Daniella Lake
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is hosting its annual Singing the Birds: Bird Song and Dance Festival. The event will be held at Palm Springs High School from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bird singers and dancers from tribes across Southern California will gather to celebrate Native American heritage.
Palm Springs High School is located at 2401 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
Luis Avila
LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — As thousands of fans packed PGA West Friday for day two of the 2026 American Express Golf Tournament, security was front and center alongside the action on the course and a highly anticipated concert series.
Attendees described a visible and organized security presence beginning well before the entrance gates, including bag checks, ticket screening, and metal detectors. Fans said the process was smooth and efficient, helping move large crowds safely into the venue. Residents living near PGA West noted that law enforcement and event officials had been preparing for days ahead of the tournament.
Organizers say the level of planning is critical for an event drawing tens of thousands of spectators throughout the weekend. While the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was unavailable for comment, attendees are encouraging others to plan ahead to fully enjoy the tournament experience.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.
Blake Arthur
LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — Blades Brown had himself the round of a lifetime on Friday.
The 18-year-old shot a career-low 60 (12-under) on the Nicklaus Tournament Course in the second round of the American Express, setting a new course record in tournament history.
Have a day, Blades Brown 👏 pic.twitter.com/LiaFZfVx34
— The American Express ® (@theamexgolf) January 23, 2026
Harrison Frazar set the course record on the Nicklaus Tournament course at PGA Q-School in 2008 with a score of 59.
Still, it was an impressive round of golf for teenager, who finished with three straight pars to shoot 60.
Brown had a 6-foot birdie putt on his final hole that just missed. Had he made it, Brown would have became the youngest player to shoot 59 in PGA TOUR history.
Young fella shot a Nicklaus Tournament course-record 60 (-12) in the second round today to tie Scheffler atop the leaderboard. Brown had a 6-footer for 59 but pushed it right. Big-time round from a big-time talent. @KESQ @kendallkesq @Tarp1969 @theamexgolf https://t.co/M5ji25LEq8
— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) January 23, 2026
The Tennessee native made his PGA TOUR in last year’s American Express, playing on a sponsor exemption.
This year, he’s on another sponsor exemption, tied for the lead with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at 17-under par after two rounds. Brown is the the youngest player to hold a lead/co-lead after any round on the PGA TOUR since 2001.
63 and 64 for Scottie Scheffler in his first two rounds of the year. He’s atop the leaderboard at 17-under heading into the weekend here in La Quinta. @KESQ @theamexgolf @kendallkesq @Tarp1969
— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) January 23, 2026
Scheffler continued his strong start to the 2026 season and remains the favorite to win the tournament at +115 odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
The World No. 1 backed up his 63 on Thursday at La Quinta Country Club with a 64 on Friday at the Nicklaus Tournament Course. Scheffler has yet to make a bogey in his first two rounds.
Scheffler now has 11 straight rounds in the 60s at The American Express.
He is seeking to become first player since Tiger Woods to earn 20 PGA TOUR wins under the age of 30.
Click HERE for a full look at the leaderboard.
Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of the 2026 American Express.
Jesus Reyes
BIG BEAR, Calif. (KESQ) – Jackie the bald eagle has laid her first egg of the 2026 season at the Big Bear nest!
The egg was first visible on the nest livestream at around 4:32 p.m.
Last year, Jackie laid her first egg on Jan. 22. She laid a second egg about a little over a week later.
Check out the livestream from the Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) below:
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
Jesus Reyes
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) – Organizers for the 2026 BNP Paribas Open announced a slate of marquee fan entertainment events set to headline the opening weekend and first week of March, which includes a performance from American Idol winner Abi Carter.
Carter, a Coachella Valley native, will headline the Village Stage lineup with a live performance on Wednesday, March 4 at 5:00 p.m. before the first evening session of the tournament.
Some of the other events taking place during the first week of the BNP include:
BNP Paribas Open Family Day on Saturday, February 28
Families with children of all ages can enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of interactive clinics, player appearances, live music, and more activities to kick off the fortnight in Tennis Paradise.
