Author: KESQ

Luis Avila

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) – The devastation in Texas following deadly floods is sending shockwaves across the Christian community, prompting action and reflection.

Southwest Church in Indian Wells is partnering with Convoy of Hope to provide disaster relief to those impacted. 85,000 pounds of food, water, and emergency supplies have already been delivered.

“The church is a big community and we love our church family and we just know if something were happening here in the valley that Convoy would be the first people we would call.”

Andrew Statezny, Southwest Church pastor

The floods have killed at least 110 people, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp.

Gregg Hunter, President and CEO of the Christian Camp and Conference Association, says as a result, camps are reevaluating and strengthening safety protocols.

“They’re going through the process themselves of ‘ok, what would we do if that situation happened with us. Let’s redefine all our processes, defaults, safety protocols and make sure that we keep kids as safe as they possibly can be.’”

Gregg Hunter, Christian Camp & Conference Association President and CEO

Still, he says it’s a tough time for parents and campers. If parents are concerned about their child’s safety, he recommends reaching out to the camp.

Sam Frederick, who provides counseling services for Christian camps across the region, says it’s a process that will take time. He’s expecting the need for counseling services to increase as a result of the tragedy at Camp Mystic.

“Recognizing that we’re hopefully safe and what safe looks like here. Making sure they feel and if they’re processing the pain of ‘how can something like this happen in a setting like that,’ then giving them a space for them to talk and of course the most important thing that we can provide is listening.”

Sam Frederick, All People Therapy owner

While many continue to mourn, officials says it’s also a moment to come together to support one another.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Blake Arthur

Former Palm Desert high school standout Travis Adams has fulfilled a lifelong dream, making his Major League Baseball debut.

Congratulations to Travis Adams on making his MLB Debut! pic.twitter.com/wKjYJ73tae

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 5, 2025

Adams, selected by the Twins in the 6th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, made his big league debut in Minnesota against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, July 5.

A top prospect for the Twins, Adams pitched four innings, allowing 9 hits and 5 runs. He also recorded a strikeout, his first-ever at the major league level.

Save that baseball!

First big league strikeout for @Twins No. 21 prospect Travis Adams: https://t.co/C6WYkyrwbb pic.twitter.com/diod91wb1t

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 5, 2025

Despite the overall rocky outing for the 25-year-old, Adams’ parents are proud of their son’s incredible achievement.

Parents of Travis Adams share experience of watching their son make @MLB debut for @Twins over the weekend. Adams is a former @PDHS_Athletics standout, selected in 6th round by Minnesota in 2021 draft. @KESQ @MLBPipeline @KenjiitoKESQ @PDAztecsports @pdaztecbaseball pic.twitter.com/z5vTt9BptY

— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) July 8, 2025

With him appearing in a MLB game, Adams became the 9th local baseball player to do so.

Aside from Adams, Taylor Ward and Jeremiah Estrada, are the only other players from the Coachella Valley on an active MLB roster.

Ward, a graduate of Shadow Hills, was selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Angels. He’s been with the big club since 2018, playing in the most MLB games by far, at 630 and counting.

Estrada, a graduate of Palm Desert, is currently a relief pitcher for the Padres after being taken in the 6th round by the Cubs in 2017. He’s appeared in 120 MLB games and counting.

Of the nine local players to make their MLB debut, five of them, including Adams, are PDHS graduates.

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Haley Meberg

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)– Five adults were arrested over the evening hours of this Fourth of July weekend by the Cathedral City Police Department. 

The Cathedral City Police Department (CCPD) reported that they received over 65 calls for service regarding illegal fireworks being detonated throughout the city. In response to this the CCPD sent out a firework suppression detail made up of Police Officers and code Compliance Officers to look into the violations. 

Following this detail, five adults were arrested and charged with possession of illegal fireworks; a misdemeanor, and were issued the proper citations. 

In addition, two other individuals received citations for disruptive activities and several fireworks were confiscated throughout the weekend. 

The CCPD asks that anyone with additional information related to these incidents contacts them directly at (760) 770-0332, tips@cathedralcity.gov or via the Cathedral City Police Department website at: cathedralcitypolice.com 

Tips can also be made anonymously through Coachella Valley Crime Stoppers by calling (760) 341-STOP or through the WeTip hotline at 1-(800) 78-CRIME 

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates. 

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Shay Lawson

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)  – Law enforcement agencies across the Coachella Valley are reporting firework citations after Independence Day celebrations.

Indio

In Indio, Sergeant Abraham Plata, Indio Police Department, said officers issued multiple citations for illegal fireworks.

