Category: kesq-local-news

Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Authorities in Palm Springs shared a message to families addressing a disturbing “Cat in the Hat” trend that has recently gone viral across social media.

As ABC News reports, the trend features a creepy, Mike Myers’ version of the Cat in the Hat in pictures and videos creepily lurking outside of homes, schools, and other locations, often at night. Some of the content appears to be generated using artificial intelligence.

“Much of this content has been AI-generated or digitally altered, and in some cases, posts have referenced specific schools, communities, or individual students. Law enforcement and school officials in several states have investigated reports connected to the trend,” reads a message from the Palm Springs Unified School District.

PSUSD noted that they have not received any reports that their students have been exposed or targeted. The district shared a message so families can talk with their children about what to do if they encounter this or other troubling content online.

The district says if students see or receive a threatening, disturbing, or concerning post or message, they should:

• Not respond, engage with, or repost the content.• Save evidence of the post or message, such as a screenshot, when it is safe to do so.• Tell a trusted adult immediately, including a parent, teacher, counselor, or school administrator.• Report any threat or immediate safety concern to law enforcement.

“We also encourage families to talk with their children about responsible social media use and the importance of speaking up when something online makes them feel unsafe or concerned. Even content intended as a joke can cause fear, disrupt schools, and require significant school and law enforcement resources to investigate,” reads the PSUSD message.

Similar messages about the trend have been shared by school districts all across the country.

Officials said the trend has become more concerning as some posts have named specific schools, communities, or students and included threatening language.

A few weeks ago, a 14-year-old student in Colorado was arrested after police said they made a post that was intended to cause fear and alarm among teens.

Full Message from PSUSD Below:

Dear Families,

We want to make you aware of a social media trend involving “Cat in the Hat” content that has recently affected schools and students in several communities across the country.

The trend has involved disturbing or threatening images, videos, and messages shared through platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok. Much of this content has been AI-generated or digitally altered, and in some cases, posts have referenced specific schools, communities, or individual students. Law enforcement and school officials in several states have investigated reports connected to the trend.

At this time, we have received no reports of any of our students being exposed to or targeted by this trend. We are sharing this information proactively so families can talk with their children about what to do if they encounter this or other troubling content online.

The safety and wellbeing of our students is our number one priority. Please remind your child that if they see or receive a threatening, disturbing, or concerning post or message, they should:

• Not respond, engage with, or repost the content.

• Save evidence of the post or message, such as a screenshot, when it is safe to do so.

• Tell a trusted adult immediately, including a parent, teacher, counselor, or school administrator.

• Report any threat or immediate safety concern to law enforcement.

We also encourage families to talk with their children about responsible social media use and the importance of speaking up when something online makes them feel unsafe or concerned. Even content intended as a joke can cause fear, disrupt schools, and require significant school and law enforcement resources to investigate.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will communicate with families if there is any information directly affecting our schools or students. Thank you for your attention to this important update.

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City News Service

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A 38-year-old transient accused of holding up a Banning business using a fake gun must stand trial for second-degree robbery and other offenses, a judge ruled today.

Codi Jay Shelton was arrested last December following a Banning Police Department investigation.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sylvia Luttrell found there was sufficient evidence to bound Shelton over for trial on the robbery count, as well as sentence-enhancing allegations of using a weapon during the commission of a felony and being a prior-strike felon.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Oct. 8 at the Banning Justice Center.

Shelton is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the nearby Smith Correctional Facility.

According to police, at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, Shelton allegedly approached the counter of a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant at 6350 W. Ramsey St. and flashed what appeared to be a handgun, prompting staff to back away.

“The subject stole cash from one of the registers and fled on foot,” police Capt. Brandon Smith said at the time.

No one was injured.

He said that patrol officers responded to restaurant employees’ 911 calls and initiated a search of the area, based on descriptions, which indicated the perpetrator had “tattoos on his face.” However, the bandit couldn’t be located.

