Month: April 2009

Students at St. Theresa’s Catholic School arrived Tuesday morning bearing gifts: 1,000 cookies for Marines stationed at Twentynine Palms. This philanthropic project was known as “Operation Cookie Bake.” “The Marines fight for our nation. The least we can do is bake cookies,” explains Brittany Stoker-Ferris, a sixth grade student. “We can put a smile on

INDIO- A man accused of shooting a sheriff’s investigator in the face during a foot pursuit near Desert Hot Springs was ordered Tuesday to stand trial on felony charges, including attempted murder on a peace officer. Following a two-hour preliminary hearing, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Thomas Douglass ruled there was enough evidence to order

The last issue on any woman’s mind who was attending the Dinah Shore Weekend events in Palm Springs was politics. But it quickly became the hot topic on Friday when they discovered Iowa legalized gay marriage earlier that day. “I’m blown away from this! Blown away!” says Angel Garron, a visitor from Atlanta who says

PALM SPRINGS – Cases of diabetes are on the rise. Experts say it’s at epidemic levels. Many people who have diabtes do not know they do. The problem is that many Americans are getting fatter while they eat worse and worse kinds of food. It’s that combination that’s leading to a rise in Type 2

Last Thursday turned out to be “moving day” for dozens of residents of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. They returned less than a month after an early morning fire on March 11 destroyed a sizeable portion of their Indio facilities. “The fire was so thick that our facilities manager, Randy, had to crawl out,” resident

The brother of Coachella’s mayor has been arrested on rape charges. Police arrested Ivan Garcia and David Sanchez, both 22, Friday after a woman said she was sexually assaulted by the two men. Ivan Garcia is Mayor Eduardo Garcia’s younger brother. The mayor released a statement Monday, saying “It’s an unfortunate situation for everyone involved

As of 10:40 p.m. Friday, the now 40 acre brush fire that threatened about 50 homes in Palm Springs is now 100 percent contained. An evacuation order for residents in the Racquet Club area west of Highway 111.25 firefighters will remain on scene mopping up throughout the night and into the morning. As of 10:17

By: Elyse Miller News Channel 3 Reporter emiller@kesq.com WHITEWATER – Veterans of war who were injured and blinded were given the gift of mobility and confidence on Sunday. Guide Dogs of the Desert held a graduation ceremony for dogs who completed training and will now become guides for veterans. Master Sargent, Dexter Durrante became blind

By: Elyse Miller News Channel 3 Reporter emiller@kesq.com Residents who were forced to evacuate their homes during Friday’s fire are giving thanks to firefighters. Evacuees were able to return to their homes last night. On Saturday, some of them were busy cleaning up. The smell of fire lingers in the air, fire crews continue their

Desert windsFriday caused power outages and more wind — and wind-related problems Friday. On KESQ News Channel 3 Live at 5:00, Cesar Rodriguez reported from Palm Springs where power lines had gone down. About 2,300 Southern California Edison customers in Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs were without power Friday afternoon, and crews will be

President Obama wants everyone to get involved in community service. He’s leading by example, and now thousands are following his lead. The United States Peace Corps is seeing a huge increase in applicants, many coming from here in the desert. Taylor Jordan is packing up, selling her house and starting a new life. ” After

With two fires at Andalucia Apartments of Palm Springs in a couple months, residents we talked to are worried. Some are moving out. Here’s what happened when we confronted management: “We’d like to talk to management about the fires,” we asked a receptionist after walking through the open office doors. The manager came out of

The San Bernardino Catholic Diocese, which includes churches here in the Desert, announces unpaid furloughs for many of its employees. News Channel looks into how this will affect Catholic schools and charities in the Coachella Valley. Father Howard Lincoln of Sacred Heart Catholic church in Palm Desert also tells us there are hiring freezes, “There’s

Indio’s Mobile Home Fair Practices Commission voted to increase rent at the Bermuda Palms Mobile Home park by nearly $50. The park’s owner, who expressed frustration at the decision, wanted rent upped from $330 a month to $600 a month. Resident’s like Pat Waters are pleasantly surprised by the decision. “It was equitable. It was

INDIO- A man suspected of shooting a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy in the face during a confrontation in Desert Hot Springs is scheduled to appear in court today for a preliminary hearing that will determine if he will stand trial. Javier Trani, 22, is charged with the attempted murder of a peace officer and assault

Residents at Bermuda Palms Mobile Home Estates in Indio are being told to not drink the water because it is contaminated with e-coli. About three weeks ago, the park’s well water tested positive for e-coli. “They told us there were bees in the well. So, they’d have to close it down and get the beehives

Former Scientologist Maureen Bolstad continues her account of her years at the church headquarters near Hemet. “I was actually one of the older ones at 17. There were 13-year-olds, 12-year-olds,” Bolstad recollects. “There was just one kid, 12-years-old that was given an executive responsibility doing something. He had a complete nervous breakdown.” This is how

At one time or another we all want to get into better shape and improve our overall health. So this month,I tried out Desert Adventure Boot Camp at La Quinta Park. During my month-long journey to better health, you’ll see that a little sweat and tears really pay off. For instance, fellow Boot Camper Krissy

INDIO – A former Riverside County sheriff’s deputy accused of kidnapping and raping a woman in La Quinta worked for the Coachella Valley Unified School District for 16 months, the man’s lawyer confirmed Thursday. Marc Javier Diaz, 35, of Indio, is charged with kidnapping to commit rape and two counts of rape under the threat

It’s been nearly a year since the first gang injunction in the Valley, and people in Cathedral City say it’s working. Resident Kathleen Schulte moved to the Dream Homes neighborhood in the 1950s and she says things are better than ever. “I’m not hearing gunfire,” says Schulte.”And I’m not seeing the graffiti anymore.” Hundreds of