Face coverings, outdoor-only operations, and social-distancing are all part of Palm Springs’ new order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. The city made sure the message is hard to miss with banners, electronic message board and poster, in both English and Spanish, can be seen all over the city. And who makes sure the
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In the race to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Riverside County has hired more than 360 contact tracers to help identify and contact people who have been exposed. This has not been without difficulties for a county of its size and diversity. In this I-Team exclusive Karen Devine speaks with health officials about the
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UPDATE – 8/7/20: The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department confirmed on Friday that Jade Kemerer and Venessa Vlasek have been found safe. DETAILS: Two of the six missing people last seen near Idyllwild area found safe Original Report – 8/5/20 The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Wednesday night that over the past five months, six people
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If you take a stroll through downtown Palm Springs, you might encounter a police officer reminding people to put on a mask. There are also electronic warning signs encouraging people to cover their faces. The city has made masks and social-distancing mandatory in many public settings and specifically in and around businesses. We looked at
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The ripple effects of coronavirus may be felt for years to come in the Coachella Valley. Delays in large developments could make for difficult days ahead. In Palm Springs, multiple projects are on hold including plans for a sports and entertainment venue downtown. Construction fencing around the site has been removed and the Agua Caliente
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Your grocery store produce aisle may look different this fall and winter when our Coachella Valley summer crops are harvested. The fields are being planted right now. But local farmers, like the rest of us, are having to make major changes to their operations just to stay in business. Jeff Percy of Ocean Mist Farms
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The push to remove the statue of Palm Springs’ first elected mayor, Frank Bogert from the entrance of City Hall, has gotten the attention of another former mayor. Ron Oden, elected in 2003 was the first openly gay, black mayor in Palm Springs. He’s speaking out to News Channel 3’s Karen Devine about the “State
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With its vast farm fields, quiet roads, and sparsely-populated communities, it’s almost hard to believe that Imperial County, with only 180,000 residents, has the highest-per capita infection rate of coronavirus in all of California. According to its public health department, the county has had about 6,200 cases among 30,700 people tested, a positive rate of
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The ripple effects of coronavirus and the economic shutdown may be felt for a long time to come here in the Coachella Valley. Last week we reported that plans for a new sports and entertainment arena in downtown Palm Springs are on hold. Now, we’re learning about other projects in the Coachella Valley. The Delano
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The California Department of Public Health’s website shows which counties meet the state’s threshold criteria for coronavirus and which do not. Visit KESQ.com/Coronavirus for more local coverage A green check means a county meets the criteria for a certain category, which includes “elevated disease transmission,” “increasing hospitalization,” and “limited hospital capacity.” For example, San Bernardino
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We learned on Friday that nearly half of the combined staff and residents at Vista Cove at Rancho Mirage, an assisted care community, have tested positive for coronavirus. That a total of 15 employees and 27 residents. News Channel 3’s Karen Devine takes an in-depth look at the facility in an I-team exclusive. Karen Devine
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Riverside County health officials still expect the number of people diagnosed with coronavirus to grow in the coming weeks. As of Friday, June 12, the county has had 10,490 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 383 deaths related to the virus. More than half of those infected have already recovered. Go to KESQ.com/Coronavirus for daily updates
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The coronavirus pandemic has financially impacted nearly everyone. including city governments. From police to firefighters, to libraries, museums, parks, landscaping and so much more the pandemic is taking a financial toll on services throughout the Coachella Valley. The Coachella Valley, which relies heavily on tourism, has been hit especially hard. Palm Springs is facing a
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The coronavirus is proving to be a deadly threat to nursing home communities. The disease, spreading quickly through the vulnerable population. The government has taken notice, moving to stop the escalation, working to keep seniors and healthcare personnel safe. While new layers of protection have been introduced, the Ombudsman Program, around for nearly 30 years,
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The coronavirus pandemic and state health emergency orders have changed the way just about everything is getting done around town and at local businesses. It’s no different at city halls around the desert where elected leaders and city staffers are operating in new and unfamiliar roles. Palm Springs City Hall is normally a busy place
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It’s widely known that opioids such as fentanyl are driving our nation’s drug overdose deaths. But more people are abusing the powerful stimulant methamphetamine around the desert, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Other law enforcement agencies will tell you it’s a drug problem that’s never really gone away. The Coachella Valley is in the
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The John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio will give Riverside County nearly 1,300 new jail beds to keep criminals off the streets. Eventually. Completion of the new jail is now running more than two years behind schedule. In August 2018, Rob Field, Assistant County Executive Officer, told us there had been, “A couple of
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For the first time we are hearing from Rebecca Modrall’s young daughter Ryan. Modrall has been missing for over a year, last seen in La Quinta. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is treating this case as a homicide. “I really want justice for my mom cause I know that’s what she would want,” says Ryan,
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2019 was a year marked by a surge in violent deaths around the desert. 32 people were killed this year, up double from last year’s total and a decade high. The previous high was back in 2014 with 31. There were six homicides this year in Palm Springs, One in Indio, Seven in Cathedral City,
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The growing number of mulch fires in the east valley has caught the attention of local government officials. I-team reporter Karen Devine rode along with a newly formed county task force focused on reducing the risk of fires stemming from illegal dumping of green waste. “For the first time we are actually doing something joined
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