Category: kesq-local-news

Luis Avila

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – A 5.2 Magnitude earthquake struck the greater San Diego area at 10:08 a.m. Monday with shaking reported around much of Southern California and into Arizona.

There were no immediate reports of any damage or injury from the quake centered two miles south of Julian, according to the US Geological Survey.

The USGS “Did You Feel It” webpage showed people reporting shakin from Santa Maria and Bakersfield south to San Diego, and east to Las Vegas and Yuma, Arizona.

At least seven aftershocks were reported by the USGS in the 2.0 to 3.0 Magnitude range.

Shaking was felt across the Coachella Valley with people phoning in their experiences with what was often described as a rolling feeling.

Stay with KESQ for complete coverage and reactions on News Channel 3 at Noon and throughout the day.

Tori King

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ)– NYLON House made its long-awaited return to the Coachella Valley for a star-studded night of music and culture.

The event, now in it’s seventh year has become one of the most coveted Coachella after parties of the season. This year, the massive event kicked off on April 11th, at Maraza, in Thermal. After arriving, thousands of guests were led along an illuminated pathway that turned into the ultimate beauty experience. This year’s theme: Deep Dive.

Ulta Beauty partnered up with NYLON House as 2025’s title sponsor and exclusive beauty retail partner to create the under-the-sea experience, complete with Ulta Beauty Collection samples and a hair and makeup bar run by professional stylists.

News Channel Three’s Tori King spoke with Lauren McCarthy, the Editor in Chief at Nylon Magazine, who says it takes months of planning, and hundreds of dedicated employees to pull off an event of this proportion.

“I love seeing all these activations come to life,” said McCarthy. “Our events team works on this event all year, truly. They will start working on next year’s tomorrow morning, if they haven’t already.”

When asked about what NYLON meant to her, McCarthy said NYLON is all about forward-thinking, and discovery.

“For me, its all about the intersection of culture and music and fashion,” said McCarthy. “NYLON is also about what’s up and coming. I think where NYLON stands apart is we’re really championing new talent, new designers, new musicians. So we were really always excited about discovery.”

Guests also got to let loose at the oceanic beauty experience with exclusive giveaways and a photoshoot opportunity with Plan B. Partygoers were even treated with free festival statement pieces from Marshalls’ Good Stuff Style House, and received makeup touch-ups at COVERGIRL’s desert-inspired pop-up. Sally Hansen was there to give everyone festival-ready manicures, and thousands of people stepped up to get free piercings by Banter throughout the night. Adidas was there to sample its newest Vibes fragrance collection and new mood-boosting uni-sex scents.

Austin Millz

Perris Howard

Dove Cameron

This year’s event featured a stacked DJ lineup, including sets by James Hype and Austin Millz. The night ended with a special performance by award-winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter Dove Cameron, who performed her song “Too Much” ahead of her forthcoming album.

Dove Cameron

The evening also celebrated the release of NYLON’s latest broadsheet, featuring global icon Tyla as the cover star.

Several celebrity guests made appearances, including Brooklyn Beckham, Maria Georgas, Susie Evans, Cheyanne King, Shaun Ross, Tara Yummy, Lance Bass, Mark Tuan, Fannita Leggett, the Montana Boyz, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Olivia Holt, Tayme Thapthimthong, Karreuche Tran, Gavin Casalegno, Chris Colfer, Blake Gray, Dale Moss, Tinx, Ariana Madix, Ava Max and more.

Timothy Foster

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) —As music lovers leave town following weekend one of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival the Indio Police Department is already looking ahead toward weekend two preparations and a second group of fans to descend upon the desert.

Last Thursday, eager festival-goers packed into the city, with campers flooding roadways and waiting up to eight hours just to park their vehicles. It was a hectic kickoff, but authorities are working to improve the experience for those returning this weekend.

Joel Osmond from the Indio Police Department is advising attendees to remain patient, emphasizing that law enforcement is working closely with Goldenvoice, the festival’s organizer, to ensure everyone’s safety.

