Category: kesq-local-news

City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A road project in Palm Springs that began today will prompt street closures until next month.   

Construction work hours will be daily from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. until 6 a.m., through Sept. 5.  

The Pavement Rehabilitation project involves removing existing asphaltic concrete, placing new concrete, adjusting existing utilities and installing new striping and markings for roadway improvements, according to the city.

The work will take place on Ramon Road between South Belardo Road and South Calle Encilia.   

According to city officials, commuters can expect the following traffic changes:   — single-lane closures will take place Monday “for the lowering of utilities,” officials said;   — on Tuesday, motorist can expect a full closure on Ramon Road from the west side of Belardo Road and west of Palm Canyon Drive to remove and replace asphalt concrete;   — on Wednesday, a full closure on Ramon Road from the east side of Palm Canyon Drive and west of Indian Canyon Drive;   — single-lane closures will take place Thursday for “raising of utilities”;   — intermittent lane closures will be held Friday until Sept. 5 for roadway striping and marking operations.  

For more information, contact the city’s project hotline at 760-846-5477.

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Tori King

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ)– The state of California is a motorcycle rider’s paradise. With ideal weather conditions, long stretches of freeway, and rider-friendly laws, it’s no surprise the state has more registered riders than any other in the U.S., according to the CHP. However, higher ridership numbers also mean a higher probability for crashes.

In fact, recent reports conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show California accounts for the most fatal wrecks in the country, with one out of every ten deadly motorcycle accidents happening in the Golden State. Although fatal accidents are down from last year, the NHTSA report showed a rise in motorcycle crashes overall. In 2024, over 11,900 motorcycle riders were involved in a wreck, almost 200 more than in 2023. In terms of deadly wrecks, CHP recorded 375 fatal wrecks involving a motorcycle.

Certain areas also see more accidents than others, including Los Angeles County and San Diego County, which round out the top two counties with the most accidents around the state. In 2024, Riverside County made it into the top five most dangerous, with 895 accidents involving a motorcycle.

Officers like David Torres, the Public Information Officer with the CHP Indio office say he’s seen his fair share for deadly accidents, but often times, motorcycle collisions are the most difficult calls to show up to. “We notice the person on the motorcycle is always the most injured,” said Torres. “A lot of it’s because of lack of protection. When we respond to those crashes, we’re immediately thinking, what kind of medical aid can we provide to these people as soon as we arrive to the scenes?” According to law enforcement, a majority of crashes can be attributed to two things: a lack of training, and a rise in people riding illegally with only a permit.”People get a motorcycle thinking that they don’t need the proper training and the proper license, and that inexperience causes you to be overconfident, and then you end up going way too fast or not being able to maneuver your motorcycle in the way you’re supposed to and crash,: explained Torres. “We do make a lot of stops on motorcyclists who have their motorcycle permit, but they’re driving outside the limitations that the DMV gives them. And a lot of crashes I’ve been to, I’m going to speak specifically on the few that have been here where they were fatal, the riders weren’t wearing the proper equipment, and they didn’t have their motorcycle license.” And motorcycle training professionals like Allison Woods agree. Woods is one of the onwers and operators of SoCal Motorcycle Training. She believes that improper training on high-powered bikes like 600cc’s or liter bikes, and easy access to those bikes is a growing problem.

“Youngsters, they have the opportunity if they have a license to buy any kind of bike that they want,” said Woods. “There’s nothing that would stop them from getting a very, very high powered bike. And so you know that in itself, along with a hot shoe on a fast bike gets in trouble quickly.”That’s why Woods operates a CHP approved motorcycle riding school in the Coachella Valley to teach riders of any age the basics of riding. The course takes place over several days, with dozens of hours spent in both the classroom, and on a bike in a closed of parking lot environment. Wood’s course practices the riding portion in the parking lot of Acrisure Arena.

“We work under the California Motorcyclist Safety Program, the CMSP,” said Woods. “And these are statewide schools offering the same curriculum at each one of the schools, and it’s a learn to ride class, with 15 to 16 hours of instruction. Successful completion does get you your waiver for the DMV riding test, but even above that, it’s there to teach and reinforce the skills needed for safe beginning writing on the street.”

