Category: kesq-local-news

Garrett Hottle

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) The City of Coachella has canceled its regularly scheduled City Council meeting set for January 14, citing a lack of agenda items following the city’s holiday closure.

According to a statement from the city’s public information officer, there were no actionable staff items ready to present, prompting the decision to cancel the meeting. City officials emphasized the move was logistical, not political.

The cancellation also affects meetings for several related agencies, including the Coachella Sanitary District, Fire Protection District, Water Authority, and other city-affiliated boards.

The next regular Coachella City Council meeting is now scheduled for January 28.

The canceled meeting comes as the city continues to navigate leadership uncertainty following the arrest of Mayor Steven Hernandez. 

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to charges that include alleged perjury and conflict-of-interest violations.

City officials have not indicated whether any special meetings will be called before the next regularly scheduled session.

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Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – “It Would Be Night in Caracas” was filmed in Mexico, but is set in Venezuela during the 2027 protests. It is being screened during the Palm Springs International Film Festival where it is describes as a “gripping thriller [that] follows a woman trapped in a city consumed by chaos.”

Hebe Tabachnik, a senior programmer of the Palm Springs International Film Festival said she believes films like “It Would Be Night In Caracas” help people understand more of what is going on in the world. This comes after President Donald Trump announced the US will “run” Venezuela, after capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a large-scale military operation.

“I think it will enlighten people in terms of some of the context.” Tabachnik said. “It’s not dealing directly with, of course, what’s going on right now, but I think festivals and movies and stories in general, help people understand a little bit more what it’s going on in the world.”

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from people attending the film and more from Tabachnik.

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Athena Jreij

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – There have been questions raised about outdoor dining patio safety after a suspected drunk driver crashed into the front dining patio of Casa Blanca in Downtown Palm Springs.

On Saturday, January 3, Palm Springs Police responded to reports of a vehicle that drove into the front patio of Casa Blanca and fled the scene shortly after 1 a.m. The department says the crash caused extensive damage to the restaurant and vehicle.

Street cameras found the driver was also driving opposite traffic on South Palm Canyon.

While the parklet has now been rebuilt by restaurant owners, some patrons say the crash has given them doubts about outdoor dining.

“There’s so many distractions nowadays. They’re going to be drinking. Besides that, there’s distractions with cell phones, with texting. I understand during the Covid time it was kind of a necessity kept people in business, but I don’t know, I just I would just be nervous,” Billy Mottola, the owner of Broken Yolk Cafe says he has resisted installing parklets at his restaurants.

Urs Wyler, the owner of the Thirsty Palms restaurant next to Casa Blanca, says he’s spent more than $20,000 building the parklet and he hopes the crash won’t impact his own business.

“Such a crash is never ever good for business. People think it’s unsafe, but the driver hit the thing from the side, not the driving side,” Wyler said referencing the driver going the wrong way.

News Channel 3 looked into city parklet regulations that order all railing be at least 3 feet high, and built out of steel, iron, aluminum, treated wood or wall grass. The city also says businesses must have concrete barriers that go up to the sidewalks and wheel stops.

At the Palm Springs Police Department, Capt. Gustavo Araiza says accidents like this are rare, but could’ve been much deadlier had it been during the day.

“Normally when the restaurants are operational, and they’re having their patrons sit out on the parklet, there’s a lot of traffic downtown, so it doesn’t permit the speed at which this individual did this. If the business in this case decided they want to stay open late night, we might have been looking at a different scenario,” he said.

The city says they currently have 9 parklets registered that are authorized through December 2028.

News Channel 3 spoke with the owner of Casa Blanca on the phone, who said he estimates the rebuild will cost nearly $20,000, but they are hopeful a crash like that won’t happen again.

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – New safety concerns after a recent stabbing along the CV Link.

Officials say they responded to the incident on December, 31, between Cathedral Canyon Drive and Golf Club Drive. The victim, an adult male, says the suspect put on a ski mask, approached him yelling profanities, attacked him, and stabbed him before fleeing on foot. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he is being treated for his injuries.

The suspect is described as a thin white male in his 40s, last seen wearing a dark blue long-sleeve shirt, and his motive is unknown.

As concerns grow among people using the trail, News Channel 3 is seeking answers about safety.

When asked about enforcement, Capt. Gustavo Araiza of the Palm Springs Police Department explains, “Right now, we believe based on this incident that it was just a single occurrence. Granted, we’re going to be mindful of what’s going on.”

Araiza says they work closely with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) to improve conditions on the CV Link. He adds local law enforcement is responsible for maintaining safety.

“We’re not setting up patrols right now unless we’re getting information from the community so that’s where the partnership comes in, right. We ask the community if something suspicious is going on, let us know… But if you’re talking about routine patrols, I don’t know if we’re there yet,” says Araiza.

Officials say people can take extra steps to stay safe, including bringing a phone, letting someone know where they are, and avoiding going alone.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Gilberto Alcaraz at 760-323-8123 or via email at gilberto.alcaraz@palmspringsca.gov.

News Channel 3 reached out to CVAG but has not received a response.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Shay Lawson

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)  – After interviews and deliberation councilmembers selected Christina Gordon to fill the District 3 seat, left vacant after the death of long time councilmember Mark Carnevale.

For more than 20 years, Gordon has served as a nonprofit executive, and currently serves on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City.

Gordon said she plans to step down from the nonprofit’s board to focus on her new role.

“As much as I love the Boys and Girls Club, it would be a disservice to continue to be on that board and not be able to serve it fully,” Gordon said.

