Category: kesq-local-news

Kiera McKinney

PALM DESERT. Calif. (KESQ)- Gas prices climb as Palm Springs enters a busy summer travel season. For about a month, gas prices had been steadily dropping. Now, they’ve gone up by 3 cents in one day, the first jump since May.

Gas prices are on the rise again, as millions of people hit the road for summer vacations and weekend getaways. In a tourism-driven city like Palm Springs, higher prices could affect both visitors and locals.

Gas prices in Riverside County ticked up from roughly $5.36 to $5.38 per gallon overnight. The gain is driven by the end of a ceasefire in the Middle East and renewed U.S. strikes against Iran, which have disrupted global oil markets and caused crude prices to spike. Riverside County’s average gas prices dropped back to $5.23 a gallon by Sunday.

The national average rose by 5 cents to $3.84 per gallon. California’s average rose to $5.38 per gallon. AAA said the increase is due to the end of the ceasefire and renewed U.S. strikes against Iran.

Kandace Redd, AAA spokesperson, said, “Gas prices generally follow crude oil. Now, when crude oil prices surge, drivers can expect to pay more at the pump, especially since about 60% of what they pay is tied directly to the price of crude.”

“Things that happen globally can definitely impact us here in the States, right here in California, and here locally, ” Redd said.

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Dakota Makinen

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile rolled into Palm Springs ahead of a special night at Palm Springs Stadium.

Fans will have the chance to see the 27-foot-long vehicle up close during Friday night’s Palm Springs Power game. The event also features Oscar Mayer “Hotdoggers,” who travel the country promoting the brand and driving the famous Wienermobile.

News Channel 3 spoke with two of the Hotdoggers about the training it takes to drive the vehicle and their experience competing in the annual Wienie 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Palm Springs Power President Andrew Starke says promotions like this help create a fun, family-friendly atmosphere while introducing new fans to summer collegiate baseball.

First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest updates.

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Lynette Niebla

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – A tense, multi-layered contract dispute is unfolding in the Imperial Valley as newly unionized geothermal power generation workers at CalEnergy accuse their multi-billion dollar parent company of bad-faith bargaining and employee retaliation.

The standoff puts front-line machinists and plant operators against BHE Renewables, a division of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

While labor representatives point to staggering corporate wealth as proof that local employees are being left behind, corporate management counters that the union walked away from a highly competitive compensation structure to chase an unrealistic 60% hourly wage increase.

The roots of the current friction date back to August 14, 2025, the very day CalEnergy workers filed to organize under the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 465.

According to union leadership, management retaliated that same afternoon by modifying scheduling logistics, ultimately resulting in an annual pay cut of more than 10% for multiple frontline technicians.

Despite intense corporate opposition, workers voted 101-to-40 to unionize on December 9, 2025. Employees campaigned heavily on a message of “Power in Partnership,” expressing a desire to help the Imperial Valley’s clean energy and burgeoning “Lithium Valley” infrastructure thrive.

However, after six months of bargaining across 12 deadlocked negotiating sessions, union officials say the initial hope for collaboration has dissolved into confrontation.

Local 465 representatives claim that Berkshire Hathaway Senior Vice President Rob Lasich has repeatedly berated employees at the bargaining table, walking out of sessions and telling dissatisfied personnel that they are free to quit if they are unhappy.

To document the toll of these operational strategies, IBEW Local 465 compiled anonymous employee testimonies detailing deep physical and personal strain:

Work-Life Hardships: “Now the schedule changed to 10-hour shifts, but honestly, we’re working more and making less money.”

Custody & Stress Issues: “I’m on the verge of possibly losing the custody of my kids.” “The long hours, the stress, and lack of balance have started affecting me mentally, physically, and personally.”

Staff Exhaustion: “More employees are calling in sick or taking time off because they’re exhausted…I had to work 13 hours to compensate for the lack of employees caused by the ineffective scheduling changes.”