Another riding school, Champions Riding School, hosts training sessions all over the country, including a stop at the Chuckwalla Raceway, stopping in dozens of cities, military bases, and law enforcement agencies to provide riders with a range of advanced riding lessons, to make them better on the track, and the roadways. Keith Culver, the COO, and CFO of Champions Riding School says he was actually approached by the Marine Corps to create a course that would help prevent fatal accidents more than a decade ago.”The Marine Corps called us and said, ‘Hey, we had more Marines die on motorcycles than they did in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq during that particular year combined, can you help us?” We said, “Absolutely.”‘

According to Culver, most fatal motorcycle accidents happen at intersections, so instructors at the riding school worked on creating a course to give riders the skills that could mean the difference between life and death. “One of the biggest mistakes all riders make is that they are under trained, and they they run wide,” said Culver. “They go across the single line into the guardrail, off the cliff, whatever. Worst case, they run wide and go across the double yellow line into ongoing traffic. So in terms of single vehicle, motorcycle fatalities, that is the number one issue. Statistically for multi vehicle, meaning they hit another car or another object, is at intersections. It’s failure to be able to slow down in time at an intersection. So we spend a lot of time on those things during our course.”

And last but not least, aside from training, safety experts say preventing deadly accidents begins before you even put the key in the ignition, they’ve proven, it truly starts with proper safety gear. Stevan Popovich is not just a life-long rider, he now the President and Chief Retail Officer, for Cycle Gear, one of the largest and fastest-growing companies in the U.S. that sells motorcycle safety gear. “We like to say, prepare for the The technology has advanced so much over the past decade, from helmets to textiles that really can afford the rider level of safety that’s unparalleled to what they’ve experienced in the past.” That’s why companies like Cycle Gear have been working to make protective gear more comfortable, more affordable, and more advanced with time, including technology like a wearable airbag, which deploys in under a second if a rider is involved in a crash.”The technology has advanced to a point where you can be incredibly comfortable and still look good,” said Popovich. “And in addition with airbag technology, you know, it’s a vest, so it’s something that you can wear under that you don’t even feel it. I wear one every day I ride. It’s techology that can literally ave lives.”By implementing all of these factors before a ride, according to experts, the risk of a deadly motorcycle accident goes down exponentially, however, its a team effort that requires time and attention.”Driving safely on the freeway and highways and intersections, it’s the responsibility of both both the motorcyclist and the drivers,” said Torres. “Be courteous and to watch out for each other, always.”

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Angela Chen

It is the dawn of artificial intelligence. And already — kids are using it in their daily lives. 

But educational policies and standards at large have not caught up to the dramatic rise of AI and how students are using it, whether for good or bad.

“In my math classes, people cheat with AI, and it’s really invasive in classroom,” said Olivia Aparicio, a senior at Rancho Mirage High School and the president of the Associated Student Body. 

She says the use of AI has become ubiquitous, a tool some students frequently abuse. 

“Students are so deep into AI use that they understand how to use it now and how to use it to their advantage,” said Aparicio. “They can get away with almost anything.” 

ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Synthesia, Snapchat AI and so many more AI platforms offer a horizon of seemingly infinite possibilities.

We are in the Wild West when it comes to AI, with educators still trying to figure out the best way to incorporate  — and police it — in the classroom. 

Instructors are seeing heavier workloads and spending substantially more time now monitoring for cheating, according to a recent report, “Time for Class: Bridging Student and Faculty Perspectives on Digital Learning 202,” by education consulting firm Tyton Partners. 

AI has the capability to solve math problems while showing the work or construct entire essays while personalizing it to grade level ability. It can even incorporate grammar mistakes to mimic human error. 

Teachers say students started doing this years ago when ChatGPT debuted in 2022. 

Increased reliance on AI has been linked to an erosion in critical thinking skills, according to a study by Michael Gerlich at the Center for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability at SBS Swiss Business School. 

It’s something educators are trying to balance as they navigate the AI frontier.

