Category: kesq-local-news

Kendall Flynn

THOUSANDS PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Jimmy Kimmel Live! is set to return to the airwaves Tuesday night, according to the Walt Disney Company. His return follows a suspension due to comments he made about Charlie Kirks suspected killer.

Now Coachella Valley comedians are discussing their reactions to the suspension and now return. The suspension of the live show also raised questions throughout the country about free speech and the First Amendment. Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from local comedians about their reactions and the suspensions impacts.

Click here to follow the original article.

Luis Avila

Idyllwild, Calif. (KESQ) – A therapeutic sanctuary in Idyllwild is working to recover after being severely damaged by a powerful flash flood that tore through the area last week, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

The sudden surge of water inundated the neighborhood, sending torrents of mud and debris through roadways and properties. One of the hardest-hit locations was a local healing space, known as A Human Sanctuary.

Sascha Breuer, who helps run the sanctuary, described the terrifying moments when the floodwaters arrived.

“We have flood gates that we just put in and I opened both, and within seven minutes the whole back of this started piling up with water. We’re talking at this point it was just below my chest… There was a lot of swearing and me rushing forward and backwards. There wasn’t really time to freak out — just frantically unlodging everything.”

Sascha Breuer, Idyllwild Resident

Julie Anne Steiger, who also runs the sanctuary, said the timing couldn’t have been worse. The site had just completed major upgrades, including new fencing and walkways.

“This month we were supposed to launch workshops on the land here. A lot of the spaces that I had curated… were a part of what was swept away. A lot of the materials I had put out internationally and with my heart and a lot prayer are now three feet under soil.”

Julie Anne Steiger, Idyllwild Resident

While the initial mess has largely been cleared, Breuer says the real work is just beginning. In addition to rebuilding the sanctuary grounds, they’re also working on preventive measures to protect against future flooding.

“Clean up — which is the most immediate part, but we also have to build a flood barrier.”

Sascha Breuer, Idyllwild Resident

Despite the loss, the community’s support has been overwhelming. Giving those behind the sanctuary hope that their work will not only continue — but grow stronger.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help with recovery and rebuilding efforts. For more information or to donate, click here.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

Click here to follow the original article.

María García

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ)- A 48-year-old Los Angeles man was killed in a rollover crash on Interstate 10 in Thousand Palms Tuesday morning.

The crash was reported just before 8 a.m., west of Cook Street.

According to the California Highway Patrol, a red Ford Explorer was traveling on the eastbound lane when “it made an unsafe turning movement to the right, drove off the roadway, and overturned onto the south dirt shoulder. The Ford came to rest on its roof.”

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as Christopher Murphy.

The reason for the crash is still under investigation.  Drugs and/or alcohol are not suspected to be a factor, CHP confirmed.

All lanes on the I-10 are back open.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Cynthia White

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – A 64-year-old woman who went missing from her Twentynine Palms home was located Monday after a search led by Morongo Basin Sheriff’s deputies and their K-9 unit Naji.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to a missing person report after the woman’s daughter discovered her mother, who is diagnosed with dementia, was not at their home on Athol Avenue. The woman was last seen on Saturday, September 20, around 11:00 a.m.

Family and friends had searched the area without success before contacting law enforcement for help.

Deputies launched a search, assisted by K-9 handler Deputy Bakker and K-9 Naji, who tracked the victim’s scent heading north from the home.

During the tracking, deputies recalled seeing a woman matching the description of the victim in the same area. Deputies checked at several local businesses, which confirmed the victim was seen in the local area.

The search expanded into the unincorporated Joshua Tree area. After hours of tracking, at just before 12:30 a.m. Monday, K-9 Naji led deputies to the woman more than 15 miles away, near Twentynine Palms Highway and Sunset Road.

Officials said the victim was found safe but was transported to a local hospital for evaluation as a precaution.

Click here to follow the original article.

Garrett Hottle

FOREST FALLS, Calif. (KESQ) We’re learning new numbers tonight on just how destructive last week’s September debris flows were in the San Bernardino Mountains.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department reports a total of 14 homes, one commercial building, and four outbuildings were damaged across Forest Falls, Oak Glen, and nearby areas. That includes three homes destroyed, one with major damage, four with minor damage, and six more listed as “affected.”

Officials say crews have completed their surveys, but with rain possible again Tuesday, firefighters remain ready to respond if more slides occur.

In Forest Falls, families like Arturo Guerrero’s told News Channel 3 they don’t plan to rebuild after losing everything for a second time. 