“They take it personal that we want better pay,” said Erwin Ricardo Sanchez, a maintenance machinist at the Salton City facility. “We want a better work environment, we want our schedule back, we want a decent wage, and we want to live our lives. We want to work. It’s not like we want to be lazy.”

The financial divide remains a primary talking point for the union. In 2025, Berkshire Hathaway reported roughly $67 billion in annual earnings, while BHE Renewables posted $128 million in first-quarter 2026 earnings.

“A company that has that much success is leaving its workers behind,” argued Nate Fairman, IBEW Local 465 Business Manager. “It’s asking its workers to make sacrifices and take lower pay to continue to drive those record-making profits, and that is wrong.”

BHE Renewables is firing back against what it describes as inflammatory and untruthful characterizations propagated by union leadership. Corporate officials emphasize that their primary goal remains securing an equitable contract.

Addressing the core friction surrounding stagnant compensation, corporate management highlights that their field staff is already heavily compensated compared to local standards.

“We’re proud to say the median total cash compensation in 2025 for employees covered by these negotiations was over $122,000,” BHE Renewables noted in an official corporate response. “That’s double the county’s median household income. The union came to the table demanding a 60% hourly wage increase.”

The company flatly denies cutting base pay or leveraging shifts to punish employees who voted to organize. Management specifies that operations require continuous coverage, meaning scheduling adjustments are a standard baseline across the energy sector.

“Operational scheduling decisions are made based on the needs of geothermal power plant operations that must run safely and reliably around the clock,” the company stated. “The schedules being utilized are neither unique nor unusual within the power generation industry. The union claims earning opportunities have been reduced. The truth is that hourly wage rates are not impacted by the schedule changes. The company offers our employees plenty of overtime earning opportunities through call-out, picking up additional work shifts, and working additional hours.”

Corporate leaders also directly addressed the explicit allegations lodged against Senior Vice President Rob Lasich, claiming the quotes leaked to the media were stripped of their true context.

Management asserted that Mr. Lasich never instructed personnel to quit, adding that company representatives have endured frequent verbal abuse from union bargainers during closed-door sit-downs, including being labeled “liars and thieves.”

Furthermore, BHE Renewables dismissed the three Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges recently filed by the union with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which allege bad-faith bargaining and illegal scheduling retaliation.

“The unfair labor allegations are false and have no merit,” management stated. “They were filed without any evidence to support their claims. Two of the charges were coincidentally just filed this week after the union abruptly ended negotiations. We look forward to refuting them during the NLRB review process.”

BHE Renewables maintains it is ready to immediately resume contract parameters, adding, “We reached agreements on dozens of contract provisions, but the union still walked away. We’re ready to have respectful negotiations if the union comes back to the table.”

With both sides firmly entrenched, the labor dispute appears poised to transition away from the boardroom and into the public eye.

Because negotiations remain frozen, Local 465 organizers state that workers are aggressively organizing informational pickets and community rallies across the Imperial Valley.

Despite the friction, frontline workers note they understand the responsibility riding on their shoulders.

“We have to understand that there’s got to be sacrifices that need to be made,” Erwin Ricardo Sanchez reflected. “Nothing in this world has changed without sacrifices needing to be made.”

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Kiera McKinney

A recent e-bike arrest in Palm Springs is highlighting how new technology is changing the way police respond to calls.

Palm Springs police say a suspect riding an e-bike was committing multiple traffic violations and appeared to be trying to get officers to chase him through downtown.

Lieutenant William Hutchinson from Palm Springs Police Department said, “We deployed a drone, instantaneously followed him as he drove recklessly throughout the city. We didn’t pursue him because we didn’t want to endanger other motorists..once he got to a location where we could safely take him into custody and direct officers without him knowing.”

That drone launched from the Coachella Valley Real Time Intelligence Center, where officers monitor 911 calls and send information to the field in real time.

