Category: kesq-local-news

City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A free, family-friendly resource fair will be held next month in Indio for Coachella Valley residents looking for essential services and fun activities from local service providers and community organizations.   

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 7 at the Riverside County Department of Child Support Services Indio branch office, at 47950 Arabia St.

Attendees can expect a wide range of free services and activities, including child support services, family law support, legal aid and immigration services, food resources, mental health resources, free developmental screenings and immunizations, free bike helmets for children in need while supplies last, free haircuts for kids and families, and live music. The Mexican consulate will offer direct on-site assistance.   

To RSVP for the fair, go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026IndioRSVP.   

To learn more, contact DCSS Indio branch office at 951-955-0899.

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Jesus Reyes

CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) – One person was displaced after a fire at a mobile home in Cabazon Thursday afternoon.

The fire was reported at a little after 1:20 p.m. on the 52000 block of Lois Ave.

The fire was contained at 2:25 p.m., CAL FIRE confirmed.

No injuries were reported, but one adult was displaced.

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City News Service

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – After claims on social media that an aircraft suspected of carrying 100 U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents landed yesterday at Thermal Airport, Fourth District Supervisor Manuel Perez dispelled the information today as “unfounded.”

Perez said in a press release Thursday that after checking with the county’s Aviation Division and Desert Jet — an aviation business on-site — that the information was false.

Instead, two Department of Homeland Security aircrafts landed at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, at 56-850 Higgins Drive in Thermal, and carried only mechanics and flight crew personnel, with one plane set to leave at an unspecified time Thursday.

The information was crucial to “prevent unnecessary concern in the community,” Perez said.  

Anyone with questions may contact Perez’s office at 760-863-8211.

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City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – This year’s Date Festival Scholarship Program has awarded scholarships to 16 Riverside County high school seniors and season passes to the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, officials announced today.

Although 16 finalists impressed judges by the students’ academic achievement, leadership and community commitment, 10 finalists were named as scholarship recipients. Through a contribution of$6,000 by judges Becky Bailey- Findley and Gary Findley, the remaining six finalists were named as scholarship honorees and also received scholarships.

“This scholarship program is an investment in Riverside County’s students and the future of our community,” Chris Pickering, CEO of Pickering Events, said in a statement. “Each year, the interview process reinforces how much talent, heart and promise exists in our local schools.”  

The program awarded $2,000 scholarships to 10 seniors in the class of 2026, which will be distributed directly to each recipient’s college or university. In addition, all finalists are invited to participate in the Presidents’ Day parade on Feb. 16 as honored guests alongside local elected officials and community leaders.   

The following scholarship recipients named are:   — Bella Barone — Palm Desert — Palm Desert High School;   — Joanna Bushnell Crist — Indio — La Quinta High School;   — Preston Ellis — Palm Desert — Palm Desert High School;   — Emmanuel Garcia — Riverside — Ramona High School;   — Elizabeth Guerra –Indio — Indio High School;   — Erik Huerta — Mecca — Desert Mirage High School;   — Paola Miranda — North Shore — Desert Mirage High School;   — Kaden Ren — Riverside — Martin Luther King High School;   — Pratham Sanghu — Corona — La Sierra Academy, and   — Ines Yanez — Temecula — Temecula Preparatory School.

   The following were named as scholarship honorees are:   — Anahi Canesco — Jurupa Valley — Rubidoux High School;   — Jahzara Dansby — Lake Elsinore — Murrieta Mesa High School;   — Alexander Diaz — Indio — Indio High School;   — Mario Irrera — Indio — Indio High School;   — Rachel Anne Madrid — Aguanga — JCS-Pine Hills High School, and   — Roberto Sanchez — Indio — Indio High School.  

“Programs like the Date Festival Scholarship help open doors for students who are working hard to shape a better future for themselves and our region,” Supervisor Manuel Perez said in a statement. “It’s inspiring to see local institutions step up year after year to invest in education and opportunity.”  

The Date Festival will be held from next Thursday through March 1 at the county’s Fairgrounds in Indio.

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Garrett Hottle

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) Nearly 1,000 tax-delinquent properties across Riverside County are slated for public auction this spring, including hundreds of parcels located throughout the Coachella Valley.

According to county officials, 946 parcels have been selected and approved for the April tax sale, though that number is expected to decline as some property owners redeem their parcels before the auction date. Of those properties, 258 are located within the Coachella Valley’s nine cities, all within Supervisorial District 4.

County records show the highest-assessed parcels expected to move forward in the Coachella Valley are vacant commercial land, not residential homes. Riverside County Treasurer-Tax Collector Matthew Jennings confirmed that three of the most valuable parcels, with assessed values ranging from approximately $2.5 million to $3.5 million, are classified as vacant land. One of those parcels is a roughly 30-acre site in the city of Coachella.

The auction inventory includes a mix of vacant land and residential properties countywide. Of the 946 parcels approved for sale, approximately 228 are identified as having residential dwellings or structures, according to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.

The County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office says the unusually large size of this year’s auction reflects a return to normal operations following several years of staffing shortages and economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The goal, county officials say, is to return long delinquent properties to productive, revenue-generating use to support public services. Properties included in the sale have typically exceeded the state’s statutory threshold for tax default.

