Category: kesq-local-news

Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The first weekend of Splash House is set to kick off on Friday with “After Hours” at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

The first weekend of Splash House is sold out, bringing thousands to the Coachella Valley. It’s taking place on Aug. 8-10.

Friday night will see a special set by Diplo and BLOND:ISH, as well as Chicago’s Azzecca.

The popular poolside festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Saguaro, Renaissance, and Riviera (formerly Margaritaville) in Palm Springs.

Weekend One highlights include viral hitmaker ACRAZE, SoCal party-starter Disco Lines, genre-bending British icon TroyBoi, tech house groover Westend, techno provocateur Eli Brown, and rising star San Pacho. The weekend continues with high-tempo heat from Brooklyn-based jigitz, Bristol native NOTION, Grammy-nominated producer Wuki, Irish duo 49th & Main, Italian underground favorite Matisa, bass house boss Nostalgix, powerhouse producer Marten Hørger, UK bass slammer ATRIP, and the euphoric stylings from dance-pop favorite Hayden James. Rounding it out are bubbling rising talent including Loods, HILLS, JADED, Swimming Paul, Daniel Allan, RaeCola, and Devault.

The “After Hours” Saturday night will feature Wax Motif and Matroda’s collaborative project Waxtroda.

Weekend 2 takes place on Aug. 15-17. Limited tickets remain on sale, according to organizers.

 Visit splashhouse.com for more information.

The poolside festival will take place during triple-digit heat in the Coachella Valley. Palm Springs broke a 50-year record on Thursday, topping out at 119.

Temperatures are expected to remain over 110 degrees over the weekend.

American Medical Response (AMR) workers spoke with News Channel 3 during last year’s festival about avoiding heat-related illnesses.

Earlier this week, health officials shared a reminder to residents across the county to protect themselves against extreme heat and heat-related illness.

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Timothy Foster

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Marsha P. Johnson LGBTQ+ Youth Drop-In Center is hosting it’s Back-to-School Open House and School Supply Drive, taking place on Friday, August 8, 2025. This special event is dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ and allied youth as they prepare for the new school year.

Throughout the day, the center will be distributing free school supplies to youth in need, helping to ensure they start the year equipped and confident. Visitors will also have the opportunity to tour the center and learn more about the safe, welcoming, and affirming environment it provides for young people in the community.

In addition to offering resources, the open house is a chance for community members to come together, connect with one another, and show their support for LGBTQ+ youth.

The event will be held from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at 340 S. Farrell Drive, Suite A106, in Palm Springs, California. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance by visiting the Eventbrite page at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1482148087829?aff=oddtdtcreator.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will officially reopen to the public on Saturday following a week-long closure.

The closure came about due to technical issues, as well as a delay in the delivery of a replacement part.

The first tram up will be at 8:00 a.m., the last tram up will be at 9:00 p.m. and the last tram down will be at 10:30 p.m.

Tram cars depart at least every 30 minutes.

“We wish to extend our thanks to Tram patrons for their patience during this unexpected shutdown,” states Tramway General Manager Nancy Nichols. “Our Tramway Systems team worked tirelessly to isolate then replace the malfunctioning part. We are now eager to welcome guests back to the Tramway and the Mt. San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness.”

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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Kendall Flynn

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The City of Indio has been faced with 911 lines down multiple times in the last couple of weeks. The Indio Police Department confirmed Friday morning the lines were down starting around 6 a.m.

According to Indio PD it is unknown when the lines will be back up. This comes after another outage within the City on July 24 and June 9.

The Indio PD dispatch team said the outages are coming from the state carrier Frontier, where the fiber lines are being but by vandals. The Indio Dispatch Supervisor, Helen Polanco, said the department see around two fiber cuts per month, and are looking to the state for a solution.

“We have a meeting with the state COES, which is California Office of Emergency Services, to try to find a solution for this and maybe find another carrier because this is unacceptable,” Polanco said.

Indio said the outage is particularly concerning because residents use 911 as a direct line to the department. If residents call 911, it does not ring. They will then be called by another department and transferred. While it is a solution, Indio said it causes a delay in service.

They ask all residents to call the non-emergency lines for a direct call to Indio PD. For now, officials are unsure of when the outage will end or when they find a long-term solution.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from city officials on what is being done to find a solution to this issue and what residents need to know.

To reach emergency services during a 911 outage, reach out to the non-emergency lines.

Indio: (760) 391-4051

Cathedral City: 760-770-0303

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City News Service

LAKE MATTHEWS, Calif. (KESQ) – A 41-year-old Riverside County deputy accused of accessing unauthorized and confidential information from government databases for personal use was out on bail today.

The deputy was arrested and booked into the Presley Detention Center in Riverside on Thursday on suspicion of unauthorized computer access.

He was released the same day on $40,000 bail.   