Lieutenant William Hutchinson said their drones launch in about 10 seconds and they are on scene in about less than a minute.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Springs couple aboard the LGBTQ cruise ship “Scarlet Lady” is speaking out after the ship was denied permission to dock in Turkey this week, and has now also been denied permission to stop at its substitute port in Egypt.

Colin Wright and his husband are among the 2,000 passengers onboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, who say they were notified in the middle of the night that the ship’s stop in Alexandria had been abruptly canceled.

The Palm Springs couple departed Athens on Sunday for a 10-day Mediterranean cruise with several stops.

Alexandria was selected as a substitute port after officials in Turkey denied the ship permission to dock.

The provincial government in Turkey posted that groups on the ship were known for quote “behavior incompatible with our society’s structure and moral values.”

The Egyptian government has not provided an official explanation, but many of the ship’s passengers say they’re concerned it could be a sign of growing hostility toward LGBTQ people.

((SOT Colin Wright/Passenger, Virgin Voyage’s Scarlet Lady 2:45 “It’s just more disappointing it’s led to this. We were very respectful. This cruise line has been in operation for more than thirty years. They’ve been to both Turkey and Egypt multiple times and never had any problems at all. But because of the political climate that we’re in right now, this is unfortunately what happened.” 3:06 BUTT 4:46 “We’re obviously a minority in the world, and so we’re kind of an easy target for a lot of people. And unfortunately that’s just where we are. I do think there is some increased hostility, but I also think that perhaps it’s a pendulum swinging and we’re seeing one end of the swing. Hopefully things will come back to a more moderate stance on issues that affect us.” 5:11))

Meanwhile, the company running the cruise, Atlantis, says this is unheard of, adding the ship had received approval to visit Egypt, as the company has done twice in the last two years.

The ship is now on its third itinerary, with new stops in Crete and Montenegro.

The LGBTQ cruise had been planned for more than a year and Atlantis says it has never had one of its charters denied permission to dock in its 36-year history.

Now, it has happened twice in a single week.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A local nonprofit is working to expand cultural programs in the East Valley.

“Green Room Theatre Company” just received a $100,000 grant from the “Tammis Day Foundation,” which will allow it to grow and focus on underserved communities.

Half the grant will go to producing mainstage artistic productions, while the other half will allow the theatre to expand its staff.

Green Room takes theater directly to communities throughout the valley.

“There are a lot of communities out there that don’t have the opportunity either by lack of theater themselves or financials, that do not have the ability to see theater. And we feel that the arts is something needed in our communities,” said Allan H. Jensen, Managing Director of GRTCCV.

A big portion of the theater company is its “ballet folklorico.”

For more information, visit https://grtccv.org/

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Athena Jreij

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Desert family is raising awareness on the dangers of triple digit temperatures, after their grandfather died when his home’s air conditioning failed.

Nikita Potter says her grandparent’s home was reaching 90 degree temperatures, when her 91-year-old grandpa, Chuck Potter, was found dead inside.

“My grandma frantically called me, and she said he fell, I found him on the floor. By the time we got there, we realized he passed away. Essentially, it was from their AC breaking down,” Potter said.

She claims her grandparents tried to replace the HVAC system, but faced mounting costs to cool their 2,300 square foot home.

“It’s 2 complete AC systems that have to be replaced and it requires crane work, that makes the bill even higher. I’ve talked to like Comfort Air and Timos, and those quotes were left with 20-25 K. Even with that, we’ve looked into warranties and stuff, but unless you have that extra chunk of change, you don’t really have a lot of options,” she said.

Potter now worries what’s next for her grandmother, as she lives in a hotel but awaits to go back home.

“The past three weeks, my grandmother fainted like twice. We’ve had to rush on to the E.R. and it’s from the heat,” she said.

Now, she wants others to check on their AC systems before it’s too late.

If you’d like to support the family’s funeral costs, visit: Honoring Grandpa Chuck & Supporting Grandma Nona In Crisis.

