Category: kesq-local-news

Julia Castro

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — A Goldenvoice representative apologized Tuesday for a chaotic start to Coachella Weekend One, where traffic delays left thousands of festivalgoers stranded for hours during a desert heatwave.

The trouble started on Thursday, when long lines of festival campers tried to stream into the festival’s onsite campgrounds. Many ran out of gas while waiting in their cars, and without access to water or restrooms. Some said they were forced to endure extreme conditions in their vehicles.

A Goldenvoice representative addressed the debacle at the La Quinta City Council meeting on Tuesday. George Cunningham said the traffic jam was caused by an unexpected surge in early arrivals.

City Councilmember Kathleen Fitzpatrick called Thursday’s traffic jam “unacceptable” and “a total embarrassment” as she shared resident complaints of traffic jams and concertgoers forced to use the roadside due to no restrooms being offered to these invited guests from all over the world.

“Every year, we typically have a lull between one o’clock and six o’clock in the evening where it just dies down,” Cunningham said. “We didn’t have that. Everybody wanted to come early… the campers were in and they wanted to be here,” Cunningham added.

Cunningham said a first-ever Thursday night concert in the campgrounds provided a draw for people to arrive earlier, which had not been experienced in past years of the festival.

Adding to the problem, not all checkpoints were fully staffed the representative said, creating even more congestion. In past years, campers were sometimes allowed in before the official 9 a.m. opening. That policy didn’t apply this year, leading to massive backups on surrounding roads.

To help prevent a repeat of last weekend, Goldenvoice says it’s adding more entry points for vehicles. George Cunningham, a company official, told council members that 12 new toll plazas are being added near Madison Street and 50th Avenue, bringing the total to 44.

“We are enacting another toll plaza… so in the past we’ve had 32 toll plazas, we’re adding an additional 12,” Cunningham said.

Goldenvoice says it will continue monitoring traffic this weekend and will make more changes if necessary, especially with Stagecoach just around the corner.

Campground gates for Coachella Weekend Two open Thursday at 9:00 a.m.

Festival attendees and residents are encouraged to plan ahead.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest Coachella traffic updates.

Allie Anthony

The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway in the heart of La Quinta is less than two weeks away, and you still have a chance to win it for just $100! Tickets are going fast for this stunning 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath home valued at $720,000.

Located in The Cove near Fritz Burns Park and Old Town La Quinta, this home, built by GHA Companies, features top of the line amenities and falls within the Desert Sands School District. Right now, the final touches are being put in place.

News Channel 3’s Allie Anthony took a tour with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Senior Advisor of Area Development Jennifer Castell.

Only 17,500 tickets to win this Dream Home will be sold, and those who reserve theirs by April 25th are also eligible for a $10,000 home shopping spree from BoConcept. Every ticket benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and supports the fight to end childhood cancer.

To reserve tickets, call 1-800-535-6748.

You can view the original article here: https://kesq.com/news/2025/04/16/a-tour-of-the-st-jude-dream-home-less-than-two-weeks-left-to-reserve-a-ticket-before-giveaway/

A tour of the St. Jude Dream Home; less than two weeks left to reserve a ticket before Giveaway

KESQ News Team

JFK Memorial Hospital is less than three miles away from the festival grounds.

We’re learning more about the emergency room visits there during weekend one of Coachella.

Emergency Department Director Evelin Millsap says staff saw the same medical issues they’ve seen in previous years – including dehydration, heat related illnesses, and substance abuse.

But Millsap adds that total visits this year were around double – “We had a total of 54 patients that we saw in two departments. This year, our volume doubled by a hundred patients.” She explains that a lack of nutrition, lack of hydration, and even overdoses of either drugs or alcohol abuse added to the increase in emergency room visits this time.

Kendall Flynn

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Hot Springs City Council voted Tuesday night to remove Public Safety Commission member Michael Rizzio, who says he is being terminated from the position for doing his job in protecting the public.

Rizzio says he requested an emergency Public Safety Commission meeting April 6 to discuss police brutality in the city.

He claims he did not witness the brutality situation, but it was brought to his attention by a person who felt victimized by police, and in his two-year term he has tried to investigate other matters like this but was denied by the Public Safety Commission.

