Category: kesq-local-news

City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Two companies donated video and sound systems to the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre, it was announced today.   

“The incredible scope of these two important technology donations has significantly increased the ability of the Plaza Theatre to attract acts,” J.R. Roberts, president of the Plaza Theatre Foundation, said in a statement.   

SACO Technologies, the company behind the Sphere technology in Las Vegas, donated a video wall featuring a cast aluminum frame and LED panels that will be installed against the back wall of the theater’s stage.   

Fender Musical Instruments Corp., a leading manufacturer of guitars, basses, amps and other accessories, donated a range of high-end amplifiers, which officials said will reduce equipment rental costs for future acts.   

The amplifiers, otherwise known as a backline package, include an acoustic Junior amplifier, a 1964 Deluxe Reverb amp, a Tone Master Deluxe Reverb amp, a 1959 Tone Master Bassman amp, a bass 800 amp head, an acoustic 100 amp, two 4×10 Bass cabinets, amplifier covers and speaker cables.

“Having this industry-standard backline package will be very useful and will be included in our tech package sent to managers and agents when we are attracting acts,” Brian Ray, foundation board member, said in a statement.   

Following extensive restorations, the theater will open in early December, officials said.

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Shay Lawson

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) — Nearly a year after a drunk driver killed Ryan Provost in a DUI motorcycle crash, his family said they are still waiting for justice.

The driver has not been charged at this time.

Ryan’s mother, Cynthia Provost, said the family paid for a billboard at Vista Chino and Date Palm Drive to keep his case in the public eye.

“It’s time that we get justice, we’re going on a year in October 18th,” Provost said. “I’m hoping that they just quickly look, you know, because I want everybody to be safe while they’re driving… and just mainly see my son and know that he’s loved.”

Provost, 22, was killed in October 2024 in a collision on Dillion Road at Desert Crest Avenue.

The crash happened in an unincorporated area of Riverside County under CHP Indio’s jurisdiction.

According to a CHP spokesperson, the Indio office oversees highways and freeways and shares jurisdiction with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in unincorporated areas. CHP is the lead agency for traffic collisions within these areas.

He said investigators finished Provost’s case on January 14, 2025, and recommended charges to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

It’s now up to the DA to decide whether to file. News Channel 3 has reached out for comment.

For Cynthia, the wait is agonizing — and she hopes her son’s story serves as a warning about the dangers of drunk driving.

“It’s very upsetting,” she said. “It makes me angry because nobody’s safe with drunk drivers out and about.”

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Jesus Reyes

Thousand Palms, Calif. (KESQ) –  SunLine Transit Agency will offer free rides on its fixed route bus during California Clean Air Day (Oct. 1) and Rideshare Week (Oct. 7-11).

Sunline officials said there is nothing specific needed by riders in order to receive free rides on October 1 and between October 7 and 11 – they can simply show up to their selected fixed route stop and board the bus.

Both California Clean Air Day and Rideshare Week are rooted in the idea that shared experiences can inspire collective action to improve community health. These campaigns encourage commuters to try alternative modes of transportation such as riding the bus, biking, walking, or sharing rides with others instead of driving alone.

“By making small changes in how we travel, we can significantly reduce air pollution, ease traffic congestion, and promote healthier lifestyles throughout the Coachella Valley and beyond,” said Mona Babauta, CEO/General Manager of SunLine Transit Agency.

SunLine has long been committed to clean air initiatives, and this special opportunity to ride SunLine’s alternative fuel buses for free allows others in the community to do their part in helping our environment, as well. It is also an ideal opportunity to try transit.

Visit SunLine.org for more information.

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Allie Anthony

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)— The Palm Springs Police Department officially opened the doors to its brand-new substation. It’s right in the heart of downtown, in the Downtown Park.

Located at 230 Museum Drive, the new facility is part of a broader effort to strengthen community policing and improve accessibility between officers and the public.

The grand opening was held Tuesday evening.

Positioned just steps away from local shops and tourist destinations, the substation is expected to enhance safety and reduce emergency response times in the busy downtown area. The station provides mental health services for the unhoused community.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A conference providing resources to people who have experienced suicide loss will be held later this week at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

“Way too often, we know someone who has attempted to commit suicide or taken their own life,” Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chair V. Manuel Perez said in a statement.

