Month: April 2009

“It definitely has concerned me. I just make sure I have good personal hygiene andwash my hands all the time,” says Desert resident Terri Mindell about the swine flu. She’s taking extra care of herself. The swine flu scare has continued to spread, prompting many people here in the Valley to take precautions. “They’re inquiring

MORONGO VALLEY – Less than a day after an auto-pedestrian hit-and-run on Highway 62, the two-year-old girl struck by a white pick-up has died at a hospital, a child’s relative said. The child, Breonna Nichols, died of her injuries, according to the girl’s grandmother, at Loma Linda University Medical Center Tuesday afternoon after being struck

Water: it’s our most valuable resource. In February, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency to combat California’s third consecutive year of drought. “It’s about water treatment, water quality. People are concerned about where their water is coming from, whether it’s clean water, dirty water sources,” says David Greenwood with the California Water Environment

“I passed by there a week ago and I was thinking, ‘Oh, that’s nice. It’ll be opening soon,’” Jeff Miller, a Fresh& Easy shopper, said. But think again. Fresh& Easy is putting a temporary halt on several store openings across the Valley. More than 100 stores opened in 2008, its first year. Only 19 have

LA QUINTA – A phone message went out to parents with children in Desert Sands Unified School District, informing them Indio High School is temporarily closed and one student may have the swine flu. “We always try to let our families know what is going on,” says Sherry Johnstone, DSUSD assistant superintendent. “We wanted to

INDIO – JFK Hospital is much busier than usual. On a normal day, theiremergency roomgets 120 patients. Now, they’re seeing 160 people a day come into the ER. More than half are complaining of flu-like symptoms. “We have extra staff helping us out,” says nurse Carmen Reyes.”We also have an extra triage area where we

In Mexico, authorities closed all schools and urged everyone to avoid crowded areas to stop the spread of the swine flu. Schools and community centers in the U.S. are also closed. Indio High School shutdown, and so are the Indio Teen and Senior Centers. But there are plenty of other places to get sick. Employees

The CDC confirmed that a Marine stationed in Twentynine Palms in San Bernardino County was diagnosed with swine flu, said public affairs officer Jennie Haskamp Wednesday. The Marine, who is doing well and is improving, will remain isolated at his barracks at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. About 30 other Marines with whom

ROSARITO, MEXICO – The City of Rosarito for years has been a destination for many nearly 15,000 Americans to retire. But with the wave of drug violence in Tijuana and across Mexico, real estate is going through some tough times. Local real estate agent Gustavo Torres says less Americans are buying homes in Mexico. According

PALM DESERT – Restaurants across the Coachella Valley are taking some steps to keep their clients and employees safe. David Jimenez manages the Taco Shop in Palm Desert, and, with the recent flu alert around the world, he’s on alert. “We got to follow the Health Department rules. The owner said to contact him if

PALM SPRINGS – Flights are going as scheduled at Palm Springs International Airport. But, even though there are no delays on direct or connecting flights, the concern is still there. With health officials telling people not to travel to Mexico right now for vacation, some travel agencies are already feeling the pain of canceled trips.

Gina Ayala’s fiance got arrested days after operation falling sun. She says her fiance turned his life around. He got a job, went back to school and turned to God. But, a mistake by parole officers landed her soon-to-be husband back in jail. “It’s a waste of taxpayers money your taking a parolee who’s not

The party is far from over. But the tough times have put a bump in the dance floor for what many students is a tradition, prom. Tickets are just part of the cost of going which can cost more than $100. There’s also dresses, flowers and sometimes a limo. “What we’re seeing is they’re waiting

INDIO- Police today defended the use of a Taser on an inebriated and naked man at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, which was captured on video and widely circulated on the Internet. Johnathan Fredrick Felch, 23, of San Luis Obispo, was arrested around 7:15 p.m. Friday at the Empire Polo Fields on suspicion of

On April 23, News Channel 3 aired a report on the factors leading to and the effects of early puberty, which is premature maturation among children as young as three-years-old. We reported, among several factors, that hormones contained particularly in chicken, beef, eggs, and milk may accelerate that premature maturation. This week, a nutrition specialist

By: Elyse Miller News Channel 3 Reporter emiller@kesq.com INDIO – Two major music festivals in two weeks, at one location. First the Coachella Music and Arts Festival brought out rock and alternative fans, camping in tents. Teens and young adults tried to stay cool despite temps nearing 100 degrees. ” Last weekend was a little

By: Chris Kim News Channel 3 Producer ckim@kesq.com PALM DESERT-The Living Desert celebrated Party for the Planet on Saturday. The event focused on teaching kids and adults about the importance of conservation. There were also activities for families to enjoy, including a rock climbing wal, puppet shows and live entertainment. Some visitors even got the

by Rodney Wardle, News Channel 3 Reporter The video, now made famous by youtube and other sites, shows San Louis Obisbo man Christopher Felch tasered by police at the Coachella Music Festival. Police asked the man to put his close on. He refused and resisted when officers tried dressing him. They eventually used their taser

Students from across the Coachella Valley are showing off their filmmaking skills this week. The Palm Springs Student Short Film Festival is in its fourth year, and it is attracting more attention each time. A record number of entries were submitted this year. “The first year we had seven submissions, and we showed all seven