At James Workman Middle school in Cathedral City, generative AI is already part of the curriculum. 

“We really have to teach kids the possibilities inherent in AI as a thought partner, rather than as something to offload the work to,”said Jessica Pack, a 6th grade teacher at James Workman. “And I think that students themselves have a desire and motivation to be good at something.”

In Jessica Pack’s 6th grade classroom, AI is used to motivate. On the day News Channel 3 came to interview Pack, kids were visualizing their future — literally, through the use of generative AI. Students wrote out what they wanted to be 15 years from now and then, used generative AI to create a photo of that future. Pack is one of the nation’s leading experts on AI in the K-12 classroom and a 2014 California Teacher of the Year. She says teachers have to adapt — or get left behind. 

“AI is here to stay, so I think it’s our responsibility as professionals to understand AI: how it works, tools that are most appropriate for the K-12 setting, and what the best practices and ethics are,” said Pack.

It seems it’s certainly here to stay. For students, AI is already ingrained in their lifestyles, as they use it to organize school work, navigate friend drama or to simply figure out what to eat.

“Some of my friends use AI to vent or personal problems,” said Aparicio. “I use it for recipes. Actually, I was home alone one day, and I didn’t know what to make for dinner, so I asked ChatCPT, “Hey, what can I make with these five ingredients? And it gives you a full on recipe.” 

“I definitely think that it is a good resource for learning. I think that they should use it for organization, skills programs, if they need any other small adjustments to their own work, but not to fully do their own,” said Sarabjeet Singh, a student at Desert Hot Springs High School.

It’s top of mind for our school districts.For the start of the 2025 school year, DSUSD already has an AI policy in place. PSUSD also has a written policy, slated for board approval on Tuesday, 08/26/2025. CVUSD plans to take an AI policy to its board for approval on 9/11/2025.

These policies emphasize using AI as a teammate, rather than a replacement for critical thinking. DSUSD’s policy also discourages against using AI writing detector sites, considering them unreliable and biased against English language learners. But the CEO of Copyleaks, an AI detection company, says AI can often do what humans can’t. 

“We’re an AI company ourselves, and what our AI models are able to do is really to identify all these different factors that AI is is using or writing in a different way, and really identify and distinguish them between how humans are writing,” said Alon yamin, the CEO and co-founder of Copyleaks. “So we can think about average length of a sentence. We can think about how often you use punctuation. We can think about different phrases that you’re using, and we found that  is using specific phrases in completely different frequency, like versus an average person. So AI just writes in a different way, but it’s something that is visible to other AI models, and less so to humans. You could say that it’s AI fighting AI.”

So what is the best way to approach AI? Is AI better at recognizing its own handiwork — or can we only count on humans to do the job?

This is the start of a new technological era, and while we figure out how to fit AI into our lives, AI is advancing every day at a rapid pace — one that education at large in the U.S. has yet to catch up to. 

“We’re in a marathon of the advent of AI,” said Pack. “And if it’s 26 miles long, we’re really still in mile one.”

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Shay Lawson

CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ)  – The search for 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro has taken over social media.

Online investigators like Noe Ariza and Jimmy Williams are sifting through online posts, comments and even live streaming outside the Haro home.

“I do a true crime channel on YouTube called Dolly Vision. We got about 75,000 subscribers,” Williams said.

He said with the help of his followers, he flew out from the East Coast to cover the case.

“They donate to the channel,” Williams said. “They flew me out here so I could be here. Boots on the ground.”

Ariza was also outside the Haro home on Wednesday reporting from his channel called BYM News.

“This is my second day here,” Ariza said. “I actually was able to get him [Jake Haro] to come out. I was requesting an interview. He wouldn’t give me the interview.”

Investigators are in charge of the case, but these digital watchdogs are making sure Emmanuel’s story doesn’t fade.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from law enforcement about if these internet sleuths efforts are actually helping investigators.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A young man accused of gunning down a 19-year-old man during a dispute in Moreno Valley was charged today with murder and other offenses.  