This year’s Suicide Prevention Coalition conference, themed “Postvention: Best Practices for Community Helpers, Fist Responders and Educators to Respond and Support After a Suicide Loss,” will take place from 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Thursday at 277 N. Avenida Caballeros.

It will feature breakout sessions, personal stories from those who experienced suicide loss and insights from keynote speaker Dr. David Schonfeld, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and founder of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.

Officials said the SCP aims to reduce suicide rates by increasing awareness, improving access to resources and collaboration across agencies. The group offers free, evidence-based training and workshops about suicide prevention and loss support throughout the year.

The coalition was established in 2020 by the county’s Board of Supervisors, in partnership with Behavioral Health, Public Health, the county’s Office of Education, law enforcement, community partners and health care organizations, officials said.

Data from the Riverside University Health System’s Epidemiology and Program Evaluation program revealed there were 266 confirmed suicide deaths in Riverside County in 2024.

“Connection is the starting point for healing,” program director Dr. Matthew Chang said. “When professionals and community members come together to share knowledge and support, they open the door for recovery and lasting hope.”

The event will be free and open to the public. Attendees who cannot make it in person can watch it online at Facebook.com/ruhspublichealth/.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A portion of northbound lanes along Indian Canyon Drive will be closed for the next three months due to the Palm Springs sewer project, city officials announced.

Northbound lanes of Indian Canyon Drive will be closed between Corozon Avenue and Sunrise Parkway

The closure starts Wednesday, October 1.

“This closure is necessary for the installation of the new Indian Canyon Drive sewer system and is expected to remain in place for the next three months,” reads a social media post by the city.

During this time, traffic in this section will be managed as follows:

Travel lanes will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

Northbound traffic will be diverted into the existing No. 1 SB lane.

City officials ask drivers to use alternate routes to avoid traffic congestion. Expect delays around the affected areas.

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Jesus Reyes

Joshua Tree, Calif. (KESQ) – Over 200 artists will open their studios for the annual HWY 62 Open Studio Art Tours, which kicks off this weekend in the high desert.

The event kicks off with the Art Tours Collective Exhibition at the new Hi-Desert Artists Center in Yucca Valley (October 4–19), features three weekends of self-guided open studio tours (October 4–5, 11–12, and 18–19) and “Art Tours After Dark” live music performances by local bands and musicians on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights during each weekend of the Art Tours.

Explore the unique fusion of nature and creativity across nearly 150 studios nestled in the high desert landscapes of the Joshua Tree region. Visitors can engage directly with artists, discover work across a wide range of mediums and styles, and purchase art in the setting where it was created.

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“For over 20 years, the HWY 62 Art Tours has been where the desert’s creative energy meets community,” said Art Tours Coordinator John Henson. “This year’s Collective Exhibition and After Dark concerts deepen that connection, creating new ways for people to experience the art and spirit of the Joshua Tree area.”

Presented by the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council(MBCAC), an organization partly funded by the California Arts Council, the HWY 62 Open Studio Art Tours is proudly sponsored by Visit 29 Palms, with the Art Tours Collective Exhibition sponsored by the Town of Yucca Valley. Together, they ensure that all Art Tours events stay free and accessible to everyone in the community.

Art Tours After Dark

Art Tours After Dark will showcase more than 40 live music performances from the thriving local music scene once the artist studios close on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights—during all three weekends of Art Tours. Venues across the Morongo Basin — including Giant Rock Meeting Room, Art Queen, Joshua Tree Saloon, Spaghetti Western, Red Dog Saloon, Grnd Sqrl, Kitchen in the Desert, The Palms Restaurant, and Mojave Gold — will host the free events, offering visitors art by day and music by night.

Art Tours Collective Exhibition

The Art Tours Collective Exhibition offers a preview of the Tour’s participating artists at the new Hi-Desert Artists Center, 55635 29 Palms Hwy in Yucca Valley. Sponsored by the Town of Yucca Valley, the exhibition is on view from October 4–19, 2025. It is an excellent opportunity to see a selection of work before planning studio visits.

Plan Your Visit

Given the size and scope of the Art Tours, visitors are encouraged to plan itineraries in advance of their visit. For information on the free event app, locations to pick up a tour catalog, or to request a mailed catalog, visit hwy62arttours.org. For lodging, see Visit29.org/stay.

