Category: kesq-local-news

Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — The Palm Springs Police Department is warning residents about an increase in phone scams involving callers who falsely claim to be law enforcement officers.

Police say they’ve received multiple reports in recent days from people who were contacted by scammers posing as Palm Springs police officers.

The callers often tell victims they have an outstanding arrest warrant, unpaid traffic fines, missed a court appearance or subpoena, or failed to report for jury duty. They then threaten immediate arrest unless payment is made.

“They’re trying to instill fear on the individual, and what that does is interrupt their ability to kind of make logical sense of what’s going on,” said Palm Springs Police Department Capt. Gustavo Araiza.

Authorities say scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often spoofing the Palm Springs Police Department’s phone number, using the names of real officers, and providing fake badge and case numbers to make the calls appear legitimate.

One local resident, Terry Davis, recently received a call from someone claiming to be with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office regarding what was described as an urgent civil case.

At first, Davis believed the caller.

“I can usually tell that they’re scammers right away, so I don’t do anything about it,” Davis said. “But this one at first started really convincing because they obtained the name of a sergeant.”

Instead of following the caller’s instructions, Davis contacted the Sheriff’s Office directly and learned the call was a scam.

“It was scary,” Davis said.

Police say that’s exactly the reaction scammers are hoping for.

Police say there are three major warning signs that a call is likely a scam: the caller threatens arrest, demands immediate payment, or insists the person stay on the phone throughout the process.

The department reminds residents that legitimate law enforcement agencies do not call people demanding immediate payment to avoid arrest.

Anyone who receives a suspicious call is urged to remain calm, hang up immediately, independently verify the claim, and report the incident to local law enforcement.

Palm Springs police is investigating the recent reports.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Peter Daut

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ)– Valley doctors say they’re seeing an increase in patients with “brain fog.”

Brain fog is a term used to describe a range of cognitive symptoms, including impaired concentration, memory lapses and mental fatigue. Doctors say it’s common after covid but can also be caused by stress or underlying conditions.

Officials also say it’s important for people with severe brain fog to seek medical attention.

“These are highly intelligent individuals. Some are working, some are retired, but it really affects their ability to have their daily lives functioning at a higher capacity,” explained Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider, a local psychologist

Doctors say poor sleep, dehydration and lack of exercise can also contribute to brain fog. For more information watch Peter Daut’s full interview and stay with News Channel 3.

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Dakota Makinen

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Thousands of students across Palm Springs Unified School District returned to the classroom today as the 2026-27 school year officially got underway.

Campuses across the district welcomed students back with teachers and staff greeting families, helping students find their classrooms, and kicking off the first day of instruction.

News Channel 3 spoke with students, parents, teachers, and district officials about the start of the new school year and what they’re looking forward to in the months ahead.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest updates.

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Matthew Pearce

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — Rattlesnakes should be a year round concern for residents who frequently are active outdoors. However, increased monsoonal moisture brings rattlesnake activity to another level.

As of May, the California Poisonous Control System has reported 77 rattlesnake related calls. Three of which have been fatal.

Tonight, News Channel 3 is speaking with experts and slithering around trails trying to find where these snakes commonly hide. Stay tuned for the full story at 6.

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Garrett Hottle

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) California Attorney General Rob Bonta will get to argue against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco on two fronts when the state Supreme Court takes up the ballot seizure fight later this month.

The court has invited Bonta to argue in support of the Riverside County voters suing Bianco, in addition to arguing his own case against the sheriff, according to a court order obtained by News Channel 3.

Both cases will be heard back to back at a special session starting at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, in San Francisco.

The ruling will decide what happens to the ballots of roughly 650,000 Riverside County voters from the November 2025 special election. It will also set the rules for every sheriff and every elections office in California.

“We look forward to making our case in court,” the attorney general’s press office told News Channel 3 in an email Tuesday.

What happened

Bianco seized about 650,000 ballots and other election materials from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters this year, starting with a search warrant in February. He says he is investigating whether ballots from the November 2025 Proposition 50 special election were fraudulently counted.

Bonta ordered the sheriff to stop. Bianco kept going and seized hundreds of additional boxes. Bonta then took the fight to the state’s highest court.

On April 8, the Supreme Court ordered Bianco to pause his investigation and preserve everything he seized.

The Sheriff’s Office told News Channel 3 on June 24 it still has possession of the 2025 ballots.

