Category: kesq-local-news

Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Alaska Airlines’ seasonal nonstop service between Palm Springs International Airport and Charles M. Schulz — Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa returned today.

“Seasonal service is starting earlier at PSP, and that means more options for our travelers for more of the year,” Victoria Carpenter, interim executive director of aviation, said in a statement. “Santa Rosa is a great way to kick things off, and we’re excited to see airline partners continue extending popular routes beyond the traditional peak winter season.”

The route will operate Thursday through April 25, 2027, with flights offered five days a week, except Tuesdays and Wednesdays, aboard Alaska Airlines’ 76-seat Embraer 175 aircraft, officials said.

Airport officials said the seasonal route returned six weeks earlier than last year. Additionally, other seasonal routes will be back earlier than last year, including Delta’s service to Minneapolis starting Saturday, United Airlines to Houston on Sept. 24, Alaska Airlines’ service to Boise, Idaho on Nov. 20 and Southwest Airlines service to Austin, Texas starting on Nov. 21.

“The growing schedule gives Coachella Valley travelers more opportunities to fly nonstop from their hometown airport while making the beginning of PSP’s busy travel season,” airport officials said.

To find schedules and booking information, go to flyPSP.com/deals.

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KESQ News Team

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The long-delayed Dream Hotel project is facing another setback after developers missed a key deadline set by the Palm Springs City Council.

The project returned to the council Wednesday after the developer failed to submit a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for construction by the July 30 deadline. The GMP is a key step in determining the project’s construction cost and readiness to move forward.

The developer was placed in default under the terms of a March agreement. However, city leaders said developers still plan to begin construction by October 1.

The proposed hotel is planned for the northwest corner of Avenida Caballeros and East Amado Road. The project has been in the works in some form since 2007.

Council members also raised concerns about ongoing complaints regarding the site’s fencing and landscaping. The March agreement requires the developer to maintain the property during pre-construction. City officials said they may have to make repairs themselves and fine the developer if the issues continue.

A community meeting is scheduled for October 8, when the developer is expected to provide an update on the project’s latest plans and timeline.

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Kiera McKinney

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ)- A breast cancer survivor is using her own experience to help women across Southern California get access to mammograms.

Melanie Lewis, executive director of the Pink Journey Foundation, shared her story Thursday at the Healthy Desert, Healthy You Summit in Rancho Mirage.

Lewis was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago despite having no family history. She underwent a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy and a preventative hysterectomy. Lewis said having good health insurance and a strong medical team made her realize not every woman has the same access to care.

“I had wonderful health insurance and a wonderful health team that took care of me. And it made me realize not everybody has those same services and I wanted to give back,” Lewis said.

Today, Lewis leads the Pink Journey Foundation, which focuses on breast health education, mentoring and helping women access mammograms.

Through a partnership with Breastlink, the foundation brings a mobile mammography unit into communities, providing no-cost screenings to qualifying women 40 and older. Lewis said insurance is not required.

The program has screened more than 1,200 women in about three and a half years, including women in the Coachella Valley.

Lewis spoke Thursday on a summit panel focused on bringing healthcare beyond traditional clinic walls.

“If my story can help just one person, that’s my goal,” Lewis said.

Her message to women putting off a mammogram: “Get it done.”

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John White

CALEXICO, CA (KESQ) – Encounters in the El Centro Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol have dropped from more than 50,500 in fiscal year 2023 to under 2,000 in the current fiscal year. The reduction in local encounters south of the Coachella Valley comes as nationwide Border Patrol staffing reached a record high of more than 21,000 agents.

The El Centro Sector, which covers the Valley, previously played a key role in a nationwide crackdown on undocumented immigrants. That multi-city effort was directed by former Sector Chief Gregory Bovino during his time as Commander at Large. Following Bovino’s removal from that role and subsequent retirement, the sector has focused its resources directly on border enforcement, utilizing new secondary fencing and upgraded surveillance technology.

Check Out Part 1 of John White’s Report

Assistant Chief of the El Centro Sector, David Kim, gave News Channel 3’s John White a tour of the border area and addressed questions about whether the involvement in operations across the country was a distraction.

Bovino led nationwide operations in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, where Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed. The operations ultimately led to Bovino’s removal from the role and his retirement from the U.S. Border Patrol.

“I don’t think there’s ever been any, you know, secret that El Centro sector border patrol has was heavily involved in all of that during that mission set,” Kim said. He added that the sector’s primary directive has shifted back to local border security.

