Category: kesq-local-news

Kendall Flynn

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Coachella Prospera is a city project aiming to create a “resilient and equitable community.” The project works on neighborhood planning, healthy child development and aiding the senior community. Part of this includes providing opportunities for job training through the Center for Employment Training.

Through the grants, Coachella Prospera has created the Center for Employment Training providing job opportunities for HVAC technicians and green technology. Trainees also learn building and maintaining a home, along with interior and exterior finishes.

The HVAC technician and green technology program each are 9 months and 900 hours for free, as long as the applicant is within the Coachella Prospera area. CET will also be adding a new electrician and residential training program, which is currently being built. It will follow the same timeline of 9 months and 900 hours for free.

Organizers say this program is to enhance the quality of life of residents but giving them life-long and individual skills for jobs.

While students learn the trade, they are are nearly guaranteed a job afterward through CET’s partnerships with businesses. They’ve also seen over 80% of students receive jobs after training as either an apprentice or in a full-time position.

This comes just after the US job market report for March, where he US economy added about 911,000 fewer jobs than initially estimated for the year ending in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

However, CET said they don’t believe this applies to them or their students ability to get jobs after training. With their partnerships and turnover rate, they haven’t experienced any issues placing students in jobs and they don’t see that changing in the future.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest at 6 p.m.

Click here to follow the original article.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors today approved amending Riverside County’s campaign finance regulations so the county superintendent of schools is required to comply with the same caps in place for other county elected officials, while also approving new requirements for so-called “intra-candidate transfers” of funds.

In a 4-0 vote without comment — and Supervisor Chuck Washington absent — the board implemented the regulatory changes, which were submitted by the county Executive Office.

“The … amendments provide greater transparency and allow everyone the right to participate and support the candidates of their choice,” according to an EO statement. “The purpose of this ordinance is to ensure that individuals and interest groups continue to have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in electing candidates for county elective office.”  

The changes were the first ones put forward since Ordinance No. 963, which fixes limits on campaign contributions for county candidates, was enacted in the fall of 2020. For unexplained reasons, the revisions did not include the county superintendent of schools.

“It was and remains the intent of the Board of Supervisors to have included the superintendent of schools in the original version of this ordinance,” the EO stated. “This amendment is correcting an oversight.”

Then-Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, joined by Washington, sought adoption of No. 963, which caps all individual contributions to any one candidate for county office at $20,000.

With the board’s approval Tuesday, the ordinance has set contribution parameters for the schools superintendent that are the same for the assessor-clerk recorder, auditor-controller, any county supervisor, district attorney, sheriff and treasurer-tax collector. The limits do not affect state, federal or municipal elections.   

The $20,000 cap applies to all individual contributions in a general, primary, recall or other election cycle. However, exemptions are permitted for candidates who contribute to their own campaign. For instance, the ordinance permits a candidate to self-loan up to $100,000 per election, but in doing so, the loan recipient’s opponent is entitled to accept an equal amount in funding to ensure parity.

The other amendment passed by the board concerned intra-candidate transfers, which will no longer be permitted without the express written consent of individual donors.

“When a donor gives money, they express support for a candidate for a specific office, and that expression is protected by the free speech clauses of the state and federal constitutions,” according to the Office of County Counsel. “But when a candidate then chooses to run for a different office, what becomes of the donor’s speech?”   

The attorneys said a candidate for a certain office cannot expect that just because he or she pursues a different office, the original individual contributors support that new campaign and want the money they previously gave going to the new political endeavor.

“This (amended) ordinance prohibits intra-candidate transfers without the consent of donors to the first campaign,” according to the EO. “All intra-candidate transfers must be transparent and accounted for.”

The ordinance specifies all individual contributions in excess of $1,000 be subject to instant documentation and presentation on the Office of the Registrar of Voters’ portal for transparency, adhering to the California Political Reform Act of 1974.

So-called “independent” expenditures by outside organizations in support of a candidate are not impacted by the ordinance. Political action committees, unions, corporations and similar large organized donor groups generating and paying for their own advertisements and promotions are shielded from contribution limits under the U.S. Supreme Court case Citizens United v FEC, which was decided in 2010 based on free speech arguments.

Click here to follow the original article.

