Category: kesq-local-news

Kendall Flynn

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Local farmers and agriculture leaders gathered in Coachella Thursday to share the challenges they’ve been facing in the industry. From high labor costs, competition or imported goods and the lack of education on local farming, leaders are asking for change.

The main concern from local farmers is the high labor cost implemented in January of a $16.50 minimum wage with a 1.5% overtime pay. While they agree workers should be paid fairly, the high cost does not align with their profits because of imported competition.

Mexico is a leading source for importing in California because of the reduced cost for labor at between $4.50 and $6 per hour. When those goods are imported at a lower cost, locals feel California goods are forgotten.

They said this is also a concern because of the high quality of California agriculture. There are many strict regulations on agriculture, especially when it comes to pests or pesticides, that ensure the products are clean, and those same regulations are not on all imported goods.

Tonight on News Channel 3 local leaders in agriculture are sharing how they have to continue to innovate their practice to stay alive in the industry, and they’re asking for help from the community to shop local.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A traffic collision has led to a road closure near Ramon Road and El Placer in Palm Springs Thursday afternoon.

Details on the crash were not immeditely available; however, Palm Springs confirmed two vehicles were involved.

Police said three people were injured in the crash, including one person who is in critical condition.

Roads were closed for several hours, but reopened by 3 p.m.

Police said drugs and/or alcohol do not appear to be a factor at this time.

Anyone with information about this collision is asked to contact the Palm Springs Police Department Traffic Division at 760-323-8125.

Stay with News Channel 3 for updates.

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Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Two people, including a wanted suspect, were taken into custody following an hours-long standoff in Indio on Thursday.

Police said a witness reported seeing a suspect wanted at around 10:30 a.m. near Sun Gold and Valencia Avenue. The suspect, a 30-year-old man, was wanted for allegedly striking his brother in the head with a crowbar and stabbing him several times with a knife.

IPD officers surrounded the residence where the suspect is believed to be located. Officers made multiple attempts to communicate with the suspect through a “surround and callout,” but the suspect did not exit the residence, resulting in a police standoff.

Desert Regional S.W.A.T. responded and assisted in efforts to take the suspect into custody safely. 

At around 1:30 p.m., the suspect exited the residence and was safely taken into custody without further incident. Roads were closed around the area, but all roads were back open by 2 p.m.

Police said the victim in the stabbing remains in stable condition in the hospital. The suspect faces attempted homicide charges.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Indio Police Department at (760) 391-4057 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (760) 341-STOP.

We’ll have the latest at Noon on News Channel 3.

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Jesus Reyes

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – A 68-year-old woman from Rancho Mirage has been reported missing, prompting a Silver Alert from the California Highway Patrol.

Jeri Chamberlain, 67, was last seen on Wednesday at 10:20 p.m. in the area of Mirage Cove Drive and Peterson Road.

She is described as five feet, five inches tall, weighing 124 pounds, with gray hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a yellow sundress.

Chamberlain is believed to be on foot.

If see, CHP asks that you call 9-1-1.

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Athena Jreij

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. (KESQ) — Since the beginning of the government shutdown, News Channel 3 has followed the impact on Joshua Tree National Park, as it remained open and free for entry with limited rangers.

Now, as the longest shutdown in U.S. history comes to an end, many visitors say they haven’t noticed a difference thanks to the park’s continued staffing on a limited basis.

The National Park Service told News Channel 3 the park has remained open, clean and safe thanks to their contingency plan, that allowed limited staff to work on essential services during the shutdown. That includes cleaning restrooms, emptying trash bins and keeping visitor centers open.

“I was a little nervous. Like, who would be available and if we could get the information we needed to be safe and do great hikes. It was great to see the rangers back and it’s been great so far,” Lisa Skiba, a visitor from Chicago said.

Many locals echoed concerns that the shutdown would bring back the same destruction seen in 2018-2019 during the 35 day shutdown.

