INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The Desert Recreation District is updating it’s cooling center facilities so residents can beat the heat this summer.
As temperatures could reach near 120 degrees this weekend, News Channel 3’s Matthew Pearce visited the Indio cooling center to see what activities are available.
Click here to follow the original article.PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — With triple-digit temperatures expected across the Coachella Valley this weekend, some people are looking for a different way to beat the heat.
For many, that means heading up — way up — on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
The tram takes visitors more than 8,000 feet above the Valley floor and into the San Jacinto Mountains, where temperatures can be significantly cooler.
Visitors say the tram is an appealing option during extreme heat, with temperatures at the top potentially 30 to 40 degrees cooler than in the Valley.
The ride offers more than cooler temperatures. Visitors can enjoy mountain air, hiking trails and views overlooking the Coachella Valley.
The trip up the mountain is also an experience itself, with riders able to take in panoramic views and potentially spot wildlife along the way.
On clear days, visitors say the views from the mountain can stretch for hundreds of miles.
For some, the tram is a way to enjoy the outdoors without spending the entire day in the extreme heat on the Valley floor.
While the tramway offers a cooler option, people staying in the Valley are encouraged to take precautions during the heat.
That includes drinking plenty of water, wearing sunscreen, seeking shade or air conditioning and limiting time outdoors during the hottest part of the day.
Click here to follow the original article.THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – A First Alert Weather Alert for dangerous heat across the valley continues tonight.
We’re still waiting on the official maximum temperature recorded at Palm Springs International Airport from the National Weather Service, but unofficially, it looks like we topped out at 117°F this afternoon. That would mean staying shy of the 120s (and the daily record which stands at 123°F), though it’s still been very toasty!
We remain under an Extreme Heat Warning in the Coachella Valley. That is set to expire 8 p.m. on Monday. During this time, we can expect to see major to locally extreme HeatRisk, so please, please, please – practice heat safety by drinking PLENTY of water, avoiding outdoor activities, and take frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning. You can find a full list of cooling centers across the valley by clicking here.
Temperatures tomorrow look to be a touch cooler than Saturday by a degree or two. Expect highs to stay well in the one-teens, but we should generally expect to stay out of the 120°F range.
We’ll certainly by hot in a hurry, though. Plan your Sunday plans around how quickly we’ll see temperatures soar; if you’re looking to beat the triple-digits, I’d suggest breakfast plans over lunch plans!
The setup is being driven by an area of high pressure staying firmly planted over the region. That stays true through Sunday. By Monday, though, this system should begin to weaken, offering us a chance to “cool” ever so slightly.
Even into next week, though, highs will stay above the 110°F mark. Average is 109°F for this time of year, so expect another week of above-average summer heat.
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THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — Have outdoor plans? You might want to reconsider. Weekend temperatures will peak today with a high near 120 degrees, likely breaking previous record highs for Aug. 1.
A First Alert Weather Alert is in effect through Sunday evening. An Extreme Heat Warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect until 8 p.m. Monday.
The high-pressure system over Arizona has moved toward the Colorado River, which is why temperatures continue to climb today.
Keep these dangerous temperatures in mind when making plans for the afternoon, and try to limit time outdoors.
Monsoonal moisture continues to be monitored. Some increased moisture may come back into play by middle of the week, but chances for rain remain very slim.
For the next week, today will be the warmest with temperatures settling into the low 110s by Wednesday.
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Coachella Valley residents interested in celestial entertainment will have a number of opportunities next month when Friends of the Desert Mountains host star-gazing events that feature nighttime treks near the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument in Palm Desert.
The “Star Party at the Monument” and “Night Sky Viewing Stars & Planets” activities will be free, giving participants a chance to glimpse planetary phenomena through telescopes provided by local astronomy volunteers.
According to Friends of the Desert Mountains’ website, the nonprofit strives to elevate community appreciation of the 63,000 acres of protected habitat which people can visit for trekking adventures, experiencing desert blooms, wildlife watching — and star-gazing.
The star parties are scheduled on Aug. 8, 15 and 22. Additional events are planned in September.
People of all ages are welcome to take part in the sky watches, though minors must be accompanied by an adult. Bottled water and closed-toed shoes are highly recommended for all attendees, organizers said.
While the activities are free, reservations are required to keep the groups small, and the nonprofit welcomes donations of any size.