The two cases

The first case is Cervantes v. Bianco. A group of Riverside County voters wants a court order sending the ballots back to the registrar. They argue the seizure violated the state Elections Code, which keeps voted ballots in the custody of elections officials.

The second case is Attorney General v. Bianco. It asks who is really in charge. The state constitution says the attorney general has direct supervision over every sheriff in California. Bonta wants a court order forcing Bianco to end his investigation. Bianco says the attorney general cannot shut down a lawful criminal investigation that a judge approved.

The court will also weigh a new state law. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 73 on May 27. It makes it a felony to knowingly take voted ballots from elections officials and limits when law enforcement can access ballots and voting equipment. The court ordered both sides to address whether the new law changes anything.

Bianco and Bonta

In a one on one interview with News Channel 3 last month, Bianco called Bonta “an absolute complete fraud that is abusing the power of his office” and said the attorney general “is doing everything he can to stop a lawful investigation.”

“He doesn’t want me to find out how many ballots we really have,” Bianco said.

Bianco ran for governor this year and finished out of the running in the June 2 primary.

He confirmed to News Channel 3 last month he will run for reelection as sheriff in 2028.

Bonta says Bianco “willfully defied my direct orders, seized 650,000 ballots, misused criminal investigatory tools, and created a constitutional emergency in the process.”

The fight is also on the November ballot. Michael Gates, the Republican former Huntington Beach city attorney challenging Bonta for attorney general, has Bianco’s endorsement.

Gates told News Channel 3 he supported the investigation from day one.

“When I’m attorney general, I am going to make sure that Sheriff Chad Bianco can investigate and finish his investigation,” Gates said.

News Channel 3 has requested an interview with Bonta multiple times.

What happens next

Bonta and Weber must formally notify the court by Friday whether they will take part in the arguments. The court will then issue an order laying out who argues and in what sequence.

The arguments stream live Aug. 24 at supreme.courts.ca.gov.

Under the state constitution, the justices must rule within 90 days of taking the case under submission. That puts a decision on track for late November at the latest, after voters choose between Bonta and Gates on Nov. 3.

News Channel 3 will stream the arguments live and break down the ruling when it comes.

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Kiera McKinney

PALM DESERT. CALIF, (KESQ)- As students prepare to return to the classroom, the back to school transition can be an exciting time, but it can also bring stress and anxiety for many kids.

The start of a school year can bring new stressors, including academic pressure, new routines, social situations, and changes in expectations. The new school year impacts students mental health, what counselors are seeing, and what parents can do to help their children adjust.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions among children and adolescents. Shows that an estimated 31.9% of adolescents aged 13 to 18 experience an anxiety disorder.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that mental health challenges among young people remain a major concern, with many students experiencing persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or stress.

Nancy Mazmanian, Marriage & Family Therapist, From Hope & Healing Community Support said big transition’s can make anxiety grow.

Recognixing the signs are important, such as, “headaches, stomach aches, loss of appetite, emotional outbursts for younger kids. Anything that tends to seem out of the ordinary and are not a part of their normal behavior,” Mazmanian said.

Coachella Valley Unified School District, counselor Karina Vegas says changes like new classrooms and routines can bring anxious feelings for students

“there’s a big difference between having anxiety and being anxious. And so helping students understand that anxious feeling is perfectly natural. However, if it starts to inhibit them from doing certain things, then that maybe is when it’s time for them to get some help,” said Vega.

The district says students have access to wellness centers and campus therapists to help provide support.

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City News Service

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Cathedral City awarded $90,000 to 18 local nonprofits and six art recipients through two city grant programs, officials announced today.

Through the Community Assistance Grant Program, 18 organizations that provide essential services to Coachella Valley residents, including health and human services, received $70,000. Officials said the city received 24 applications requesting a combined $183,700.

The following recipients and the amount each were awarded are: — Read With Me Volunteer Program received $10,000; — Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City received $9,300; — Cathedral City Senior Center received $8,000; — Coachella Valley Disaster Preparedness Network received $5,000; — Coachella Valley Repertory received $5,000; — Dinner with Patsi received $5,000; — Habitat for Humanity of the Coachella Valley received $5,000; — Senior Advocates of the Desert received $5,000; — Friends of the Desert Mountains received $3,000; — ABC Recovery Center, Inc. received $2,500; — Jewish Family Service of the Desert received $2,500; — Operation Safe House, Inc received $2,500; — American Legion Auxiliary Unit 519 received $2,000; — Tools for Tomorrow received $1,200; — Angel View, Inc. received $1,000; — Martha’s Village and Kitchen received $1,000; — Regional Access Project Foundation received $1,000, and — Variety Children’s Charities of the Desert received $1,000.