“It was apocalyptic. There was trash everywhere. The bathrooms were disgusting. We organized over 1,000 volunteers. People really stepped up to the plate, helped, and we were planning to do that again. And then, frankly, it just wasn’t needed,” Seth Zaharias, co-founder of Cliffhanger Guides and Joshua Tree resident said.

Zaharias said himself and many others were bracing for the worst but have been pleasantly surprised.

“I think this is my fifth or sixth shutdown that I’ve lived through here while working in the tourism economy here and this wasn’t like any other shutdown I’ve ever seen,” he said.

However, one thing that hasn’t gone back to normal is business. Zaharias says they’ve seen a 30-40% decrease since the shutdown, for what he believes is confusion around the park being open.

“It’s been a pretty rough 40 days. I think about half the country either thinks that national parks are closed or it was inappropriate to visit them, and our numbers are down pretty significantly. Anybody that lives and works in this community is feeling it right now,” he said.

Now as they get ready to welcome thousands of visitors back everyday, he hopes support for the local economy will come back too.

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Cynthia White

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Thermal Station have arrested four women suspected to be in connection with what they call an “Organized Retail Theft Crew” that targeted multiple businesses in La Quinta.

Deputies began an investigation on October 20th into the thefts, and determined that four women were responsible. They report that those same women were also connected to 28 other thefts throughout Southern California, totaling over $50,000 in merchandise.

On Monday, deputies located a vehicle matching the description of the suspects in the area of Cook Street and Country Club Drive in Palm Desert. After stopping the vehicle, all four women were taken into custody without incident.

During the stop, deputies found approximately $12,000 in merchandise. They arrested the four women and booked them into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, charging them with theft, organized retail theft, and petty theft with priors.

The Sheriff’s Office says this in an ongoing investigation, and there are no further details available at this time. They ask anyone with information regarding this incident to call the Riverside Sheriff’s Thermal Station at 760-863-8990. Information can also be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP (7867).

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Cynthia White

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Three male suspects are facing felony theft charges after a shoplifting incident in Indio on Tuesday.

Indio Police officials say that an employee of a business in the 42000 block of Jackson Street reported that three men stole several items from the business around 11:30 a.m. and fled from the area in their car.

After a search, officers found three men in the suspect vehicle at a gas station in the 44000 block of Golf Center Parkway. When the officers contacted the men, two of them ran from the car, while the third remained.

Both suspects ran across the I-10 freeway and one was caught by officers after a short pursuit. Officers found the other man hiding in dense brush in the wash area east of Golf Center Parkway.

Police found stolen merchandise in the suspect car worth over $4,500 and returned it to the business.

Police say the male suspects were arrested and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on felony theft-related charges.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Indio Police Department at (760) 391-4057 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (760) 341-STOP.

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KESQ News Team

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The indiGO Auto Group has announced the acquisition of Mercedes-Benz of Palm Springs, along with Hyundai and Genesis of Palm Springs.

A statement from indiGO says the addition of the three auto dealerships represents an expansion of its presence and service to drivers in the Coachella Valley, showing its commitment to the region’s growth.

indiGO also operates BMW and Porsche in Palm Springs, along with Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land Rover, McLaren, Rimac, and Rolls-Royce in Rancho Mirage.

The newly acquired dealerships are located along the 3900 and 4000 blocks of East Palm Canyon Drive, near Cherokee Way.

indiGO Auto Group now has 30 franchised dealerships and service centers in numerous markets throughout the U.S.

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Cynthia White

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Assemblymember Greg Wallis (AD47) hosted a Personal Emergency Preparedness seminar in Thousand Palms on Wednesday to help valley residents learn more about being ready before, during and after a flood, fire, or earthquake emergency happens.

Wallis says the aim of the seminar was to “make sure people feel like they’re empowered and have some more information about whether it’s just how to turn off your gas meter, make sure you have water on site, make sure you have a go bag ready – just some few basic takeaways to better protect property and lives when a natural disaster strikes.”