On May 8, investigators started to look into the deputy’s computer access, according to Lt. Albert Martinez.

He was arrested in Murrieta without incident on Thursday, Martinez said.

The deputy has worked with the department since Oct. 2008, and was most recently assigned to the Lake Elsinore station.   

He was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.   

No further details will be released, and anyone with additional information was urged to contact Investigator Andrew at 951-272-5600.

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Luis Avila

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – As animal shelters across the country continue to grapple with overcrowding, shrinking budgets, and growing demands, Animal Samaritans is turning to creativity — and humor — to help keep lifesaving programs alive.

‘Poorly Drawn Pets’ is back… and worse than ever. For a $20 donation, residents receive a one-of-a-kind portrait of their pet – intentionally drawn with more heart than artistic skill.

Behind the laughs is a serious mission. Every dollar raised through the campaign goes toward the shelter’s vital programs.

“The funds that we raise through out ‘Poorly Drawn Pets’ fundraiser all goes towards Animal Samaritans’ life-saving program. We have our no kill shelter, it’s going to help care for the animals that come through our shelter, we have programs for our veterinary clinics that provide medical care that’s needed for people’s pets and maybe they can’t afford it.”

Valerie Kattz, Animal Samaritans development & public relations

With shelters across the country overcrowded, officials hope this creative initiative will raise both awareness and support.

“That is a big problem for shelters throughout the country and definitely a problem here in the desert. What we do is we have a dedicated staff member that works with some of the high risk shelters and her job is to get animals out of the shelter before something happens to them and get them into the safety of no-kill shelters like ours.”

Valerie Kattz, Animal Samaritans development & public relations

The fundraiser highlights a serious cause in a lighthearted way, and proves that sometimes doing good doesn’t have to be picture perfect.

If you are interested in donating, click here.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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María García

UPDATE 8/8/25 – Cathedral City Police Department reports that as of 9:22 p.m. Friday night, 911 service has been restored for Cathedral City. They ask that people continue to call 760-770-0303 for all non-emergencies.

Indio Police have not yet announced any restoration time for 911 calls in Indio.

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – 911 phone lines are down in Indio and Cathedral City, police announced Friday.

Both agencies said they are working on restoring it, but the exact timeline is unknown.

If you have an emergency, you are asked to call:

Indio: (760) 391-4051

Cathedral City: 760-770-0303

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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Jeff Stahl

UPDATE: 8/7/25 8:04 AM – A brief outage led to a temporary ground stop at the airport. According to the airport administration, the ground stop has now been lifted, and flights are gradually returning to normal operations.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – We are tracking breaking news in Palm Springs, where a number of morning flights have been delayed at Palm Springs International Airport.

The airport’s flight status web page showed that nine outgoing flights were delayed.

KESQ News Channel 3 has heard from travelers at the airport that the cause of the delays is equipment-related.

Delayed passenger, Chris Schultzy, shared this photo with KESQ, saying the Southwest Airlines flight he was on had been stuck and sitting on their airport’s tarmac for an hour and a half.

We are working to get a comment from the airport administration on the cause for the numerous delays and will bring you updates as we get them.

Travelers may want to call ahead before heading to the airport for a flight today.

Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 for updates on this breaking news alert.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)– Valley doctors say they’re seeing an increase in patients with “Brain Fog.”

Brain fog is a term used to describe a range of cognitive symptoms, including impaired concentration, memory lapses and mental fatigue. Doctors say it’s common after covid but can also be caused by stress or underlying conditions.

Officials say it’s important for people with severe brain fog to seek medical attention.

Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider, local psychologist says, “These are highly intelligent individuals. Some are working, some are retired, but it really affects their ability to have their daily lives functioning at a higher capacity.” 

Doctors say poor sleep, dehydration and lack of exercise can also contribute to brain fog. This condition affects individuals capability to problem solve.

Fogel Schneider says that brain fog can lift in several weeks following the viral infection that brought it on. Staying hydrated, getting proper rest, exercising and eating healthy can assist in reducing the brain fog. 

Doctors urge people suffering from these symptoms to reach out to local doctors for assistance to combat this issue. 

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates.

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Shay Lawson

MECCA, Calif. (KESQ)  – Galilee Center helped families gear up for the school year with its annual Backpack Distribution Giveaway on Thursday at the center’s location in Mecca.

Organizers said more than 900 backpacks were handed out.

Each backpack includes age-appropriate items like notebooks, pencils, crayons, glue sticks and folders.

Organizers said Bighorn Golf Club provided a grant that’s helping the nonprofit distribute hundreds of backpacks.

“This event is more than just handing out backpacks,” Claudia Castorena, co-founder of Galilee Center said.  “It’s a chance to show the children in our community that we believe in them and are here to support their education.”

To sign up or make a monetary donation, visit www.galileecenter.org or call 760-396-9100.

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