News

INDIO – A storm that brought a quarter-inch of rain flooded roads Sunday in Indio. Showers started around 8 a.m. and will likely continue until this evening, said Stefanie Sullivan, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. This latest storm brought the Coachella Valley’s rainfall to a total of 5.26 inches so far this calendar

ESCONDIDO – Skeletal remains found in Pala were those of missing Escondido teenager Amber Dubois, the Escondido Police Department announced Sunday. Amber was 14 when she went missing more than a year ago while walking to Escondido High School. Despite a months-long search by law enforcement, family and volunteers, her body was not found until

CONCEPCION, Chile – While a poll suggests most Chileans are not happy with their government’s response to last weekend’s devastating earthquake, aid experts say they’re impressed with the speed of the disaster response. The newspaper El Mercurio found 72 percent of Chileans polled believe the response was slow and inefficient. And 48 percent said they

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – U.S. troops are withdrawing from the earthquake-shattered capital of Haiti. Many Haitians are anxious that the most visible portion of international help is ending even as Port-au-Prince is still mired in misery and vulnerable to unrest. Haitians and some aid workers are wondering if U.N. peacekeepers and local police are up to

WASHINGTON – Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says health care reform would have been “dead on arrival” if the White House had sent a finished proposal to Congress last year. The secretary also blames delays in passing the measure on President Barack Obama’s having to spend “far too much time talking about what’s not in the

BEAUMONT – A fire in a Beaumont apartment sent two adults and an infant to a hospital Sunday, firefighters said. The blaze was reported at 8:14 a.m. in a six-unit building at 600 E. Fifth St. Eight people were evacuated and one family — two adults and an infant — were rushed to the San

OAKLAND – Oakland homicide detectives are looking for leads after a string of deadly shootings in just a 48-hour period. Police say the violence began Thursday night when 31-year-old Mohamed Diop was shot to death on an Oakland street near his home. Then around 2:35 p.m. Friday, police say 29-year-old Victor Johns and 56-year-old John

LOS ANGELES – Reports from Pakistan that an arrest was made of a Riverside County native — who became the international spokesman for Al Qaeda — proved to be the product of confusion in Karachi. Adam Gadahn, who grew up on an Inland Empire goat ranch, was reported to have been arrested by Pakistani intelligence

PALM SPRINGS – Cannahelp was expected to open Friday morning. Instead Southern California Edison shut down power to the entire building. Code enforcement halted progress Thursday over concerns of bad wiring and unsafe heat lamps used to grow the medical marijuana. The dispensary shares the building with Andy Brakebill’s printing business. The sudden decision is

PARIS – It’s taken nearly 30 years, but Stevie Wonder has finally received his medal for being named into France’s prestigious National Order of Arts and Letters. Wonder was named a “commander” in the order back in 1981, but didn’t get his medal until today. Officials blame the delay on scheduling conflicts. The Motown great

PALM SPRINGS – The demand for a charter school education is skyrocketing; President Obama wants more and so do parents. Next year, it will be a little easier to get in to a charter school here in the valley as the first one opens it’s door in Palm Springs. It was a long time coming,

LA QUINTA– The Homewood Suites by Hilton hotelopened back up January 19th. They’d been closed since August 26th of last yearbecause theFDIC closed the banks the owners borrowed from. The hotel’s General Manager, Brad Poncher says, “We scrambled to get it open, we had the contract signed in December and wereback open by mid-January. The

LOS ANGELES – The gritty teen drama “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire” won in all five categories it was nominated in, including best feature, at Friday’s25th Film Independent Spirit Awards. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who played the abused teen in “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire” won for best female lead

HOLLYWOOD – Sandra Bullock is halfway to becoming the first performer to receive “awards” for both best and worst actress of the year. Bullock, who is favored to win a best actress Oscar at Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony for her work in “The Blind Side,” tonight took home the worst actress award at the annual

BUENA PARK – Both Republican gubernatorial candidates and all three of the party’s U.S. Senate candidates are among today’s scheduled speakers at the California Republican Assembly Convention as they vie for the group’s endorsement. Gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner, the state’s insurance commissioner, “will speak about his conservative principles and how, unlike Meg Whitman, he has

SAN FRANCISCO – An earthquake struck off the northern California coast. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 4.5-magnitude temblor hit at 12:46 a.m. Saturday and was centered about 25 miles west of Petrolia. The agency says the quake could have been lightly felt area cities such as Eureka and Ferndale but wasn’t strong enough to

NEW YORK -Home videos aired today on ABC show kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard back at home with her family after 18 years as a captive. In excerpts shown on “Good Morning America,” the 29-year-old is seen cooking with her sister and mother and riding horses. It’s the first time she has been seen and heard

CATHEDRAL CITY -A parolee suspected of leading police on a brief pursuit in Cathedral City while riding an off-highway quad motorcycle was in custody today, police said. Joe Weldon Abner, 38, of Palm Springs, was arrested around 5 p.m. Thursday in the area of Rio Vista Drive and Avenue Quintana, said Sgt. Andy Diaz of

CASPER, Wyo. -A marine fromTwentynine Palms pleaded not guilty to arranging the rape of an ex-girlfriend over the internet. Jebidiah Stipefaced 5 felony countsin a Wyoming courtroom, this week. Prosecutors say Stipe posted an ad on Craigslist, claiming to be a Wyoming woman looking to carry out an aggressive sexual fantasy. When Ty McDowell responded,

CATHEDRAL CITY –Wednesday morning, Cathedral City Police arrested Carlos Martinez, 18,and Edgar Martinez, 21, of Bloomingtonon suspicion of stealing appliances out of a vacant home on the 67600 block of Rio Vista. Witnesses tipped off police about what was going on. Police say they found a brand new microwave in the suspects’ pick-up truck and