etc.), they were able to find the amount of groundwater has been pumped out of the Colorado River Basin.

Researchers say over-pumping the Colorado River Basin could have long-lasting impacts for the seven states and Mexico that use this water source. This could result in wells drying, land subsidence, and future water shortages.

Karem Abdelmohsen, a postdoctoral researcher who worked to publish the study, said in an interview with News Channel 3, “If we continue in the same rate of pumping, this might actually impact both farming and city water supplies.”

“It is very concerning because groundwater acts like a backup storage during the droughts and we are using it faster than it can refill.”

Groundwater takes significant time to replenish itself. According to Abdelmohsen, both ways to recharge an aquifer – naturally, through rainfall or infiltration from bodies of water, like rivers, or artificially – are incredibly slow processes. That’s why the nearly 28 million acre-feet of water extracted from the CRB over the past two decades is alarming researchers.

Correcting course and striking a balance is key, but would require significant change for the agencies that manage this water usage.

“To reach sustainable water use, you need to make like [a] kind of balance between how much you are extracting and how much your aquifer is getting recharged,” Abdelmohsen said.

The Coachella Valley, however, has its own groundwater source: the Coachella Valley aquifer. This aquifer is largely independent from the Colorado River Basin (CRB) and its groundwater, but local water agencies do use CRB water to refill our aquifer’s recharge ponds in Whitewater and Mission Creek.

According to the Coachella Valley Water District, which manages the desert’s aquifer, plans have been in place to strike the balance that researchers advocate for.

Their website reads in part: “The Coachella Valley groundwater basin is balanced (sustainable yield) due to the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the SGMA Alternative Plans for the Indio Subbasin Water Management Plan Update and the Mission Creek Subbasin Water Management Plan Update.”

These plans are helping the Coachella Valley’s aquifer remain sustainable, and if CRB groundwater is cut from replenishing the aquifer, CVWD tells News Channel 3 that their history of sustainable planning can prevent disruption to our water supply.

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Luis Avila

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – CVAG is working on a plan to better manage and maintain major roads across the region. Right now, each city or county handles its own roadwork. A regional program would help spread out costs, improve road quality, and reduce traffic disruptions.

In 2024, CVAG hired a consultant, Michael Baker International, to update the condition of about 558 miles of major roads.

CVAG’s AtlasView Dashboard

The average road condition score (called PCI) was 75.5 out of 100—rated as “satisfactory.” Replacing all the roads would cost about $1.5 billion. To keep roads in their current condition, the region needs to spend about $21.9 million per year.

CVAG is reviewing five different long-term funding scenarios and will use the results to make policy recommendations later this year.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

BIG BEAR, Calif. (KESQ) – We have first flight! The moment so many people have been waiting for finally happened Monday morning.

Sunny, one of the two eaglets at the Big Bear nest, flew for the first time. The moment happened at around 10:46 a.m.

You can watch a livestream here

Sunny has been building up to her first flight for a few weeks, hovering for a few seconds but never taking that big leap.

It’s already been a big couple of days for Sunny and Gizmo, after officials found out that both are sisters.

For more on the eaglets and their nest, visit friendsofbigbearvalley.org

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Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – First responders rescued a hiker who experienced a medical emergency while on the Bump and Grind Trail in Palm Desert Monday morning.

The incident was first reported at around 8:20 a.m. after a hiker called dispatch and said she was not feeling well, possibly experiencing a medical emergency, CAL FIRE officials told News Channel 3.

Emergency crews made their way up the trail to assess the hiker, who was airlifted to Eisenhower Health.

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Jesus Reyes

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – The Los Angeles Lakers will return to Acrisure Arena to open their 2025-26 preseason in October, officials announced on Monday.

The Lakers will take on the Phoenix Suns on Friday, Oct. 3.

Individual game tickets for matchups in Greater Palm Springs are on sale starting Friday, June 6 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets for Oct. 3 at Acrisure Arena in Coachella Valley can be purchased via Ticketmaster, the official ticketing provider of Acrisure Arena, or at the Acrisure Arena Ticketmaster box office.

The game marks the team’s return to Coachella Valley for the third consecutive year, following sold-out appearances in 2023 and 2024, and celebrates the franchise’s deep roots in the region.

The organization has a rich history in Coachella Valley, which once served as the Lakers’ training camp home during the Showtime era.

In 2023, the Lakers returned to the desert after a 26-year hiatus, bringing the Purple and Gold back to the valley with a sold-out preseason showing.

