Author: KESQ

María García

Original Report 1:20 p.m. 6/18/26

N Gene Autry Trail is back open, city officials announced.

Original Report 5:00 a.m. 6/18/26

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — North Gene Autry Trail has been closed through the Whitewater Wash due to low visibility caused by strong winds carrying sand and dust across the roadway.

The closure is intended to protect motorists as visibility can quickly deteriorate in the area during windy conditions.

Officials say Indian Canyon Drive and East Vista Chino are both open and serving as alternate routes for travelers impacted by the closure.

Motorists are encouraged to use caution, allow extra travel time, and stay alert for changing weather and road conditions throughout the morning.

Stay with News Channel 3 for updates.

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City News Service

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. KESQ) – A nearly seven-decade-old house in Rancho Mirage developed by one of the Coachella Valley’s legendary architects was declared a “historic resource” today by unanimous vote of the City Council, permanently recognizing its special status in the community.

“This particular house is phenomenal, and it’s part of a pocket of homes on Thunderbird North that are absolutely spectacular and the epitome of mid-century homes,” Mayor Lynn Mallotto said ahead of the vote Thursday afternoon.

Kenneth and Ann Moyle currently own the home at 71076 Country Club Drive, and the couple submitted an application to the Historic Preservation Commission earlier this year, seeking the historic designation.

In April, the commission unanimously recommended that the council grant the classification for the single-story property, which is situated on a .55-acre plot at the corner of Country Club and Morningsprings Road.

There was no opposition to the proposal.

“This house is a perfect example of a historic resource, as it meets all the necessary definitions,” Councilman Michael O’Keefe said.

The classification ensures the 3,288-square-foot house’s future protection from potential encroachments.

It was constructed in 1958, designed by acclaimed architect William Francis Cody, whose creations are well known under the Modern Architecture Movement, rooted in 1950s and 60s Palm Springs and its surroundings. Cody died in 1978.

The four-bedroom, four-bath house “features a flat-roofed porte cochere entrance, which is supported by round metal posts and a pair of rock walls,” according to a Department of Planning report to the council.

“The exterior is clad in board and batten or vertically scored stucco,” the report stated. “The residence features natural rock at the perimeter walls, planters, porte cochere and the interior chimney. Other key architectural elements include deep overhangs on the rear and north elevation, use of roof cut-outs, the sun courts/lanai, floor-to-ceiling windows, a flat roof and ceilings supported by narrow posts.”

The property’s original owner was Aubrey Pollard Simons, whose 25-acre gift to the city in 1966 led to development of the Eisenhower Medical Center. Simons was a principal backer of the Thunderbird North community, which is comprised of 1950s-era custom homes, including the one now designated historic.

He additionally served as chairman of the hospital’s Finance Committee, was a member of the Board of Trustees and a member of the medical center’s Building Committee.

His dedication to community service was acknowledged by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, reflected in images folded into the application for designation.

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Jesus Reyes

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Tom Dreesen, stand-up comic, longtime opening act for Frank Sinatra, and a Coachella Valley regular, died at the age of 86, according to multiple reports.

Dreesen, a Chicago native, died at his home in Los Angeles, a family spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. There was no word on a cause of death.

He made over 500 appearances on National Television as a stand-up comedian, including 61 appearances on The Tonight Show and guest-hosting David Letterman’s late-night shows.

For 14 years, he toured the nation as the opening act for Frank Sinatra, a connection that brought him to the Palm Springs area multiple times over the years. He was featured in the documentary, Sintra in Palm Springs.

Dreesen was known as the longtime Master of Ceremonies of the Bob Hope Classic (Now known as the American Express) and the host of the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational Gala.

Tom Dreesen speaks with News Channel 3 at the 2011 Bob Hope Classic

He spoke at the funerals of Frank and Barbara Sinatra after their deaths in 1998 and 2017.

Dreesen speaks at Barbara Sinatra’s funeral at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in 2017

In 1999, Dreesen received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. His star is located at 265 S Palm Canyon Drive, near Sammy G’s Tuscan Grill

Dreesen was a guest on Eye on the Desert multiple times, including in 2020, speaking with News Channel 3’s Patrick Evans about his memoir, Still Standing.

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Local preservationists are raising concerns about the future of the historic Town & Country Plaza after the Palm Springs city council recently approved plans for a new downtown fire station.