Officials said $20,000 was awarded for creative expression to four organizations and two artists through the Community Arts Grant Program.

The recipients and amount awarded included the following: — Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus received $4,519 for “Boogie Shoes,” a disco-themed performance; — Cathedral City Senior Center received $3,800 for a year of performances; — Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City received $3,800 for youth photography and editing classes; — Coachella Accapella received $3,556 for the springs concert “ILove a Piano” with Cathedral City High School; — Denise Dede Ondishko received $3,325 for a one-day bluegrass festival, and — Terry Hastings received $1,000 for seminars for local artists “The Business of Art and AI Is the Artist’s Friend.”

The arts grant program was established during the 2024-25 fiscal year and has supported a wide range of art initiatives, including theatre, music, spoken word, visual art and arts education.

“The assistance grants direct resources toward recovery programs, senior services, youth literacy, housing, food security and emergency preparedness. The art grants keep live performance, arts education and creative programming accessible to residents of every age,” officials said.

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Dakota Makinen

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – As students prepare to return to the classroom, many teachers are also preparing their learning spaces — and some say that preparation comes with a personal cost.

For sixth grade teacher Miranda Alcalde, getting ready for the first day of school means lesson planning, organizing supplies, and creating a classroom where students feel comfortable from the moment they walk in.

Alcalde says setting up her classroom took about three days, with many of the supplies she uses collected over the years and some provided by the district. She estimates she spends about $500 to $600 of her own money each school year on classroom needs.

While the Palm Springs Unified School District provides many classroom essentials, Alcalde says teachers often purchase additional items themselves.

A 2025 survey from AdoptAClassroom.org found teachers spent an average of $895 of their own money on classroom supplies during the 2024-2025 school year. The survey also found the median school-provided supply budget reported by teachers was $200, with 97% saying their budget was not enough to cover classroom needs.

For community members looking to support teachers, Alcalde suggests donating classroom supplies or purchasing items from a teacher’s wish list.

She says every purchase has the same goal: creating a classroom where students have the resources they need to learn and succeed.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Fire Department urged residents today to take extra precaution when hiking outdoors during the region’s extreme heat.

The agency reminded residents that hiking during the heat can cause heat-related illnesses and may become life-threatening. Crews often respond to calls during the summer regarding hikers experiencing dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Symptoms of heat-related illnesses include dizziness, headaches, nausea, muscle cramps, weakness and confusion or fatigue.

The department offers the following tips to staying safe when hiking in the sun: — Hike early in the day; — Bring plenty of water and drink frequently; — Use sunscreen and wear a hat along with light, breathable clothing; — Always go hiking with a partner; — Carry a fully charged phone, and — Turn back if conditions become too challenging.

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Luis Avila

WHITEWATER, Calif. (KESQ) — Guide Dogs of the Desert is urgently looking for more volunteer puppy raisers to help prepare the next generation of guide dogs for people who are blind or visually impaired.

The organization says volunteer puppy raisers play a critical role in every guide dog’s journey, providing the foundation puppies need before they begin formal guide dog training and are eventually matched with someone who will depend on them every day.

“We need 60 puppy raisers a year… we also need to keep retention of the 60 we have, so that’s 120 raisers a year that we need,” one staff member said.

Volunteer puppy raisers care for the puppies during their first year of life, helping them develop confidence through socialization, basic obedience, and everyday experiences.

The nonprofit says volunteers are supported throughout the entire process.

“We take care of everything from genetics to vaccines to anything that can possibly come up in their lives medically,” another staff member said.

For guide dog user Danielle Larson, the work volunteers do has a lifelong impact.

“What these dogs bring to people’s lives is hard to describe. It is a renewed sense of confidence and independence and honestly just fun,” she said.

She says none of that would be possible without the volunteers who help raise the dogs from the very beginning.

“Without that foundational exposure and preparation for the work they are going to be doing it’s impossible for them to be completely ready to go out and to be able to be the support and the tool and eyes someone needs,” Larson said.

Guide Dogs of the Desert says eleven puppies will be ready to go home with volunteer raisers on Sept. 18.

For more information, click here.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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