“During Chief Bovino’s tenure, obviously every chief’s going to have their own style, and you know the way they conduct business. However, here at the time we had a different mission set that we were engaged in and now our focus is back on the border.”

Border Patrol agents rely on updated infrastructure and surveillance systems to monitor the region, including new secondary fencing and a technology hub mounted on the Calexico water tower in the Imperial Valley. Agents recently used the border wall system’s technology to track a group near the All-American Canal.

“We had some of our technology that’s part of this border wall system pick up a group of aliens that had crossed illegally in this area, made their way to the canal, got to the north side of the canal bank and you know our agents were able to pick it up using that technology and we were able to make the apprehension as you can see really close to the border,” Kim said.

Patrolling in the sector also presents physical hazards, including the New River, which is considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Kim recalled falling into the river while attempting to make an arrest earlier in his career as an agent. “Smelled just like an outhouse, basically and yeah, I did have to do a hospital visit over that just to make sure that they did some blood testing and make sure that I didn’t contract anything down here,” Kim said.

Federal border operations have drawn criticism from local law enforcement leaders, including Andy Mills, retired Palm Springs Police Chief, who spoke out regarding the nationwide enforcement tactics used in Minneapolis.

“When you have systemic failure, I mean incident after incident. If that was a local police chief, we’d be gone and rightfully,” Mills said.

Kim responded to the critique by pointing to legal standards regarding law enforcement discretion.

“Well, I mean, everybody’s going to have their own opinion. Every situation, as we discussed earlier, every officer is going to react to any given situation differently. The courts have seen that many, many times over the years and give officers and agents wide latitude on how they perceive and the actions that they take,” Kim said.

The Migration Policy Institute estimates that more than 150,000 unauthorized immigrants live in Riverside County, with many residing in the Coachella Valley. When asked about long-term residents, Kim emphasized legal accountability while noting that local daily enforcement routines remain consistent.

“Well, I mean, at the end of the day, they made a choice whether it was 10 minutes ago if they crossed the border or 20 years ago if they crossed the border. The issue is accountability,” Kim said. He added that residents should not expect drastic changes in local enforcement methods: “there really is no need for alarm. There’s nothing going on out there that we haven’t done in the past. This is operations normal.”

Check Out John White Reporting at the Border Last Year:

I-Team: Uncovering the Truth at the Border – Part 1 I-Team: Uncovering the Truth at the Border, The Other Side Click here to follow the original article.

City News Service

INDIO (CNS) – An injured hiker who suffered moderate injuries was rescued Thursday morning from a remote area in Indio.

The rescue was reported at 8:15 a.m. in the northeastern part of the city, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The agency stated that arriving crews made contact with the hiker and flew the individual to a ground ambulance, where the hiker was taken to a local hospital. A description of the person was not provided.

The cause of the injuries was not immediately known.

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Raymond Kalra

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – If a major earthquake hit the Coachella Valley tomorrow, emergency officials say residents may need to be more self-reliant than they think.

September is National Preparedness Month, and cities across the valley are reviewing how they would respond if roads, communications and other services were disrupted during a large-scale disaster.

That planning includes an uncomfortable reality: even a well-prepared evacuation route may not be usable once the disaster actually happens.

Daniel Hurtado, a senior management analyst with the City of Palm Desert, said cities have to be ready to adjust their plans in real time if damage blocks a route they expected residents to use.

“You have your evacuation plan ready to go, but if something happens and that area which you had preplanned is no longer available, you need to … create a new plan,” Hurtado said.

Hurtado said transportation is already a major concern because of the limited number of major routes in and out of the Coachella Valley. He said emergency planning also has to happen across city lines because traffic leaving one community can quickly affect neighboring cities.

Palm Springs is currently developing its first focused evacuation plan.

When News Channel 3 spoke with Palm Springs Emergency Manager Daniel DeSelms in August, he said the city had brought together agencies, businesses and other stakeholders to begin working through moderate- and large-scale evacuation scenarios.

DeSelms compared the challenge to the heavy gridlock sometimes seen during hurricane evacuations and said Palm Springs wants to reduce the chances of a similar situation during a local emergency.

Palm Desert is also preparing its own workforce for a major disaster.

Hurtado said all City of Palm Desert employees are designated Disaster Service Workers under state law. The city has more than 160 employees who can be called into the response structure if necessary.

He said the city trains staff through emergency management and incident command programs and conducts exercises that include earthquake scenarios. After a major incident, officials would begin by assessing damage, determining where help is needed most and activating the city’s Emergency Operations Center as necessary.

That does not mean help will immediately reach everyone.