Since 1987, Friends of the Desert Mountains has formed partnerships with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, SoCal Edison, Coachella Valley Conservation Commission and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to accomplish its goals of preserving area land and protecting its wildlife.
The organization said that, along with 63,000 acres of critical habitat, it has protected about 30 unique plants and animals, establishing over 300 miles of trails, which are often wheelchair-accessible because they feature asphalt surfaces.
Additional information is available at https://www.desertmountains.org/.
Click here to follow the original article.BIG BEAR, Calif. (KESQ) – Two weeks after the attack on Jackie, the Big Bear bald eagle is still anemic, officials said, and she faces a long recovery.
The Ojai Raptor Center, which is treating Jackie, shared an update on Friday.
View this post on Instagram“Today’s bloodwork continues to show anemia, although her packed cell volume (PCV) has improved to 17%. She remains stable, but she is still a very sick patient and has a long recovery road ahead,” reads a post by the non-profit.
Chris Eksteen, Ojai Raptor Center Executive Director, said Jackie’s bloodwork also shows leukocytosis, an elevated white blood cell count, which tells officials her body is responding to inflammation, stress, or a possible infection.
Jackie has been receiving treatment after being found on the ground on Big Bear Lake following a confrontation with two other bald eagles.
Eksteen revealed that the encounter with eagles likely left her grounded, but experts do not believe it is what caused her illness.
“What we are seeing suggests that she has been unwell for some time before she was found,” Eksteen said.
Eksteen added that they still don’t have answers as to what is making Jackie sick, but they know much more now than they did before.
“So far we have ruled out zinc and lead toxicosis, aspergillosis, rodenticide toxicosis, and renal disease,” Eksteen said in Friday’s update.
Clinically, Jackie remains stable, but she is very sick.
The next steps include monitoring the blood and white cell levels frequently and testing for less common heavy metal toxicosis, although the results of this highly specialized test would be available in several weeks.
Staff at the Ojai center will also monitor Jackie’s lungs are monitoring her lungs with radiographs, and an additional CT scan is planned once her PCV levels are a little bit higher.
Eksteen said recovery will take weeks, if not months.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
Click here to follow the original article.VAN NUYS, Calif. (KESQ) – A model and social media influencer who was already facing trial on six felony counts, including burglary and grand theft, involving alleged victims that she met through dating apps, was ordered today to remain jailed without bail following her arrest on a similar case in Indio.
Adva Lavie, 29, was arrested about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday by Beverly Hills police, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s online jail records.
Lavie made a brief appearance in Van Nuys Superior Court Friday, when she was ordered to remain jailed without bail.
One of her attorneys, Jeremy Lessem, told reporters outside court the defense may file a motion to have Lavie placed in a mental health diversion program. She is due back in court Aug. 10.
Lavie had been free on bail, but she was arrested this week pursuant to a warrant issued in Riverside County, where she was charged with grand theft. According to the Indio Police Department, a man invited Lavie to his home and attend the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April of last year. The man later accused her of stealing an $8,600 Rolex watch, $700 Louis Vuitton Aviator glasses and an $1,800 Louis Vuitton cardholder wallet, according to an arrest warrant declaration filed by IPD.
In March, Lavie, who also goes by the name Mia Ventura, was ordered to stand trial in Los Angeles County on two counts each of grand theft and unauthorized use of personal identifying information, along with one count each of first-degree residential burglary and first-degree residential burglary with a person present, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Lavie used dating apps and cultivated relationships to victimize wealthy older men and younger women in Westlake Village, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2023 to 2025. They say she posed as a girlfriend and travel companion to gain access to the victims’ homes and then allegedly stole cash, gold and high-end designer items.
Lavie had been free but with an ankle-monitoring device and was been ordered to stay away from the alleged victims, according to the District Attorney’s Office. She had allegedly removed the monitoring device prior to her arrest this week.
Lavie was engaged to billionaire and former gubernatorial candidate Stephen Cloobeck, who was arrested in West Hollywood in May for allegedly trying to dissuade multiple people from testifying in a criminal case against his fiance.
Cloobeck, a real estate magnate who dropped his bid for governor late last year and threw his support behind now-disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, was arrested and freed on $300,000 bond, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department online inmate records.
Cloobeck, 64, was charged on April 28 with two felony counts of attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness/victim from attending a proceeding by force or threat, and one felony count of preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from attending or testifying at a trial or proceeding.