Officers reviewed security surveillance video from inside the eatery and confirmed the alleged robber’s identity — Shelton — Smith said.

The defendant was located less than three hours later and taken into custody without incident on West Beaumont Avenue.

Smith alleged a replica pistol and cash from the robbery were seized from Shelton.

Court records indicated that he has at least two documented prior felony convictions, but they weren’t listed.

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Tommy Gallegos

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)— The City of Indio is inviting residents, property owners and other interested members of the community to participate in a virtual meeting next week as the city continues studying the potential annexation of thousands of acres of unincorporated Riverside County land along its eastern boundary.

The virtual meeting is scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday September 28, and will provide an overview of the East Indio Land Planning Annexation Study, including the proposed study area, the annexation process and project updates.

The city is examining the potential annexation of approximately 4,609 acres of unincorporated Riverside County land located immediately east of Indio. The area is already within the city’s Eastern Sphere of Influence, a designated area outside the current city limits where future municipal services or annexation may be considered.

The study does not itself annex the land. Instead, city officials say the planning effort is intended to determine which portions of the area could potentially be included in an annexation request and to prepare the materials needed for an application to the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO.

Proposed future employment hub

Indio’s vision for the area includes creating a future employment center with a mixture of uses intended to support job creation and economic diversification.

Potential uses identified by the city include:

Business park development Light industrial and logistics operations Office space Retail Workforce housing Open space

According to the city, the broader planning effort is intended to evaluate opportunities for business development, job growth and infrastructure improvements while determining where development may be appropriate and where sensitive or natural areas should be preserved.

The study includes analyses of land use, transportation, public services and utilities, hydrology, geology, biological resources, cultural resources and paleontological resources. A fiscal impact analysis and environmental documentation are also part of the planning process.

Development would face environmental and safety considerations

The proposed expansion area contains several environmental and physical constraints that could influence future development.

One significant consideration is seismic activity. Major regional faults, including the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults, run through the broader area. Potential hazards associated with faulting include ground shaking, surface rupture, liquefaction and landslides.

Flooding is another concern. The northern portion of the study area includes land within a floodplain with a one-percent annual chance of flooding. Planning recommendations call for flood-management measures and caution regarding development of uses that could be particularly vulnerable to flooding, including residential uses.

The area also contains habitat and conservation resources. Approximately 15 acres in the northeastern portion of the study area overlap the Desert Tortoise and Linkage Conservation Area, which is part of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan framework.

That conservation area is intended to protect natural communities including Sonoran creosote bush scrub, Sonoran mixed woody and succulent scrub, Mojave mixed woody scrub and desert dry wash woodland. Any development proposed within the conservation area could be subject to additional biological analysis, avoidance requirements and mitigation measures.

The study’s environmental considerations also include potential habitat for a number of sensitive species, including the desert tortoise, Le Conte’s thrasher, summer tanager and Palm Springs pocket mouse.

Other wildlife considerations include American badgers and desert kit foxes, which have a high potential to occur in the project area but are not covered under the CVMSHCP. If they are found, additional consultation and mitigation could be required.

Nelson’s bighorn sheep, a fully protected species, is another consideration, particularly in the northeastern and eastern portions of the study area. Future development in those areas could require setbacks and additional avoidance or mitigation measures.

Surveys could be required before construction

Future development would also have to account for protected birds and bats.

The project area contains potential habitat for burrowing owls, raptors and other nesting birds. Pre-construction surveys would be required in circumstances covered by applicable state and federal protections, particularly when vegetation removal occurs during nesting season.

The planning materials also identify potential bat roosting habitat. Depending on the location and timing of construction, projects could need to avoid maternity-roosting periods or conduct pre-construction surveys and implement avoidance measures.

These requirements mean that potential annexation and future development would involve additional environmental review beyond the question of whether the land should become part of Indio.

Transportation and Dillon Road

Transportation infrastructure is another component of the planning effort.