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Tommy Gallegos

The countdown to another season of hockey in the Coachella Valley is officially underway.

The Coachella Valley Firebirds announced their 2026-27 American Hockey League regular season schedule on Thursday, revealing a 72-game slate that begins Friday, Oct. 2, with a home opener against the Ontario Reign at Acrisure Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. PT.

Entering their fifth season as the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, the Firebirds will once again face every team in the Pacific Division while also taking on the Texas Stars from the Central Division.

Fans can expect familiar game times throughout the season. Weekday home contests will begin at 7 p.m. PT, while Saturday home games are scheduled for 6 p.m. PT. Sunday home games will feature either 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. start times. One notable exception comes on New Year’s Eve, when the Firebirds will host a special 5 p.m. puck drop on Thursday, Dec. 31.

The full schedule remains subject to change, with game dates, opponents and start times potentially adjusted throughout the season.

The Firebirds also announced that information regarding single-game tickets, additional ticket packages, promotional nights and theme nights will be released at a later date.

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Tommy Gallegos

Community members are invited to make a difference tomorrow by supporting the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Venezuela Quake Drive, a donation event benefiting families affected by the recent earthquake in Venezuela.

The drive will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Palm Springs Police Department Training Center.

Donations of clean, gently used, or new items are welcome. Needed supplies include clothing, shoes, blankets, bottled water, and other everyday necessities that can help families as they recover from the disaster. Organizers ask that all donated items be in good condition to ensure they can be distributed quickly and effectively.

Those who are unable to attend the drive but would still like to help can make a monetary contribution online by visiting califriedfoundation.com.

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Garrett Hottle

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) Train robberies sound like something out of the Old West. Investigators say they’re happening right now, across the Coachella Valley, and far more often than most people think.

The News Channel 3 I-Team went undercover on the desert train theft network. We rode along with an undercover Union Pacific Railroad Police agent and a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy. We’re hiding their faces to protect law enforcement operations.

The tracks cut through Coachella, Thermal and North Shore. Investigators say criminals are watching them closely.

Look back at March 19. A Union Pacific train derailed near North Shore. Law enforcement says thieves targeted the cargo left exposed in the desert. The undercover agent says more than $1 million in goods was stolen after the derailment.

“Ripping off the furniture, like living room furniture,” the deputy said. “They end up having to adjust parts of the train so they could open the doors, because they were hitting it so bad.”

Just this month, investigators say thieves went after a train carrying weed trimmers through the desert. The I-Team got video, never shown publicly, of boxes recovered after that theft.

In the Mecca area, deputies recently arrested several suspects accused of targeting trains and recovered nearly $200,000 in merchandise.

“Four people actively breaking into the train, and all four were caught,” the deputy said. “They didn’t care that police was right there.”

Investigators say crews follow trains through the desert and wait for them to slow near crossings or sidings before moving in. Some thieves are using social media to track stopped trains.

“People will take a photograph of the train, then post it on Facebook or Instagram,” the deputy said. “And they’re like, ‘See, this train is stopped.'”

The investigation also took us inside encampments built along the tracks. Investigators say many were filled with stolen goods.

“Queen-sized bed. They had TVs,” the agent said. “It was like a makeshift condo underground.”

In one case, investigators say thieves took hundreds of rifles off a train. Empty rifle boxes later turned up in Mecca and Coachella.

Deputies say the danger isn’t just the thefts. They say people have been killed on tracks in the area, and that trains are quieter than people expect.

“You don’t hear it until it’s like four or five seconds away from you,” the deputy said. “By the time you look up, if you’re not looking both ways — they’re very silent.”

The same tracks people drive past every day have become the center of a growing crime problem, and law enforcement is asking the public to pay attention.

Anyone with information about the weed-trimmer thefts or other railroad crimes can call Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP. Tips are anonymous and can earn a reward of up to $2,000.

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