Jacob Nulen Necochea, also 19, of Banning, allegedly killed Angelo Leivas of Banning Friday.

In addition to murder, Necochea was charged with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.   

The defendant, who is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, just after 4 a.m. Friday, Necochea and Leivas were involved in an unspecified confrontation as Necochea sat in his vehicle in the 13000 block of Day Street, near Eucalyptus Avenue, less than a mile east of Interstate 215.

During hostilities, the defendant allegedly pulled a handgun and shot the victim several times, sheriff’s Sgt. Alberto Loureiro said.   

He alleged Necochea “fled the location prior to deputies’ arrival.”   

Paramedics reached the scene minutes later and discovered Leivas gravely wounded. The young man died that morning at nearby Riverside University Medical Center.

“Deputies obtained a description of the suspect vehicle and, about an hour later, found it in Moreno Valley,” Loureiro said. “Deputies detained the driver (Necochea), who was the sole occupant.”

The defendant was questioned all day by Central Homicide Unit detectives, who formally arrested him at 5:30 p.m. Friday for the alleged attack.

A possible motive has not been disclosed, and there were no details regarding how the defendant and victim knew one another.

Necochea has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A felon accused of trying to sexually assault and kill a woman at a Whitewater canine training facility that he broke into was charged today with attempted murder and other offenses.

Bryan Vines Burge, 54, was arrested over the weekend following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Along with attempted murder, Burge was charged with attempted rape, assault with intent to commit mayhem, burglary and sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon during a sexual offense and during the commission of a felony, resulting in great bodily injury.

Burge, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Benoit Detention Center, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

According to sheriff’s investigators, shortly before 7 a.m. Saturday, the defendant allegedly forcibly entered the Guide Dogs of the Desert compound at 60735 Dillon Road, where canines are specially trained to serve as companion and guardian pets for the blind.

Sheriff’s officials allege the defendant encountered a woman and pulled a knife on her, proceeding with an attempted sexual assault.

The victim struggled and suffered unspecified injuries during the alleged attack but was able to break free of the defendant’s grasp and flee to call for help, according to investigators.

Patrol deputies converged on the location a short time later and initiated a search based on the woman’s statements. They located and arrested Burge without incident on Dillon Road at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

The victim apparently did not require hospitalization. It was unclear whether the defendant allegedly specifically burglarized the training facility to target the woman.

Court documents show he has prior convictions out of Orange County for burglary and lewd acts on a minor.

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs Pride has a new leader at the helm — and she’s stepping in at a critical time for the organization.

Jasmine Sullivan-Waits has been a steady presence in local government and LGBTQ+ advocacy for nearly two decades. Now she steps into the spotlight as the new executive director.

But along with the new title comes a major challenge. Palm Springs Pride is currently facing a $325,000 sponsorship shortfall ahead of this year’s festival and parade — a serious financial hurdle with just over two months to go before the city’s streets fill with celebration.

Despite the daunting number, Sullivan-Waits is confident that the organization can weather the challenge — largely because of the way Pride has been structured.

“The organization functions as each individual event is self-sustaining. The revenue that comes into the event is produced as that event. The revenue that comes into a program is then what is produced in that program — so at no point in time does the organization stretch itself too far or overspend.”

Jasmine Sullivan-Waits, Palm Springs Pride Executive Director

Sullivan-Waits brings deep knowledge to her new role. As a former Pride liaison and longtime city staffer, she played a major part in relocating the festival to downtown Palm Springs back in 2014.

That experience, she says, will be key in tackling the budget shortfall. But it will also require a renewed partnership with the community.

“Right now, we’re really leaning into community. We’re hoping the community will come forth and put in energy to help the organization grow and ensure the festival and parade are produced at the level it has been.”

Jasmine Sullivan-Waits, Palm Springs Pride Executive Director

For her, the work goes beyond budgeting and event planning — it’s about preserving the space Palm Springs Pride creates for the LGBTQ+ community every year.

Sullivan-Waits will officially assume the role of Executive Director on September 1. Mayor Ron deHarte will remain as President of the Board and CEO.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – A woman is in jail after being accused of killing a puppy Monday night in Twentynine Palms.

