Category: kesq-local-news

Shay Lawson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)  – Iconic gay adult film actor and singer Glenn Soukesian, known professionally as Colton Ford was found dead last week on the Goat Trails behind 4733 E. Palm Canyon Drive.

Ford’s close friends identified him and said he went missing while hiking the day before.

“Glen was always hydrated,” Langham said. “Always had a huge, like half gallon bottle of water with him.”

His close friend Jill Langham, a longtime Palm Springs resident, shared emotional memories of Ford, whom she described as a “soulmate” and a “saint among men.”

“He had so much to offer the world,” Langham said. “As a singer-songwriter, he toured with amazing people for over 30 years. But people also knew him as a gay icon and an adult film star. He did it for a very short period of time.”

Glenn Soukesian, aka Colton Ford

Langham said she and others grew concerned when Ford didn’t show up for work.

She said after hours of searching and a call to search and rescue, first responders eventually found his body on the trail.

Langham said authorities ruled out foul play.

She said he was at a joyful point in his life, having just moved into a new home and that a celebration of life is scheduled for July 5 in Palm Springs.

“He went out on a really high note, in the hills, closer to the spirits or God,” Langham said.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the full report at 10 and 11 p.m.

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Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest travel days throughout the United States as people travel before summer. While it can make for a hectic airport experience, Palm Springs International Airport said travelers don’t need to worry flying out of PSP.

“We’re expecting about 26,000 travelers to come from Friday through Monday,” The PSP Spokesperson, Jake Ingrassia, said. “So about 6,500 travelers each of those days. That is not very many compared to what we’ve seen just over the last couple of months and our peak months like March and April.”

March and April are heavy travel months for PSP, as it is during the peak tourism season. Tourism brings nearly $9 billion to the greater Coachella Valley, and after Memorial Day weekend, the industry slows down.

“If you flew through PSP during March or April, you’ll have a very different experience this weekend compared to that,” Ingrassia said.

However, Ingrassia said flyers may have difficulties at other airports while trying to reach Palm Springs.

“This is a record breaking travel weekend at many other airports, especially here in Southern California,” Ingrassia said. “For people who might be flying out of Ontario or LAX, you’re going to see long lines, heavy traffic, and a difficult time to be prepared for.”

News Channel 3 spoke with travelers at PSP on Saturday, and while many report the airports were busier on Friday, they said they expected it to be more busy.

“We got to the airport like four hours early,” Jenna Moniger, a traveler from Chicago said. “We breezed through everything though. Security took maybe two minutes. Which is a pleasant surprise because I feel like Friday was probably the hectic day for it.”

No matter if the airport is crazy or not, travelers said the Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to visit family members, celebrate birthdays or completing school and enjoy the Palm Springs heat.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear more from visitors and PSP on Memorial Day weekend travel.

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Cynthia White

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Memorial Day, established in 1868, is a day to honor and mourn our nation’s service men and women who died in the line of duty.

Here are some of the events around the Coachella Valley on Monday, May 26, to observe the holiday in remembrance of those U.S. military members:

City of Indian Wells Annual Memorial Day Ceremony9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at Indian Wells Golf Resort Celebrity Ballroom, 44-500 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells.Free patriotic event with Indian Wells Mayor Bruce Whitman, Palm Springs Air Museum Pipes & Drum Band, singer Christine Love, and invocation and benediction by Pastor Andrew Statezny from Southwest Church.

City of Desert Hot Springs Annual Memorial Day Celebration with Patriot Flyover by Palm Springs Air Museum9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at Veterans Park, 10-101 Palm Drive, Desert Hot SpringsThis heartfelt ceremony highlighted by Presentation of Colors, National Anthem, guest speakers, and Moment of Silence and Taps will bring together residents, community leaders, and veterans to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. With City of Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas, Marine Bagpiper (Ret.) Joel M. Daniel, USMC, Desert Hot Springs High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC), Chaplain Paul Miller, Past District Deputy Grand Exultant Ruler Kevin O’Shaughnessy. Free to the public.

Coachella Valley Public Cemetery District Ceremony – Flags, Flyovers, and Freedom9:00 a.m. at Coachella Valley Cemetery District, 82-925 52nd Avenue, CoachellaThe Coachella Valley Public Cemetery District is presenting the Memorial Day 2025 Ceremony in partnership with American Legion Post 739, Indio to pay tribute to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to our country.City of La Quinta Councilmember Steve Sanchez will lead the ceremony that begins with a commemorative flyover made possible through the Palm Springs Air Museum and Southwest Landscape & Security. Following is the invocation by Deacon Marty Sullivan of Our Lady of Soledad Church and the National Anthem performed by the Coachella Valley High School Choir.Brian Biamonte will read General Logan’s historic Memorial Day Order, and a special flag folding ceremony will be conducted by members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 1701.The American Legion Riders of Post 739 will lead the Pass in Review in tribute to fallen veterans, followed by the presentation of wreaths. A rifle volley salute follows, along with the traditional playing of Taps. “Amazing Grace” and patriotic songs will be performed by the Coachella Valley High School Choir.Free to the public.