Garrett Hottle

UPDATE: The Palm Springs City Council voted 4 to 1 in its meeting on Wednesday to approve the city’s response to a Civil Grand Jury report that found the city failed to properly safeguard taxpayer dollars in its handling of non-profit grants tied to Queer Works.

Mayor Ron deHarte voted “no,” saying he felt the response could have expressed the city’s commitment to accountability more strongly.

Mayor deHarte commented, “I feel we could have maintained that sense of responsibility to the community and the response we gave to the community a little stronger in our response here, in the response to these questions.”

Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein said, “Mistakes were made and it really is unfortunate but how we have dealt with it, how the City Manager and staff dealt with the response, I think shows that we are committed to never letting this, or preventing this from happening.”

Councilmembers also discussed the city’s disagreement with the Grand Jury finding that not enough “oversight resulted in a loss of over 700 thousand dollars.”

The city stated it was “unable to reconcile a specific amount of loss.”

Several public speakers took issue with that defense, one saying, “The city is unable to reconcile a specific amount of loss, as if that makes it OK. Translation, we lost track of 700 thousand dollars, but since we can’t count it, it doesn’t count. With respect, that is absurd.”

In its response, the city says it’s moving forward with most of the Grand Jury’s ten recommendations – but rejected a recommendation for a forensic audit of all city departments.

Editors Note: Wed. Sep. 10 This article has been updated with corrected information regarding DAP Health. None of the Universal Basic Income funds flowed to DAP Health. All funds went directly to Queer Works.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) The Palm Springs City Council will address a civil grand jury report Wednesday evening that found the city failed to properly safeguard taxpayer dollars in its handling of nonprofit grants tied to Queer Works.

The report follows the indictment of Queer Works founder Jacob Rostovsky, who faces 53 felony counts of fraud, grand theft, and misappropriation of public funds. Prosecutors allege he defrauded taxpayers at the city, county, and state level out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The grand jury’s findings concluded Palm Springs had “no comprehensive guidelines” for processing or monitoring large grants, allowing more than $700,000 in city funds to flow to Queer.

Jurors cited a lack of progress reports, lump-sum disbursements, and no fraud-prevention training for staff.

Community leaders say the damage has been devastating. Thomi Clinton, CEO of the Transgender Health and Wellness Center in Palm Springs, told News Channel 3 the scandal left the very people the program was meant to help –  in crisis.

“It was the transgender community that was severely exploited,” Clinton said. They’re the individuals in need the most and they just want to live and survive and be productive members of society. But society is pretty much against them.”

Clinton said some members of the community are now homeless and turning to survival sex work

“They lost their hom, they are facing homelessness,” she explained. “They’re having to do sex work to pay for hotels right now. Some of them are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence,” Clinton said.

In a statement obtained by News Channel 3 Monday, Palm Springs Mayor Ron De Harte said the city has enacted reforms to ensure accountability and prevent a repeat of the Queer Works scandal. City officials said they will formally approve their response to the grand jury report at Wednesday’s meeting.

The city’s statement reads in full:Mayor deHarte. Here is a statement from him below:

“The City of Palm Springs fully supports the Riverside County District Attorney’s investigation and indictment of Mr. Jacob Rostovsky for allegedly defrauding the taxpayers of our city, our county and state out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The 53-felony count indictment includes fraud, grand theft, and misappropriation of public funds. While the City recognizes that all criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise, we are deeply concerned by these charges, particularly the charged misuse of taxpayer dollars, and continue to cooperate fully with the investigation to ensure accountability.

While the indictment includes allegations involving various government entities, including Riverside County and the State of California, we recognize that six of the felony counts explicitly refer to the City of Palm Springs’ Universal Basic Income Pilot Program. The City is committed to ensuring full accountability for public funds and has already taken significant steps to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

The Grand Jury’s report underscores the very shortcomings our team identified and has already fixed. While different figures have been cited regarding the Queer Works matter, what matters is that the City identified weaknesses in its oversight and has since enacted sweeping reforms to ensure taxpayer dollars are never at risk again.

