Category: kesq-local-news

Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The city of Palm Springs is officially kicking off its holiday season next month with a tree lighting ceremony and the Festival of Lights Parade.

The city announced its grand marshals for the 33rd annual Festival of Lights Parade:

Jada McLean, Palm Springs High School grad and star of “America’s Sweetheart,” a popular Netflix show about the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. McLean fought and won a 400% pay increase for the squad

Scheana Shay, a part-time Palm Springs resident, star of Bravo-TV, favorite “Vanderpump Rules,” and NYT Bestselling author

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Matt Sorum, of Guns ‘N Roses

Mädchen Amick, part-time resident and actress, best known for her roles in “Riverdale” and “Twin Peaks”

Nelda Linsk, the First Lady of Modernism Week who was famously immortalized in the iconic Slim Aarons photograph “Poolside Gossip.”

Grammy Award–winning singer Thelma Houston will also join the parade as a special guest star.

The parade will feature a special kickoff 50th Anniversary Sunrise Park float, honoring a beloved community landmark and five decades of Palm Springs tradition. There will also be multiple other holiday floats, giant inflatable balloons of beloved characters, marching bands from Portland, Oregon, Arizona, Napa, and throughout Southern California, as well as a very special visit from Santa Claus himself.

The parade will be held at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 in downtown Palm Springs.

The city also teased a special appearance from beloved “Full House” actor, singer and producer John Stamos

Palm Springs will hold a holiday tree lighting the evening before with Mayor Ron deHarte and CityCouncilmembers, parade Grand Marshals, and Santa Claus himself. They will light up the City’s stunning 22-foot Holiday Tree at 5:15 p.m. in Frances Stevens Park. The evening includes a meet-and-greet with Santa, free cookies and cocoa, plus arts and crafts for the little ones. Plus, the Holiday Student Banner Awards ceremony at 4 p.m. will get everyone in the festive spirit.

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Timothy Foster

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) — The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce (GCVCC) hosted a Legislative Breakfast featuring California gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco as part of its Legislative Breakfast Series. The program offered chamber members and guests an opportunity to hear directly from candidates in the upcoming governor’s race, with questions focused on issues affecting the regional business community.

The event took place on Friday, November 14th, at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. Tickets were $35 for chamber members and $45 for non-members and included a seated breakfast.

Bianco shared his priorities and perspectives on topics important to businesses and communities throughout California.

About Chad Bianco:

Chad Bianco was born in 1967 at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, and grew up in a small mining town as the eldest of three boys. Raised by hardworking parents, he developed values rooted in integrity and personal responsibility. He moved to California in 1989 and later graduated at the top of his class from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Academy in 1993. He went on to spend more than 32 years with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Elected as Riverside County Sheriff in 2018, Bianco worked to address budget challenges, staffing shortages, and strained relationships with other law enforcement agencies. He continued to lead the department through civil unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic and was re-elected in 2022. He also became a prominent advocate for public safety reforms, including Proposition 36, which passed in 2024.

Bianco is also a husband, father, and grandfather, and lived in the Woodcrest area of Riverside with his wife, Denise. He has often emphasized faith, family, and service above self.

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Daniella Lake

Update:

La Quinta announced in a social media post that the city’s Art Celebration Encore will be cancelled for Saturday due to the weather conditions. The city says the event will reopen on Sunday at 10 A.M..

Original Report:

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – News Channel 3 is tracking heavy rainfall throughout the valley this weekend with our First Alert Weather Alert. There are several events planned for this weekend that may be canceled or postponed due to the weather. 

Postponed events with new dates: 

Coachella Valley Filipino Festival is now happening Saturday, November 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Palm Springs Downtown Park. 

Desert Nights on the BLVD DJ event in Desert Hot Springs, now happening Saturday, November 22.

Desert Hot Springs Original Certified Farmers Market inaugural launch, now happening Saturday, November 22.

Canceled events: 

Mecca Fall Festival, it was supposed to take place today at 4:30 p.m. in Mecca Sports Park but is now canceled.

Coachella Movies in the park.

East Valley youth soccer championship games.

Stay with News Channel 3 for updates on event cancellations. 

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Athena Jreij

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) — With the government shutdown now over, many Valley residents experiencing food insecurity are hoping to feel relief soon.