The council interviewed 11 candidates after Joe Camareno withdrew at the start of the meeting.

The applicants stood before the council detailing their qualifications, availability and vision for the city in 3 minute speeches.

The final choice came down to 2 finalists — Christina Gordon and Colby Gregory — who answered a few final questions before the council cast their votes.

Mayor Raymond Gregory praised both finalists, saying the council made a thoughtful decision for the city.

“Christina Gordon, with her public service here and her involvement in the community and the great number of people that know her and could speak to that directly, really did put her over the top,” Gregory said.

Gordon said she’s honored to be selected and laid out her plans for the future.

“Hiring the new city manager is chief of importance,” Gordon said. “The other is really looking at good fiscal stewardship and making sure that the tax dollars that our citizens entrust us with are well spent and provide them with the services that they need and they want.”

Gordon will serve the remainder of councilmember Carnevale’s term which lasts until November 2026.

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Spencer Blum

We are tracking a windy evening here in the Coachella Valley. Our First Alert Weather Alert took effect at 4:00 PM Wednesday as westerly onshore winds began to build up around the valley in the evening hours. Winds were expected to gradually build throughout the evening and overnight hours shifting more north and northwesterly.

A Wind Advisory took effect for the Coachella Valley at 8:00 PM. This all comes as a result of a fast-moving low pressure system (inside slider) passing to our south, and as a much larger trough (area of low pressure) moves in from the north.

As the more prominent trough moves south and east, our winds will strengthen. Later into Wednesday night and Thursday morning will see strong winds both in and around the Coachella Valley. Stronger winds will be felt in areas like Desert Hot Springs and the San Gorgonio Pass where we could see gusts 45-65mph.

However, the usual culprits (like the interstate) will also see some gusty winds at times. As the system moves east, the winds will begin to shift and become more offshore. This will help clear out our skies. In the coming days, a ridge of high pressure will move into the region. This will allow skies to remain clear and temperatures to rise.

The First Alert Weather Alert will remain in place through 1:00 PM tomorrow as we track the possibility for strong winds. Friday will cool in the low 60s with chilly Saturday morning temperatures in the low 40s! This ahead of a warming trend that continues into next week. We could hit 80 by Wednesday.

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Luis Avila

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – An investigation is underway after puppies were found abandoned outside two local grocery stores in La Quinta.

Over the weekend, officials say two individuals dropped off puppies and drove away from a Vons. Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies later finding a second group of puppies at a nearby Aldi.

The puppies were taken to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms.

The patio area in front of Vons in La Quinta where the puppies were abandoned.

Officials note that most cases of abandonment happen out of public view. They say this situation could have turned dangerous very quickly.

“The main concern obviously would be the traffic,” explains Armando Meza, an animal control officer. “These are small dogs as we can see and very young. They have a tendency to go where the noise is so it’s definitely a high risk area going in there.”

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, animal abandonment is a crime in California, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one thousand dollars in fines or up to six months in jail.

While the puppies are now safe and out of harm’s way, Meza is reminding residents there are resources available to help keep animals off the street.

Meza says, “If you have any issues with dogs or too many dogs on your property, we’re always here. You can come by the shelter, any shelter in our area, and just ask for assistance.”

He also says preventing cases like this take a community effort. If you see something suspicious, it’s recommended you report it and be prepared to share any details that could help officials.

News Channel 3 has reached out to the property owner at Plaza La Quinta to get permission to share security camera video showing the incident.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

BUFFALO, New York (KESQ) – A fitness influencer from Palm Springs was arrested in Buffalo, New York, after an investigation into child exploitation.

Jacob A. Hanes, 24, was charged with Promoting an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

According to the New York State Police Department, investigators determined that Hanes had communicated electronically with a juvenile and requested sexually explicit images and videos while knowing the victim was under the age of 17.

Investigators further determined that Hanes was in possession of a forged New York State identification card at the time of his arrest.

Hanes was located and taken into custody in Buffalo, New York, while visiting the area. He is scheduled to be transported to the Steuben County Jail for centralized arraignment.

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Jesus Reyes

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A suspect crashed into a vehicle while attempting to flee from deputies Wednesday morning in Banning.

The incident started just before 8 a.m. when deputies responded to the area of Haugen Lehmann Way and Tamarack Road in Whitewater regarding a report of a stolen vehicle possibly involved in a robbery, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies located the vehicle near Main Street and Interstate 10 in Cabazon. 

“Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle; however, it failed to yield, and a pursuit was initiated as it traveled west on I-10,” an RSO spokesperson said. “The vehicle exited the freeway at 22nd Street, Banning, where it collided with another motorist.” 

That motorist was transported to a local area hospital in stable condition. 

The driver of the stolen vehicle, along with three additional subjects, were all taken into custody. 

The Banning police department responded to assist in the traffic collision investigation.  The investigation into the stolen vehicle and possible robbery are ongoing.

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City News Service

RANCHO MIRAGE (CNS) – The Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory will celebrate its 30th anniversary today with a variety of activities for all ages.   

The free festivities will be held from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at 71-100 CA-111, with hands-on activities for kids and families, including games and crafts.  

At 6 p.m., comedian Eric Cunningham will regale patrons with a “fast- paced, hilarious look at the library’s 30-year journey,” library officials said. In addition, there will be prizes, trivia and a performance by jazz pianists Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi.   

The celebration will conclude from 8-9:30 p.m. with a public exploration night at the observatory.

The library is also offering a commemorative library card that is only available on Wednesday.

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