Let me be clear: taxpayers deserve rigorous safeguards—and they now have them. Since 2024, we have overhauled our policies to protect public dollars and ensure measurable performance. We have eliminated lump-sum disbursements for grants above $75,000; require detailed progress reports and invoice documentation before any payment; mandate annual independent audits for larger awards; tightened front-end vetting of all applicants; assigned dedicated staff oversight to each grant; and instituted formal fraud-prevention and financial-controls training for staff. These reforms are in effect today and working.”

The City Council is expected to vote on its formal response Wednesday evening. Stay News Channel Three for further developments in this story. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Gavin Nguyen

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – Paving the way for cleaner air quality – that’s the goal of a more than $4.5 million project in the East Valley.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) announced it will team up with Riverside County’s Transportation Department to pave dirt roads at mobile home parks throughout the eastern Coachella Valley.

In a written response to News Channel 3, the air quality regulator answered some of our questions:

How effective will replacing dirt roads with paved roads be, and is there any research that drove this project?The ECV community prioritized this paving project and set aside $4.57 million in AB 617 CAP Incentive funds to reduce dust from unpaved roads. Paving is one of the most effective ways to lower dust emissions from unpaved roadways, improve local air quality, and enhance community well-being.

How were sites for paving chosen? Are the mobile home parks “problem areas” for air quality?Sites were prioritized based on community input, Riverside County Housing and Workforce Solutions feedback, readiness of the sites for paving, traffic levels, and proximity to sensitive receptors. These sites were identified as locations where paving would provide the greatest benefit in reducing dust exposure for residents.

How is it being funded?The project is funded through AB 617 Community Air Protection (CAP) Incentive funds designated to reduce air pollution in disproportionately impacted communities. The paving project will be implemented in partnership with the Riverside County Transportation Division, and development of a Memorandum of Understanding between South Coast AQMD and the Riverside County Transportation Division is currently in process.

14 mobile home parks in communities like Thermal, Mecca, Oasis, and North Shore will see newly paved roads after the project begins in 2026, including the following:

Sanchez Mobile Home Park, 64975 Harrison Street, Thermal

Mountain Vista Mobile Home Park, 59700 Pierce Street, Thermal

Zakey Mobile Home Park, 88755 58th Avenue, Thermal

Maria y Jose Mobile Home Park, 85701 Middleton Street, Oasis

Seferino Huerta Mobile Home Park, 67959 Lincoln Street, Mecca

Toledo Mobile Home Park, 89171 64th Avenue, Mecca

Campos Wong Mobile Home Park, 52742 Fillmore Street, Thermal

63rd Avenue off Pierce Street near the Whitewater River, Mecca

B Bros Ranch aka Barroso Mobile Home Park, 52255 Fillmore Street, Thermal

Familia Martinez Mobile Home Park, 69780 Grant Street, Mecca

Meza Mobile Home Park, 56850 Desert Cactus, Thermal

Rodriguez, Bolanos, Meza Ranch aka Rancho La Boquilla, 56845 Desert Cactus, Thermal

Velasco Mobile Home Park, 70980 Wheeler Street, Mecca

Rancho del Sol Mobile Home Park, 96751 Highway 111, Mecca (west of North Shore)

Property owners of the Rancho del Sol Mobile Home Park – brothers Mitch and Steve Matthews – showed News Channel 3 crews problem areas within the community.

“A lot of this becomes dirt. We have existing asphalt and some of it looks a little bit newer, but then a few feet, it cracks, it brittles and then it just goes back to the natural dirt,” said Mitch as he walked along the main road through the mobile home park, riddled with potholes.

Mitch estimated roughly half of the community’s 55 households – over 200 residents in total – have made complaints about air quality and the roads in community meetings.

The two brothers recently purchased the property and are actively working to improve safety and quality of life for their residents. In recent months, they have installed a new playground, lighting, and security systems. They say their inclusion in the county road project was a welcome one.

“When we found out we were one of the 14 parks selected in the county, we were ecstatic,” recounted Steve. “It’s a very expensive process. And on a personal note, just with the children and the families that we have in here, they deserve this.”

Adriana Morales lives within the community and has two kids of her own. “We need new streets. The kids, especially. I have a son and a daughter. They would like to, you know, ride on their bikes,” she said.

“There’s a lot of dust, like when the cars go by … the space where I live. There’s a lot of dust when they turn. So once this is done, it will be nice for everybody here,” she hoped.

Click here to follow the original article.

