A 2012 Supreme Court ruling declaring mandatory life sentencing for minors is now deemed “unconstitutional”. In turn, an imprisoned man from Banning is to be set free soon. Thongxay Nilakout, who was 18 at the time, was convicted of murdering German tourist, Gisela Pfleger, near Idyllwild 28 years ago. Pfleger and her husband were en
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Americans are drinking as much alcohol now as in the civil war days. This observation is made by looking at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism surveillance report that shows the average American consumed 2.51 gallons of ethanol — the alcohol found in wine, beer, and spirits, compared with 2.53 gallons in 1860, the brink of
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By TRÂN NGUYỄN SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Police in California are not immune from civil lawsuits for misconduct that happens while they investigate crimes, the state Supreme Court ruled this week, overruling a precedent made by lower courts that had helped protect law enforcement from litigation for decades. The justices on Thursday unanimously rejected an
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In a unanimous decision, the Palm Desert city council voted Thursday to transition to five voting districts. This move comes several months after voters approved Measure B, which advocated for the shift to five council districts instead of the existing two. The path to this outcome has been marked by a contentious battle, with some
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A former member of the United States military who lived in Corona was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for conspiring to unlawfully export to Russia thermal imaging riflescopes, night vision goggles and other defense items without a license in violation of federal law. Igor Panchernikov, 41, who once served in the U.S.
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Today, June 23, is officially Hershey Bears Day in the Fourth District of Riverside County. It’s the unfortunate result of a friendly wager between Riverside County Supervisor Manuel Perez and Dauphin County Commissioners Mike Pries, Chad Saylor, and George P. Hartwick III before the start of the Calder Cup Finals. The Bears beat the Coachella
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Greater Palm Springs Pride will host its inaugural summer Pride month celebration “Big Gay BBQ” event tomorrow. The “Be Happy. Love All”-themed event will be held from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Arenas District in Palm Springs, located on Arenas Road between Indian Canyon Road and Calle Encilia, according to Greater
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A 59-year-old self-employed pool serviceman accused of killing of a 93-year-old woman in Palm Desert must stand trial on murder, a judge ruled today. Benjamin Briones of Thousand Palms was charged with one felony count each of murder, burglary and forging a signature, according to court records. He additionally faces a special-circumstance allegation of committing
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Fourth of July celebrations are in the works across the Coachella Valley. However, only three valley cities allow safe and sane fireworks: Indio, Coachella, and Desert Hot Springs. If a firework does not have the safe and sane label pictured below, it is considered illegal in California. Ben Guitron with the Indio Police Department said
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Desert Sands Unified School District gave over 3,000 students a Harvest Box filled with fresh, locally grown produce. The district decided to celebrate the students’ accomplishments who finished its summer school program on Thursday. Each student at 18 elementary and six middle schools received a Harvest Box by The PackHouse at Aziz Farms, Armenta Farms,
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The 9 Cities Challenge is back again starting Friday, to help collect blood during the summer months when supply usually runs low. The challenge is two months long starting Friday, June 23 in the KESQ – News Channel 3 parking lot located at 31276 Dunham Way in Thousand Palms. A bloodmobile will be on the
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As temperatures rise, virus-carrying mosquitoes are making a comeback to the Valley. This National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, West Nile and St. Louis Encephalitis viruses are on the radar. Fortunately, there are no reports of human cases yet this year. The summertime is when mosqutioes are most active. Riverside County says warm, standing water is
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A 36-year-old man pleaded guilty today to carrying out multiple residential burglaries in Palm Desert last year and was immediately sentenced to five years in state prison. Adan Abel Holguin pleaded guilty Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to two felony counts of burglary and one felony count each of receiving stolen property,
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It might be difficult to remember amidst the recent excitement surrounding the Firebirds, but ice hockey has a long history in the Coachella Valley. Gary Steven, a passionate hockey enthusiast and longtime resident of the valley, has played a pivotal role in shaping the ice hockey scene over the past 25 years. Some regard him
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Palm Springs resident Jay Coelho and her husband have been frequent renters at self-storage companies throughout the years, whether for personal or business needs. In 2021, they moved their household items to Devon Storage Self-Storage on Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs due to multiple misfortunes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the couple decided
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A 19-year-old man suspected of being one of three men involved in a car-to-car shooting in the parking lot of The Shops in Palm Desert earlier this year pleaded not guilty to felony charges today. Daniel Joseph Santacroce of Desert Hot Springs was charged with four felony counts of attempted murder and one felony count
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Five local students are being recognized with the June 2023 “Do the Right Thing” awards. It’s a partnership between News Channel 3 and Palm Springs Police Department. Students Jameson Herrera, Angelica Chavez, Matthew Pichler, Edith Villa, and Felipe Lemus were honored at the Palm Springs Police headquarters. The local group of students was chosen for their positive attitude, behavior, and accomplishments. “You
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Two women suspected of operating a brothel at a spa business in Palm Desert were free from jail today. The women, a 54-year-old from El Monte and a 41-year-old Los Angeles resident, were arrested Wednesday afternoon on suspicion operating a brothel, according to Sgt. Travis Mountz of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Mountz said that
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In a significant move towards inclusivity, Indio city leaders gathered at city hall Wednesday to make a proclamation recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The proclamation was delivered by Mayor Oscar Ortiz, accompanied by the Indio City Council, and aims to send a strong message of support to the LGBTQ community in the city. During
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The Hershey Bears defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds 3-2 in overtime to win the Calder Cup. Bears forward Mike Vecchione scored the game-winning goal. It’s the first-ever sudden-death overtime goal in a Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals in AHL history. YOU ROARED FOR US. WE ROAR FOR YOU. pic.twitter.com/SWejK1Igwu— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 22,
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