Improvements to Dillon Road are identified as a covered activity under the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, although the applicable improvements are limited to a maximum right-of-way width of 128 feet.

Where Dillon Road improvements overlap the East Indio Hills Conservation Area, additional avoidance, minimization and mitigation measures could apply, along with land-use adjacency requirements under the conservation plan.

The city’s current study also evaluates transportation access as part of its broader assessment of whether and how the area could accommodate future development.

Public participation sought

City officials are emphasizing community participation as the study progresses. The city says outreach is expected to include public workshops, online surveys and presentations to relevant city commissions and the City Council.

The upcoming virtual meeting will give residents an opportunity to learn more about the study area, understand the annexation process and hear about the latest project developments.

The city has said community input will be incorporated at key milestones as officials evaluate the potential annexation.

For additional project information, residents can visit the City of Indio’s East Indio Land Planning Annexation Study webpage, where the city is posting project reports, outreach information and updates.

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Jesus Reyes

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) — Week 6 of the high school football season wrapped up Friday night, headlined by two big rivalry games, Indio-Coachella Valley and Yucca Valley-Twentynine Palms.

See the final scores below.

Indio 7 @ Coachella Valley 28 Final Yucca Valley 63 @ Twentynine Palms 3 Final La Quinta 20 @ Roosevelt 33 Final Valley View 42 @ Shadow Hills 6 Final Desert Hot Springs 48 @ AB Miller 0 Final Desert Mirage 42 @ San Gorgonio 18 Final Arrowhead Christian 44 @ Cathedral City 20 Final

Be sure to watch the Best Local Sports Show every Friday night for highlights, scores, interviews and much more.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of high school football throughout the season.

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City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Prosecutors were undecided today as to whether to retry an Indio man who allegedly sexually abused a girl repeatedly, following a jury deadlock in deliberations regarding multiple rape allegations.

After two days of deliberations, an Indio jury on Tuesday afternoon informed Riverside County Superior Court Judge James Hawkins that it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on five of 11 charges against Miguel Pedrero Tzompantzi, 40.

Jurors acquitted him of four counts of rape of a minor and convicted him of a misdemeanor charge of annoying a child. However, according to the District Attorney’s Office, the panel hung 11-1 in favor of convicting Tzompantzi of five remaining charges of rape of a minor.

Prosecutors had not decided Wednesday whether to seek a retrial. The judge tentatively scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 14 at the Larson Justice Center. The DA’s Office may announce at that time, or before, if a retrial is planned.

The defendant is being held without bail at the Benoit Detention Center.

“This inexperienced child, who was at the will of an adult, was psychologically and physically abused for eight months,” Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Stevenson told jurors in her closing statement last week. “She was under his thumb.”

The prosecutor recalled how the then-16-year-old victim was entirely dependent on Tzompantzi, while her parents, both Mexican nationals, remained in their country.

Stevenson quoted the victim’s testimony when the young woman told the court, head down in grief, “I was scared of him. I didn’t know what to do.”

The alleged abuse began in October 2022 and continued until May 2023, by which time the victim was pregnant, Stevenson said.

Tzompantzi insisted that he and the then-teenager were in a relationship, according to testimony.

“His claims about this case from start to end are absolutely absurd,” the prosecutor told the jury.

An Indio Police Department arrest warrant declaration filed in 2023 alleged that the teen was threatened by her uncle, who reportedly told her that if she revealed what had been going on, “he would deny it and blame her for everything,” additionally asserting “no one wanted her, and that is why she was living with him.”

The allegations surfaced after the girl was seven months pregnant and had told her parents about the alleged assaults.

Deputy Public Defender Stephen Sadocha told jurors “it was a consensual relationship that turned sexual.”

“He was taking care of her — buying her food, taking her shopping,” the attorney said.

He questioned the legitimacy of the girl’s testimony and statements to law enforcement, arguing that there was one alleged instance when the victim initiated sexual contact with Tzompantzi in his car, parked outside a business.