“We ended up with 26 people who were cited for illegal fireworks,” Plata said. “Six of those were actually caught with the use of the drones.”

The department used drones to monitor neighborhoods and respond to complaints.

“Our social media team was very aggressive with posting a lot of messages on social media and getting the word out,” Plata said. “It looks like a lot of residents saw those messages and cooperated because we did have less incidents in comparison to last year.”

Palm Springs

Palm Springs Police Lieutenant Gustavo Araiza reported the department did not have any citations.

“We received a few complaints,” Araiza said.

Cathedral City

During July 4th into July 5th, the Cathedral City Police Department (CCPD) received over 65 calls for service regarding illegal fireworks said Commander Andrew Diaz, CCPD.

“CCPD deployed a fireworks suppression detail composed of Police Officers and Code Compliance Officers to address the violations,” Diaz said. “As a result, 5 adults were arrested and were issued citations.”

He said 2 additional individuals received Administrative Citations for disruptive activities, and severalfireworks were confiscated throughout the evening.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

News Channel 3 reached out to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and is still waiting for a response.

Stay with KESQ at 10 and 11 p.m. to learn more about the success of the Indio Police Department’s drone program.

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John White

Six months into the Trump administration, News Channel 3 anchor John White sits down for a wide-ranging interview with local Republican Congressman Ken Calvert, asking the hard questions on important local issues.

“Does ICE need to be more open about what they’re doing?”

What the Congressman says on the local impacts of immigration enforcement, foreign policy, tariffs, and how they’ll affect the Coachella Valley.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The Living Desert announced the death of the zoo’s striped hyena Kipenzi, affectionately known as Kip by guests and those who cared for him.

Kip arrived at the Living Desert from the San Diego Zoo in 2014. He quickly became a staff and guest favorite.

Zoo officials said that last week, Kip exhibited some sudden difficulty in breathing and was immediately rushed to the Vet Hospital for testing. The team was unable to find an immediate underlying cause for his distress and despite numerous attempts at medical intervention to help him recover, Kip continued to decline.

“The sad decision was made to compassionately release him,” officials said.

Kip was 19 years old. The maximum life expectancy of a striped hyena in human care is 24 years old.

“Kip taught everyone who worked with him about perseverance and patience, it was his innate nature to be skeptical of anything new, and it was one of the many things his care team loved him for. He became a guest favorite for his majestic appearance and demeanor and to say he will be greatly missed by all who knew him would be an understatement,” Zoo officials wrote.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)– The Desert Healthcare District and Foundation has provided a new $236,000 grant to “Planned Parenthood.”

The grant aims to help the organization pay for its first Coachella Valley based physician. 

Planned Parenthood says this will help it to expand sexual and reproductive healthcare access, including low-income communities across our valley.

The Desert Healthcare District and Foundation CEO says bringing on the new physician will help to provide our community a variety of lifesaving services. 

“Some of those services include support for menopause management, gynecology type issues. There’s a special procedure called Leap, which helps to treat pre-cancerous conditions and cancer.” says Chris Christensen, CEO of Desert Health District and Foundation.

The District and Foundation has a grant program that awards about five million each year to advance community wellness. 

Stay with News Channel 3 for more information. 

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abc-news

By Emily Shapiro, Jack Moore, Nadine El-Bawab, and Ivan PereiraLast Updated: July 8, 2025, 11:55 AM PDT

At least 108 people are dead after heavy rain led to devastating flooding in Texas.

Kerr County was hit the hardest, with at least 87 deaths, including 30 children. President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for the county and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the ground there.

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Haley Meberg

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)- Palm Springs Pavilion and Swim Center is temporarily closed due to a power outage. 

This Saturday, it was announced that The Palm Springs Pavilion and Swim Center would be closed due to a power outage from equipment failure at Sunrise Park causing the city to cancel Fourth of July festivities including the Dive-In Movie and the Power Baseball game. 

Currently, backup generators are providing power to key facilities including the Palm Springs Public Library and Leisure Center.

There have not been any updates as to when the Palm Springs Pavilion and Swim Center and Power Baseball Stadium are set to reopen but the City of Palm Springs plans to set new dates for the canceled events.

For more information on this topic contact the Park and Recreation Dept. at (760) 323-8272 or email recinfo@palmspringsca.gov.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates

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Jesus Reyes

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Firefighters are working to contain a structure fire in the Windy Cove area north of Palm Springs.

The fire was reported at around 1:10 p.m. on the 15000 Block of La Vida Drive in the county area of Palm Springs.

According to CAL FIRE, there was “heavy smoke and fire from a residential structure.”

No injuries have been reported.

We have a crew on the way to the scene to gather more details. Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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