Tori King
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Saturday is shaping up to be the hottest day of the year so far, with inland valley temperatures running 20-25 degrees above average. This heat is courtesy of a strengthening ridge of high pressure, which will peak in intensity tonight and Saturday.
For weather coverage throughout the day click here.
Cynthia White
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs International Airport is teaming up with Agua Caliente Casinos to present the new Agua Caliente Oasis.
The Oasis is a feature of the Agua Caliente Concourse, which comes as the airport continues to see record breaking growth. The design offers travelers a space inspired by the iconic landscape of the Coachella Valley, complete with palm trees, lounge seating, and charging stations.
PSP Executive Director of Aviation Harry Barret, Jr. says, “This experiential installation is more than a resting place — it’s an extension of the warm, welcoming spirit that defines the Coachella Valley. Located on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, PSP honors the deep roots and vibrant culture of the land we share. The Oasis reflects our commitment to creating meaningful, memorable experiences for every traveler who passes through PSP.”
“We are thrilled to introduce this uniquely designed space at Palm Springs International Airport,” said Saverio R. Scheri III, Chief Operating Officer of Agua Caliente Casinos. “The Oasis not only provides travelers a space to pause and recharge but also serves as a preview of the elevated service and exceptional offerings that define our world-class hospitality at all Agua Caliente Casino properties.”
The Oasis is part of the ongoing collaboration between PSP and Agua Caliente Casinos, offering travelers an immersive experience of PSP and the Agua Caliente brand.
KESQ News Team
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – Women Leaders Forum of the Coachella Valley celebrated honorees for their leadership, service, and generosity making a difference in the community at the 12th Annual Women Who Rule event in Rancho Mirage on Friday.
News Channel 3 was a sponsor of the awards and scholarship luncheon at the Agua Caliente Resort, emceed by our Laurilie Jackson, who most recently filled in on our morning show.
Hundreds gathered to celebrate the achievements of those honored, with scholarships given to several young women preparing for college.
More highlights included the WLF inspiration award being given to four amazing nurses and the Superman award going to local philanthropist Dick Shalhoub.
City News Service
UPDATE 05/09/2025: RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A former Palm Desert High School football coach who ran over and killed a 64-year-old caregiver while driving under the influence was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life in state prison.
Cameron Francis Curtis, 33, of Palm Desert fatally struck Nancy Valdes, also of Palm Desert, in 2023.
Last March 18, after deliberating two days, a Riverside jury convicted Curtis of second-degree murder.
During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Bernard Schwartz imposed the sentence required under state law.
ORIGINAL REPORT 03/18/2025: RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A former Palm Desert High School football coach who ran over and killed a 64-year-old caregiver while driving under the influence was convicted today of murder.
A Riverside jury deliberated roughly two days before finding 33-year-old Cameron Francis Curtis of Palm Desert guilty of fatally striking Nancy Valdes, also of Palm Desert, in 2023.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Bernard Schwartz scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 9 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Curtis is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
Sheriff’s Deputy Page Broughton testified in the defendant’s October 2023 preliminary hearing that on the evening of March 4, 2023, there was a call to investigate reports of a pedestrian down, and the deputy found Valdes dead at the intersection of Calliandra Street and Alamo Drive.
Broughton said Curtis was stopped nearby in his Nissan Frontier pickup. He was detained without incident.
Valdes was a caretaker for a local senior and had just left to walk the woman’s dog when she was hit while crossing the street, according to Broughton. Detectives later determined Curtis had been drinking alone that afternoon for almost three hours at Stuft Pizza, two miles from where the victim was hit.
Based on restaurant receipts, the defendant drank 91 ounces of beer and two shots of hard liquor before leaving. A bartender told detectives that Curtis was a regular and routinely sat alone at the bar for hours.
Deputy Joshua Kemper testified when he arrived at the fatality, Curtis told him he was aware of what he’d done, displaying “bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, (and) strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath.”
Though the defendant had no driving under the influence convictions, by way of his then-position as a teacher and athletics coach, he had participated in “Every 15 Minutes” programs, which provide beginning-to-end re-enactments of DUI tragedies, complete with emergency medical treatment, an arrest, conviction and burial service — all for the benefit of high school students learning the rules of the road.
Prosecutors said during his two-mile trip home, Curtis maneuvered around traffic to avoid a stoplight and then blew through a stop sign on eastbound Calliandra before hitting the victim.
The defendant is no longer employed by the Desert Sands Unified School District. He had no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County.
Cynthia White
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A suspect was arrested on Thursday in connection with the fatal three-car crash on March 27, 2024 at the intersection of North Indian Canyon Drive and 20th Avenue in Palm Springs.
Following an investigation by the Palm Springs Police Department Traffic Division, a 66-year-old Desert Hot Springs man was identified as the driver responsible for the deadly crash. Police took the man into custody on a homicide warrant and booked him into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio.
Investigators report they found the suspect driver was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on Indian Canyon Drive when he hit two cars that were slowing down at the intersection of 20th Avenue.
The investigation revealed the driver was driving over 100 miles per hour at the time of impact.