“For eight months, there was no one suspicious about her behavior,” Sadocha said. “Not one person reported (anything) suspicious, not a teacher or a counselor.”

The attorney said there were “inconsistencies” in the girl’s descriptions of what Tzompantzi allegedly did, emphasizing the need for jurors to re-examine the circumstances before drawing any conclusions that could seal his client’s fate.

Tzompantzi has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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City News Service

INDIO (CNS) – A 35-year-old man accused of hurling glass bottles during a melee at a Palm Springs pool party, injuring four women and two men, is slated to be arraigned next week.

Milad Thamer Youssef of El Cajon was arrested last month following a Palm Springs Police Department investigation.

Youssef is charged with six counts of assault with a deadly weapon, with sentence-enhancing great bodily injury allegations.

The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $60,000 bail at the Benoit Detention Center, is due for arraignment Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

According to police, at 1:30 a.m. Aug. 9, a fight erupted during the Splash House music celebration at the Palm Springs Air Museum on Gene Autry Trail.

Youssef was in the thick of it, and during the altercation, he allegedly retrieved glass bottles at poolside and hurled them at attendees, police said.

It was unclear whether he was aiming at anyone in particular. Court papers identified the victims only by their initials, with the four women listed as “A.C.,” “I.A.,” “N.G.” and “S.P.,” while the two male victims were identified as “A.P.” and “D.G.”

Officers assigned to work security at the venue were immediately summoned, but by the time they reached the scene the defendant had allegedly fled, according to the police department.

The victims were either treated on-site by paramedics, or taken to nearby Desert Regional Medical Center for evaluation and treatment. Their injuries were generally described as minor and all stemming from contact with broken glass.

Youssef turned himself in to investigators five days later and was booked into jail. Prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against him last week.

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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Garrett Hottle

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco broke state election law when he seized the ballots from the November 2025 Proposition 50 special election. The justices ordered him to return them to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters immediately.

A second unanimous ruling, released at the same time, went to Attorney General Rob Bonta. The court said Bonta had every right to order the sheriff to stop, and that Bianco had no choice but to listen.

“Sheriff Bianco broke the law, violated the law, acted illegally,” Bonta told reporters Thursday. “We acted because we had to.”

Bianco now has to halt his investigation while Bonta reviews it, hang onto everything else he seized and turn over his case files to the attorney general.

The sheriff sent this statement Thursday evening:

“We are very disappointed and wholeheartedly disagree with the court’s ruling. The investigation was a lawful and legal investigation into potential election fraud. The facts of this case have never been disputed, this was an obvious legal attempt to prevent the investigation from occurring that was successful. By granting the attorney general the ability to prevent lawful investigations, this ruling will have negative consequences for public safety in California.

Confidence in our elections is essential. This ruling and the destruction of potential evidence without answers undermines the public trust in our systems.

Riverside County residents should be assured that as long as I am their Sheriff, I will continue to fight crime and corruption regardless of where it comes from.”

The county, meanwhile, says the ballots will be returned. County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen released this statement Thursday:

“The California Supreme Court today provided clear direction regarding the custody of the ballots from the November 2025 Special Election. The Registrar of Voters will work with the Sheriff’s Department to ensure the ballots are returned promptly and handled securely in accordance with established election procedures.

California law provides detailed protections governing the custody, handling, and counting of ballots. These safeguards include strict chain-of-custody requirements, oversight, and public transparency. These are fundamental to protecting the integrity of our elections.

The County has confidence in Registrar Art Tinoco and the dedicated professionals in the Registrar of Voters office. They have continued to perform their responsibilities under extraordinarily difficult circumstances while remaining focused on the work ahead.

With today’s rulings providing clarity on the legal issues before the Court, our focus remains where it has been throughout this matter: administering secure, accurate, and transparent lawful elections, and preparing for the November 3 General Election.”