Rizzio sent an email with an attachment requesting the emergency meeting, and by April 7, he was told he was in violation of City Ordinance Section 2-40-020: “To act as an advisor between the community, the Police Department, and the City Council,” an allegation Rizzio says is not true.

He says no one from the Council or Commission has contacted him about the situation, which is one he feels was part of his public safety duties.

“Even though they don’t want me to do my job anymore, it was still my job… when those people got beat up from the police,” Rizzio said. “And I can’t just drop the ball on that. I have to follow through with those victims.”

Desert Hot Springs Mayor Matas and the city’s Public Information Officer declined to comment on Rizzio’s claims prior to the vote.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors today signed off on Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s initial plans to establish a permanent aircraft hangar at March Air Reserve Base, granting the sheriff’s request to allocate $655,255 for architectural, design and engineering services provided by a San Diego firm.   

In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board authorized the sheriff’s department to make the six-figure outlay for a contract with C&S Engineers Inc. The funds will be drawn entirely from the agency’s current fiscal year budget.   

“The proposed hangar will be 20,000 square feet and will serve as the main maintenance hangar for the sheriff’s existing and future aircraft,” according to an agency statement posted to the board’s agenda. “This location is suitable for meeting the needs of the Aviation Unit’s growth with staff and aircraft.”  

Officials said the facility would have room for three aircraft and is proposed on the southeast end of the airfield, close to the Million Air Hangar on Heacock Street. Million Air is a fixed-based operator serving civilian flights into and out of the base.

Sheriff’s aircraft currently operate out of Hemet-Ryan Airport and Jacqueline Cochran Airport in Thermal.

“The MARB Joint Powers Authority property has been identified as the most strategic location (for operations), as it is the closest airport to central Riverside, the sheriff office’s headquarters, and it is vital for quick responses to critical calls,” the agency stated.

C&S Engineers will manage the architecture and design plans, which call for 10 offices, 20 workstations, outdoor fuel tanks, a break room, restrooms, locker rooms, a small gymnasium, security fencing and a parking lot.   

The last environmental impact report completed for the site was approved in 2012, so the firm will be responsible for reviewing the previous assessments to ensure compliance with state and federal law to determine whether a supplemental EIR is necessary, according to officials.

Cynthia White

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The City of Desert Hot Springs is welcoming the new Chief of Police, Steven Shaw.

Shaw had been acting as interim Chief since February of this year, when former Chief Jim Henson retired after 30 years in law enforcement.

In Tuesday’s swearing in at the Desert Hot Springs City Council meeting, Chief Shaw described taking the position as an honor. Shaw said it was a new chapter for the city, and he pledged to always listen to the voices of the community.

Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – College of the Desert is down to four semi-finalists who advanced to the final stage in the search for the school’s next Superintendent/President.

COD officials said they received 73 qualified applications from across the country following an extensive recruitment process conducted by AGB Search, LLC – a national firm specializing in leadership searches for higher education institutions.

The four semi-finalists selected to advance are:

● Dr. Monica Chahal, Interim President, Clovis Community College

● Val Martinez Garcia, Acting Superintendent/President, College of the Desert

● Dr. Kimberlee S. Messina, President, Spokane Falls Community College

● Dr. Don Moya-Miller, Vice President/Assistant Superintendent, Rio Hondo College

“The COD Superintendent/Presidential Search has attracted an exceptional group of candidates, each demonstrating a strong commitment to student success, community engagement, and academic excellence,” said Dr. Joel Kinnamon, Chair of the COD Board of Trustees. “We are proud to introduce the finalists to the College of the Desert community and invite the public to take part in open forums where they can hear directly from each candidate, ask questions, and share in the important conversation about the future of the college.”

A public forum will take place in person on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at the Pollock Theatre on the Palm Desert Campus. The event will also be live-streamed via YouTube to ensure broad access. The time of the public forum will be announced at a later date.

Members of the community interested in submitting questions for the in-person forum can submit their questions at https://forms.office.com/r/iYWTxxdKB3.

The Board of Trustees will conduct final interviews with the candidates in person on Friday, May 2, 2025. These interviews will be closed to the public. The Board is expected to announce the next Superintendent/President during an upcoming meeting.

For more information and updates, please visit www.collegeofthedesert.edu/president.