Social media posts from Weekend One showed a variety of safety protocols in action. These included car searches upon entry into the campgrounds, detection dogs checking for illegal substances and weapons, and multiple security checkpoints spread throughout the grounds.

Traffic congestion was another major issue, made worse by limited open lanes and road closures around residential neighborhoods.

Despite the long wait times, many Weekend One attendees expressed gratitude toward local law enforcement for keeping the event safe. As preparations continue, police are urging those heading to Weekend Two to arrive early, stay alert, and come prepared.

Their final reminder? Stay hydrated and report anything that seems suspicious.

Shay Lawson

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — Multiple Coachella festivalgoers contacted News Channel 3, saying their belongings were stolen from their hotel rooms while they were away at the festival.

Ellie Brownridge said she’s attended Coachella for years with her best friend, Zoe Grober.

Grober said they’ve stayed at La Quinta Resort & Club before.

“We always love this property,” Grober said. “It’s just so disappointing that something like this happened and it’s totally tainted the experience.”

Brownridge and Grober, staying with their husbands, said they returned Saturday morning after the first day of Coachella to find personal items missing — including vintage bags, jewelry, family heirlooms and sunglasses.

They told News Channel 3 they called hotel management and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department — and quickly learned they weren’t alone.

“We met two other groups. In total, I think it’s like 15 people that we know of that this has happened to,” Brownridge said. “I think we’re looking at over $100,000 worth of stuff that’s gone.”

Norelza Rivero, also staying at the resort with her daughter, said she returned from the festival Friday night to find valuables missing from her room.

“My daughter had a Louis Vuitton that my grandmother gave her,” Rivero said. “It was the most valuable thing we owned.”

Rivero said she quickly contacted hotel security and police, but said the hotel’s cooperation was limited.

“He didn’t appear to enjoy that I had called a police officer,” Rivero said. “Moreover, when the police officer asked if they would be willing to give him any information… he wasn’t cooperative with the police officer.”

Rivero said the experience has left her feeling unsafe.

“I just won’t leave the room without one of us in there,” she said.

Both victims said hotel staff responded, but not with the urgency they hoped for.

Some guests told News Channel 3 they believe, “it was an inside job,” although no evidence has been confirmed at this time.

“We’re so concerned that as soon as we leave the property, especially with the lack of urgency and lack of communication,” Grober said. “They’re going to just hope that it goes away and that we stop bothering them.”

The victims said they are speaking out in hopes of getting answers for themselves — and to protect future guests.

“We want some sort of resolution and justice for the groups that were hit this weekend,” Grober said. “But also for next weekend and the weekend after that.”

In a statement to News Channel 3, Chris George, Area Director of Marketing at La Quinta Resort & Club said:

“The safety and security of our hotel guests and team members is our top priority. As soon as we were made aware of claims of theft at the resort, we immediately engaged local law enforcement. At this time, we are unable to provide further information on the ongoing investigation, but are actively working on a swift resolution for all that may be impacted.”

News Channel 3 has reached out to La Quinta Resort & Club management and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. We are still waiting for a response.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage on this developing story.

Tori King

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)– Ace Hotel + Swim Club Palm Springs is quickly becoming a festival season hot-spot, hosting an array of pool parties and activations. The iconic hotel announced it’s offering a lineup of events, pool parties, exclusive offers, and festival-inspired fun for 2025. If you’re hoping to relax after a day at the festival grounds, but want to keep the desert daze going, Ace Palm Springs will have something for everyone.

The iconic hotel partnered with Hurry Up Slowly, one of the worlds’ fastest-rising events series. Hurry Up Slowly is an experiential events concept focused around immersive musical and Artistic voyages from a team of curators with over 30 years of experience. Native to Miami Florida, with more global aspirations on the horizon, the East-Coast tastemakers have quickly formed a unique identity within the industry’s electronic music landscape, welcoming renowned international artists, Global Brand Partners and more.

The hotel will host weekend pool parties spanning from Weekend One of Coachella to Stagecoach, featuring DJ’s from all over the world. The pool party starts every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. offering guests plenty of sunshine, beats, and fun. Attendees can dance the day away by the pool until sunset at 7 p.m.