News Channel 3 asked the county Friday whether the ballots are back yet and when they’ll be destroyed. Spokesperson Brooke Federico said there’s no update on the timeline, and that the registrar’s office will not be available for interview as they prepare for the November 3 general election.

How the fight over Riverside County’s ballots started

It began in February, when a citizens group went to the sheriff’s department and said the numbers didn’t add up. The Riverside Election Integrity Team had gone through handwritten ballot intake logs kept by election workers and concluded the county counted 45,896 more ballots than it took in.

Tinoco said the real gap was 103 ballots, and that it came down to human error. The handwritten logs are rough estimates filled out in the field, he said, and the group’s math left out about 6,000 ballots.

Bianco already had a search warrant by the time Tinoco walked the Board of Supervisors through all of that. He’d gotten it the day before, and sheriff’s personnel sat in on the presentation. Two weeks later, when the department went back for a second warrant, it told the judge the registrar “has not given a reason for the discrepancy.”

Deputies hauled about 1,000 boxes of ballots out of the registrar’s office on Feb. 26 and started counting them by hand a week later.

Bonta ordered the sheriff to stop. Bianco got a third warrant without telling him and seized more. In April, the Supreme Court froze everything.

Nobody in the case, Bianco included, disputes that the discrepancy couldn’t have changed the result.

Prop. 50 passed in Riverside County with 56 percent of the vote.

What the court said

State law says voted ballots stay with the county elections official, and the court found no exceptions to that, not for a criminal investigation and not for a search warrant. Bianco “had no authority to seize the ballots,” Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero wrote.

The second ruling settled something bigger. The state constitution has given the attorney general direct supervision over sheriffs since 1934, but in all that time no court had said what that actually means. Now one has. The attorney general can give a sheriff orders, and the sheriff has to follow them.

What happens now

The ballots go back to the registrar. What happens to them after that is the next fight.

State law only required the county to keep the 2025 ballot packages for six months, and that clock ran out in May. The Supreme Court’s April order is the only reason they still exist, and it expires once Thursday’s ruling becomes final.

A Riverside County nonprofit called the Election Accountability Project is trying to keep them around longer.

On Sept. 21, it asked the Supreme Court to block the county from destroying records from the 2025 special election and the November 2024 general election, according to the court’s docket. The group won a temporary restraining order in Riverside County Superior Court in August, but says the judge later sided with the county and the Court of Appeal turned down an emergency appeal.

The group isn’t alleging fraud. It wants the county to reconcile its paper ballot logs with its machine count, and it wants the records kept until that’s done. The Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on the request.

This story will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.

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Raymond Kalra

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Plans for 30 new electric vehicle chargers at Rancho Las Flores Park are off the table as the City of Coachella scales back a major expansion project, with city leaders pointing to both cost and limited access to power.

But the decision is raising a much bigger question for one of the fastest-growing areas of the Coachella Valley: Does the city have enough power for what it wants to build next?

Coachella Mayor Frank Figueroa told News Channel 3 that the planned chargers were removed from the park project because of a combination of costs and access to electricity.

“I think, you know, that presentation earlier this week, it was a mixture of both costs and I think electricity, electrical access,” Figueroa said. “And I know that we have low capacity.”

The issue comes as Coachella studies where additional public EV chargers will be needed as electric vehicle use grows.

Figueroa said adding those chargers depends on first making sure the electrical system can support them.

“We can’t really proceed with that until we resolve our power access and ensuring that we have those substations and infrastructure there, then we can talk about EV charging,” Figueroa said.

The data center connection

The power issue also adds another layer to Coachella’s recent fight over data centers.

Earlier this year, the city had an agreement with Stronghold Power Systems tied to a proposed technology campus and the development of Coachella’s municipal electric utility.

Under those plans, the proposed data centers were expected to become large initial customers of the municipal utility, while Stronghold would play a role in developing the electrical infrastructure needed to serve the project and support the utility’s buildout.