Alexa Labrecque, 28, of Desert Hot Springs was pronounced dead at the scene. Three other people in her car suffered moderate to significant injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment. The suspect driver was also injured and taken to a hospital.
The investigation also showed that alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the crash.
Police presented the case to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, which filed a homicide charge after reviewing the evidence collected by the PSPD Traffic Division.
Stay with News Channel 3 for updates on this story.
Cynthia White
WHITEWATER, Calif. (KESQ) – Firefighters rescued a person early Friday afternoon from an inaccessible area of Whitewater.
The rescue was reported shortly before 1:00 p.m. in the unincorporated area of Whitewater west of Desert Hot Springs, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The person was hoisted via Riverside County Sheriff’s Office helicopter from the rugged, hard to reach area to an awaiting ambulance. CAL FIRE reports the person was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, and no other injuries were reported.
Garrett Hottle
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – California State University, San Bernardino marked a major milestone Thursday with the groundbreaking of its new Student Success Center at the Palm Desert Campus.
University leaders, local officials, community members, faculty, alumni and students gathered for the ceremony, celebrating the start of construction on the first new building at the campus in 16 years.
“This is a historic day for the Palm Desert Campus,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “We want to create a space where students feel that they belong, they feel validated, they feel like they belong in higher education.”
The new facility is part of a long-term plan to expand services and educational opportunities in the Coachella Valley. The $79 million state-funded project was secured with support from former state assemblymembers Eduardo Garcia and Chad Mayes, and is seen as a testament to the community’s advocacy for higher education access.
Scheduled for completion in 2027, the 23,700-square-foot center will house academic advising, tutoring, career services, a cross cultural center, expanded library, group study spaces, a bookstore, food services, a student health center and a recreation and wellness center.
“The building will help us elevate the student experience,” said Edna Martinez, associate vice president at the Palm Desert Campus. “It’s a celebration of bold vision, continued commitment and what’s to come.”
The facility is designed to support up to 4,000 full-time equivalent students and free up existing space in other campus buildings for additional classrooms and faculty offices.
Luis Avila
COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Honoring mothers who help feed entire communities. TODEC Legal Center hosted a Mother’s Day event for farm workers at the Coachella Library Friday.
Residents got information about various programs, such as cash aid, food assistance, and health coverage. Eligibility technicians were available to provide assessments for CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal, and help with the application process.
Technicians also connected residents to other available resources.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.
Athena Jreij
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — As temperatures reach triple digits this week, locals are making a splash in the desert’s public pools.
However, a shortage of lifeguards is raising alarms among employees, who say the nationwide problem has hurt aquatics centers for decades.
“We are really encouraging our young people to join the swimming sport so that we’ve got lifeguards to put it in that chair so that it makes it safer for everybody,” Caylie Pasat, manager of the Palm Springs Swim Center, said.
Pasat says the problem is due to many factors including low pay, a lack of free training programs and a lot of people being unable to swim.
The solution may be smaller than you think, and it starts with the kids.
“When we don’t have enough emphasis on learning to swim and really pushing our youth to join swim teams and water polo, where else are our kiddos coming from? We need capable swimmers that can fit into these positions,” Pasat said.
It’s why the city is increasing outreach, upping pay and offering free swim lessons.
“Back in 2023, I know that this center was for having a really hard time staffing. But the City of Palm Springs stepped in, and they increased lifeguard wages, and they increased their net, trying to capture as many interested parties as we could. We’ve gone and talked to the high school and tried to recruit more youth,” Pasat said.
It’s an issue Jason Bitzer’s Never Off Duty nonprofit is also trying to solve.
“It was founded specifically to give at-risk youth first responder and lifeguard job training. So there’s no barrier to entry to fix a problem. There’s a national lifeguard shortage. What we want is safe facilities, safe beaches, safe pools. And to do that you need lifeguarding and need proper training,” Bitzer said.
Pasat says the center has scheduled events like free CPR training and swim lessons. For more information, visit: https://www.palmspringsca.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/swim-center
For more information on the Never Off Duty nonprofit, visit: https://neveroffduty.org/
Allie Anthony
At Desert Mirage High School, Assistant Principal Gustavo Sandoval is being honored by the Walter Clark Legal Group and News Channel 3 for his commitment to students, both in academics and through the school’s folklórico dance club.
Sandoval used to dance himself, that’s what inspired him to start the club 14 years ago! Teaching students folklórico dance is a way for him to preserve cultural traditions while teaching responsibility and community values.
His mission goes beyond dance, ensuring all students, regardless of financial means, can participate fully. He helps students in their fundraising efforts to pay for costumes and shoes. Sandoval’s impact is evident in how students speak of the life lessons he imparts, offering hope and resilience beyond the classroom. “He tells us life happens but you shouldn’t let that control you, said Junior Ethan Zaragoza. “Although it’s cloudy today, tomorrow it could be sunny!”
For his dedication, Sandoval received the “One Class at a Time” award, recognizing his tireless work to uplift and inspire. Thanks to the Walter Clark Legal Group, the folklórico dance club now has $777.77 to spend on new shoes and costumes so these students can perform at the best of their abilities.
