Category: kesq-local-news

Tommy Gallegos

Congressman Raul Ruiz is criticizing President Donald Trump after the president abruptly canceled a planned signing ceremony for the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

The housing bill, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 358-32 and cleared the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, was expected to be signed into law before Trump announced he would withhold his signature until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, an unrelated voter identification measure.

Ruiz condemned the decision, arguing that delaying the housing legislation places political priorities ahead of the needs of millions of Americans struggling with rising housing costs.

“So many families in our communities are struggling to pay their mortgages, watching the cost of housing climb out of reach, and feeling stuck with no end in sight,” Ruiz said in a statement. “Last night, Congress passed, overwhelmingly, the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which will help lower housing costs for American families. The President’s refusal to sign this bill into law is a slap in the face to Americans who are struggling with the rising cost of living,” said Ruiz.

Yesterday, Congressman Ken Calvert said on Facebook, “High housing costs continue to be one of the biggest challenges for the families I represent in Congress. I just voted to pass The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The bill aims to tackle the root causes of housing affordability by increasing supply, reducing unnecessary regulations, expanding financing options, and delivering more opportunities for families to achieve the American dream of homeownership.”

We have reached out to Congressman Calvert for his reaction to the President withholding his signature on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. We have not heard back from the Congressman or his office.

Trump’s decision to tie the housing bill to the passage of the SAVE America Act has sparked criticism from Democrats and some housing advocates, who contend that the two issues are unrelated and should be considered separately.

Click here to follow the original article.

Haley Meberg

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)– The Indio Police Department will be conducting DUI patrols Monday, June 29, from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

The IPD states checkpoint locations are determined based on data surrounding areas with high volume of driving related incidents. DUI’s can result not only from alcohol, but over the counter medications and marijuana.

“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Sgt. P. Fuentes said. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety.”

At these stops the IPD will be stopping suspected impaired drivers with hopes of promoting public safety by removing them from the road. Drivers charged with a first- time DUI stand to face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Pearce

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Summer has begun, bringing high temperatures and seasonal challenges for unhoused residents.

Since Riverside County adopted its Homeless Action Plan in 2022, the county shows a 19% decrease in unsheltered residents. Locally, the city of Palm Springs reports a 63% decline in unhoused people as recently as 2025.

However, local programs like Well in the Desert have conflicting numbers, stating they have seen an increase in attendees at their meal programs that serve hot meals Monday through Friday.

The Palm Springs City Council is scheduled to discuss the needs by numbers for extreme-weather facilities for unhoused residents tonight. Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

Click here to follow the original article.

Tommy Gallegos

A popular Palm Desert restaurant is preparing to remove its outdoor dining deck, even as city leaders move to extend rules allowing outdoor patios throughout the city.

Little Bar announced that its well-known “Big Deck” patio will be removed on Monday June 29th, with Saturday June 27th marking the final day customers can enjoy the outdoor space.

The closure comes despite the Palm Desert City Council’s recent 4-1 vote to extend outdoor dining patio guidelines for another year while officials work toward permanent regulations. The decision followed public outcry from residents and business owners who have urged the city to preserve the COVID-era outdoor dining spaces that have become a staple for many local restaurants.

Little Bar owner Skip Paige says in a post on social media that the restaurant still cannot meet a city requirement that would make his landlord financially responsible for city-owned parking spaces occupied by the deck, as well as any liability associated with the structure.

Paige said the restaurant offered alternative solutions, including carrying its own insurance, paying for the parking spaces, and assuming liability for the deck. However, he says those proposals were unsuccessful.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by little bar (@skipslittlebar)

The issue stems from permit criteria approved by the city in October. According to Paige, the rules require property owner approval and place financial responsibility on landlords for any damage or incidents involving structures located on public property.

City officials say those requirements are necessary.

The debate over outdoor dining patios has intensified as restaurants faced a June 30 deadline under existing regulations. Business owners have warned that losing outdoor seating could hurt revenue and staffing levels.

While the city has extended its temporary patio guidelines for another year, officials say they are continuing to work on long-term regulations that could provide a permanent framework for outdoor dining throughout Palm Desert.

Click here to follow the original article.

Tommy Gallegos

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — The City of Cathedral City is advising residents and visitors about upcoming construction work on East Palm Canyon Drive scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2026.

The pavement repair project will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the eastbound side of East Palm Canyon Drive between Date Palm Drive and Sungate Way.

Construction crews will perform utility trench repairs, requiring eastbound lane closures in two alternating phases throughout the day. City officials noted that at least one eastbound lane will remain open to traffic at all times.

Motorists traveling through the area should expect lane reductions and possible delays during work hours. Drivers are encouraged to slow down in construction zones, remain alert for workers and equipment, and consider using alternate routes when possible.

Click here to follow the original article.

City News Service

PALM SPRINGS (CNS) – The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will offer active and retired U.S. military personnel free admission throughout the entire month of July.

During the tramway’s Military Days promotion, qualifying individuals will receive complimentary tram admission along with a special gift with valid military identification. Spouses of deployed military members, and widows of deceased troops, will also qualify for the promotion.

Additionally, up to four guests accompanying service members will receive 25% off regular admission, officials said.

Attendees can visit more than 50 miles of hiking trails within Mount San Jacinto State Park, guided nature walks led by park volunteers and dining options. More information about the tramway is available at pstramway.com.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gavin Nguyen

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Power outages, planned or unplanned, are an obvious inconvenience to residents impacted by them.

From food spoiling in the refrigerator to a lack of air conditioning for potentially hours at a time, utilities maintain it’s ultimately a necessity to keep the grid operating safely.

Over the past week, a number of residents, ranging everywhere from Palm Springs to the High Desert, have reported outages that left them with more questions than answers to our newsroom.