Recipients of SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, have been in ‘benefit limbo’ since the shutdown. With conflicting reports on when and how recipients will receive benefits with the government reopening, News Channel 3 is digging deeper into the confusion and when residents will feel relief.

Lisa Newell, a Palm Springs native, says she’s gone without benefits since October and has had to rely on her friends and family for food.

“I’ve worked all my life just right now trying to get my feet back on the floor and so, you know, we all need a little help,” Newell said.

She says she received a letter in the mail saying her benefits would be fully distributed between November 15 and 20th.

However, some recipients may have already received theirs. At FIND Food Bank, officials say it depends on the typical schedule recipients receive their benefits.

News Channel 3 reached out to the California Department of Social Services for clarification, who said in a statement:

“CalFresh/SNAP benefits were delayed due to the Trump Administration’s decision to oppose the issuance of benefits during the shutdown. However, the federal shutdown is over. We anticipate that all recipients should be receiving full SNAP benefits in November and the coming months.  

California remains committed to ensuring that vulnerable Californians have access to the food support they need to the greatest extent possible. While SNAP benefits were delayed, we anticipate that currently all recipients should be receiving full SNAP benefits.”

At FIND Regional Food Bank, the organization has gone into ‘disaster mode,’ with lines extending 30-40% longer than prior to the shutdown. Even with benefits restored, officials say they still expect to operate in crisis mode as they recover the losses and prepare for the holiday season.

“We’ve seen a spike in our lines of up to 30-40%. So even without the shutdown, November and December are holiday months for us, so we typically experience a spike in service numbers. But now even more so, due to the uncertainty,” Lorena Marroquin, Vice President of Community Impact with FIND.

Marroquin says families who lost SNAP have had to put their typical money used for bills, towards groceries.

“A lot of clients have been saying that they are redirecting funds because of the uncertainty. So I know when that happens in a household, especially when you’re paycheck to paycheck, you need a couple of months just to balance out,” Marroquin said.

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Spencer Blum

Good morning and happy Friday. As of this morning, we are officially under a First Alert Weather Alert as we track a very wet weekend ahead. A powerful area of low pressure will bring an atmospheric river into Southern California. We have already seen some light showers overnight and early this morning. This will continue throughout the day as the main band of moisture approaches. The most significant rainfall will arrive late tonight and Saturday morning. Rainfall may continue into the evening hours, but the rain chances will begin to taper off.

Let’s talk totals. There is still a lot of spread in the rainfall estimates, but we are likely to see somewhere between two-thirds of an inch and an inch and a half or rain between Friday and Sunday. Given the high rainfall totals expected, particularly on Saturday, Flood Watches are already in place. The Weather Prediction Center in Washington, D.C., has us under a slight risk for flash flooding (that’s at least a 15% chance) for Saturday

The First Alert Weather Alert will be in place today and tomorrow as we track potentially heavy rain here in the Coachella Valley. In some better news, highs stay in the low 70s next week!

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KESQ News Team

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Associa Desert Resort Management partnered with six local charities on Thursday to donate 300 bikes to Coachella Valley children.

Desert Resort Management CEO Mark Dodge says, “This initiative is one way we can create a lasting impact in the neighborhoods Associa Desert Resort Management calls home. And for families who are struggling, the gift of this bike may relieve the stress that can come with holiday spending.”

Dodge adds, It’s great for us to be able to give back and, and to make a meaningful contribution, I think, to a lot of families’ Christmases.”

This is the second year Associa has hosted the nation-wide initiative, sponsored by Associa Supports Kids.

The event brought together members of six local charities – Olive Crest, Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, Galilee Center, Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert, Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City, and Martha’s Village & Kitchen, along with volunteers, including employees, vendor partners, and Board members.

The day featured bike-building stations, music, and raffle prizes.

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Karen Devine

New developments arose on Thursday in a case News Channel 3 has been following – connected to the murder of Palm Springs socialite Clifford Lambert 17 years ago.

A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Kaushal Niroula, one of the defendants in the Lambert murder case.

Kaushal Niroula

Niroula, whose family says was a transgender woman, was killed in a Riverside County jail in Murrieta in September 2022. The court found the family did not prove that jail officials acted unreasonably or with reckless disregard for Niroula’s safety.