The city terminated its agreement with Stronghold in June following months of community opposition and later approved a permanent prohibition on data centers.

The data center proposal went away, but Coachella’s need for additional electrical infrastructure did not.

Figueroa said the city’s ability to continue attracting development will depend on addressing that need.

“Economic development and growth in our city is going to be tied to the energy infrastructure, which we’re working on,” Figueroa said. “We’re working to move forward with IID. We have a joint powers authority. We’re moving forward with that.”

In March, IID and Coachella formed the Coachella Electric Financing Authority, a joint powers authority designed to help finance electrical infrastructure improvements as the city grows.

The authority provides a framework for the city and IID to identify needed projects and pursue financing for those improvements.

Could power affect housing growth?

The implications could extend beyond EV charging.

Figueroa told News Channel 3 that a new housing community coming online could, for now, be among the last developments able to move forward based on available power access.

Mayoral candidate Jesus Kino Gonzalez also pointed to the power grid as a major issue facing the city.

“The reality right now in the City of Coachella is that our grid is at maximum capacity,” Gonzalez said. “So even if a development wanted to come into the city, it currently can’t. So I think that that’s a major issue because we need to develop the city to raise our tax base.”

IID’s response to News Channel 3 adds important context to that characterization.

The utility says there is no single threshold determining whether another project can be served. Instead, IID says a project’s impact depends on how much electricity it needs, where it would connect and how much capacity is available nearby.

IID says it studies proposed projects individually before determining whether upgrades are necessary.

Gonzalez told News Channel 3 he believes the city should work with other government agencies to expand electrical infrastructure while avoiding additional costs for residents.

News Channel 3 also reached out to the other candidates for Coachella mayor and had not received responses by the deadline for this story.

How much power could a data center need?

IID’s newly approved Large Load Tariff applies to customers requesting at least 20 megawatts of electricity, although the utility says some proposed projects could require considerably more.

For comparison, IID told News Channel 3 demand from all of its customers combined reached 1,126 megawatts at this year’s summer peak.

IID says that does not mean every large project can automatically be connected to the system.

Even if a data center or other large customer agreed to pay for all of the infrastructure needed to serve its project, IID says payment alone would not determine whether the project could move forward.

The utility would first evaluate the project’s electricity needs, available power supply, capacity on the electrical system and any improvements necessary before deciding whether reliable service could be provided.

Who would pay for the upgrades?

That’s also where IID’s new Large Load Tariff comes in.

IID’s Board approved the tariff on Sept. 15 amid growing interest from projects requiring very large amounts of electricity.

Under the tariff, a qualifying large customer would be responsible for electrical infrastructure needed to serve its project.

Depending on IID’s studies, that could include construction of new facilities or upgrades to the existing electrical system.

The customer would also be responsible for the costs and financial risks of securing the electricity needed for the project.

IID told News Channel 3 the goal is to prevent those project-specific costs from being shifted to its existing customers.

“IID’s new tariff requires large customers to bear the costs and financial risks associated with their projects, rather than shifting those project specific costs to existing customers,” the utility said in a statement to News Channel 3.

California adds new data center rules

IID’s changes come as California is also implementing new rules governing data centers.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of data-center legislation this week addressing issues including electricity, water use, infrastructure and costs to ratepayers.

IID approved its Large Load Tariff before the new state laws were signed.

The utility told News Channel 3 its tariff already requires qualifying large customers to bear the costs and financial risks associated with serving their projects.

IID says it is now reviewing the new state laws to determine whether they create any additional requirements for the utility.

Are more large projects coming?

IID confirmed to News Channel 3 that it has received inquiries from prospective large-load customers, but the utility would not identify individual projects.

IID emphasized that its role is limited to determining whether it can provide electric service under its Large Load Tariff.

Whether a data center or another development can actually be built at a proposed location is ultimately decided by the city or county with jurisdiction over the project.