Palm Springs Air Museum’s Memorial Day Air Fair & Flower Drop10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Palm Springs Air Museum, 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA 922629:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Flight exhibitions and warbird rides1:00 p.m. – Flower Drop Ceremony1:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Missing Man Formation with warbirds followed by the drop of 5,000 white and red carnations to honor fallen service membersIncluded in the event: the world’s only flying PBJ Mitchell bomber, honor to local Gold Star families, tribute to 250 years of U.S. Marine Corps, display of Darkstar, and more, with live music, food, and children’s activities.Cost: This event is free with purchase of regular museum admission at $24 for adults age 18-64; $22 for teens age 13-17 and seniors age 65 and up, and free for kids age 12 and under as long as they’re with an adult who’s purchased admission for themselves.Parking: Free offsite parking with free shuttle service to and from the Palm Springs Unified School District lot, located at 150 District Center Drive, south of the museum off Gene Autry Trail, will be provided.

Forest Lawn Cathedral City Memorial Day Ceremony10:00 a.m. at 69-855 Ramon Road, Cathedral CityNews Channel 3’s Jeff Stahl will emcee a family friendly parkwide remembrance to bring generations together to commemorate the lives and valor of American veterans. Patriotic music, wreath laying, presentations and retiring of the flag, keynote addresses, invocations, giveaways, arts & crafts, food, and more.Free admission and parking.

City of Cathedral City 19th Annual Memorial Day Luncheon12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m at Cimarron Golf Resort, 67-603 30th Avenue, Cathedral CityCathedral City will host its 19th annual Memorial Day luncheon to honor veterans and recognize members of the local community.Scheduled speakers include Cathedral City Councilmember Rita Lamb and Xochita Murillo, deputy secretary for minority veterans for the California Department of Veterans Affairs.The program will feature musical performances and community awards. Among the honorees are four Cathedral City residents and Holocaust survivors — Goldie Jacoby, Ruth Linderman, Susan Juhasz and Rickie Taras, who will share their personal stories.The luncheon is sponsored by American Veterans Post 66 and the Jon Castro Chapter 19 of Veterans For Peace.Reservations and tickets are available by contacting American Veterans Post 66 founder Tom Swann Hernandez at 760-324-5670.

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KESQ News Team

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – New details have emerged about Guy Edward Bartkus, the suspect behind the deadly May 17 bombing at a Palm Springs fertility clinic.

According to a newly released report from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Bartkus had previously expressed ideations of attacking clinics. Investigators say he held anti-natalist beliefs — the view that it is morally wrong to bring new life into the world — and had posted online content supporting those views.

Authorities say the attack on the American Reproductive Centers was premeditated and ideologically motivated. The explosion killed Bartkus and injured four others.

The FBI is continuing its investigation and is urging the public to submit any relevant tips, images or video footage related to the incident.

The full report from the Joint Terrorism Task Force is available below.

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Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Memorial Day is a busy travel day across the country, honoring U.S. military members who died in service.

In the Valley, the weekend also marks one of the last busy foot-traffic days for downtown businesses before a quiet summer. With the heat in the Valley, tourism declines and residents look to cool off elsewhere, leading to decreased visitors in local businesses.

The summer can be difficult economically for these businesses. With increased visitors for Memorial Day weekend, they could see one last peak in foot traffic before the quiet summer.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from businesses on the impact of Memorial Day weekend.

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Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Border Patrol agents seized 113 pounds of methamphetamine after a traffic stop on Highway 86 near Indio, authorities said.

The incident started Monday at around 10:30 a.m. when Indio station agents conducted a traffic stop on a black pickup truck pulling a trailer on northbound Highway 86.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a Border Patrol K-9 trained to detect concealed people and illegal drugs alerted agents to the vehicle and trailer. During an initial search of the trailer, agents found a compartment containing a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

The subject, vehicle, and trailer were transported to the Indio Station for further investigation. A subsequent search of the trailer revealed 36 packages of the crystal-like substance hidden in three compartments in the trailer’s floor

“A sharp-eyed Border Patrol agent from Indio Station and his K-9 partner just took it to the bad guys, and we are proud of them!” said El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. “The Premier Sector goes to the ends of the earth to stop dangerous drugs such as these – ma and pa America, stay tuned, much more to come!”

The driver was placed under arrest. The vehicle and drugs were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Nearly 10,000 customers were briefly left without power due to an outage in Palm Springs.

According to Southern California Edison’s outage map, 9,738 customers were impacted at one point.

By 6:00 p.m., three customers remained without power.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert X installations by four artists in the 2025 exhibition, which officially closed on May 11, will remain on view alongside works from prior editions, giving visitors a last chance to experience Desert X over Memorial Day weekend and through the summer and early fall.

