Category: kesq-local-news

Garrett Hottle

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) The Perseids meteor shower, one of the year’s most anticipated night-sky events, peaks Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning and skywatchers across the Coachella Valley, Twentynine Palms, and Joshua Tree are preparing for the show.

The shower runs from mid-July through late August, but this year’s peak lands just three days after the full Sturgeon Moon. Unfortunately, the bright – waning gibbous will wash out all but the brightest streaks.

Under dark, moonless skies the Perseids can produce up to 100 meteors an hour, but NASA and the American Meteor Society say this year’s rates will be closer to 10–20 per hour locally, with occasional fireballs still possible.

When is the best time to watch? 

Predicted max: 12–1 a.m. PDT Wednesday (Aug. 13), when the radiant in the constellation Perseus is high in the sky.

The American Meteor Society recommends finding a dark location away from lights, using terrain to block the moon, and giving your eyes 30 minutes to adjust.

Moonrise in Palm Springs is around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, earlier in the night you may have a chance to catch rare “earthgrazers” low on the horizon.

Top local viewing spots include Joshua Tree National Park’s Cap Rock, Ryan Mountain, Hidden Valley, and Quail Springs, which are all part of the park’s International Dark Sky designation.

An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect through Tuesday at 8 p.m. Officials urge visitors to hydrate, avoid hiking to remote spots at night, and pull fully off roadways if stopping. Red lights are preferred over flashlights to preserve night vision.

More on the Perseids: The meteors are fragments from Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle burning up in Earth’s atmosphere, known for their speed and bright fireballs. Even in challenging moonlight, local astronomers say the Perseids are worth catching and this week’s sky show is just the start.

Later this week, Twentynine Palms hosts the AREA 29: Galactic Gathering from Aug. 14–17, a citywide celebration of UFOs, sci-fi, and stargazing, including a special “Alien Probe” stargazing night at the 29 Palms Inn.

Also on Aug. 16 the Sky’s the Limit Observatory in Twentynine Palms will host Dr. Eric Mamajek who will explore “How many planets like earth might there be?” The program starts at 8:30pm and includes telescope stargazing. Tickets are $20 and must be reserved in advance.

Share your sky-watching photos with KESQ News Channel 3 by emailing us at share@kesq.com

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A new push to overturn same-sex marriage is drawing strong reaction.

Kim Davis, a former Kentucky clerk, has filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its 2015 decision that made same-sex marriage legal nationwide. Davis made headlines a decade ago when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and was later jailed for not following the law. Now, she says her religious rights were violated — and wants the Court to hear her case.

Mitchell Battersby, Director of Volunteers for Palm Springs Pride, voiced skepticism that the Court will ultimately take up the case. However, he also warned that recent history shows how uncertain legal protections can be.

“Nobody thought Roe v. Wade would be overturned and it was.”

Mitchell Battersby, Palm Springs Pride Director of Volunteers

Battersby warns that the case is about more than just marriage.

“This affects a lot of people. It affects their federal tax returns, their state tax returns, it affects deductions, it affects adopting children, having children, it affects so many things and so it’s not just gay marriage.”

Mitchell Battersby, Palm Springs Pride Director of Volunteers

Advocates are also pointing to a larger trend of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and policy shifts, particularly from the Trump administration.

Legal experts believe the petition will likely once again be rejected — as similar challenges have been before. At least four justices would have to agree to review the case. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have expressed support.

Advocates say they are watching closely and urging the community to speak out.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Gavin Nguyen

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – New technology will protect students from dangerous weather conditions.

Palm Springs Unified School District announced it deployed eight Perry Weather Monitoring Stations across its schools. It said the system tracks temperature, air quality, humidity, and severe weather (including lightning) to help schools make informed decisions about outdoor activities.

PSUSD set up a webpage showing real-time data from these weather stations. The eight stations are installed throughout the district, and parents are instructed to find the closest weather station to their student’s school as outlined in the chart below.

District officials explained that these weather systems help make them more informed decisions for canceling sports practices and games because it provides site-specific weather data.

“We’re over 500 square miles wide, and so what that means is sometimes, the weather on one side of our district is very different from the weather on the other side,” stated Laura Dyson, the district’s Director of Health Services.

It’s a problem that schools have had to navigate in the past. Assistant Principal Art Sanchez, Jr., of Palm Springs High School, recounted, “If you’re in Desert Hot Springs, because of the wind, or you’re closer in the cove, where we are, where the wind isn’t a factor, we were shutting down the whole district based on the air quality in a place that is 30 minutes [away].”

He also added that making the weather data available to the public creates more transparency between the decisions of school administration and parents.

“Parents will always know and the community will know that we’re making the best decisions on the best data for our students safety,” he said.

Other districts in Riverside County have already adopted these weather systems, though PSUSD officials said they’re glad to be the first in the valley to implement the technology.

“We are happy to be the first to implement it, but I’m hopeful that other districts in the Valley will jump on this with us because we, as you know, sports, travel. And so we need to be able to know what’s going on all around us,” said Dyson.

Officials at Desert Sands Unified School District confirmed it will be installing the same system in the coming months.

“Our Board recently approved a contract with Perry Weather, Inc., for the installation of one weather station at each comprehensive high school. These stations will serve as reference points for schools within their respective regions. This system will provide all our schools with real-time weather data and heat stress measurements, offering more precise information than general weather apps. The Perry Weather system will deliver instant updates and notifications, enhancing our existing heat mitigation efforts. As a result, the district’s email notifications will be discontinued in favor of the system’s real-time alerts. Wet bulb globe thermometers will still remain a key part of our safety protocol, providing an additional layer of heat monitoring. The Board originally approved the agreement with Perry Weather, Inc. on June 24, 2025. A small amendment to the contract is being presented for approval tonight. Once finalized, the district will move forward with installing the systems for use across all schools.”

