Category: kesq-local-news

Kendall Flynn

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) – Nearly 350 Marines, who are away from their families, will be welcomed into local homes this Thanksgiving. Residents of eight county clubs will host two or more Marines for the meal and holiday activities.

The day is organized by the nonprofit organization American Friends of our Armed Forces, with partners with the county clubs and transports the Marines. The Marines are currently completing a four-month training at the Marine Corps Communications Electronics school.

The Toscana Country Club in Indian Wells is joined by the Hideaway, Indian Palms, Indian Wells, Rancho La Quinta, The Lakes, The Reserve and Palm Valley country clubs in hosting Marines.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from families and Marines about what the day means to them as they celebrate Thanksgiving.

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Daniella Lake

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Martha’s Village and Kitchen is hosting their annual thanksgiving meal service at 11 a.m. today following their 19th annual 5K on El Paseo. The event is open to the public and they expect to serve up to 2,000 meals.

Martha’s Village and Kitchen is located at 83791 Date Avenue, Indio, CA 92201.

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Joel Killam

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) — A reported car fire blocked eastbound lanes of State Route 62 near Indian Canyon Wednesday evening, causing major traffic delays. A News Channel 3 crew observed traffic backed up between Indian Canyon and Pierson Boulevard as vehicles headed uphill toward Morongo Valley. Fire crews were dispatched, but gridlock made access difficult. Authorities requested additional assistance for traffic control. No injuries have been reported at this time.

This is a developing story. Stay with News Channel 3 for updates.

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Jesus Reyes

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Police are investigating a burglary at Palm Springs Motors Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center.

Security cameras captured the thieves during the burglary at Quick Lane, located at 200 Highway 111.

Police said details were limited and the case remains under investigation.

If anyone from the public has information reference the burglary, they can report their information anonymously to the Cathedral City Police Department Watch Commander at (760)770-0313.

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Jesus Reyes

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – A 24-year-old man from Twentynine Palms was arrested after allegedly assaulting two people and causing a police pursuit.

The incident was first reported at around 4:35 p.m. on the 6400 block of Del Monte Avenue.

Authorities said the suspect, identified as Patrick Torres, assaulted a 43-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman. Torres allegedly used a bat to injure one of the victims. He fled the scene before deputies arrived.

Torres was eventually found driving near the incident location. As deputies were conducting a traffic stop, Torres allegedly fled from law enforcement, driving away at a high rate of speed. Torres led law enforcement on a pursuit through the Town of Yucca Valley and Morongo Valley.

He was subsequently stopped and taken into custody without incident at the termination of the pursuit.

According to court records, Torres was charged Wednesday with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism and evading police.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station (760) 366-4175. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1 800-78-CRIME (27463), or leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.

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Gavin Nguyen

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Thanksgiving crowds are here! Travelers are driving and flying into the Coachella Valley, visiting family and friends.

Flyers at Palm Springs International Airport reported smooth travels from spots like Seattle, Tulsa, and Atlanta. Most said they chose to wake up before the crack of dawn – a decision many called worthwhile.

So far, according to the airport’s flight status page, there have been minimal delays to arrivals and departures throughout the day.

Stay with us for the latest on traffic conditions and what travelers are experiencing this Thanksgiving.

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Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Fantasy Springs Resort Casino is hosting a Career Expo to hire public safety officers next week.

The event will be held on Friday, Dec. 5, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the resort’s Special Events Center.

Fantasy Springs is looking for motivated and qualified individuals to join its growing team. Hiring managers will conduct on-site interviews and extend job offers to well-suited candidates the same day.

Interested applicants must bring a current resume and are encouraged to schedule an appointment in advance by contacting the Fantasy Springs Recruitment Center at 760-238-5687.

Fantasy Springs offers an exceptional employment package that includes Competitive Wages and Advancement Opportunities, Tuition Reimbursement, Free Meals for All Team Members, a Robust Health Benefits Package, 401 (k) Retirement Programs, Entertainment and Restaurant Discounts throughout the property, Wellness Programs, Free Family Events, Scholarships available for employees’ High School Graduates, and more.

“Fantasy Springs is more than a place to work, it’s a community where every team member is supported, valued, and empowered to grow,” said Robert Silverang, Director of Human Resources at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. “Whether you’re launching your career or looking for your next big opportunity, we invite you to discover what’s possible with us.”

To view all current job openings and learn more about working at Fantasy Springs, please visit: www.fantasyspringsresort.com/employment/.

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Tauli Anderson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Wednesday and Sunday are expected to be the busiest travel days of the holiday week as millions of Americans make their way to their Thanksgiving destinations.

While Palm Springs International Airport is bracing for heavy passenger traffic, the majority of travelers will be driving — and the California Highway Patrol is urging everyone to stay safe.

The CHP’s Thanksgiving Maximum Enforcement Period begins Wednesday, meaning officers will be out in full force watching for speeding, impaired driving, seatbelt violations, and other dangerous behaviors on the road.

We’ll have more on holiday travel, watch our coverage starting at 4 p.m. on News Channel 3.

 

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Athena Jreij

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County Animal Services is preparing for one of it’s biggest adoption events of the year, Black Saturday, giving free adoptions to all families.

All adoptions include age-appropriate vaccines, spay and neuter, microchip and ID tag engraving.

It comes as the county continues to face an overcrowding crisis at 200% overcapacity for dogs.

In 2024, over 80 animals were adopted on Black Saturday and more than 100 were in 2023.

As the county works toward a 90% live-release rate, officials say every life-saving effort counts and that many have shown progress.

“I just looked at some data just in the month of October and department-wide, we were able to get more than 400 animals out just by changing the shelter hours with a positive outcome than we had in previous months,” Kimberly Youngberg, the Assistant Director at RCDAS said.

News Channel 3 found steady improvement from May of 2025 to November, with month-to-date live-release rates increasing from 75% to 80% now.

However, a lot of work is still needed at more rural shelters like San Jacinto Animal Campus and Blythe, where a majority of euthanasias are performed.

Fostering, a key initiative to clearing kennel space, also improved from 1,761 placed pets in May to more 4,078 in November.

Youngberg says while they are still struggling to reach the 90% daily live-release rate, she’s confident the improvement will continue.

“Things are unpredictable with what comes in the door from any minute, day to day, and you know, all we can do is the best to make sure that we are doing everything on our side, to give us every possibility of reaching that 90% goal,” she said.

Black Saturday kicks off at all Riverside County animal shelters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

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Luis Avila

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – With Thanksgiving just hours away, local plumbers are preparing for a surge in service calls. They say the day after the holiday — often dubbed “Brown Friday” — is their busiest of the year.

Jeff May, CEO of Southwest Plumbing, explained that heavy cooking and extra guests put significant pressure on kitchen sinks, garbage disposals, and bathrooms. According to data, service calls typically jump 50 percent above a normal Friday.

“We gear up — specifically, we’re going to have up to seven techs that are going to be working over the Thanksgiving holiday because we can anticipate, it happens every year, there is a high influx of emergency calls.”

Jeff May, Southwest Plumbing CEO

Plumbers recommend keeping grease, oils, and food scraps out of the sink and giving bathrooms a break whenever possible to help avoid emergency calls.

Plumbers stress a little preparation goes a long way.

“It’s always wisdom to prepare ahead of time and now number one, the folks are just coming back into town and number two, gearing up for the holidays.”

Jeff May, Southwest Plumbing CEO

In addition to avoiding grease and oils, plumbers advise against putting fibrous vegetables or starchy foods in the garbage disposal.

For more information, click here.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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