Allie Anthony

Palm Springs, Calif. (KESQ)– The Palm Springs Public Library is entering a new chapter as it officially opens the doors to its temporary location at Rimrock Plaza (4721 E Palm Canyon Dr).

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday morning to mark the transition.

The city is working on a major renovation of the library’s longtime home on Sunrise Way. The $13 million renovation project will modernize the historic building that has served the community since 1975.

“We have a beautiful new space here to serve our customers and we look forward to the renovation getting started,” said Director of Library Services Jeannie Kays. “It’s been a long time coming and we are happy that we’re at this stage in the renovation process.”

The temporary 6,000-square-foot location will continue offering core services such as story time, public computers, passport applications, and a Friends of the Library book sale corner. With September being National Library Card Sign-Up Month, staff are encouraging visitors to sign up for a card and explore digital resources like eBooks, streaming content, and language learning tools.

Click here to follow the original article.

Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Months ahead of one of the most cherished religious events in the Coachella Valley, fear and uncertainty over immigration enforcement have led to a difficult decision: the cancellation of this year’s Our Lady of Guadalupe pilgrimage.

The annual pilgrimage, which typically draws thousands of faithful walkers on a 30-mile spiritual journey from Palm Springs to Coachella, has long served as a powerful expression of devotion within the Latino and immigrant communities. But amid growing concerns about immigration crackdowns, organizers say the risk has become too great.

“With everything going on in the different communities, we’re looking for a safer environment. We don’t think it’ll be safe to have this pilgrimage this year going through the Coachella Valley.”

Jacqueline Macias, St. Teresa Catholic Church Business Manager

For many, the decision strikes deeply personal chords.

“I feel very sad about that because it was something we did every year… My mother was devoted to the Lady of Guadalupe. We have a picture as tall as I am. It’s all in gold and beautiful. But she died on her day, the 12th of December.”

Juanita Conde, Rancho Mirage Resident

The Our Lady of Guadalupe pilgrimage has not only been a religious tradition but also a cultural touchstone, symbolizing strength, unity, and faith — particularly for immigrant families navigating life in the U.S.

While the public pilgrimage is canceled, churches across the Coachella Valley are planning to host smaller, localized celebrations. Organizers encourage families and parishes to find alternative ways to honor the day — through prayer, masses, and festive gatherings within their own communities.

“People should expect to have this celebration, this pilgrimage within their communities in different ways – in prayer, in festivities, in liturgy. Every local parish is invited to create their own celebration.”

Jacqueline Macias, St. Teresa Catholic Church Business Manager

Despite the disruption, many in the community are turning to their faith to stay grounded.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

Click here to follow the original article.

KESQ-Newsroom

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Over a dozen mobile home parks in the eastern Coachella Valley are planned to see dirt roads become paved streets as part of efforts to improve air quality.

Riverside County and the South Coast Air Quality Management District will work together on that $4.57 million project.

The following are the tentative locations for paving improvements, subject to the mobile home parks being current with permitting and property taxes:

Sanchez Mobile Home Park, 64975 Harrison Street, Thermal
Mountain Vista Mobile Home Park, 59700 Pierce Street, Thermal
Zakey Mobile Home Park, 88755 58th Avenue, Thermal
Maria y Jose Mobile Home Park, 85701 Middleton Street, Oasis
Seferino Huerta Mobile Home Park, 67959 Lincoln Street, Mecca
Toledo Mobile Home Park, 89171 64th Avenue, Mecca
Campos Wong Mobile Home Park, 52742 Fillmore Street, Thermal
63rd Avenue off Pierce Street near the Whitewater River, Mecca
B Bros Ranch aka Barroso Mobile Home Park, 52255 Fillmore Street, Thermal
Familia Martinez Mobile Home Park, 69780 Grant Street, Mecca
Meza Mobile Home Park, 56850 Desert Cactus, Thermal
Rodriguez, Bolanos, Meza Ranch aka Rancho La Boquilla, 56845 Desert Cactus, Thermal
Velasco Mobile Home Park, 70980 Wheeler Street, Mecca
Sacred Grove, 96751 Highway 111, North Shore

They’re currently working to develop a memorandum of understanding — which will provide a better time-frame for the work, projected to start in 2026.