Niroula’s cellmate, Rodney Sanchez, a convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty to the killing. The suit claimed deputies ignored warning signs and took too long to respond to an assault said to have lasted more than an hour.

Niroula was awaiting retrial in the Lambert case after the original conviction was overturned because of judicial misconduct.

The family’s attorney says they’re appealing to the Ninth Circuit court.

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Kendall Flynn

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – With a strong storm forecasted to bring rain, wind, and potential flooding to our area on Friday and Saturday, the Riverside County Fire Department is announcing it has unfilled sandbags available.

Desert Hot Springs Fire Station 37 is working to help its residents ahead of the storm with sandbags with the help of other departments like the Sky Valley Fire Station 56. CAL FIRE reports so many people have needed sandbags in the Desert Hot Springs area that they ran out early this morning, but Sky Valley is working to help by bringing more to the station.

The News Channel 3 First Alert Weather Team has issued a First Alert Weather Alert for excessive rainfall and the potential for an inch of rain or more in parts of the Coachella Valley.

In a social media post, fire officials say that residents can pick up a limited number of unfilled sandbags at all CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department stations. They also list locations throughout the county where sandbags can be filled.

Locations in the Coachella Valley with sand available for filling sandbags are in Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, and La Quinta:

COACHELLACoachella Public Works, 53462 Enterprise WayDESERT HOT SPRINGSFire Station 35, 31920 Robert RoadFire Station 37, 65958 Pierson BoulevardLA QUINTALa Quinta Public Works, 78106 Francis Hack Lane

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear how to fill your sandbags and place them properly on your property.

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Cynthia White

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – Hundreds of individuals networked, sought job opportunities, and had a chance to connect with over 100 local businesses and organizations at the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Expo & Job Fair on Thursday.

The event, focused on “Moving Local Business Forward,” was held at the Agua Caliente Resort Spa Rancho Mirage.

Organizers say the Expo brings together entrepreneurs, non-profits, and job seekers and serves as platform for businesses to increase visibility, find new partners, and connect with potential customers.

Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce CEO Katie Slimko adds, “This is more than just a trade show—it’s a powerful opportunity for attendees to network with executives, discover new products and services, and explore immediate career openings in our thriving job market.”

Attendees were also treated to food samplings from nearly a dozen of the valley’s top restaurants.

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs City Council has approved the development of what would become the tallest building in the city, despite opposition from some residents. The development will replace a parking lot along Andreas Road with a seven- and nine-story building, reaching just under 100 feet.

The unanimous decision on Wednesday rejected an appeal from a group of residents who opposed the Nexus Hotel and Condominium Complex, effectively paving the way for the project to move forward.

Surrounding residents remain concerned about its impact on the character of the city.

“It was really sad. It’s disappointing. We really felt that the city cared about keeping the aesthetics of the city at five-stories. You go anywhere, they say that’s the Palm Springs spirit and what we want to see is low buildings.”

Ann Geller, Palm Springs Resident

City officials say the project meets all special land-use requirements under Section 14 and will generate additional tax revenue, as well as complement the nearby convention center’s planned expansion.

“During their deliberation, the Council acknowledged neighborhood concerns about the project but also recognized that it complies with the special land use regulations that govern Section 14. Those regulations were developed by the Tribe in partnership with the City and allow buildings up to 100 feet in height recognizing the area’s proximity to the downtown.

The Council also discussed how the project supports other City initiatives, including providing additional Transit Occupancy and Sales Tax revenues and needed rooms to serve the $135 million Convention Center expansion.”

Kitty Alvarado, Palm Springs PIO

But some residents criticize the city for prioritizing legal permissibility over community preferences.

“I’m sure they have some legal ground to stand on. I think they’ve also made a choice on what they want to build. Just because they have the legal right to do it, doesn’t mean it’s the smartest thing to do. And they’re doing it.”

Ann Geller, Palm Springs Resident

The city has indicated it will continue to engage with residents, providing updates on the project as it progresses. Meanwhile, residents say they plan to enjoy her unobstructed mountain views while she still can.

The Nexus Hotel and Condo project will now move to the Architectural Review Committee for final approval, the last step before building permits can be issued and construction begins.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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