Creating Community

HWY 62 Open Studio Art Tours is proudly sponsored by Visit 29Palms. The event plays a vital role in fostering community among high desert artists, spotlighting their work, and celebrating creativity in the region’s stunning natural setting — truly embodying the intersection of nature and culture.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Dreaming of a winter wonderland in the desert heat? The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Snow Guessing Contest is just around the corner!

Kicking off October 1, the contest continues until the first measurable inch of snow falls at the Tramway’s Mountain Station, elevation 8,516 feet.

The first ten guests to accurately select the date of snowfall will win four regular Tram admission tickets, plus a special Tram gift. If there are more than ten correct entries, winners will be chosen by the earliest postmark date.

To submit an entry, write your best-guess date on a postcard and mail it to: Snow Guessing Contest, 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262. Please note that only one date per postcard will be accepted. For more information and contest rules, visit https://pstramway.com/snow-guessing-2025.

Last year’s contest didn’t have a winner until January 7, 2025. There were four winners out of 878 entries.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley Firebirds are set to miss a key player before the season even gets underway. Forward Max McCormick, team captain, will undergo hip surgery and is expected to miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season. 

Firebirds will be without star forward and captain Max McCormick this season due to hip surgery. Obviously a big blow for the Birds but something they will have to overcome with other players filling the leadership role. @KESQ @KenjiitoKESQ @kendallkesq @Tarp1969 @pwilliamsAHL pic.twitter.com/lQtZQ8Gbfk

— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) October 1, 2025

McCormick, 33, is the franchise’s all-time leader in points (140) and goals (67) and has played in the second-most games in team history (158).

The Green Bay, WI native collected an additional 38 points (22 goals, 16 assists) in 44 postseason games with Coachella Valley, helping lead the team to back-to-back Western Conference Championships. McCormick also holds the Firebirds’ single-season records for most goals (32) and most points (67). 

Before heading to the NCAA with Ohio State University, McCormick was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators (171st overall). Following a successful collegiate career, McCormick appeared in 62 games during his rookie season for the Senators’ then-AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, notching 20 points. 

McCormick made his NHL debut with Ottawa on October 25th, 2015, against the Arizona Coyotes. Between the Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, and Seattle Kraken, McCormick skated in 94 career NHL games over his 11-year professional career. 

In over 540 AHL games, McCormick logged 337 points (159 goals, 178 assists), suiting up for the Belleville/Binghamton Senators, Charlotte Checkers, Colorado Eagles, and Coachella Valley Firebirds. McCormick is a two-time AHL All-Star, earning a nod in 2023 and 2024. 

McCormick re-signed with the Seattle Kraken on a two-year, two-way NHL contract on June 29th, 2024. 

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Gavin Nguyen

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. (KESQ) – “Joshua Tree is a tourist town. We rely on tourism for our income here.”

Merilee Kuchon is the owner of Roadrunner Grab and Go, positioned right next to the Joshua Tree Visitor Center along Park Boulevard. Visitors pass in and out of the store – getting busier as the high season approaches.

But with that seasonal uptick expected within weeks, Kuchon is now growing worried that a government shutdown will throw a wrench into her business’s bottom line.

“It is dismaying to me coming out of a very slow summer season, moving into what is supposed to be our busy season starting in about a week,” she explained.

Other businesses in Joshua Tree, though, pointed to a resilient community that would slow – or completely mitigate – any negative impacts of slower traffic if the national park were to draw fewer visitors.

One business owner who did not want to appear on camera told News Channel 3 that High Desert businesses are becoming less reliant on tourism to stay afloat.

Meanwhile, Edo Brizio, the owner of a trailer parked near the Visitor Center, said more park visitors could be on their way if the shutdown happens.

“Are you a little bit worried [that] maybe not as many people would come through?” reporter Gavin Nguyen asked.

Brizio replied, “That doesn’t worry me as much. If anything, knowing that the park is open at no charge. I’m thinking we might see even more people.”

Local nonprofits are concerned about the negative impacts government shutdowns could bring to Joshua Tree National Park, especially after a shutdown in late 2018 brought vandals and filthy conditions to the area.

“I would go and scrub toilets every day,” recalled Susan Burnett, the owner of Mojave Sands Motel in Joshua Tree. She explained a local volunteer corps emerged to clean up and manage the park during the last shutdown; if another one does occur, she said she is committed to keeping the park in good condition again, and is hopeful that the local community will rally again to do the same.

“We will do our part to volunteer and help the people that are still coming to visit and help keep our park clean and safe.”

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