For Coachella, that distinction is especially important.

The city has prohibited data centers within its boundaries, but its need for additional electricity and infrastructure remains as leaders plan for more housing, businesses and electric vehicles.

The question now isn’t only how much Coachella wants to grow, but what it will take to power that growth.

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Matthew Pearce

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) — The Coachella City Council voted to award a $48,709,821.10 construction contract to Riverside Construction Company Inc. to build the Avenue 50 Bridge. The infrastructure project will replace the existing Avenue 50 low-water crossing over the Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel.

Rendering from City Council Meeting on September 21

The bridge project will move forward without requiring any allocations from the city’s general fund, with funding supplied through the Highway Bridge Program, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Measure A, Senate Bill 1 funds and local water funds.

Total construction costs, including a 10% contingency of $4,870,982.10, came in approximately $7 million under the city’s original budget estimate.

The new bridge will span the channel to eliminate regular flooding and address deteriorating asphalt conditions at the low-water crossing.

Phase one of the project includes realigning Tyler Street and shifting the CV Link trail beneath the new structure, with a temporary reconnection to the existing signalized intersection at Highway 86. A planned second phase will eventually construct a full interchange at Highway 86 and Avenue 50.

The city first received federal bridge funding authorization for the project in 2014 and completed the environmental review phase in 2019. The subsequent right-of-way acquisition and design phase faced delays due to eminent domain proceedings, coordination with tribal and regional entities and disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city issued a notice inviting bids on July 9, held a mandatory job walk on July 28 and opened public bids on Sept. 3. Seven companies submitted bids for the contract. Including $7.9 million in construction management fees, the total project cost stands at $61,551,444.

Primary funding includes approximately $49 million in state bridge funds and nearly $9.5 million from the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.

Local costs are covered by $1.6 million from Measure A and $1.73 million from SB 1 revenue, which city leaders intentionally set aside over multiple years to protect general fund reserves.

During the City Council meeting Monday, Mayor Dr. Frank Figueroa praised municipal staff and regional partners for securing non-general-fund financing to move the project into construction.

“This is a big win for the city of Coachella and we should all be very proud,” Figueroa said. “This is a massive project for the city, Coachella and I can’t wait to do the groundbreaking.”

Groundbreaking for the Avenue 50 Bridge project is scheduled for Oct. 15.

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Kiera McKinney

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ)- Fuel prices are climbing across Riverside County, with diesel reaching a new record and regular gas hitting its highest level since 2023.

According to AAA, diesel is now averaging more than $8.32 a gallon in Riverside County. Regular gas is averaging about $6.15 a gallon.

For local businesses that spend much of the workday on the road, those higher prices can add up quickly.

Bill Heitzenrater, owner of Renegade Pest Control, says he drives about 20 to 25 miles and can make 20 to 25 service stops in a normal workday.

“We try and route everything where you’re close together,” Heitzenrater said.

But emergency calls can still send workers across the Coachella Valley. Heitzenrater says his last fill-up cost about $115.

AAA says gas prices would typically be falling this time of year, but prices remain elevated.

According to the California Energy Commission, global crude oil is typically the leading driver of fuel prices. The agency says every $10 increase in crude oil can add about 24 cents per gallon at the pump.

Kandace Redd with the Auto Club of Southern California says higher crude oil prices are continuing to put pressure on drivers.

“Gas tends to follow crude oil prices. And since crude oil is up, then yes, drivers can expect to pay more at the pump,” Redd said.

For businesses like Renegade Pest Control, higher fuel prices can also create a bigger concern: how long companies can absorb the additional costs before customers feel the impact.

Heitzenrater says rising gas, insurance and chemical costs could eventually force the business to pass some of those expenses along to customers.

“We may have to start passing those costs along to our customers, which we don’t want to do,” Heitzenrater said.

AAA says it remains difficult to know when drivers could start seeing relief at the pump.

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