He added that having that information is important because, “I think we’re seeing natural disasters in California due to climate change on the rise, whether it’s flood risk, fire risk, earthquake risk. If you look at your insurance companies, the smart folks doing the actuarial work recognize that California is at significant risk.”

The event, in partnership with the Coachella Valley Disaster Preparedness Network and Desert Recreation District, also included representatives from Riverside County Fire Department and Southern California Gas Company, all providing information and resources for those attending.

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John White

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors group will be holding a summit on Saturday, November 16, celebrating the one-year anniversary of reaching an historic $5.91 million settlement with the city of Palm Springs. 

The settlement revolves around the city’s role in removing mostly minority residents from Section 14, an area of Agua Caliente Tribal land next to downtown Palm Springs, over five decades ago. 

As the group prepares for its summit, a smaller group continues to raise questions about the settlement, arguing it falls short of righting the wrongs of the past. 

“Ain’t no bandage in the world can heal, taking away my family and my people,” Charlie Johnson says. 

Johnson lived on Section 14 and says he saw the racism and pain firsthand, including the murders of two relatives. 

He counts himself as a survivor but isn’t participating in the settlement. 

One year after the historic vote, the President and Founder of the Section 14 Survivors Group, Pearl Devers, says it’s time to move forward. 

“It’s been sixty years that we put forth since getting to this point, to get anything,” Devers says. 

Johnson says before the settlement was finalized recently, he filed a petition, making his opposition known to the city. 

He argues the petition gives him, and the 36 others who signed it, the ability to pursue their own case. 

Devers responds, “We understand that there are always going to be people who are not satisfied, and we can’t satisfy everybody. It’s virtually impossible. And so, what we do is we focus on the positive.” 

Johnson isn’t alone. 

Yvonne Bryant refused to sign a waiver for her father’s claim after he passed away. 

“You sent the release asking us to sign away our rights for the payment, you’re not saying how much the payment is going to be,” Bryant says. 

Johnson is especially upset over commitments that aren’t in the settlement, including $20 million for affordable housing programs and $1 million for economic development. 

“Keep your crumbs as to what they are, as to what you all negotiated, because I feel, hey, we can do better,” Johnson says. 

Section 14 Attorney, Areva Martin, says Johnson’s opposition is misplaced, “His issues aren’t with Section 14, it’s with the city, and it is with the way that he says his family was displaced to the north end.” 

Devers says it’s time to move forward after last year’s historic vote and hopes Saturday’s summit will be a good start. 

“It’s entitled ‘Reflect, Re-imagine and Rebuild,’ and so our purpose is to do exactly that,” Devers says. 

Section 14 Survivors

City of Palm Springs Statement on Section 14 Settlement

“The City of Palm Springs remains deeply proud of the historic Section 14 settlement, which represents a milestone in the City’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation, and healing. The settlement agreement approved by the City Council in November 2024 and finalized this fall was developed through years of dialogue and collaboration with the attorney representing survivors and descendants of Section 14.

Negotiations with the attorney for the Section 14 survivors have concluded, and the agreement is now final. The City has fulfilled its $5.9 million financial commitment, completing all payments to the attorney and claimant entity representing the survivors and descendants. 

The City understands that some individuals may have differing opinions about the agreement. While we recognize that not everyone will agree on every aspect of the settlement, the City deeply respects all perspectives and remains committed to advancing the shared goals of healing, housing opportunity, and community recognition reflected in the agreement. As the City continues to develop the housing and programmatic components, we will actively engage Section 14 survivors and descendants to ensure these efforts are inclusive, responsive, and truly reflective of their history, voices, and contributions.

In addition to the direct financial compensation, the City is moving forward with the housing, small business, and cultural components of the settlement. These include the launch of new affordable housing initiatives with a preference for Section 14 families, business support programs, and the development of both a public memorial and a park to honor the Section 14 community.

This settlement marks an important step forward — one that acknowledges a painful history while building a stronger and more inclusive future for Palm Springs and all who call it home.”

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