Last week, the city council voted to move forward with purchasing the Town & Country Center property as the future home of Fire Station No. 1, saying a new station is needed to improve emergency response and replace the aging current facility.

But some residents say the site’s history should not be ignored.

The Town & Country Plaza was designed in part by renowned architect Paul Revere Williams, whose work includes some of Southern California’s most recognizable buildings. Supporters of preservation say the plaza is an important piece of Palm Springs history and deserves careful consideration before any demolition takes place.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Kiera Seapy

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)- The Palm Springs Unified School District is teaching students CPR through classes and training.

Students at Nellie Coffman Middle School took part in a hands-on CPR training as part of the districts summer learning program. The training includes how to recognize a cardiac emergency, call 911, and start chest compressions.

Mary Leith, the development director of the American Heart Association, explains that “nine out of ten cardiac arrests happen outside of a hospital” and their goal is ” to create a nation of lifesavers”.

This training is part of a new partnership between Palm Springs Unified and the American Heart Association.

The Director of Risk Management, Renée Brunelle, explains they have to have a school of lifesavers.

“We want to have a school of lifesavers. “We want to train students to be able to have the skills of CPR at an early age …We have a goal to have every high school student graduate with a CPA being CPR certified” said Brunelle.

This program is available to students nine years old and older across the district with the goal of making lifesaving training part of every student’s education. More than 180 students were trained during the first part of Wednesday’s summer session, with more classes coming.

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Tommy Gallegos

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Well In The Desert has received a $1 million anonymous donation, launching a matching campaign to help the nonprofit secure a permanent home in the Coachella Valley.

The donor, a longtime supporter of the organization’s work, stepped forward after learning about Well In The Desert’s ongoing search for a permanent location and recent relocation challenges. The gift is intended to inspire the community to match the donation and help raise an additional $1 million.

“We are incredibly grateful for this extraordinary act of generosity,” said Matthew Naylor, president of Well In The Desert. “This gift is about more than a building. It is about ensuring that food, compassion, dignity, and hope remain available to our community for decades to come.”

For nearly 30 years, Well In The Desert has provided meals, food assistance, and support services across the Coachella Valley. In 2025 alone, the organization says it served nearly 98,000 meals and continues to support more than 250 families each week through its food bank.

The nonprofit recently learned it must vacate its current food bank location due to the new Palm Springs Fire Station being built, though its timeline has been extended to mid-August, allowing services to continue uninterrupted during the transition.

The proposed permanent facility would include food storage and distribution space, a commercial kitchen, dining facilities, offices, and community gathering areas.

“This campaign gives us an opportunity to build something permanent—a home where our mission can continue to grow and serve future generations,” Naylor said.

Well In The Desert is encouraging individuals, businesses, foundations, and community organizations to participate in the matching campaign.

“Every donation, regardless of size, moves us one step closer to creating a permanent home for service, compassion, and hope,” Naylor added.

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Garrett Hottle

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Desert Hot Springs is the latest Coachella Valley city to slam the brakes on data centers.

The City Council approved a 45-day moratorium on new data center development Tuesday night, temporarily blocking any such project while city staff studies the impact on water, power and the surrounding desert.

The move puts Desert Hot Springs in step with a fast-spreading backlash. In a roughly two-week span this month, Coachella, Indio, the city of Imperial and Imperial County all paused data centers. Coachella went further, voting June 4 to terminate its agreement with the developer behind a proposed technology campus and directing staff to draft a permanent ban.

Under California law, urgency moratoriums like this one start at 45 days and can be extended up to roughly two years while a city writes permanent rules.

The concern driving the wave is resources. Large warehouses of servers that power artificial intelligence and cloud computing can draw more than a million gallons of water a day in hot weather and consume enormous amounts of electricity. In a desert that routinely tops 110 degrees, that has alarmed residents who packed months of meetings in neighboring Coachella.

And the worry here isn’t just local. A Gallup survey this spring found 71% of Americans don’t want a data center built near them 48% strongly opposed, just 27% in favor. It was the first time Gallup had even asked the question.

The pushback is also moving fast. The U.S. Data Center Moratorium Tracker, counted eight efforts to restrict data centers a year ago. Today there’s more than 70.