He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of annoying telephone calls — allegedly directed at the attorney of one of the alleged victims in his fiancee’s case.
The victims named in the criminal complaint against Cloobeck are all alleged victims in his fiance’ s case.
Cloobeck was due in a Van Nuys courtroom for arraignment Aug. 7, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Lavie was charged last year with stealing money and other property from people she met through dating apps — including wealthy older men and some younger women.
According to prosecutors, she would pose as a girlfriend and travel companion to gain access to the alleged victims’ homes, then would steal cash, gold and other high-end designer items.
Cloobeck had been closely tied with Swalwell, D-Dublin, who suspended his gubernatorial campaign and resigned from Congress after a woman alleged he drugged her and sexually assaulted her in a West Hollywood hotel in 2018. Swalwell has denied her account and other allegations of sexual misconduct.
Swalwell had been a house guest of Cloobeck until the latest allegation surfaced, when Cloobeck withdrew his financial backing of the disgraced politician, according to published reports.
Cloobeck and Lavie had publicly announced plans to get married in Jerusalem. However, Lavie is barred from leaving the state due to her pending criminal case.
Click here to follow the original article.PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) — College of the Desert is getting a facelift for its athletics teams, specifically football and soccer.
The $38.5 million dollar project is part of a phased development plan identified in the 2020 Athletics Facilities Feasibility study.
This first phase involved the demolition of the existing football stadium to make way for a 20,000-square-foot stadium building, featuring team locker rooms, a 3,000-square-foot weight room, sports officials’ facilities, and auxiliary spaces such as equipment storage, laundry, video, and IT rooms.
The project also installed new sports lighting for the football and soccer fields and create newly landscaped and renovated parking areas.
Upon completion, lush all-natural grass fields will enhance both the soccer and football venues, providing a premier playing surface that reflects College of the Desert’s commitment to excellence in athletics.
The upgraded athletics facility will offer seating for roughly 900 football spectators, designed to create an exciting and inclusive game-day experience.
More than just a physical upgrade, this project reinforces College of the Desert’s standing as a regional leader in student-athlete development, while delivering state-of-the-art, community-oriented spaces that promote health, teamwork, and school spirit.
This transformative investment is made possible by Measure CC funding.
Student-athletes entering the 2026 season will be the first to benefit from this investment.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of COD athletics.
Click here to follow the original article.INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Federal cuts in health care and food assistance in last year’s Big Beautiful Bill Act are starting to be felt across the country and right here at home.
New work requirements are now in effect, and some people are losing benefits. Our Telemundo anchor Hernan Quintas explains how the FIND Regional Food Bank is stepping up to try and help those in need.
For a list of Family Resource Centers in Riverside County, visit https://rccfc.org/about-family-resource-centers
Click here to follow the original article.BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – An Aug. 28 sentencing hearing was confirmed today for a 21-year-old Banning man who sexually assaulted two young boys and made videos of the acts.
John Edward Lario pleaded guilty in May to two counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old and sentence-enhancing allegations of targeting more than one minor in a sex crime. Under his pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, seven related charges were dismissed in exchange for Lario’s admissions.
During a status hearing at the Banning Justice Center Friday, Superior Court Judge Sylvia Luttrell conferred with the prosecution and defense about a prospective sentencing date, and both sides agreed that the end of August would work best.
The stipulated sentence under the plea deal calls for 50 years to life in state prison.
Lario is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.
He was arrested in 2024 following an investigation by the multi-agency Riverside County Child Exploitation Team, or RCCET.
According to prosecutors, the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs contacted U.S. Homeland Security Investigations in early September 2024 after overseas law enforcement personnel discovered internet-based child pornography traceable to a local resident.
HIS and RCCET coordinated efforts to identify the party responsible for circulating the obscene matter and ultimately connected it to Lario, compiling sufficient evidence to procure a search warrant, which was served at his Charles Street home on Sept. 3, 2024, when he was taken into custody without incident.
“That led to the identity of the (first) victim, an 8-year-old boy,” according to the D.A.’s office.
Additional investigative work turned up a second boy who had been similarly abused, according to the criminal complaint.
Court papers indicated the latter child was repeatedly assaulted, beginning in the fall of 2022 and continuing until early September 2024.
It was unclear how the victims originally came into contact with Lario, or how many of the encounters were videotaped and disseminated.
The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
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