Special Reports
News Channel 3 Exclusive: Inside the Homeless Navigation Center in Palm Springs
It’s a major project the city of Palm Springs is calling a “game changer” for addressing the homeless crisis. City and county officials gave News Channel 3’s Peter Daut an exclusive tour of the new Palm Springs Navigation Center, ahead of its opening. While most of the Navigation Center remains under construction, the early-entry facility
Continue ReadingWinds of Change: A look at the history of wind in Palm Springs
Chief Meteorologist Haley Clawson collected and organized years of data recorded at Palm Springs International Airport to answer the frequent viewer question, “Is it getting windier”? Straight to the point… there doesn’t appear to be a long-term increase in the average wind speed. However, it’s a different perspective in the short term, as the last
Continue ReadingRiverside County judge discusses backlog of criminal cases
Courts in Riverside County continue to be clogged with a tremendous backlog of cases, a year after hundreds of criminal cases were dismissed. News Channel 3’s John White sat down with Presiding Judge Hon. Judith Clark for a rare interview. “This is a growing convergence of issues, that sort of all came to a peak
Continue ReadingOur Wild Desert: Where and when to see wildlife
We live in an incredible valley! Part of what makes our valley so amazing is our native wildlife. From birds to snakes to bighorn sheep, the Coachella Valley is absolutely brimming with life. What animals you can see are heavily dependent on factors such as time of year and time of day. For instance, winter,
Continue ReadingAncient Culture, Modern Presence: First look at Agua Caliente’s Cultural Plaza and Museum
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is about to redefine the visitor experience in Palm Springs. More than five years after breaking ground, the long-awaited Cultural Plaza and Museum will open to the public on November 3rd. But before that happens, News Channel 3’s Peter Daut got an exclusive tour of the new state-of-the-art facility. “Every video,
Continue ReadingIn-depth: School Safety Transparency
Campus crime is an unfortunate reality for Coachella Valley students heading back to school. State law requires districts to keep track of safety problems and their plans to solve them. It’s a topic that’s front of mind for Bianca Acuña, as she helps get her daughter prepared to head back to school. Acuña said she’s
Continue ReadingHousing boom in north Palm Desert raises concerns over lack of services
A massive housing development boom on the north side of Palm Desert is expected to bring up to 10,000 new residents. With more than 1,000 new homes already completed and nearly 5,000 total expected to be built in the near future, concerns are mounting over the lack of necessary services and amenities to support the
Continue ReadingVeterinarian shortage impacting valley’s only 24/7 emergency pet hospital
Coachella Valley pet owners risk being turned away during emergencies when minutes matter most. A nationwide shortage of veterinarians has forced the valley’s only 24/7 emergency pet emergency hospital to close at certain times. Melissa Hull-White and her family loved their long-haired terrier Kobe for 13 years. But on April 15th, things took a turn
Continue ReadingIn-depth look at E-bike battery fires and what you need to know if you’re looking to buy
Grabbing an E-Bike and hitting the trails is becoming a favorite pastime for many here in the Coachella Valley and beyond. While fun and convenient, the lithium-ion batteries that power some of them have been linked to explosions and deadly fires. We checked in with Cal Fire Riverside and confirmed no such incidents involving electric
Continue ReadingCourting Injustice: Why are so many local court cases being dismissed?
Since October, more than 1,700 court cases have been dismissed in Riverside County. These dismissals include cases involving child sexual assault, attempted murder, DUIs, and domestic violence. This is due to a backlog caused by the pandemic. Riverside Superior Court officials cited a lack of available judicial resources and courtroom space as they reinstated defendants’
Continue ReadingNews Channel 3 Exclusive: Surviving the Night
A prominent Coachella Valley business owner is grateful to be alive after he recently crashed his dirt bike in Morongo Valley and could not be found for more than a day. “I just praise God for making the best out of a terrible situation,” Nate Otto told Peter Daut. Speaking from bed at his physical
Continue ReadingNews Channel 3 Exclusive: In-Depth with Agua Caliente Tribal Chairman
In his first sit-down interview since recently being elected as tribal chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Reid Milanovich spoke with Peter Daut about his goals for the tribe, the new cultural museum, and his late father’s legacy. “My focus really is day to day,” Milanovich told Daut, adding that it’s an
Continue ReadingNumber of heat-related illness and deaths rises as Coachella Valley sees more frequent heat waves and hotter days
Under the blistering sun, on a 117 degree day, it can feel like your skin is burning as you toil without shade. It’s why farmworkers in the East Coachella Valley wear long sleeves, drenched in sweat they can never seem to replenish fast enough. “It start in the lips, don’t speak good,” said Vidal Mendoza Fonseca, a farmworker who
Continue ReadingInside look at expansion of mental health resources at local schools
Back to school post-COVID looks vaguely familiar but behind the scenes, a lot has changed. The shift to tap into more mental and behavior health resources on school campuses across the Coachella Valley, a direct result of the pandemic. “We’re looking at not only learning loss, which we have great strategies in place for
Continue ReadingLocal veteran remembered as President Biden signs PACT Act into law
A battle waged by Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz in honor of local veteran Jennifer Kepner, along with many others, has culminated in the signing of the Honoring Our Pact Act. News Channel 3’s John White was in Washington D.C. as President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act on Wednesday. He talked with Ruiz on the
Continue ReadingIn-depth: Childcare crisis in Coachella Valley
For many families in the Coachella Valley, having access to safe and affordable childcare has become rare within the last few years. Riverside County currently has a team called First Five. It’s part of a state program that helps its community’s service partners make sure young children and their families have the support they need.
Continue ReadingTeachers come forward about safety issues at CVHS, school board refuses to respond
This school year has certainly been anything but certain. KESQ has shown the public the alarming fights breaking out at Desert Hot Springs High School during the first semester. Now, we’re looking into the fights at Coachella Valley High School. There have been reports of broken noses, and kids being carried off by ambulance. In
Continue ReadingGoing in-depth on disappearances in the desert
Karen Devine spoke with Peter Daut about her in-depth report. Check it out for more on missing persons investigations in the desert & what a detective thinks of the rumors of a serial killer in the area: On the heels of the Gabby Petito missing persons case, the national spotlight led to questions about why some
Continue ReadingHow the new Coachella Valley Arena will handle ‘the Big One’
Earthquakes are a fact of life in Southern California, but no one can predict with certainty when the next massive quake, known as “the Big One” will hit. Experts define the big one as a quake of at least a 7.8 magnitude along the southern part of the San Andreas fault. That fault line runs
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