Dave Prieto, a member of the California Fire Foundation’s board of directors, told News Channel 3 that emergency services would likely prioritize the most serious situations first after a major disaster.

“Emergency services are likely going to be tied up with the most severe issues first,” Prieto said. “Resources will be stretched thin.”

Prieto said one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding earthquakes is believing there will be time to figure out what to do once the shaking begins.

Instead, he said families should make those decisions ahead of time, including where they would meet, what supplies they would need and how they would communicate if normal services stopped working.

Hurtado similarly said residents should be prepared to remain self-sufficient for at least several days after a major disaster, particularly if multiple cities or counties are dealing with damage at the same time.

That preparation does not necessarily require building an expensive emergency kit all at once.

Emergency officials recommend starting with basics including food, water, flashlights, batteries, medications and a household communication plan.

Prieto also encouraged families to think about the needs of children, older adults and people with disabilities when preparing supplies.

Palm Desert officials shared one less obvious preparedness tip: freeze some of the water bottles stored for an emergency.

If the power goes out, the frozen bottles can help keep a refrigerator cold longer. As they melt, they can then become part of a household’s drinking-water supply.

The city is also using National Preparedness Month to bring those lessons directly to residents.

Palm Desert will hold an emergency readiness event on Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Palm Desert Community Center. The event is being held in partnership with the Desert Recreation District and Riverside County Emergency Management Department.

Hurtado said more than 30 vendors are expected to attend, along with hands-on training, city information tables and activities aimed at teaching emergency preparedness to both adults and children.

For emergency officials, the larger message is that preparedness is not just about having supplies in a closet.

It is about having a plan for what happens when the systems people normally rely on — roads, phones, utilities and emergency responders — are no longer immediately available.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The city of Palm Springs swore in Kyle Stjerne as its new Chief of Police during Wednesday’s meeting.

“It is the honor of a lifetime to continue serving the people of Palm Springs and this city as its next police chief,” Stjerne said. “My mother taught us very early that actions speak louder than words. So I’m not going to tell you about all the great things the Palm Springs Police Department is going to do for this city and these people moving forward. We’re going to prove it to you, we’re going to show you every single day. That is my commitment.”

Stjerne, a 24-year veteran of the Palm Springs Police Department, has served as deputy chief since January 2026, helping lead the department’s day-to-day operations and oversee its $46 million budget.

Last Monday, the city announced its decision to select Stjerne to replace then-Chief Andy Mills, referring to him as an “outstanding leader, a seasoned problem solver, and a trusted public servant.”

Check Out Our Interview with Chief Stjerne

In his time with PSPD, he has also served in a range of leadership positions, including detective sergeant, SWAT team leader and commander, internal affairs sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.

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Raymond Kalra

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Kitten season is far from over in the Coachella Valley, and local animal rescues say they are seeing the effects of a significant increase in cats entering shelters this year.

Riverside County Department of Animal Services data shows cat intake from January through July 2026 increased by more than 46% compared to the same period last year, amounting to more than 2,500 additional cats.

The overwhelming majority of that increase came from some of the most vulnerable animals shelters handle. About 85% of the increase consisted of stray kittens younger than eight weeks old brought in by members of the public.

“We have a lot of kittens this year. It has been just a crazy kitten season for everybody,” said Maren Ledesma, rescue coordinator for the Adoption Alliance program through Animal Samaritans.

Kitten season can continue into the fall

While people may associate kitten season with the spring and early summer, rescuers say Southern California’s warmer climate can extend the breeding season much longer.

Deborah Felin-Magaldi, a volunteer and board member with Helen Sanders CatPAWS, said the largest influx typically begins in the spring and can continue through roughly November.

In Southern California’s temperate climate, however, kitten births can occur during much of the year.

Cats can also begin reproducing surprisingly young.

Felin-Magaldi said female kittens can become pregnant at roughly four months old. With a gestation period of just over two months, a cat can potentially give birth when she is only about six months old.

That rapid reproductive cycle means one generation of kittens can quickly contribute to another without spay and neuter intervention.

Local groups work to expand spay and neuter efforts

Ledesma said Animal Samaritans is now working to strengthen its trap-neuter-return, or TNR, program while increasing access to spay and neuter services.

TNR programs allow community cats to be humanely trapped, sterilized and vaccinated before being returned to the area where they were found. The goal is to prevent additional litters while allowing existing community cat populations to decline over time.

Ledesma said Animal Samaritans had been working to catch up after limited veterinary staffing and appointment availability made it more difficult to conduct large numbers of spay and neuter procedures.

