Category: kesq-local-news

María García

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) —  The federal government plans to begin processing initial applications for DACA, the Obama-era program that grants deportation protection and work permits to immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

The program was started in 2012 to protect this population from deportation amid congressional gridlock on immigration reform. DACA has been closed to new applicants since 2021.

The move, outlined in a proposal Monday by the Justice Department, would reopen DACA to first-time applicants in every state except Texas.

According to the filing, Texas residents who already have DACA could continue receiving protection from deportation but would no longer qualify for work authorization.

More than 525,000 immigrants are currently enrolled in DACA. Texas follows California in the ranking of states with the highest number of program enrollees, according to USCIS.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Luis Avila

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) is hosting its first-ever Next Gen Intelligence AI Summit on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the UC Riverside Palm Desert Center. The event aims to teach migrant education students how to use artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively.

The summit is a joint effort by RCOE’s Innovation and Competitive Advantage Unit and the Migrant Education Unit. Students will take part in workshops led by experts from Adobe, Common Sense Education, and Khan Academy. The focus will be on building AI skills, improving academic success through AI tutoring, and ensuring all students have access to cutting-edge educational tools.

Organizers say migrant students with access to high-quality learning experiences like the AI Summit is especially important, as these opportunities can often be difficult to find due to barriers such as frequent relocations, language differences, and limited access to advanced educational resources. Events like this help bridge the gap in educational equity, ensuring that all students — regardless of their background or circumstances — have a fair chance to succeed in a rapidly evolving, tech-driven world.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Legendary music industry titan Clive Davis joined News Channel 3 to discuss the special screening of  “Do You Remember?” that will feature a Q&A moderated by music icon and Palm Springs resident Barry Manilow this Friday at the Annenberg Theater at Palm Springs Art Museum.

“Do You Remember” is an unforgettable collection of film and video highlights from his incredible career, produced by Mark Ronson and co-produced by Erich Bergen.

This special event is a fundraiser for the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation.

Click here for tickets

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Jesus Reyes

BLYTHE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palo Verde Healthcare District has filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in an attempt to stabilize its longstanding financial struggles and preserve services at Palo Verde Hospital in advance of its planned Nov. 23 closure.

The district’s board of directors voted on Sept. 22 to file for bankruptcy and the petition was filed Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, Riverside Division.

As reported by News Channel 3’s Athena Jreij, the district began the process of closing the hospital Sept. 24.

The hospital serves Blythe and its surrounding areas, and is more than 90 miles from the next nearest hospital in the Coachella Valley.   

The financial stress stemmed from a host of problems, including pandemic-related costs, a cyberattack that halted billing and collections, reduced Medicare funding, Provident Bank seizing about $2.8 million to satisfy its line of credit and a turnover of four chief financial officers.

As of Tuesday, the district had about a week’s worth of cash to operate the hospital, officials said.

“Chapter 9 is the last tool left while we work to fix the financial management challenges that have so drastically impacted the hospital during the past several years.” board President Carmela Garnica said in a statement. “Our community deserves a functioning hospital. We are doing everything we can to keep it open.”   

Despite receiving $4 million in emergency assistance from the state in May for payroll and operating costs, the hospital had insufficient funds to sustain the facility and suspended inpatient and services and surgeries.   

Chapter 9 will allow the district to continue daily operations while it plans to adjust debts and communicate with employees about any changes.   

“One of the advantages of filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy is that we can continue to operate the hospital and clinic while continuing to negotiate with our creditors,” hospital CEO Sandra J. Anaya said in a statement.   

The hospital will close on Nov. 23, with a layoff of 94 employees, according to California Employment Department. Officials notified the state on Sept. 24 to satisfy terms of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires employers to give a 60-day advance notice of layoffs or closures to all employees.  

The next steps will be to continue to consult with legal and financial consultants and communicate with everyone involved, the district said.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs officials will host a grand opening of an affordable housing complex for low-income seniors later this month.   

The event will begin at 10 a.m. Oct. 16 at 1475 N. Palm Canyon Drive.   

It will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m., with Mayor Ron deHarte, city council members, City Manager Scott Stiles, project developers, community partners, Riverside County officials and residents in attendance.   

Aloe Palm Canyon is a 71-unit apartment complex designed for those aged 55 and older who earn 0% to 80% of the area median income, city officials said. Twenty-five units will be dedicated to formerly unhoused residents, and long-term rent restrictions will be in place on 69 of the 71 units.

Amenities will include a community room with a demonstration kitchen, a computer room, library, fitness center, laundry facilities, off-street parking and on-site resources to aid individuals transition out of homelessness.   

“The project is a major step forward in addressing the region’s critical need for senior and supportive housing,” city officials said.

News Channel 3’s Shay Lawson got an exclusive first look at the community. Click here to check out her report.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Elementary and middle school students throughout Riverside County will forgo riding to school one day next week and instead take a stroll or roll in recognition of “National Walk & Roll to School Day” — part of an effort to promote youth exercise and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

Youths from more than a dozen schools countywide are expected to take part in the annual event, set for Oct. 8, during which parents, teachers and community-based volunteers form “walking school buses” to shepherd children to their campuses, according to organizers.

Students are also encouraged to ride bicycles.   

“National Walk & Roll to School Day is a great opportunity to highlight pedestrian safety and advocate for safer routes for walking and biking to school,” Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Marcos Acosta said. “This day underscores the importance of boosting physical activity and prioritizes the safety of families in our community.”  