Desert Sands Unified School District

News Channel 3 also reached out to Coachella Valley Unified School District. A spokesperson provided the following statement:

Currently CVUSD does not have plans to implement this technology in our schools. However, we continually evaluate tools and resources that enhance safety and learning environments for our students, so we’ll certainly keep this in mind.

Coachella Valley Unified School District

Be sure to stay with KESQ as we continue to follow this technology.

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Kendall Flynn

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The Indio Police Department is starting a general traffic enforcement to lookout for unsafe driving. 

Officials are reminding residents to obey speed limits, stop at signals and stop signs, buckle up and keep from handheld phone use. 

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from officials on why this enforcement operation is necessary in the City. 

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Tori King

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)– Each and every year Splash House brings in thousands of music lovers to the Coachella Valley for two weekends of fun and house music.

But the festival doesn’t only bring in out-of-towners, it also brings in a boost to the local economy as tourists visit small businesses.

News Channel Three’s Tori King is speaking with business owners to hear how much of an impact these visitors make. Stay tuned for her coverage at 4, 5, and 6.

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Cynthia White

MECCA, Calif. (KESQ) – Coachella Valley Unified School District officials were on hand Monday morning to welcome students and families as they celebrated the Grand Opening of the district’s much awaited and anticipated new school, North Shore Elementary.

Superintendent Dr. Frances Esparza, CVUSD Board President Jocelyn Vargas and North Shore’s new Principal Elisa Gentry along with other district officials joined everyone in the multipurpose room for the ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Dr. Esparza told attendees, “As the Superintendent, I’m honored to say that North Shore parents, advocates, and the entire community will be welcoming our new school and you all made it happen. . . I would also like to take a moment to thank many individuals who helped turn this long standing dream into a reality.”

The dream to build the new elementary school in the North Shore community near the Salton Sea started as far back as 2008, then CVUSD was finally able to unveil plans for the site in December, 2021.

Plans for North Shore Elementary moved ahead as the district broke ground the following year.

Up until now, students who live in North Shore went to Saul Martinez Elementary School in Mecca, about five and a half miles away.

Now they will be able to attend school much closer to home. North Shore Elementary is located at 96100 70th Avenue in Mecca at the corner of Arthur Street. The first round of kids at North Shore Elementary will start their school year on August 20th.

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Shay Lawson

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ)  – A community favorite has reopened its doors a year after a devastating arson fire.

D’Coffee Bouteaque is back at a new location at 36901 Cook st. Suite 8, Palm Desert, California 92211.

Miriam Rodriguez, owner, said getting to this point wasn’t easy.

“We lost absolutely everything,” Rodriguez said. “At one point, we almost lost our house.”

Stay with News Channel 3 for a look inside the new space and how other impacted businesses are doing at 10 and 11 p.m.

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City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Two young men accused of gunning down a 17-year-old boy during a confrontation at a prom afterparty in La Quinta must stand trial on first-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled today.

Elijah Alfredo Martinez of Bermuda Dunes and Dominick Cruz Venecia of Coachella — both 19 — allegedly killed the victim, identified as La Quinta High School senior Jaden Ramos, 17.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Larson Justice Center Monday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Arthur Hester found there was sufficient evidence to bound both defendants over for trial on the murder count and sentence-enhancing gun use allegations.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Aug. 27 at the Indio courthouse.

Hester permitted the pair to remain free on bond pending further proceedings.

According to sheriff’s officials, the alleged attack occurred about 2:30 a.m. on May 19, 2024, in the 79-000 block of Paseo Del Rey, near La Quinta Park.

According to Sgt. Lance Stoyer, deputies were sent to the location to investigate reports of a shooting, but couldn’t find a victim. However, they were soon informed that a boy had been taken from the area to a Coachella Valley hospital for treatment.

Stoyer said Ramos arrived at the trauma center “with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound.”  

The teenager died a short time later.   

Martinez and Venecia were identified the same day as suspects, and detectives eventually obtained sufficient evidence to serve arrest warrants on each — Martinez on Airport Boulevard in Thermal the following day, and Venecia near the intersection of Avenue 50 and Mazatlan Drive in Coachella the following night.   

They were taken into custody without incident.   

A possible motive for the slaying wasn’t disclosed. The criminal complaint alleges Venecia was the gunman.   

Neither defendant has documented prior felony convictions in adult court. Juvenile records were unavailable.

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City News Service

CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) – A driver was arrested today after fleeing on foot from the scene of a two-vehicle collision in Cabazon, authorities said.  

The crash was reported shortly before 1:30 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Bonita Avenue and Orange Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.

With assistance from Riverside County sheriff’s deputies, the suspect — whose name was not released — was taken into custody on suspicion of misdemeanor hit-and-run, the CHP said.

It was not immediately clear if the other driver was injured.   

Alcohol or drugs are not believed to have been factors in the crash, which remains under investigation, the CHP said.

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City News Service

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians has donated 500 backpacks filled with school supplies to Coachella Valley Unified School District students for a giveaway event tomorrow in Thermal.   

The drive-thru distribution will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 87225 Church Street, near the district office, and will continue while supplies last. At least one child must be present in the vehicle with an adult, according to the district.

The Tribe’s annual school donations are part of an effort to give back to communities near its reservation lands throughout the Coachella Valley and to support education.

In total, the Tribe will have provided 1,800 backpacks to students across the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin this year, officials said.   

In addition to the backpacks, the district will also receive a “half- palette of school supplies,” according to a statement from the Tribe.

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