High-volume sterilization programs require veterinarians capable of performing dozens of procedures in a single day, she said.

Animal Samaritans now offers TNR services every Tuesday and also allows people to schedule appointments. The organization can also provide traps and information to residents who want to participate.

Ledesma said access to those services across the Coachella Valley has recently begun improving as multiple animal organizations expand their spay and neuter programs and work together.

Animal Samaritans also recently received a $100,000 grant that the organization says will help expand spay and neuter efforts in communities across the valley, including services for owned pets.

What should you do if you find kittens?

Rescuers also warn that finding kittens outside does not necessarily mean they have been abandoned.

Both Animal Samaritans and Helen Sanders CatPAWS recommend watching healthy kittens for a period of time before immediately removing them.

Their mother may simply be away looking for food and could return.

“If they are healthy and they seem like they are doing well, especially if they are a kitten, leave them where they are,” Ledesma said. “We do not want to take kittens from moms.”

Felin-Magaldi similarly recommends monitoring the kittens and looking for signs that a mother cat is still caring for them.

If the kittens appear clean, well-fed and relatively calm, that can be an indication their mother is nearby. Very young kittens require frequent feeding and specialized care if their mother does not return.

Once kittens are old enough to be weaned, rescuers say spaying and neutering both the mother and kittens becomes an important step in preventing another litter.

Foster homes still needed

Preventing future births does not solve the immediate challenge for kittens already in shelters and rescues.

Animal Samaritans says it continues to need foster and adoptive homes as organizations work through the ongoing influx.

“We need foster homes. We need adoptive homes. We just need places for these animals to go,” Ledesma said.

Ledesma said fostering does not necessarily require a large home or a major long-term commitment. Even a spare bathroom can provide kittens with a quieter and more comfortable temporary space while also freeing up room at a shelter for another animal in need.

Animal Samaritans says it will continue expanding its spay and neuter efforts across the Coachella Valley as local organizations work to reduce the number of unwanted litters entering shelters in the future.

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Luis Avila

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) — The Coachella City Council unanimously approved an anti-nepotism policy Wednesday night that limits who elected officials can appoint to city commissions and committees.

The policy prevents council members from appointing relatives to those positions. It also prevents one councilmember from nominating or appointing a relative of another councilmember.

The rules go beyond immediate family and include relatives such as aunts, uncles, nephews, cousins and grandparents.

The policy also applies to people who are not related but live in the same household as an elected official.

Councilmember Denise Delgado led the effort.

“I think it’s much needed in the city and it’s unfortunate we have to address it because of some of the stuff that’s happened in our city’s history,” said Delgado. “This is policy that I asked for in 2023. It did not come forward. It did not have the support.”

The policy received support from residents who spoke during Wednesday night’s meeting.

One resident said the policy could help address concerns about family members serving on city commissions.

“This is important because the community at large has made their own assumptions and we can’t fuel any assumptions by allowing our family to take commission positions regardless if they are the most qualified.”

But some residents said they want additional transparency when potential conflicts of interest involve city contracts or other financial interests.

The city attorney said existing conflict-of-interest rules still apply to commission and committee members.

“Just as with any of you if there is any potential conflict of interest, that applies to all committees. They would have to recuse themselves.”

Overall, residents who spoke at the meeting said they were optimistic about the new policy and the potential for more people to get involved in city government.

California also has conflict-of-interest laws for public officials. However, those laws do not automatically prohibit every type of relative from seeking or holding public office.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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City News Service

BLYTHE (CNS) – A ban on the sale of kratom products to those under 21 years of age takes effect tomorrow in Blythe.

The Blythe City Council approved the prohibition on Aug. 11, mirroring a Riverside County ordinance passed in October 2025. The Blythe law prohibits the sale and distribution of kratom products.

Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia that contains compounds of mitragynine and 7-hyrdroxymitragynine, otherwise known as 7-OH. Some energy drinks, gummies and pills containing 7-OH are synthesized, which means they contain alkaloids that produce a much stronger result.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any products containing the chemical as an added ingredient or at enhanced levels due to its opioid-like effects. The agency said products with 7-OH, which can be found in gas stations, online, smoke shops and other retail stores, should be avoided at all costs as they could lead to addiction, serious harm or overdose.

According to a staff report, on July 2025 the FDA issued warning letters to companies for illegally marketing products with 7-OH and recommended that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration add 7-OH products to the nationwide list of controlled substances.

Under the Blythe ordinance, those over 21 with a valid ID will still be able to purchase the products. Those found guilty of selling kratom products to people under 21 will be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

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