The walks will generally begin around  7 a.m. Oct. 8. To date, campuses in Indio, Jurupa Valley, Menifee, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside, Temecula and Winchester have registered for the event.

Organizers said walking programs promote a reduction in childhood obesity and stress the importance of pedestrian access and safety on traffic corridors.

Students, parents, guardians and teachers were reminded to stay on marked walking paths or sidewalks, use crosswalks, remain vigilant when going through right-of-ways and try to wear visible clothing for the benefit of motorists.

More information is available at walkbiketoschool.org/.

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María García

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – This Hispanic Heritage Month, here at News Channel 3, we are telling stories that inspire.   

This week, we met Sandra Reyes, a young migrant from Mexico City.

As News Channel 3’s Maria Garcia reports, she’s becoming a key member of TODEC, an organization that supports immigrant rights.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Three of Riverside County’s four public animal shelters expanded their hours of operation today and will maintain the longer schedules for the foreseeable future in an ongoing effort to encourage adoptions of dogs and cats.

“Every change we make is about making it easier to help people save lives,” Department of Animal Services Director Mary Martin said. “Extending our hours means more opportunities for pets to be seen, more connections with families and more dogs and cats leaving the shelter safely.”

The county’s Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus and Western Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley will now be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday. The shelters’ previous weekday hours of operation were 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

“This is an important shift that we hope will make it easier for folks to meet Riverside County pets and ultimately save more lives,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Manuel Perez said.

The shelters are always closed on Mondays, but on Saturdays and Sundays, the facilities operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.   

The Blythe Animal Shelter, which is closed on weekends, has the least capacity and will not be included in the revised scheduling. That shelter will continue to be open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., officials said.

Until Oct. 15, the county will be taking part in the BISSELL Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelters” adoption bonanza, waiving almost all fees for taking home an impounded pet.   

Prospective adopters can pick out a canine or feline without having to worry about paying the cost of vaccination, microchipping, spay/neuter and impoundment, or in the case of residents who have lost their pets but show up to reclaim them, no reclamation fees. Only canine licensing fees, which for altered dogs is generally $25 or less, are required based on where an adopter resides.

As of Thursday, roughly 1,200 canines and felines were available for adoption at county shelters. Not all of the impounded pets, however, are housed on-site. Some, especially kittens and younger cats, have been placed with “pet fosters,” who have agreed to keep them temporarily. The county is always seeking additional fosters to free up space under tight capacity constraints.   

More information is available at rcdas.org/

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Athena Jreij

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – A Coachella Valley family is in fear tonight after they say their daughter, Geraldine Ramirez, is believed to be in Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) custody.

The Ramirez family says Geraldine was aboard the ‘Mali’ boat, apart of the 50 vessel Global Sumud Flotilla bringing aid to Gaza’s shores.

In a video shot before her departure, Ramirez says in a TikTok, “If you are watching this video, I have been kidnaped by the ‘IOF’ and taken to Israel against my will. Contact my government and tell them to end their complicity with Israel and bring me home and end this genocide.”

Earlier this week, Israeli officials shared video of several boats intercepted by the naval force. There are estimates that more than 450 activists are traveling, including Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg.

Angie Torres, Ramirez’s mom, says they warned her daughter to not go, but she was a committed activist.

“Please don’t do it, there’s risk. We know the situation there, but still she’s been an activist for all her life. She was bringing help to people that need it. Medical attention and food supplies,” Torres said.

Torres believes her daughter’s boat was intercepted earlier this week, and her phone thrown overboard. Without any method of communication, she worries about her condition in custody.

“I don’t know if they’re going to be saved, if they’re going to be tortured, if they’re going to try to make them look bad to the international community.”

Israeli officials have defended the interceptions, arguing the aid boats are in active war zones and defy lawful naval blockades. However, several rights groups say the interference with aid deliveries on international waters is illegal.

Ramirez’s family says they’ve reached out to the FBI, U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem but still haven’t received the answers they’re looking for.

“They’re not giving any information to anybody. That’s what he told me and then hung up the phone again,” Torres said about a call she had with an embassy employee.

News Channel 3 contacted the State Department who said in a statement:

“We take our commitment to assist U.S. citizens seriously and are monitoring the situation. The flotilla is a deliberate and unnecessary provocation. We are currently focused on realizing President Trump’s plan to end the war, which has been universally welcomed as a historic opportunity for a lasting peace.”

Torres says a lifetime of activism pushed her daughter to join the aid movement, and even in custody she believes she still stands by her ideals.

“I know she doesn’t regret it. She’s there to help. I’m hoping they’re going to let her make at least a phone call to me. I’d tell her I love her, and that I hope everything goes back to normal.”

If you have any information on the flotilla and it’s detainees, the family is asking you reach out to angietorreshomes@gmail.com.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – After days of teasers, the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens officially unveiled its newest species, Patas Monkeys.

The zoo will announce more details about the Patas Monkeys and the grand opening of their habitat.

A contest was held over the past week and a half, asking for guesses on the new species. The zoo messaged the winner(s) via email.

Winners received:

4 tickets for you and your troop

Early access to our newest habitat

Be among the first to meet our fast and furry newcomer!

According to the Houston Zoo, Patas Monkeys are the fastest primate species in the world. They can sprint at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour (31 MPH). They reside in the semi-arid areas of East and West Africa.

Click here for more on the Living Desert.

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