For the first time ever, Family Day will commence with the brand new BNP Paribas Open Family Day 5K Run, which will begin at 10:00am and traverse throughout the grounds of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Family Day festivities will immediately follow the 5K race from 12:00-3:00pm.
Fans can visit bnpparibasopen.com/special-events/family-day for more information including how to register for the 5K race.
BNP Paribas Open Qualifying Days will also be of added interest to fans in 2026 as for the first time
he tournament will allow access to lower bowl seating in both Stadium 1 and Stadium 2 to watch superstar practice sessions.
From Sunday, March 1 to Tuesday, March 3, fans will be able to enter these stadiums and see top men’s and women’s players practice up close with the price of a $10 qualifying ticket.
“From an award-winning American Idol performance to expanded fan access to see their favorite players during qualifying days, we are always committed to delivering the ultimate Tennis Paradise experience,” said Philippe Dore, Chief Marketing Officer at the BNP Paribas Open. “These enhancements help create truly special moments for fans at Indian Wells.”
The 2026 BNP Paribas Open will take place from March 1-15 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Tickets for all sessions are available now at bnpparibasopen.com/tickets.
Stay with News Channel 3 for coverage of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open.
City News Service
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – With payroll gains outweighing losses throughout the regional economy, Riverside County’s unemployment rate ended 2025 lower than where it started, according figures released today by the California Employment Development Department.
The countywide jobless rate in December, based on preliminary EDD estimates, was 5.2%, compared to 5.5% in November.
The December rate was a tenth of a percentage point lower than in January of last year, when countywide unemployment stood at 5.3%, but the rate was slightly higher compared to December 2024, when the published unemployment figure was exactly 5%.
The combined unemployment rate for Riverside and San Bernardino counties — the Inland Empire — was 5.1%, down from 5.5% in November, the EDD said.
Data showed that Cherry Valley had the highest unemployment rate countywide in December at 10.8%, followed by Coachella at 9.3%, Rancho Mirage at 8.4%, Valle Vista at 7.6% and Blythe and Hemet, each at 6.9%.
Bi-county data indicated payrolls expanded by the widest margin last month in trade, transportation and utilities, where 3,400 positions were added, mainly in logistics.
The health services, information technology and professional business services sectors additionally grew by an aggregate 500 jobs, according to figures.
Payrolls contracted by the largest level in the construction sector, which shed 1,200 positions, while the agricultural, financial services, hospitality and public sectors declined by an estimated 1,000 jobs in December.
The EDD said miscellaneous unclassified industries also posted a loss of 1,000.
The mining and manufacturing sectors were unchanged.
The statewide non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December was 5.1%.
Garrett Hottle
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) An iconic desert oddity that has gone viral for its bizarre design and roadside shock value is now sitting behind a chain-link fence, posted with a city warning notice, that is fueling speculation, concern and plenty of rumors.
The VW Spider Beetle sculpture near Indian Canyon Drive, known for its vintage Volkswagen cars fused into an eight-legged spider shape, has recently been fenced off and marked with a “Do Not Enter – Unsafe to Occupy” notice from the City of Palm Springs. The sudden appearance of the warning and fencing has led to online claims that the sculpture is being removed. or that it’s already gone.
News Channel 3 went to the site and spoke directly with crews working in the area to find out what’s really happening.
Tune into News Channel 3 at 5pm and 6pm for a full report.
Athena Jreij
UPDATE 1/24
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – News Channel 3 has received several reports that between 20-30 employees have been given layoff notices at Renova Energy.
It comes after News Channel 3 confirmed exclusively, the company will be acquired by investor-backed Mycrogrid.
Renova Energy CEO Vincent Battaglia said the acquisition will restructure the departments, and the company won’t know if layoffs are final until after the launch of Mycrogrid.
News Channel 3’s Athena Jreij spoke with one man, verified by multiple sources to have worked at Renova, who claims he was laid off Friday with little notice.
The man asked to share his story under condition of anonymity, out of fear of retaliation.
He claims this is his second time being laid off at the company following a mass furlough in 2024.
Now, he worries how he’ll pay his bills and make ends meet.