The incident was first reported at around 8 p.m. at a home in the 72300 block of Sunnyvale Drive.

Police said officers learned the woman “grabbed a one-month-old dog by its neck and shook it multiple times. She then threw the dog against the window.”

The dog stopped breathing and died.

The woman was booked into the Morongo jail, where she faces charges of intentional animal cruelty.

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Jesus Reyes

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – After a years-long search and several changes to its administrative team, the City of Coachella officially appointed Lincoln Bogard, CPA, CFE, as its new Finance Director.

Bogard brings more than two decades of financial leadership experience across municipal, private, and public sectors, with a career spanning executive, management, and auditing roles.

“As a Coachella Valley resident, I care deeply about the community where I live and work. The City of Coachella is well positioned to become a regional economic leader, with upcoming projects that will create jobs, improve infrastructure, and expand resources for residents,” said Bogard. “I’m honored to join a team dedicated to serving our community, and my immediate goals include implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning system and ensuring fiscal responsibility for the years ahead.”

Most recently, Bogard served as Deputy City Manager for the City of Banning, where he oversaw Finance, Human Resources, Payroll, Purchasing, Utility Billing, Risk Management, and IT. During his tenure, he implemented critical payroll and financial systems, restructured human resources operations, and helped the City earn recognition for Achievement in Excellence in Procurement and the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

“Lincoln’s deep experience in municipal finance, combined with his expertise in risk management, budgeting, and fiscal transparency, makes him an invaluable addition to Coachella’s executive team,” said Councilmember Yadira Perez. “We are confident his leadership will strengthen the City’s financial foundation and support our community’s long-term growth.”

Previously, Bogard held leadership roles as Finance Director and City Treasurer for the City of American Canyon and Senior Accounting Manager/Deputy Auditor-Controller for the County of Sacramento, where he directed large-scale financial reporting, budgeting, and system modernization projects. His career also includes key roles with the Superior Court of San Bernardino, City of Berkeley, Bank of the West, and Ernst & Young, where he specialized in fraud investigations and internal audits.

Bogard holds a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Science in Business with an emphasis in Corporate Finance from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in California and Colorado and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), with professional memberships in the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO), and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

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Gavin Nguyen

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – It’s that time of the year! Students at DSUSD returned to school Wednesday morning for the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Desert Sands has 34 total schools, which includes eighteen elementary schools, one charter elementary school, six middle schools, one charter middle school, four comprehensive high schools, two continuation high schools, one alternative education school, and preschool.

Nearly 26,000 students are enrolled in the district for the 2025-26 school year.

The district gave News Channel 3 exclusive access to Indio Middle School as faculty and students welcomed back their peers for another academic year.

The school played music as a long line of students and teachers greeted everyone walking into school for their first day back. The school’s mascot – a tiger – joined in on the celebrations, too. It was an energetic welcome, which students said was important to make new students feel more welcome as they start their next chapter of schooling.

Andrew Ruiz, an eighth-grade student, said, “I feel like we have to help the 6th graders because they were just in elementary school and it was, like, their first [school transition]. So, you know, you got to help them.”

Ruby Flores, another eighth-grader, added, “I feel like everybody needs a good start for 6th grade. Like, that’s where you really start, and if you have any issues, it’s going to, like, have … spread out through [their] whole middle school experience.”

Angel Reyes brought his daughter, Allison, to her first day of middle school.

“We’re excited. She’s my only child. So, you know, it’s a first for us,” Reyes said. “It’s probably nerve-racking for [students] today, and they’re scared a little bit. But I remember my first days of school, they were the same and then a couple of more days, you know, all that goes away.”

Students, faculty, and parents all shared that they were excited for a successful start to the school year, and school staff reassured everyone that they’re there to guide students on the path to success.

“This is the first step in a longer journey and we just are glad to be a part of it. We’re going to do everything we can to support our students here,” said Robert “Cully” Cullinan, the principal of Indio Middle School.

With a beaming smile, he added, “Let’s have a great year.”

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