Longtime resident Trent Reid described the latest debris flow as “the worst one,” saying it sounded like a freight train.

This is the worst one from debris flow standpoint, not from damage,” Reid said. “Three years ago, we had somebody die just on the other side of the creek.”

As of Monday, no injuries or rescues were reported, and evacuation warnings for mountain communities have since been lifted.

In Oak Glen, cleanup reached a crescendo near Chagall Road, where bridges that we’re buried under what residents said was at least 10 feet of mud, have now been cleared out, and water has been let flow through the creek once again. 

Business owner Alison Law Matheson from Country Mom Orchards in Oak Glen told News Channel 3, the development couldn’t have come at a more important time.

 “Our little community makes 75% of its income in the fall season,” she explained. “is needing business because we all got ready for the seasons like we always do.” 

The National Weather Service says Forest Falls saw 1.5 inches of rain in just one hour, followed by another half inch soon after  nearly triple the rate of a typical summer thunderstorm.

Still, with rain in the forecast on Tuesday, county officials caution residents to remain alert with the chance of more wet weather this week. They’re encouraging residents to grab sandbags and be prepared. For more info on sand availability visit sbcfire.org/sandbags. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Shay Lawson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Some Palm Springs residents are raising concerns about a proposed nine-story hotel and condo project that would become the city’s tallest building.

The Nexus Hotel, planned near the Palm Springs Convention Center, cleared the Planning Commission last week, but Stephen Dixon and other neighbors said the project is out of scale for a city known for its mountain views and mid-century modern charm.

“I have a condominium here at Plaza Villas, which would be very closely affected by the hotel,” Dixon said. “This could very well set up a precedent for future development. So a nine-story hotel right next to the Plaza Villas is bad enough as it is, but the idea of other development projects going to 9 stories would really change the flavor of the city.”

Others point to how quickly the plan is moving forward.

Dan Donahue, who has lived in Palm Springs for over 20 years, said he received notice of the Planning Commission meeting just days before it happened.

“Most of our residents are gone,” Donahue said. “The timing of this was very suspicious.”

In a statement to News Channel 3, Christopher Hadwin, Palm Springs Planning Director said:

“This is a private application initiated by a private developer. In issuing their approval, the City’s Planning Commission was guided by Section 14’s unique zoning rules – set by the Tribe in partnership with the City – which allow buildings up to 100 feet tall on properties like this one. In response to community concerns, the Planning Commission required changes to the building to step back the height in certain locations and to better integrate into the neighborhood. 

The Commission also acknowledged the economic benefits of the development, which will add 257 hotel and condo-hotel units to the downtown core bringing additional visitors and residents to support the convention center and our local businesses. Final architectural and landscaping details will be reviewed by the Architectural Review Committee in the coming weeks.”

The Nexus Hotel staff report says the hotel portion of the building will be 7-stories and the residential portion will be 9-stories or 99 feet and 8 inches, consisting of 125 hotel rooms and 132 residential condominium units which will be associated with the hotel and have access to hotel amenities and services.

Terra Nova

Neighbors said they are not against city growth, but are worried about the projects scope.

“I’m not anti-development,” Donahue said. “This is the first project I’ve opposed because of the scale. I’d support a modified version of this development.”

Neighbors said they are now working to appeal the Planning Commission’s approval.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.

Click here to follow the original article.

Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – President Trump made what he described as “one of the biggest medical announcements in the history of our country” on Monday.

He says it’s an answer to autism, linking the disorder to Tylenol use during pregnancy.

The President says the FDA will issue a physician’s notice about the risk of patients using Tylenol during pregnancy, unless they have a fever. There will also be a nationwide campaign to inform patients about the risk.

But the recommendation clashes with a bulk of scientific research, suggesting there is no link between autism and exposure to Tylenol in the womb.

While autism rates have been steadily increasing, an exact cause has eluded the scientific community for decades. Doctors say the answer to what causes autism is likely far more complex, involving genetics and environmental factors.

And many doctors, including some here in the valley, remain skeptical, believing it ignores decades of science. They also say there is insufficient data linking autism and Tylenol.

News Channel 3’s Peter Daut spoke with a local pediatrician, who says the evidence of a connection is lacking.

When asked if she is concerned that Monday’s announcement may give some people false hope about the cause of autism, Desert Regional Medical Center Pediatrician Dr. Rebecca Ward said, “Absolutely. I do think that is an unintended consequence of this announcement that people say, “If I just avoid Tylenol my child won’t have autism.” And I think that is an unfortunate consequence that’s probably going to occur as a result of this announcement.”

