February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and local services are stressing the importance of providing services to the Valley’s youth when needed. 8.2% of California’s 11th-grade students report being “hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose” by their partner in the past twelve months, according to the Center for Disease Control and
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Members of “Move On,” a progressive public policy advocacy group and political action committee, gathered in Palm Desert on Thursday, to protest what they call a “power grab” by Elon Musk. “Elon Musk is an unelected person. They’re creating a new federal agency that is cutting other federal agencies, without any input from the people.
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – High school seniors from across Riverside County gathered to accept their $2,000 scholarships awarded at the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival. 12 outstanding high school seniors from Riverside County have been awarded $2,000 each, totaling $24,000 in scholarships. The students were recognized during the Fair & Date Fest, celebrating
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Two Desert Hot Springs residents were in custody today on suspicion of vehicle theft and burglary. The men, a 34-year-old and 24-year-old, are suspected in the crime that occurred around 10:30 a.m. Feb. 10 on Buckingham Way in Rancho Mirage, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. According to the department, the suspects “gained access”
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley has been a hotbed of winning lottery tickets in the past week with two more reported. On Friday, someone won nearly $1.5 million from a Mega Millions ticket bought at the Stater Bros. on Highway 111 in La Quinta, KTLA reports. The ticket matched five of the six
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – A 42-year-old teacher with the Coachella Valley Unified School District was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a student. Mario Manuel Valenzuela of Coachella was arrested on Friday on charges of lewd acts on a child. The investigation into Valenzuela’s arrest started in December when the student told school administrators that
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A crash involving a semi-truck caused a massive traffic jam on Interstate 10 in Banning Thursday morning. The crash was first reported at around 4:20 a.m. on the eastbound side of I-10, west of Sunset Boulevard. According to the California Highway Patrol, a semi-truck rolled on its side. The crash caused minor injuries. All lanes
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The University of San Diego won both the team and individual title on the Prestige at the Greg Norman Course at PGA West. The University of San Diego won both the team and individual title of the 2025 Prestige.Led by Sophomore Ryan Abuan, who shot 11-under, the Toreros finished at 29-under over the three days.@KESQ
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Prosecution testimony got underway Wednesday in the trial of a felon accused of killing his year-old daughter and stabbing his pregnant wife after turning irate during a child custody exchange in Indian Wells. Adam Slater, 53, of Palm Desert allegedly killed baby Madalyn in 2020 during an act of rage that
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On Wednesday the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ Homeless Committee received the latest annual report in its CV Housing First program. Staff reported that of the 175 Coachella Valley clients targeted for assistance in 2024, 50 people were housed through the program, while 59 individuals returned to the streets. The number of permanently housed individuals
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“The Department determined that you have failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment.” This, a line from a U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) termination letter, was delivered to some Joshua Tree National Park employees on February 14 — just as the park’s busiest season approaches. The letter, obtained by Z107.7 FM in
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Some food banks in the Coachella Valley, like Food Now in Desert Hot Springs, are starting to worry about cuts to federal agencies that help supply them with food for distribution. Officials at the food bank say some clients cite recent cuts to federal programs, like USAID, and are worried further cuts could affect the
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News Channel 3 and the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation presented another Impact Grant to a local nonprofit working to improve lives and help those in need. A $50,000 charitable gift was awarded to Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, which provides food and shelter to thousands of men, women and children. Pearl Graves said she
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Repaving work begins on Gene Autry Trail on February 19, with construction starting at the intersection of Ramon Road and Gene Autry Trail, extending north to Vista Chino. Once the northbound work is complete at Vista Chino, construction crews will close the southbound inside lane on Gene Autry Trail and repave to Ramon Road. SR
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Healthcare workers in Riverside County are joining together tonight in Corona for an emergency town hall meeting, calling on House Representatives to oppose cuts to Medicare funding. They are urging Congressman Ken Calvert to oppose these cuts. The possible cuts could severely impact local hospitals like Eisenhower Health, where 20-25% of ER patients rely on
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A June 11 trial date was confirmed today for a 23-year-old woman accused of joining two young men in robbing and killing a Riverside man in his apartment. Merlin Perales Ortiz of Yucca Valley was arrested in December 2020 following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the slaying of 20-year-old Wesley
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — $213,000 worth of drugs were found hidden in a semi-truck at the Highway 86 checkpoint near the Salton Sea. The discovery was made last Wednesday. At approximately 10:46 a.m., a yellow semi-truck approached the U.S. Border Patrol State Route 86 immigration checkpoint and was referred for secondary inspection. During the secondary
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BEAUMONT, Calif. (KESQ) – Costa Mesa police reached out to the public today to identify possible additional victims of a man arrested in Beaumont who is suspected of committing lewd acts with a pair of teenage girls. Peter Michael Mejia, 27, of Redlands, was arrested Monday, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department. He has
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, Desert Hot Springs City Council members honored Police Chief Jim Henson for his 20 years of service to the city. Chief Henson officially announced his retirement, effective February 28, 2025. The Chief was recognized for his dedication of over 30 years to law enforcement, with
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Missing hiker searches continue to go high tech in Palm Springs with the help of drone technology. Last Saturday crews were called out to search for a lost hiker off of Araby Trail. Officials say the Palm Springs Police Search and Rescue Team used its drone to help in the
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