Author: KESQ

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors today appointed a new fire chief for Riverside County and bid farewell to the man who has served in the top spot for the last five years.

The board voted unanimously in support of the appointment of Robert Fish, a Cal Fire firefighter for almost 35 years, to head the Riverside County Fire Department. He assumes the position previously held by Chief Bill Weiser, who is slated to officially retire on Dec. 31.

Chief Bill Weiser

“Chief Weiser exemplifies the best in Riverside County,” Supervisor Jose Medina remarked during Fish’s swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday morning in the County Administrative Center. “He’s leaving the county fire department in very good hands. I look forward to working with you, Chief Fish.”

Fish recently served as deputy chief for East County Operations, managing a territory extending from Beaumont to Blythe, supervising Cal Fire operations in 10 of the 19 municipalities that contract with the county for emergency services. The county has contracted with Cal Fire for fire protection services since the 1940s.   

Fish was tentatively selected by Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler earlier this year to lead the county fire department, after which he was vetted by a committee composed of two county supervisors, as well as officials from the Executive Office, who affirmed the choice.

“I’m very proud of you to serve Riverside County,” Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez said. “You grew up in Riverside County, and that’s really important. You even graduated from Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, which is really exciting. When Chief Weiser was unavailable, you would step in and do a professional job. You’ll be a great fire chief for Riverside County.”  

Supervisor Karen Spiegel admitted she’d miss Weiser, who had “done so much for the county.”

“But we’ve got to focus on the future,” she said. “You have big shoes to fill, Chief Fish, but you’re starting with a clean slate. I look forward to seeing where you’re going to take us.”

Fish thanked the board for its decision and vowed that he would do “everything I can to lead as effectively as Chief Weiser has.”   

Weiser, a firefighter since 1981, replaced Shawn Newman as fire chief in August 2020. During the chief’s watch, several fire stations have been constructed and renovated. However, the county fire department’s budget has also swollen in that time, though by working with the Executive Office, cost overruns have been held in check.   

Weiser told the board he intends to remain in California in retirement.

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Tauli Anderson

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County health officials are reporting a slight increase in mpox cases in recent weeks, prompting renewed reminders for residents to stay aware.

Experts say the overall risk to the general public remains very low. Still, health leaders emphasize that early diagnosis can significantly reduce the severity of symptoms and help limit further spread.

“The symptoms vary depending on how long you’ve had it. Initially, it might feel like any other illness — fever, fatigue, malaise,” said Lindsey Valenzuela, Vice President of Population Health Integration at Desert Oasis Healthcare.

Health officials say individuals at higher risk—including those who may have close physical contact with multiple partners—should consider getting vaccinated.

Mpox has a two-dose vaccine given 28 days apart.

The mpox vaccine continues to be available throughout Riverside County, and public health leaders encourage residents to stay informed about symptoms, prevention methods, and vaccination options. 

 

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway lit up its Christmas Tree Sunday, with the help of pop star Lance Bass and News Channel 3’s Chief Meteorologist Patrick Evans.

The Tram’s landmark 45-foot tree is comprised of over 4,000 LED lights, which can be seen throughout the Coachella Valley.

Bass, one-fifth of the renowned vocal group NSYNC, served as the celebrity tree lighter at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. 

Patrick Evans was the emcee of the event.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Beginning Friday and continuing to New Year’s Day, Riverside County sheriff’s deputies will engage in operations countywide to deter drunken and drug-impaired driving.

The department’s annual “Winter Mobilization” is slated to run roughly three weeks in multiple locations, relying on saturation patrols, sobriety checkpoints and similar efforts to crack down on impaired motorists.   

“We want to make sure everyone gets home safely, so that they can celebrate the Holiday Season with their families and loved ones,” sheriff’s Sgt. Evan Bechtold said. “Not only is driving impaired illegal, but it is also dangerous and never acceptable. We are asking everyone to do their part to keep themselves and everyone on the roads safe.”  

Bechtold emphasized the importance of securing designated drivers in advance to ensure a sober person is at the wheel for any trips following Christmas parties, or any other outings where drinks were provided.

“Impaired driving is not just from alcohol,” the sergeant said. “Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, cannabis products and other drugs may also cause impairment.”

Deputies will take a zero tolerance approach to intoxicated driving.   

