PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs reached a settlement with Grit Development that includes a $1 million payment related to a patio issue delaying the multi-million-dollar Plaza Theatre renovation project. The settlement stems from patio space at the restaurant Kalura Trattoria, located next to the theater. The city was set to acquire the property
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RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – A teacher at a private school in Rancho Mirage charged with raping a teenager pleaded not guilty on Friday. Stephen Spurlock, 43, a now former 3rd grade teacher at Palm Valley School, is charged with 21 felonies, including 19 counts of rape. He is set to return to court on
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SALTON CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – A group of parents at West Shores High School in Salton City say the school has a bullying problem that turned violent this week, as several students can be seen in a school yard fight video. Jerson Ceja reached out to News Channel 3 asking for help. He says over
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THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) –  The Texas Public Policy Foundation filed a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the Biden Administration of the 624,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument. The monument was declared in January, and plaintiffs claim the declaration was in violation of the Antiquities Act of 1906 allowing presidents to designated national monuments. They argue “it
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Felony charges were filed against two convicted felons suspected in shootings in Indio that left three people injured, including a mother and her five-year-old son. Jesus Delarosa, 25, and Ricardo Mercado, 29, both of Indio, were arrested Tuesday in connection with the shooting. Delarosa was charged with multiple felonies, including assault
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Youth mental health is in crisis. The National Alliance on Mental Illness found that 1 in 6 U.S. youth ages 6 to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year. Family therapist Melissa Hawkins, from the Betty Ford Center, says many kids are overwhelmed by social media and online content, leading to anxiety and depression
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A public forum was held Thursday night for students and staff at College of the Desert Palm Desert campus involving the four semi-finalists competing for the role of superintendent/president. “College of the Desert is seeking an individual with the right combination of experience, knowledge, skill and abilities to lead the
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (KESQ) – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) is cosponsoring a bill to allow Canadian citizens who own or lease a residence in the U.S. to extend their stay from 182 days to 240 days per year. Calvert joined together with Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL-15), Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ-4), and other House members to cosponsor
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MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) – Investigators are looking into how an inmate at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta died in custody on Thursday. In a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies report that they found 53-year-old Michael Allen Weaver of Lake Elsinore unresponsive inside a housing unit cell. Life saving measures
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) Â – The TODEC Legal Center on Thursday opened the first-ever Farmworker Justice Center in the Coachella Valley. Officials said it’s offering legal aid, digital access, unemployment support and more to farmworkers and their families. Luz Gallegos, Executive Director, said the center, located at 1560 Sixth St. in Coachella, aims to address decades
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Homeless Navigation Center has now been open for more than a year. So far, hundreds of people have used the new homeless resources. And as News Channel 3’s Peter Daut discovered, demand is so high the facilities are operating at full capacity. Victoria Scuro is the first
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At just 13 years old, Nehemiah Johnson is turning heads in Hollywood after landing a role in a horror film alongside actor Mekhi Phifer. His journey began with the Young Creators Program, an expanded learning service at PSUSD that teaches students the art of filmmaking from directing, producing, filming and acting. A simple social media
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BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – An 82-year-old man accused of bludgeoning a senior who had invited him to stay at her and her husband’s Palm Springs home may have attacked her during an argument over something as incidental as a television program, fatally beating her with a barstool, a prosecutor said today.  Stephen Roy McKernan allegedly
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — “Talladega Nights,” a special enforcement operation targeting unsafe driving in Palm Springs, is cracking down on drivers. As of Wednesday evening, the operation had served 234 citations, 2 custodial arrests and 2 misdemeanor cites, according to Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills. “We have a lot of accidents, involving drunk
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CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Residents in the Verano Neighborhood in Cathedral City are dealing with mass sand accumulation after three to four weeks of strong winds in the Valley. The north end of the neighborhood faces and unconstructed area of sand, which is easily picked up in high winds. Residents say the fences that
Continue Reading Update – 5/1/25 Stephen Spurlock worked as a guest teacher/certificated specialist in the Desert Sands Unified School District, officials confirmed to News Channel 3. This is before his tenure at Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage. Spurlock served continuously as a guest teacher/certificated specialist at DSUSD from August 2013 to June 2022, records show. Spurlock was
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MECCA, Calif. (KESQ) – A theft in Mecca led to two schools being placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were serving a search warrant related to a theft in the 65000 block of Dale Kiler Road. “Prior to the service of the warrant, four subjects left the location
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Update – 5/1/25 After numerous years of delays, the bribery case involving former Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet and developer John Wessman will go to trial. Jury selection is set to get underway on May 6 at the Banning Justice Center. News Channel 3’s Garrett Hottle spoke with Pougnet. We’ll have the latest on the
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – In an effort to combat dangerous wildfires as temperatures start to rise, beginning Thursday, May 1 through July 31, the Palm Springs Fire Department will begin annual brush removal of 87 acres that cover 27 potential wildfires zones, determined by a recent Cal Fire fire hazard severity map. Removal started in the
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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Indian Wells Tennis Garden and Desert Paws Sanctuary are teaming up to host a pet adoption event on Saturday, May 3. Organizers said the event will give Coachella Valley residents a chance to meet rescue animals looking for a home. Event attendees are encouraged to bring supplies to the
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