Tylenol parent company Kenvue issued a statement, saying independent scientific research shows that taking acetaminophen – the generic name for Tylenol – is the safest pain reliever option for women throughout their entire pregnancy, adding there is no credible evidence linking Tylenol to autism.

Click here to follow the original article.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Home sales declined in Riverside County in August, the California Association of Realtors announced today.   

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 264,240 in August. Last month’s home sales edged up 0.9% from the 261,820 homes sold in July and slipped 0.2% from a year ago, when 264,640 homes were sold on an annualized basis, according to CAR.   

The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2025 if sales maintained the August pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

Riverside County sales last month were down 6.2% from July, and down 7.0% from August of 2024.  

Meanwhile, home prices fell in Riverside County last month.   

The median sale price of an existing, single-family home in Riverside County in August was $625,000, down from $630,000 in July, but an increase from $618,940 a year ago.

August’s statewide median home price $899,140, a 1.7% increase from July and up 1.2% from $888,740 one year ago.   

The highest median price in California in August was San Mateo County’s $1.98 million. The lowest was Lassen County’s $221,000.   

“Despite a softer-than-expected home buying season this year, a bounce back in pending sales last month is an encouraging sign that sales could improve the rest of the year,” CAR President Heather Ozur said in a statement. “Many prospective homebuyers have been holding out in hopes of lower mortgage rates, and the declining trend in rates observed in the last few weeks could be the nudge that draw them back to the market.”

Click here to follow the original article.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors today authorized the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office to move ahead with preparing a series of revisions to fees charged by the agency for background checks, subpoena deliveries, coroner’s operations, fortune-telling licenses and other services.

In a 5-0 vote without comment Monday, the board cleared sheriff’s personnel, in coordination with the Office of County Counsel, to revise fee schedules that have not been updated since June 2010.

The sheriff’s office is expected to return with a new fee “ordinance” for board consideration within the next several months.   

It was not immediately known whether the agency’s current fee schedule would be completely revamped, or only partially. It was also uncertain whether a few fees may be reduced, rather than increased.  

“The office can assure the board that any amended ordinance that it may propose as part of its updated schedule … will amend only the amount of the fees or details of sheriff’s procedures which may be included in the ordinance and would serve to justify the amount of the fee,” according to a statement posted to the board’s agenda.  

Massage parlor technician licenses, which went from $500 to $595 under the previous fee adjustments 15 years ago, are expected to be considered in the updated ordinance.

Similarly, U.S. Department of Justice fingerprint screening fees, charged for concealed firearms permits and other applications, may be impacted, along with background check charges for fortune teller business licenses, second-hand dealer licenses and fingerprint checks for individuals completing background checks to work in schools or county agencies.

The charge for a deputy to serve a civil subpoena was unchanged during the previous round of fee revisions, remaining at $150 per service attempt. It’s possible that will be hiked.

The private party autopsy fee, in which a person requests that coroner’s pathologists conduct an independent examination that is not related to any criminal matter or other fatality requiring a post mortem, was reduced in 2010 from $2,045 to $1,958 per exam. That fee, too, may be increased. The coroner’s office has contended with a backlog of autopsies over the years.

The board would be required to hold at least two public hearings before formally approving any proposed fee adjustments.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man and woman convicted in a shooting at the Cathedral City Dollar Tree store in 2023 were sentenced, prosecutors announced.

David Garcia, 23, and Leah Lopez, 21, were each sentenced on Sept. 9, according to court records.

Garcia was convicted of attempted murder and was sentenced to 32 years in state prison. Lopez was convicted of attempted voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 4 years. The judge denied parole for the duo.

The shooting happened on June 4, 2023 at the Dollar Tree on Date Palm Drive.

According to the DA’s office, Garcia confronted a person in line at the store, made threats, and revealed a firearm tucked in his waistband.

“A physical struggle broke out over the weapon. During the fight, Garcia’s co-defendant Leah Lopez joined in, pulling down the victim’s pants, assaulting him, stomping on his head, and repeatedly telling him he was going to die. Garcia’s grandmother also joined in,” the DA’s office wrote on social media. “The struggle seemingly stopped as Garcia and the victim shook hands until Garcia retrieved the gun, pointed it at the victim, and pulled the trigger. The weapon failed to fire. Garcia then pistol-whipped the victim in the face. As the victim tried to flee, Lopez pointed Garcia in his direction. Garcia followed, reloaded, and fired six shots as the victim ran away.”

The victim was struck four times by gunfire but survived.

Click here to follow the original article.