The mobilization is part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s annual “Drive Sober, or Get Pulled Over” campaign to discourage driving under the influence.  

The California Highway Patrol will be undertaking similar operations during its Christmas and New Year’s maximum enforcement periods, when all available officers deploy onto Inland Empire freeways, highways and unincorporated roads to catch traffic violators.

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Luis Avila

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The Foster Youth Center at College of the Desert is collecting donations to create comfort bags for foster students across the Coachella Valley. What began as a holiday project has grown into a year-round effort to ensure local foster youth receive basic essentials—and a reminder that they are not alone.

Philip Salas, Foster Youth Services counselor, says the bags will go to 112 foster youth students identified throughout the valley. Each one is filled with hygiene products, blankets, coloring books, and other personal essentials meant to provide dignity and immediate support.

“Their scars and their bruises are hidden. You don’t know who they are. There’s a lot more than you realize.”

Philip Salas, Foster Youth Services Counselor

Many foster youth, he explains, enter care with only a few belongings—often carried in trash bags. The center hopes these donations will replace those with sturdy, personal bags students can call their own.

“We felt that they needed a bag to put their belongings in so it’s not a trash bag, something they can actually have that’s their own and it’s filled with items that they may need quickly and items that they can use to try and take their minds as much as possible off it.”

Philip Salas, Foster Youth Services Counselor

Also helping lead the initiative is Alexandria Miller, a former foster youth student who knows firsthand how difficult these transitions can be. She recalls being given only a Walmart bag to gather her belongings.

“That part by itself is traumatizing, scary for anyone… These normal necessities, they’re not just normal for us anymore, this is a gift, this is something huge for us because we don’t have this.”

Alexandria Miller, Former Foster Youth Student

Miller notes that the holiday season can amplify feelings of isolation and uncertainty for foster youth.

Despite that reality, Salas says the community’s response has been overwhelming. Donations have poured in, filling the center with boxes that volunteers have eagerly broken down as supplies are sorted and packed.

Donations can be dropped off at College of the Desert’s Foster Youth Center during regular business hours.

For more information, click here.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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City News Service

IDYLLWILD, Calif. (KESQ) – A 43-year-old man from San Mateo was officially charged Wednesday in the killing of an 18-year-old man whose body was found near a hiking trail in Idyllwild over 21 years ago, authorities said.

James Landi was charged with first-degree murder. He appears in court on Wednesday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Deputies responded to a report made by a hiker who discovered human remains in the hills near Southfork Trail and Highway 74 in Idyllwild at 2:20 p.m. on March 21, 2004, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Upon arrival, deputies found the victim, who showed obvious signs of trauma. He was later identified as 18-year-old Reynaldo Burts of Hemet.

After several years, investigators identified James Landi as a person of interest, but still did not have sufficient evidence at the time to make an arrest, and the case went cold, the sheriff’s department announced.   

In August of this year, investigators from the sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit conducted a review of the case and identified additional investigative leads, and the case was reopened.

On Friday, investigators located Landi in San Mateo with assistance from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office Gang Impact Team. Landi was arrested without incident on suspicion of murder and was booked into the Southwest Detention Center, where he was being held without bail.

Anyone with additional information about the case was encouraged to contact the department’s Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.

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Garrett Hottle

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Public comments close today on a major proposal from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to build a 2.85 million-square-foot industrial complex on tribal land at the north entrance to Palm Springs. The development, called the Desert Mountain View Business Park, spans roughly 217 acres between Interstate 10, Highway 111 and Tipton Road.

The tribe released its Draft Tribal Environmental Impact Statement earlier this fall, outlining the potential impacts of constructing four concrete tilt-up industrial buildings, along with truck and vehicle parking, internal roadways, stormwater systems and utility upgrades. The tribe is the lead agency under its Tribal Environmental Policy Act.

The development on open tribal land just west of Tipton Road, directly between Highway 111 and I-10 at the northern gateway to the city.

The Draft TEIS identifies several construction-phase impacts that could be reduced to less than significant with mitigation. But operational air-quality impacts from diesel trucks and vehicle emissions would remain significant, even after applying all feasible mitigation measures. Emissions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides would exceed South Coast Air Quality Management District thresholds.

While the land sits inside city limits, the site is sovereign tribal trust land. Palm Springs can submit a conformity report, but does not have authority over whether the project is approved or built.

