Update 6:20 p.m. Mayor Steven Hernandez made his first known public appearance since his arrest. Hernandez was present at Thursday’s special city council meeting. Hernandez was not present at the start of the meeting, but briefly appeared after the closed session. City officials originally told News Channel 3 that Hernandez would not be in attendance.
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LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — For 18 months, Bryan Newman, the owner of La Quinta Landing, says two food trucks brought affordable and flexible dining to Old Town La Quinta. Newman’s temporary use permit ended September 30th, and he’s now asking the city to extend it into the new year. “It was cost effective for
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A woman who caused the death of her newborn child and dumped her in a trash receptacle behind a Riverside business almost four decades ago pleaded guilty today to voluntary manslaughter and was immediately sentenced to four years’ felony probation. Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 56, of Shelby, North Carolina, admitted the
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RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – Councilmember Lynn Mallotto was sworn in as the new mayor of Rancho Mirage. Mallotto will serve as Rancho Mirage mayor until Nov. 2026. The city rotates the position between councilmembers every year. Councilmember Michael O’Keefe was also sworn in as Mayor Pro Tem. He is set to serve as mayor
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CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Robin Thicke’s concert at the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival has been canceled, as well as Friday programming and the Saturday morning launch due to weather concerns. Festival organizers said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution for the safety of attendees, balloon pilots, crews, and
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THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – Stop signs were installed on Airport Boulevard in the Thermal area to improve traffic safety near Coachella Valley High School, it was announced today. Although there were already stop signs at the intersection on both sides of Calhoun Street, new ones were installed because “Traffic didn’t stop on Airport Boulevard,” especially
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – As Riverside County continues to deal with overcrowded shelters, the Department of Animal Services partnered with Wings of Rescue to send 36 dogs to New York and Maine on a lifesaving flight. Officials said the plane took off just after midnight Saturday morning despite the rainy weather in Southern California. A
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Hot Springs residents will have access to fresh, healthy and affordable food options with the arrival of a farmers market provided by the Palm Springs Cultural Center, slated to debut this weekend, officials announced today. Opening day will be open to the public and will held from 8
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirms that Jake Haro is no longer in its custody and has been transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. In an email Wednesday, police said Haro was released from county custody on Nov. 19 and moved into state custody to begin serving his court-ordered
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County reported its first influenza-related death of the 2025-26 flu season. The person was identified as an individual who was over 65 and from Western Riverside County, and is not believed to have been vaccinated. “This death is a sad reminder of the dangers that influenza can pose, especially among older
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COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Help local families this holiday season – It all starts this Thursday with the News Channel 3 and SunLine Transit Agency “Fill the Bus” event. We need your help to fill buses with non-perishable food items and hygiene products that will go to local families for the holidays. You can
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Â – A weekend storm that knocked out power to parts of Palm Springs has renewed long-running frustrations over outages, delayed repairs and what residents describe as poor communication from Southern California Edison (SCE). Jeff Monford, SCE spokesperson, said crews dealt with the most rain they’d seen in a long time. “Our
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man out on bail in a deadly shooting case was arrested Wednesday in Indio on suspicion of possession of narcotics and numerous firearms, authorities announced. Â Â Marcos Cruz Gaeta Jr., 45, was booked into Benoit Detention Center in Indio Thursday on suspicion of felon in possession of a firearm and
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The film “Hamnet” will receive the Vanguard Award at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Director Chloé Zhao, as well as actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, are expected to attend the award presentation. The Film Awards will take place on January 3, 2026, at the Palm Springs Convention
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Some Palm Springs Unified School District students and their families enjoyed chicken teriyaki meals this week provided by a local restaurant owner hoping to help those in need of food. Katherine Finchy Elementary School mom Tara Lazar wanted to help families struggling to buy food as soon as she heard
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County Sheriff’s Office reports that a wanted suspect was arrested Wednesday night in Desert Hot Springs after leading them on a pursuit that began in Palm Desert. The chase began just before 4:30 p.m. after deputies located a vehicle being driven by a wanted subject in the area
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – After years of anticipation, fundraising, and construction, the curtain is finally rising again at Palm Springs’ iconic Plaza Theatre. News Channel 3’s Peter Daut got an exclusive tour of the multi-million dollar restoration, just days before the grand reopening. The transformation is dramatic. Historic details have been fully restored, and
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CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – With more rain on the way this week, officials are keeping a close eye on areas with mudslide risk, especially with the ground already wet from last weekend’s storm. A mudslide along Varner Road at the northern end of Cathedral City stranded dozens of cars over the weekend. Cathedral City
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Cathedral City car dealerships Toyota of the Desert and Honda of the Desert held their annual “Drive out Hunger” event on Wednesday to help local veterans with a holiday meal. The event was company wide across nine states as part of their “We’re Hear for You” community giving program. Here
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BEAUMONT, Calif. (KESQ) – Beaumont USD is nearly finished rolling out its new emergency radio operations system after being awarded a $348,464 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2024. California has declared 70 disasters in just the last five years according to USAFacts.org, with the City of Beaumont having experienced its own share
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