One of those residents, from the Yucca Mesa area, reported nearly daily power shutoffs that would happen for an hour or two, then turn back on. He reported his power company, Southern California Edison, didn’t notify him or his neighbors about the outages or any repair timelines.

Southern California Edison confirmed with News Channel 3 that those outages were unplanned, but crews have been working diligently to repair the issues. They said the outages can be caused by a number of factors, and repair timelines differ due to that variance.

We took those concerns straight to the utility company.

“How do you balance that summertime heat with keeping people safe?” I asked.

“It’s exactly that,” responded Scott Johnson, a spokesperson with Edison. “The balance to make certain that the infrastructure is in good working condition… We try to identify times and days that will be the least impactful upon our customers.”

Sometimes they have the luxury of being flexible to identify those times, but there are other circumstances where the utility can’t pick and choose.

“Obviously, to maintain a system as wide and vast as Southern California Edison is, it does take a amount of maintenance and project upkeep. In addition to that, we also implement what’s referred to as public safety power shutoffs, which are planned outages in the event that the conditions are possibly whether it be heat, the lack of of rain or humidity or dryness that could possibly lead to a fire,” said Johnson.

Other times, a power line can be damaged by things like wind, an animal, debris, or a person driving into a pole. Regardless of the cause, Johnson said teams are ready to respond as fast as possible around the clock.

He pointed to being sure you’re signed up with your utility company for notifications on planned outages and repair timelines. Those options include text or e-mail notifications and checking outage maps. The utility also sends letters to affected customers and lists planned outages on billing statements.

The utility company said the best practice ahead of any outage – planned or unplanned – is to be prepared, especially for our desert communities where temperatures soar well into the triple digits during the summer.

Edison listed a number of upcoming maintenance outages, including spots in Indian Wells, Cathedral City, and Palm Springs, that will impact residents this week. You can find more information on its outage map.

Edison provided a list of items that you should keep handy before an outage strikes. That includes an emergency kit, equipped with flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, and of course, water. They also said a generator is a good idea. They suggest running it outdoors and keeping a heavy-duty extension cord handy.

Click here to follow the original article.

Kiera Seapy

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — A new SunLine bus is now hitting the road with a message of empowerment.

SunLine is unveiling a new “Butterfly Bus” that highlights the Ophelia mentorship program, which has helped thousands of Coachella Valley girls build confidence and leadership skills.

The Ophelia program was founded in 2002 and has since trained more than 1,000 mentors and impacted more than 7,000 girls in grades 8-12. The bus features local women leaders and former students who have gone on to successful careers.

The bus features local women leaders and former students who have gone on to successful careers. The story focuses on how mentorship can help young women reach their goals and why organizers hope the bus will inspire the next generation

The Ophelia Project is a team-based mentoring initiative by the John F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation that empowers at-risk middle and high school girls (grades 8–12) in the Coachella Valley. It focuses on building leadership, self-esteem, and academic and career readiness to help young women break the cycle of generational poverty.

For some of the participants, the impact is personal… “It gave me a female role model I never had. And I got to be like, oh, that’s who I should look up to, it just gave me an opportunity to, like, know what I would be eventually in the future” said Alyssa Gunther.

She said Ophelia helped her find guidance and confidence during a rough time, and mentors say support is exactly what the program is designed to provide.

“We try to give them a safe space where they can talk about themselves and what they’re hoping to do.” said Diane Dykema, an Ophelia mentor.

Click here to follow the original article.

Dakota Makinen

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – A recent case involving NBC’s Savannah Guthrie’s mother is sparking conversations about senior safety and the challenges some older adults face while living independently.

In the Coachella Valley, where many retirees call home, News Channel 3 spoke with local seniors and a security expert about simple precautions, safety technology and ways families can help protect aging loved ones.

Security expert Chris Maidan, CEO and owner of Desert Alarm, says many seniors assume they are safe because nothing has happened to them before — but he says preparation before an emergency is key.

Maidan says devices like wearable panic buttons, cameras and video doorbells can provide an added layer of protection and help seniors get assistance quickly during a security concern, fall or medical emergency.

“A simple panic button can save your life,” Maidan said. “If you need help, you just press the button.”

At the Cathedral City Senior Center, local seniors shared the steps they take to stay safe while maintaining their independence — including keeping phones nearby, locking doors and accepting help when needed.

Experts say the goal is not to make seniors feel afraid in their own homes, but to make sure they have a plan and resources available if an emergency happens.

Click here to follow the original article.

Athena Jreij

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – It’s been over a year since Mary Martin took over the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

Martin came into the role as the county recorded high euthanasia rates across four shelters, with a live-release rate of 71.6% in 2024. Data from the county shows the live-release rate has increased to 81% this year.

It comes as the county is working towards a 90% live-release rate to achieve a ‘no-kill’ status.

“Overall, we’re still trending the right way. This morning when I looked at live-release for the dogs, overall, we’re almost at 90, just under. Can we hold it? I don’t know. It will depend,” Martin said.

Martin credits the progress to more hires, with 17 new veterinarians on staff, transfer flights, 4,000 more spay and neuters in 2025, and increased adoption initiatives.

However, some kennels are still packed and the shelters remain at over 200-percent capacity constantly.

Some activists say the answer is more housing. Martin questions that, but says the county is working on a survey about increasing housing.

“There definitely is a conversation there. When people build housing without programs, then they fill up and we’re right back where we were. We have got to build the infrastructure to go with that space,” she said.

She says a larger issue is the length of stay for animals, who have a lower chance of adoption if they stay at shelters longer than 21 days.

Over the next year, Martin says their focus is finding new adoption programs to shorten length of stays, marketing, and increasing return-to-owner rates.

Click here to follow the original article.