The preseason opener is part of a four-game home slate, presented by Delta Air Lines, that takes place across three cities from Oct. 3–17. Highlights include a marquee showdown against the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas on Oct. 15 and two matchups at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will host the Golden State Warriors (Oct. 12) and Sacramento Kings (Oct. 17).

Spectrum SportsNet will broadcast all preseason games to begin its 14th consecutive season as the exclusive regional broadcast home for the Los Angeles Lakers. Additionally, preseason games can be heard on the team’s flagship radio station, 710 AM ESPNLA, and in Spanish on KWKW 1330 AM.

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Tori King

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)– Cathedral City’s City Council unanimously approved and adopted the biennial budget for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

The budget was approved at the council’s regular meeting on Wednesday, May 28th. According to the City, the biennial budget addresses the priorities of the community while generating revenues that meet city expenditures and focuses on the City’s Five-Year Strategic Plan, which was updated in March 2025.

“We think having a biennial budget is an important thing,” said Charlie McClendon, the City Manager for Cathedral City. “It promotes long range planning, because instead of looking just one year at a time, we’re looking over the next two years.”

The dollars for the budget comes from a mix of grants, taxes and various funds, according to McClendon.

For Fiscal Year 2025-2026, the City’s General Fund forecasted budgeted revenues are $70.8 million and budgeted expenditures are $76.6 million. The net deficit is $5.8 million, which includes $4.7 million in discretionary or non-recurring expenditures. For Fiscal Year 2026-2027, the City’s General Fund forecasted budgeted revenues are $73.5 million and budgeted expenditures are $78.1 million. The net deficit is $4.5 million, which includes $4.5 million in discretionary expenditures, resulting in a structurally balanced budget, a key aspect that provides a responsible path forward for city leaders.

“Having a structurally balanced budget, where our ongoing revenues balance to our ongoing expenditures, keeps us from having problems in the future,” explained McClendon. “If you if you don’t do that, you’re just pushing problems out down the road.”

The city says it’s staff developed the biennial budget after five months of preparation, reviews, and discussions, with a primary focus to accomplish City Council strategic plans and corresponding goals established in January 2023, with updates made in March 2025.

“Everything we do really is to serve the residents of the community,” said McClendon. “From police and fire protection, to our streets and roads, and our parks and recreation programs. It really is all designed for the people who live here.”

Departments reviewed past accomplishments and developed objectives focusing on achieving these overarching Council strategies and goals:

Serving the Community with Pride and Dedication

Community Investment

Fiscal Stability and Sustainability

Innovation

Safety

Embracing, Inclusive City

A majority of the projects falls under distinct goals, including Major Infrastructure Transformations and Community Investments, Comprehensive Transportation and Safety Improvements, Enhanced Emergency Response and Public Safety, Measure W: Voter-Approved Community Enhancements, and Technology and Innovation Upgrades.

“One of our goals is to make it so that people don’t have to come to City Hall anymore,” said McClendon. “They can do basically everything they need to do online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But that makes us also then have to invest in cyber security so that those who would do harm to us out there it’s at least harder for them to do so.”

Transportation improvements include the Date Palm North of I-10 Expansion, a $5.3 million project that will create a 6-lane roadway providing safe travel and proper storm water drainage in one of the city’s key corridors.

A fourth ambulance will be paid for, and the funds will provide six additional Firefighter Paramedic positions funded by Measure W, ensuring faster response times and better coverage across the community according to the city. The Police Department would also grow with three additional Police Officers in Investigative Services and two additional Public Safety Dispatchers to improve emergency response coordination.

The budget additionally includes funding for the Desert Recreation District Partnership, which will bring professional park maintenance and recreational programming. The budget also sets aside funds for the future construction of a Community Recreation Center.

For a more detailed breakdown of the budget click here.

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Allie Anthony

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) –  The real estate market in the Coachella Valley is undergoing changes. More homes are hitting the market, but with fewer buyers competing, prices are starting to drop.

Interest rates remain high—around 7%—making borrowing more expensive compared to recent years. Real estate expert Stephen Powell of Stephen Powell and Associates says this could be an ideal time for buyers to make a move because of less competition and more room to negotiate.

For sellers, however, the story is different. In a cooler market, pricing a home correctly from the start is more crucial than ever to attract buyers and avoid sitting on the market for a long time.

Stay with News Channel 3 at 4:00 for more on what these changes mean for you and the local housing market.

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