A separate group, Data Center Watch, also found at least 75 projects worth roughly $130 billion were blocked or delayed across the country in just the first three months of 2026

The Desert Hot Springs vote also comes amid tension. On June 10, the city’s Planning Commission unanimously approved the Snider Logistic Center – a roughly 1 million-square-foot warehouse on about 64 acres projected to employ nearly 1,000 people despite some resident objections about truck traffic, air quality and water use.

Commissioners specified the project will not be a data center.

Below is a statement released from the City of Desert Hot Springs to city residents regarding Tuesday’s vote to approve a 45-dy moratorium on data centers.

Dear Desert Hot Springs Residents,

At last night’s meeting, City Council unanimously approved a 45-day moratorium on data centers, which went into effect immediately.

The City Council also directed staff to return on July 7 with an extension for two years.

Their action was guided by City’s Strategic Plan— which is the roadmap that directs our priorities, investments, and long-term vision for the future.

We want to thank everyone who attended last night’s meeting. Whether you spoke, asked questions, shared your perspective, or simply took the time to be present, your involvement matters. It takes courage to step up to the podium and make your voice heard, and we appreciate the passion residents continue to show for our city.

Many of you spoke about the positive momentum taking place throughout Desert Hot Springs. We want you to know that this progress is not accidental.

The City’s Strategic Plan is more than a document. It is the City Council’s vision for our future, built with community input, and a commitment to delivering results for the people of Desert Hot Springs.

From new parks and public safety investments to infrastructure improvements, economic development opportunities, and public art that reflects the pride of our city, the positive changes residents are seeing today are rooted in that vision.

These improvements are the result of a city with a plan and a commitment to see it through.

We invite residents to review the City’s Strategic Plan, stay engaged, and continue helping shape the future of Desert Hot Springs.

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Tommy Gallegos

PALM DESERT, Calif. — DSRT Surf, the new wave lagoon set to open in Palm Desert in late summer 2026, will host a hiring event on Friday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Willows Room inside Desert Willow Golf Resort.

The company is hiring for lifeguard and maintenance positions ahead of its opening. No appointment is necessary, and applicants are encouraged to bring a resume and valid ID.

The event provides an opportunity for job seekers to meet with hiring representatives and learn more about available positions at the upcoming surf destination.

The new surf park is expected to feature surfing, resort-style pools, pickleball, food, and family activities designed for both locals and tourists.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Riverside County’s median home price held steady in May while sales activity showed little change, according to data released today by the California Association of Realtors.

The median price of an existing single-family home in Riverside County was $640,000 in May, unchanged from April and up 0.3% from $638,000 a year ago. Home sales in the county increased 0.2% from April but were down 2.2% from May 2025, according to CAR.

Statewide, existing single-family home sales totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 268,810 units in May, down 3.1% from April but up 5.1% from a year earlier, marking the largest year-over-year increase since September. California’s median home price reached a record $930,260 in May, up 2.3% from April and 3.1% higher than a year ago.

“California’s home sales softened in May as broader economic uncertainty continued to weigh on consumer confidence and homebuying sentiment,” CAR President Tamara Suminski said in a statement.

“Even so, the recent easing in mortgage rates is an encouraging development, and if that trend continues, it could help bring more buyers and sellers back into the market and support a gradual improvement in housing conditions beginning in the third quarter.”

Sales of higher-priced homes continued to outpace the broader market. Homes priced between $1 million and $2 million posted an 8.2% increase in sales from a year ago, while homes priced above $2 million saw sales rise 8.5%, according to CAR.

“Housing supply has remained constrained in recent months as the lock-in effect continued to put many would-be sellers on the sidelines, intensifying competition and placing upward pressure on home prices,” CAR Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine said in a statement.

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Timothy Foster

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) — A new study is drawing attention to earthquake risks across the Coachella Valley, finding that Southern California’s San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems are under some of the highest levels of stress seen in the past 1,000 years.

The research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, found that stress has continued to build along the faults because of the long time since the last major earthquakes.

For the Coachella Valley, the findings are especially important because the southern San Andreas Fault runs along the eastern side of the valley and is considered one of California’s most closely watched fault zones.

Scientists used computer models and centuries of earthquake history to study how the faults interact. They found that a future large earthquake could involve both the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems.

The study does not predict when a major earthquake will happen, but researchers say it highlights the need for communities to stay prepared. Emergency officials continue to encourage residents to have emergency kits, make family plans, and know what to do when an earthquake strikes.

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