Month: December 2010

A Corona man was killed Monday night while crossing a street in Desert Hot Springs. Officials say a police car hit 57-year-old John Howe Jr. near the intersection of Palm Drive and Desert View around 10 p.m. Monday. The California Highway Patrol had previously reported the victim as a 49 year-old Desert Hot Springs resident.

Palm Springs Police Chief David Dominguez and City Manager David Ready apologized for what they called “inappropriate comments” made during an undercover sex sting operation in June of 2009 in the Warm Sands area. The comments came in a report compiled as part of an internal investigation that was launched after some of those arrested

An outage that left much of the El Paseo shopping district without electricity early today was expected to be fixed around midmorning, a spokeswoman for Southern California Edison said today. The outage, caused by a problem in an underground cable, affected 1,097 customers, starting at 6:43 a.m. By about 7:40 a.m., that number was cut

Caltrans issued an alert for drivers on Wednesday ahead of a second Pacific storm to watch where they drive. “Drive with caution and reduce speeds while driving on mountain routes where barricades or cones are in place from storm damage,” said spokesperson Terri Kasinga. “Avoid the cones/barricades and follow all directions from road workers, Highway

For anyone trying to fly back east from Palm Springs International Airport, officials say unless you’ve heard from your airline carrier via e-mail or by phone that your flight has been canceled, you should show up at the airport for your flight as scheduled. Still, just because your flight is on schedule leaving Palm Springs

Palm Springs area-residents today were expected to soak up one more day of mostly sunny skies before another blast of cold, wet winter weather returns. The follow-up storm to last week’s torrential rains is expected to arrive out of the northwest late tonight, ushering in a cold snap, periods of heavy precipitation and some mountain

A Rancho Mirage man who allegedly fired his gun into the air during an argument with a neighbor is due in court on March 9, the sheriff’s department reported today. Officers arrested Mitchell King, 54, on Monday night after recovering a 40-caliber handgun at his residence in the 35900 block of Alameda Court. King allegedly

Residents of Cathedral City may get some relief when it comes to the cost of prescription drugs, with the city’s announcement today of a partnership with the National League of Cities to provide medication discount cards. The cards offer residents an average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of prescription drugs, according to

A 6-year-old was recovering on Tuesday after being hit by a car in Coachella. Riverside County Sheriffs deputies say the accident happened at 2:20 p.m. on King Court near Washingtonia. Witnesses said the boy was riding a scooter down the sidewalk when he suddenly moved out onto the street. A 22-year old Coachella woman hit

A new twist in the legal battle between the DA’s Office and the county. Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco filed a lawsuit against the county to fill 12 jobs. The county froze those jobs because claiming the DA’s Office was million of dollars over budget. The county also claimed Pacheco cooked the books to

Riverside County Sheriff’s detectives were continuing their probe into Lindsay Lohan’s alleged tiff with an employee at the Betty Ford Center, even though an attorney for the now-fired employee said his client does not want to pursue an assault charge. Dawn Holland, a technician at the world-famous addiction treatment center, told law enforcement officers that

Colin Firth and Natalie Portman will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January, it was announced today. “We are honoring two of the finest actors to grace the screen, both of whom deliver Oscar-quality performances in their most recent films,” said Harold Matzner, the festival’s chairman. Firth

Two men were arrested at a Desert Hot Springs home where police found several weapons, including a shotgun allegedly brandished in a fight Dec. 18, authorities said today. Jason Weidman, 38, and Blaine Bates, 41, were arrested on suspicion of illegally possessing firearms, Desert Hot Springs police Sgt. Gus Paiz said. Police found a .223-caliber

Riverside County residents with curbside trash service can recycle their Christmas trees by leaving them at the curb for the next two weeks, the county Waste Management Department announced today. Those without curbside pickup can recycle their trees at nine collection sites throughout the county. Residents can drop off up to three trees for free

A driver and passenger were injured on Monday afternoon when the wheel of a BMW snapped off, sending the car into several other cars, landing under an SUV. The accident happened around 1:20 p.m. near the intersection of Palm Canyon Drive and Andreas, according to Palm Springs Spokesperson Rhonda Long. Officers on the scene told

For the time ever during the Christmas holiday, the average price for a gallon of gas has exceeded $3. “Nothing surprises me anymore,” said Mark Cardinal, of Indio. “It goes up. It goes down. It goes up. It goes down.” At the AM/PM Gas station in Thousand Palms, regular unleaded was $3.19. Although it is

Part-time Palm Springs resident and renowned actor Michael Douglas will be honored during the run of the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards The Academy Award winner will be awarded the Icon Award on Thursday, January 13 followed by a screening of his 2009 movie “Solitary Man.” Click here for extensive coverage of the Palm

The number of people arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in the Coachella Valley over the Christmas holiday weekend reached its highest point in four years, according to figures released today by the California Highway Patrol. There were 17 DUI arrests in the Coachella Valley during the weekend’s “maximum enforcement period,” according to the CHP.

A man who ran from authorities following a domestic dispute was behind bars today. Joseph Salazar, 38, of Coachella, was arrested Sunday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. On Dec. 12, Salazar allegedly brandished a firearm during a domestic dispute. Deputies followed Salazar and pulled him over, but he put his Chevy Cobalt into

Authorities today released the name of a motorcyclist who was fatally injured in a collision when he failed to stop at a traffic signal in Palm Desert. Michael John Barrett, 43, of Cathedral City died at a hospital following the Sunday night collision at the intersection of Country Club Drive and Portola Avenue, according to