Stay with News Channel 3 for further updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jesus Reyes

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Fantasy Balloon Flights, the former operator of the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival, has “disavowed the future use” of the city’s balloon festival name following a trademark lawsuit.

The lawsuit centered on Fantasy Balloon Flights’ continued use of the “Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival” name to advertise a competing event after their contract expired in 2024 and after losing a competitive bidding process in 2025, according to the city.

The city filed a federal lawsuit in June.

Last week, the U.S. District Court determined that Cathedral City’s requested preliminary injunction was not necessary as Fantasy Balloon Flights and its owners completely stopped their unauthorized use of Cathedral City’s trademarks and logos.

The Court cautioned that any resumption of the Defendants’ unauthorized use of the City’s balloon festival name, logos, and trademarks would support a renewed motion for injunctive relief.

Faced with the City’s legal action, Fantasy Balloon Flights completely ceased these practices. The Court accepted Fantasy Balloon Flights’ binding commitments, finding sufficient assurance that the trademark violations will not recur.

The Court maintained jurisdiction over the matter, stating that “should circumstances change—such that Defendants continue to advertise a competing event using Plaintiff’s alleged mark” the City may immediately return to court for relief.

“Our legal action achieved exactly what we intended—stopping the trademark misuse that was creating confusion for residents, sponsors, and potential visitors,” said Ryan Hunt, Communications & Events Manager. “The federal court confirmed that Fantasy Balloon Flights has completely abandoned these deceptive practices and made binding promises to never resume them.”

Additionally, Fantasy Balloon Flights, through their attorney, confirmed in court that they have not accepted any pilot registrations nor collected deposits from balloon pilots or operators seeking to participate in the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival scheduled for November 21–23, 2025.

The city said the admission directly addresses the City’s contention that Fantasy Balloon Flights had falsely advertised such registrations on its websites and social media platforms earlier this spring, misleading potential participants into believing it was acting on the City’s behalf.

The Court ordered both parties into mandatory settlement discussions before Magistrate Judge David T. Bristow, with completion required no later than October 31, 2025.

For more information about the official Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival, visit www.cchotairballoonfest.com or follow @cchotairballoonfest on social media.

Click here to follow the original article.

Cynthia White

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) -The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) announced it will host free career preparation workshops to help job seekers succeed at the upcoming 2025 Valley-Wide Employment Expo.

Desert Best Friend’s Closet is collaborating with DPSS on the workshops, which will cover ways to stand out to the over 90 employers participating in the Employment Expo. Job seeking tools presented will be resume writing, interview techniques, and professional wardrobe tips.

The workshops, offered in English and in Spanish, are set for this Thursday at the Indio Workforce Development Center located at 44199 Monroe Street in Indio.

English workshops will be at 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and again at 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Spanish workshops will be 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and again at 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The 2025 Valley-Wide Employment Expo will be taking place on September 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Special Events Center, located at 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio.

For more information, visit DesertJobExpo.com.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jesus Reyes

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A 43-year-old Banning man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of raping a woman, as well as molesting a 12-year-old girl.  

A Banning jury in early July convicted Steven Roy McElroy of forcible rape, lewd acts on a minor, assault with intent to commit rape and a sentence-enhancing allegation of targeting multiple victims. He was acquitted of a related charge of rape of an intoxicated person.

During a hearing at the Banning Justice Center Monday afternoon, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Mark Singerton imposed the sentence required under state law for the crimes.

Steven Roy McElroy was arrested in 2022 following an extensive Banning Police Department investigation that relied on statements from alleged victims going back a decade.

McElroy was charged for the alleged assault on the 12-year-old girl in March 2022.

Banning police detectives received information afterward concerning two women who alleged they had been sexually assaulted by him on different occasions in 2015 and 2016.

According to Detective Jack Loera, the two women heard about the child molestation charge and decided to speak to police.

Asked why it took so long for her to make the allegation, one of the women said she didn’t think authorities would take her seriously regarding the alleged rape at the time, so she waited for the other woman to make her allegations before disclosing her own, according to court papers.

The original incident that led to all of the charges occurred on Dec. 26, 2021, according to the brief.  

McElroy has a felony conviction in another jurisdiction that wasn’t listed in court documents.

Click here to follow the original article.