Starting bids for some parcels begin as low as $100, though final sale prices can vary widely depending on location, zoning, and bidder interest.

KESQ will be speaking with the Riverside County Treasurer-Tax Collector later today for further clarification on the auction process, property impacts, and what this means for local communities. More details will be shared on News Channel 3.

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Timothy Foster

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) – Preparations are already underway for one of the Coachella Valley’s biggest annual events, as crews work to get ready for the 2026 BNP Paribas Open.

The world-renowned tennis tournament is just weeks away, and setup is already transforming the area surrounding the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Temporary structures are being installed, parking areas are being finalized, and large-scale transportation plans are being implemented ahead of the two-week event.

One of the most visible signs of preparation is the arrival of hundreds of BMW vehicles. More than 300 BMWs are already staged on site and will be used throughout the tournament to transport players, officials, and VIP guests. The fleet is part of a large-scale shuttle and traffic management operation designed to keep movement smooth during one of the busiest times of the year in the desert.

The tournament is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, delivering a significant economic boost to the Coachella Valley. Local business owners say tourism during the tournament season is essential, with many relying on event-driven traffic to support operations through the slower summer months.

Last year, more than 500,000 people attended the BNP Paribas Open, generating more than $850 million for the local economy. Organizers anticipate another strong turnout this year as fans return for two weeks of world-class tennis and related events.

The 2026 BNP Paribas Open runs from March 1 through March 15 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

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Athena Jreij

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – Reflecting on the past year, Riverside County says progress has been made in life-saving efforts.

In their bi-monthly animal commission meeting, officials say live-release rates increased in 2025, from 71.2% to 78.5%, along with adoption and foster rates.

However, they say a lot of work still needs to be done, with a focus on reducing length of stay in shelters for large dogs and elderly cats.

News Channel 3 dug into the figures, and found while life-saving efforts increased, thousands of animals were still euthanized, died in care or lost.

According to data, total non-live outcomes for the year was 4,733, a 35% decrease from 7,232 in 2024.

Officials say it’s a sign that programs like ‘Dibs’ and ‘Ticket to Ride’ are working, but advocates say it’s not satisfactory.

“They are very into a metric and number to be ‘no kill.’ We want the shelter to do the right thing. Yes, if you have to euthanize for medical reasons, for behavior, but not for space, and then you refuse to build any space,” Lisa Fein-Blodgett said.

Blodgett is a defendant in a lawsuit against the county’s euthanasia practices. A recent injunction has asked the county to build more space for shelter pets.

In response to the question if that’s feasible, Veronica Perez with the county said, “We have to look at where we are right now every single day, and right now we are overcrowded for the amount of dogs compared to kennel space. We have to also look at where can we make an impact and move the needle, whether it’s more fosters, more volunteers, increasing those adoptions, partnering at the local level.”

For 2026, officials say they have two mottos.

“One is ‘getting to yes,’ so saying yes to everyone that comes in wants to help. There is a way for virtually everyone to help us save more lives. The other one is that ‘it takes a village.’ So anyone that can help should be invited and welcomed in the doors,” Kristen Hassen said.

She says the priorities for 2026 are, “We’re looking at what is within our control, which is bigger adoption programs, bigger volunteer programs, larger foster programs, getting more animals out and then trying to help people keep their pets whenever possible.”

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Jesus Reyes

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – A big step up in fighting food insecurity in the valley. On Thursday, a $200,000 check was presented to the FIND Regional Food Bank.

The funds were provided by the members of the Hideaway Golf Club in La Quinta. They raised that amount during their annual campaign to support food banks. Thanks to this big check, the FIND Regional Food Bank will be able to continue to provide meals to those in need.

“Now more than ever with the increases of the cost of goods and the economy and housing, there’s so many people that are having to make some really difficult choices between paying for medicines or paying for rent or feeding themselves,” said Debbie Espinosa, President/CEO of the FIND Regional Food Bank.

Espinosa said the donation has the capability to help more than 800,000 meals get served to people in the valley.

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Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Design lovers from across the globe are arriving in our valley soon for Modernism Week and this year, organizers say it will be bigger than ever.

More than 350 events are scheduled, beginning Thursday, Feb. 12 through Feb. 22. The festival will feature tours of iconic homes, nightly parties, and a classic car show.

All events are open to the public and many are free or low-cost.

“People come to the desert, they fall in love with it, hopefully they come back year after year and buy property and contribute to our restaurants and hotels and businesses. We had an economic impact of over $68 million to the Coachella Valley last year,” said Lisa Smith, Modernism Week CEO. “There’s still lots of tickets available for 11 days of tours, parties, fabulous presentations, lectures in the Annenberg Theater, dance parties every night, it’s a terrific time.”

A portion of ticket proceeds benefits the nonprofit and other local preservation groups.

Click here for tickets and more information

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Shay Lawson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)  – Dozens of neighbors from La Palme, Pointe, Vibe and Sundial gathered at the Palm Springs Police Department to discuss parking solutions.

Palm Springs leaders said rising airport parking rates are pushing more cars onto neighborhood streets and the new College of the Desert Campus is expected to bring more students and staff into the area.

Attendees said parking has been an ongoing issue for years.

Wednesday’s discussion was focused on street parking along Baristo Road between El Cielo and Farrell and Civic Drive between Baristo and East Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.

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