The DJ lineup for Festival Season at Ace Hotel + Swim Club Palm Springs 2025:

Friday, April 11 – Sofyen

Saturday, April 12 – Hurry Up Slowly + Kaz James & More 

Sunday, April 13 – Saint Gilo + More 

Friday, April 18 – DJ Pyramido

Saturday, April 19 – Hurry Up Slowly + Les Baklavas 

Sunday, April 20 – G@tto + More 

Saturday, April 26 – Nam + More 

Sunday, April 27 – Saint Gilo + More

Festival-goers will also be treated to a variety of delicious, festival-inspired food and drinks. The Ace hotel’s menu will pay tribute to Coachella’s main acts, with creatively themed bites and cocktails like the “Party for You” cocktail and ‘brat green’ inspired bites. 

Photography by Christian Zajiceck.

Event tickets will be available for purchase onsite. Hotel guests will have complimentary pool access and may reserve chaise lounges or daybeds with a minimum spend. The Commune Pool will also be available to hotel guests free of charge, and chaise lounges will be first come, first serve. Event is 21+. 11:00 am – 7:00 pm | Saturday April 19, 2025

Swim Club Pool events are open to hotel guests and day pass guests only.

Tori King

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)– For the very first time, the city of Indio hosted ‘Echo Lounge’, a community experience meant to bring a taste of the Coachella Music festival to the community.

The city first made the announcement of the ‘Echo Lounge’, earlier this week, which was created to give residents that ‘festival feeling’ at home.“The reason why we called it the ‘Echo Lounge’ is because we’re an echo distance from the actual festivals,” explained Ramirez-Cornejo. “We wanted to provide that festival vibe, that festival experience, to residents, to people who aren’t going to the festival.”

The event kicked off at 9 a.m. and runs through 9 p.m. on Saturday.

It’s taking place at Center Stage downtown.

The event will feature yoga sessions, sound baths, a live DJ set, and in an effort to really bring Coachella to locals, the festival will be live streamed on an enormous screen throughout the day.”We are the city of festivals, and so why not provide something to the community so that the community can enjoy as well,” said Ramirez-Cornejo.

More information on Echo Lounge and a schedule of events can be found here.

Cynthia White

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Water Agency is giving a project update on the Historic Tennis Club and Downtown Area Pipeline Replacement Project.

Officials say the project is underway, with a change to the street schedule. Starting Monday, April 14, the community will start to notice heavier construction beginning on West Arenas Road, then moving east and south to the other streets, as shown in the agency’s map:

Traffic control will be in place, and the work is anticipated to be complete at the end of May or early June.

For more information, go to www.dwa.org/pipelines.

Kendall Flynn

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Coachella has a 125,000 people capacity each day, causing long lines and wait times to get into the festival grounds. Attendees travel from across the country for the music and arts, but it can be a tiring experience, especially in 100 degree heat.

Friday festival goers were faced with triple digit heat, making waiting outside difficult.

“It’s hot,” Renee Boykin said. “I’m not gonna lie. It’s real hot.”

“It’s definitely hotter than last year,” Luis Heredia said. “We came weekend two, and it was about 20 degrees less hot, so just getting used to the extra heat.”

But visitors are doing what they can to cope with the heat, and making sure it doesn’t become a more serious issue.

“It’s bearable, just get a cold towel and slap it on your neck,” Andrew Webb said. “But it’s just staying in the shade, staying out of the heat, but drink a lot of water.”

Heredia had a simple answer of how he planned to cope with the heat.

“Water. Water. Water. Water,” Heredia said.

Even though the heat can be tiring, visitors said their not going to let it stop them from enjoying their favorite artists. Friday night had popular headliners with Lady Gaga and Missy Elliott, making visitors ensure they brace all the Coachella Valley elements no matter what.

“It’s hot, but just a little Liquid I.V., a little water, a good attitude [and] you almost don’t feel it,” Zak Berman said.

Even with the Friday excitement, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is just getting started, and visitors have two more weekends of concerts and fun in the sun.

Stay with News Channel 3 for your Coachella coverage and more of what you need to know throughout the festival.