News Channel 3 has reached out to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Mayor of Palm Springs for additional comment, including questions about potential traffic volumes, infrastructure needs and the expected number of jobs.

This story will be updated with additional info as it becomes available.

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Gavin Nguyen

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – There are safety concerns after a skateboarder died and another was left seriously hurt in the Coachella Valley on Friday in separate collisions.

News Channel 3 reported that the two incidents happened Friday night, just after 6:00 p.m., with the fatal collision in Desert Hot Springs and the other in La Quinta, which left the skateboarder in critical condition.

Sgt. Cory Carranza, a detective sergeant and member of Desert Hot Springs Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team, said traffic collisions involving pedestrians – whether on foot, riding bicycles, or skateboards – happen commonly throughout the Coachella Valley.

“Unfortunately, in Desert Hot Springs, and as in most of the Coachella Valley cities, we do see a high volume of vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collisions,” Carranza said.

The family of the young man killed in Desert Hot Springs has created a GoFundMe, which you can find by clicking here.

We’re speaking with local skateboarders and officials on safety following those two crashes. Stay with KESQ for the latest.

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Timothy Foster

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – As the 2025 holiday season gets underway, shoppers across the Coachella Valley are approaching gift giving with caution and creativity. While national retail forecasts predict a record-breaking holiday season topping $1 trillion in spending, local families are focusing on stretching their budgets, prioritizing experiences, and taking advantage of online shopping.

According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales are expected to grow between 3 to 4 percent over last year, with mobile devices accounting for more than half of all digital revenue. In the Coachella Valley, households are projected to spend around $800 to $900 on gifts, slightly higher than last year, but significantly more, over $1,400, on travel and experiences. Rising costs and economic uncertainty are influencing shoppers’ choices, prompting many to look for deals, promotions, and alternative gift options.

Local experts say the focus on experiences over physical gifts is a growing trend. Jacqueline “Jack” Perez, founder and CEO of Cool Life, reports that both women and men are seeking meaningful presents that go beyond traditional items, including travel, wellness products, and classes. She explains that people are placing more value on experiences, cooking classes, travel, and wellness items that improve health.

Online shopping continues to dominate, with platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Amazon providing easy ways to compare prices, find affordable gifts, and avoid crowded stores. Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts says the Facebook Marketplace Holiday Shop has seen an increase in young adults shopping early to secure affordable, curated gifts. The platform also allows shoppers to connect with local sellers to get items faster than waiting for shipping.

Experts also emphasize planning ahead for big-ticket items like travel, tech, and wellness gadgets, while taking advantage of last-minute deals for smaller gifts. According to Placer.ai, foot traffic at malls in the Coachella Valley is down 6 percent from last year, signaling a clear shift toward online shopping and mobile commerce.

Despite tighter budgets, local shoppers are finding creative ways to celebrate the holidays. Many are setting spending limits, comparing prices, and combining gifts with experiences for family and friends.

As the season progresses, economists expect a strong, but different, holiday period. Families in the Coachella Valley are learning that thoughtful gifts, strategic shopping, and embracing experiences over objects can make the most of the 2025 holiday season.

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Athena Jreij

Update 12/8/25

Two additional suspects were arrested in connection with the shooting.

Both suspects are 18-year-olds who were taken into custody on Sunday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

No further suspects are believed to be involved or outstanding, the agency confirmed.

Original Report 12/5/25

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – One person is in custody after Riverside County Sheriff’s say he shot at deputies in Thermal Friday night.

Deputies from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station responded to calls for a shooting at a building in the 88000 block of Avenue 70 in Thermal shortly before 10 p.m. Friday.

While deputies investigated the scene, a car drove by firing several rounds towards deputies, striking one of the patrol cars. No deputies were injured in the shooting or returned fire, according to RSO.

Shortly after, responders located a car matching the suspect’s vehicle description in the 63000 block of Landon Lane and located and an 18-year-old male suspect. The suspect fled on foot but was arrested shortly after.

That suspect was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center on two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and discharging a firearm into an inhabited dwelling.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail and Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit have taken over the investigation.

Officials believe there is one unidentified suspect still outstanding who was also involved in the shooting.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact Master Investigator R. Ramirez or Sr. District Attorney Investigator E. Crosson at (951) 955–2777.

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