“It’s just tough, you know, I mean, especially for people that maybe have bigger things going on for themselves. So we don’t know. You know, certainly for me it’s pretty tough with bills and family,” he said.
Stick with News Channel 3 as we continue to follow this story through the relaunch of Mycrogrid.
Original Story 1/23
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Renova Energy is being acquired by an investor-backed company, Mycrogrid, according to owner Vincent Battaglia.
News Channel 3 reached out to Battaglia today after questions from viewers, and received this statement:
“Renova Energy is not closing its doors and we appreciate the public’s concern. We are currently in a planned transition as part of a restructuring for acquisition of our 20 year company by an investor-backed company set to launch this spring.
Existing Renova customers will continue to receive service without interruption while backend operations are finalized. During this transition, new sales and installations will temporarily cease. We look forward to reopening in April as Mycrogrid®, a stronger company with expanded solar + energy storage, service and roofing capabilities!”
Battaglia clarified the transition will restructure the company and it’s employees, and that they expect to fill more roles with the help of Mycrogrid come April.
News Channel 3 dug deeper into the acquisition company, Mycrogrid, and found 2024 Secretary of State documents listing Battaglia as CEO of Mycrogrid.
After reaching out to Battaglia for clarification on what this means for the acquisition, he said, “Mycrogrid® was founded more than a decade ago with a clear, long-term mandate: to assemble the right capital, partners, and technical foundation for the next generation of solar + battery infrastructure. It’s time and that groundwork is now complete, and the market conditions, technology maturity, and investor alignment make this the right moment to launch,” Battaglia said via text.
The change comes after Renova’s pause in California and Arizona business operations in July of 2024, when the company furloughed more than 300 employees. After the pause, the company began rehiring staff in August of that year with continued efforts to find a new business partner.
This is a developing story, stick with News Channel 3 for the latest.
Jesus Reyes
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Two people were injured after a crash along Indian Canyon Drive near Desert Hot Springs Thursday night.
The crash was reported just before 8 p.m. on Indian Canyon near Harvest Moon Road.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the vehicle was traveling southbound on Indian Canyon Road at an unknown speed when, for reasons still under investigation, the driver lost control and traveled across the northbound lane before crashing into two parked vehicles on the right shoulder.
CAL FIRE confirmed two people were hospitalized, one with critical injuries and the other with minor injuries.
The driver has a large laceration to their forehead, and complaint of pain to head and back, CHP said. The passenger had a medical emergency upon medical personnel arrival which was believed to be unrelated to the crash.
CHP confirmed investigators do not believe neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor in the crash.
Roads in the area were temporarily closed but were back open by 9 p.m.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
KESQ News Team
WASHINGTON D.C. (KESQ) – The House passed all 12 appropriations bills ahead of the January 30 government funding deadline, passing the four final bills on Thursday.
It includes “The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill” which local Republican Congressman Ken Calvert says contained more than $67 million for our 41st Congressional District water and transportation infrastructure projects, including:
$5.6 million for the Cook Street Bridge Project in Palm Desert
$1.7 million for the Corona Trails Improvement Project
$5 million for the French Valley Airport Contract Control Tower Project
$5 million for the Indian Canyon Drive Project in Palm Springs
$5 million for the I-10 Singleton Road Interchange Project in Calimesa
$5 million for the I-15 Express Lanes Southern Extension Project
$8 million for the Lake Elsinore Water Quality Project
$4 million for the Magnolia Avenue Widening Project in Corona
$2.4 million for the Norco Recycled Water Distribution and Transmission Mainline Project
$3 million for the Inline Baggage Handling System Improvement Project at Palm Springs International Airport
$5 million for the Quail Valley Septic to Sewer Conversion Project
$2.5 million for the Scott Road/Bundy Canyon Road Widening in Menifee
$5 million for the Via Vail Roadway Improvement Project in Rancho Mirage
$5 million for the Washington Street Pavement Resurfacing Project in La Quinta
$5 million for the Whitewater Channel Lining in Indian Wells
The bill now moves to the Senate before heading to the White House for the President’s signature.
