News

PALM DESERT – Governor Schwarzenegger wants to slash the state budget by $5 billion, ending programs that affect the lives of many people living in the Desert when they need it most. Lisette Zambrano, who is unemployed, relies on a state-funded Healthy Families program that could be axed. “We don’t have to pay for doctor’s

THERMAL – Our local schools are making some of the most difficult decisions in history and the future doesn’t look much better. “It’s a challenge for us,” says Ricardo Medina, new Superintendent at Coachella Valley Unified School District. Ricardo Medina put himself right in the middle of this growing challenge. As he prepares for his

PALM SPRINGS – Michael Sausser and Rodrigo Rodarte may have waited too long to get married after the California Supreme Court ended recent efforts to bring gay marriage back Tuesday. The court’s decided to uphold the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, also known as Proposition 8. “My love for Rodrigo isn’t about getting married or

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK – Firefighters have fully contained a brush fire in Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert. Park spokesman Joe Zarki says the 450-acre fire was fully contained Tuesday morning. A water-dropping helicopter and several crews will remain at the scene to mop up the blaze. The fire erupted Sunday afternoon

By: Elyse Miller News Channel 3 Reporter emiller@kesq.com PALM DESERT -Gas prices are up, so instead of burning up fuel people are staying close to home and cooking up a Memorial Day meal. “With the economy doing so bad, it makes more sense to eat at home and save money,” says grocery shopper, Lori Birndorf.

COACHELLA- Nine suspected parole violators, mainly violent offenders or gang members, were arrested today in a citywide raid in Coachella, authorities said. Operation Safe Coachella, which was led by Coachella police and parole officers from the California Department of Corrections, began around 2:30 p.m. at Bagdauma Park and is expected to continue into the evening.

A Valley sixth grader is taking the safety of his fellow students into his own hands, broadcasting an important message to the school. “My mom always told me to look both ways before crossing the road,” says sixth grader Efrain Avelar. This message stuck with Efrain. He always follows safety tips, but not everyone does.

THOUSAND PALMS – A 63-year-old man was treated for burns on almost half of his body after a mobile home caught fire Friday afternoon in Thousand Palms. According to CalFire, crews were called to the Tri-Palms Estates Mobile Home Park in the 32-100 block of Saucon Valley Street just after 4 p.m. Fire officials say

THERMAL – The vast farm fields of the East Valley hide the fact that some farm workers are being abused. Some workers toil away in the summer heat with few water and shade breaks. Four local farm companies were punished by state officials for labor violations. They are Valley Breeze Farms and Salvador Alvarado contracting

PALM DESERT – The economy is taking money from schools and opportunities from students. “My friends at other colleges complain, because they can’t take summer school classes,” said student Neil Holtzhausen. Colleges around the country are offering fewer or no summer courses to save money, but, at College of the Desert, it’s a priority to

PALM SPRINGS – An apartment fire in Palm Springs has some people wanting to move out because of poor electrical wiring. The fire broke out Thursday morning at the Continental Garden Apartments on Sunrise Way and Amado Road. One apartment was destroyed, and a family of four lost their home and their dog in the

DESERT HOT SPRINGS – Soccer moms in Desert Hot Springs cheer for their kids Wednesday afternoon at Mission Springs Park. But sometimes, the park itself located off Palm Drive can feel like playing on a landmine. “I feel like I might get hurt,” says Gabriela Parra, who, in fact, has been injured on the field

People riding their ATV’s found human remains Monday night about a mile-and-a-half up Whitewater Caynon. The decomposing body was found partially buried in a shallow grave. Homicide detectives with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department haven’t identified the remains because it’s too decomposed to determine the age, sex or cause of death. It’s a problem the

JOSHUA TREE – Packing heat in National Parks: Congress passed a bill allowing concealed weapons inside Joshua Tree and all other National Parks. Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma attached the bill to the massive credit card overhaul going through Washington. Gun store owner Steve Donnell fires a few rounds outside Donnell’s Shooting Supplies in

Leaders in Sacramento say this is an important election, but do Coachella Valley voters agree? Judging by Tuesday’s precinct turnout observations, not much. Lisa Beardeaux of Desert Hot Springs wanted to be first in line to vote in this special election Tuesday. “I’m a teacher here in California, so the measures on the ballot are

If you buy a new car this year, there could be a tax deduction down the road for you. “You have the opportunity to offset some of the cost of buying a new car by deducting the sales tax you pay for buying the new vehicle,” according to Raphael Tulino with the Internal Revenue Service.

Desert Hot Springs residents, like Robert Thompson, support police efforts like Operational Falling Sun and hope police will do more to cut down on crime. “I like the fact that they had that parole sweep. And I did see a difference downtown. Not a lot of guys walking up and down the streets,” says Thompson.

The Coachella Valley road system is a mess, according to a report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials. Valley roads were ranked 10th in the nation for worst urban-area roads. Indio city leaders say they’re already doing something about it. Over the last four years, the city has spent $45 million

DESERT HOT SPRINGS- A man struck by a vehicle while crossing Hacienda Avenue in Desert Hot Springs suffered a broken leg, and the driver was cited for having a suspended license, police said. The injured man, whose name was withheld, was crossing Hacienda near Tamar Drive when a vehicle crossed over the double yellow lines

PALM DESERT – The economic downturn is dipping into donation baskets at churches around the nation. “I’m giving about $10 less a week,” says church member Roger Haarmeyer. At the Church of St. Paul in the Desert, pledge money is down about 20 percent. With fewer dollars coming in, the church was forced to make