Now on view through and including June 1, 2025:Agnes Denes, The Living PyramidKimsooja, To Breathe–Coachella ValleyKapwani Kiwanga, Plotting Rest

Now on view through and including October 1, 2025:Jose Dávila, The act of being together 

These works were featured in the 2025 exhibition curated by Artistic Director Neville Wakefield and Co-Curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas that activated the desert landscape. Installations by artists from around the globe provided alternative ways of looking at the transformational effects of nature and humanity.

Works from prior editions of Desert X continue on view indefinitely:Felipe Baeza, Finding Home in My Own Flesh (Desert X 2021)Jeffrey Gibson, ALIVE! (Desert X 2017)Armando Lerma, Visit Us in the Shape of Clouds (Desert X 2019)​​Armando Lerma, La fiesta en el desierto (Desert X 2017)

Through October 1, 2025 in Desert Hot Springs: Jose Dávila’s massive, monolithic marble blocks in The act of being together appear splintered across both time and space. Drawing on Robert Smithson’s concept of site/nonsite dialectics, Dávila brings the stone blocks from a quarry a few hundred miles across the U.S.-Mexico border to the Coachella Valley, connecting the two locations by highlighting the void of their origin and the striking presence they create in a foreign landscape. To reach their new home, the blocks had to cross the physical border while also traversing a metaphorical border between the seen and the unseen. Moved by the invisible forces of unknown histories, they evoke the archeological relics of ancient civilizations and the potential future of life beyond our own. 

Jose Dávila, The act of being together, photo by Lance Gerber

Through June 1, 2025 at Sunnylands Center & Gardens in Rancho Mirage: The Living Pyramid by pioneering artist and philosopher Agnes Denes is a monumental sculpture and environmental intervention on view at Sunnylands Center & Gardens. This first desert iteration of Denes’s pyramid structure is planted with vegetation that is native to the region. Its structure and appearance have transformed since its installation in November 2024 and continues to evolve according to the slow growth cycles of the desert environment. But it is the life-cycle of the plants – their growth, transformation and eventual death – that animates the pyramid, one of the most iconic forms of human civilization, and in so doing reminds us that within care and nurture can be found the spirit of our endurance.  

Agnes Denes, The Living Pyramid at Sunnylands Center & Gardens, photo by Lance Gerber

Through June 1, 2025 in Desert Hot Springs: To Breathe – Coachella Valley by Kimsooja invites an interaction with the essential elements of the desert: the texture of sand underfoot, the air we breathe, and the light around us. Drawing inspiration from bottaris, the fabric-encased bundles of belongings prominent in her work and in Korean culture, she describes this installation as a “bottari of light.” By wrapping the glass surface in a unique optical film, the physical architecture is transformed into a dynamic spectrum of light and color. The work reflects its counterpart work in the desert of AlUla, Saudi Arabia while also acknowledging the historical origins of the Light and Space movement on the West Coast of the United States.

Kimsooja To Breathe–Coachella Valley, photo by Lance Gerber

Through June 1, 2025 in Palm Springs: In the desert, where concepts of shelter, freedom, expansiveness, and enclosure have shaped midcentury dreams. Kapwani Kiwanga’s Plotting Rest, a pavilion-like structure reflects on the iconic midcentury design found in Palm Springs, signaling protection while offering none. Its roof, a lattice made of interlocking triangles, hovers overhead, allowing the elements to pass through and casting ever-changing shadows on the ground. Inspired by the quilting motif known as “flying geese,” this pattern resonates with the contested narratives of the Underground Railroad, serving as an encrypted guidance system for those fleeing slavery toward the perceived freedom of the North. Kiwanga’s sculpture fosters contemplation and hope while reminding us that history is marked by successive migrations.

Kapwani Kiwanga, Plotting Rest, photo by Lance Gerber

EXPERIENCE DESERT X

Hours and LocationsExhibition opening hours are from sunrise to sunset, except for Sunnylands Center & Gardens, Wednesday – Sunday: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm. Visitors are encouraged to check details for each artists’ work at desertx.org. Free Admission.

The Desert X 2025 map of artist installations can be found online at desertx.org and via the Desert X app.

Leave No TraceDesert X encourages visitors to follow official Leave No Trace guidelines. Plan ahead and prepare, walk on designated paths, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, respect wildlife, don’t smoke, and be considerate of other visitors.

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Jesus Reyes

SAN JACINTO, Calif. (KESQ) – A Beaumont man has been arrested in connection with the death of a four-month-old baby.

The suspect, a 40-year-old man, was identified as an associate of the victim’s family. He was arrested Friday afternoon and remains in custody at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility. He has not been officially charged, but he could face murder charges.

Authorities said the case dates back to Aug. 23, 2024. Deputies responded to a home in San Jacinto after a report that a four-month-old was not breathing. The baby was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

“During the investigation, several injuries were located on the juvenile,” reads a news release by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

The baby was pronounced dead nearly a week after the original call. The Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit took over the investigation. An extensive investigation led detectives to determine that the juvenile died as a result of homicidal violence, RSO confirmed.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information related to the investigation is encouraged to contact Master Investigator D. Sandoval of the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955–2777.

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