Category: Deserts

Unionized journalists at the Desert Sun unanimously voted to ratify a contract agreement this week with Gannett. The new contract includes raises as well as work place protections for members of the Desert Sun Newsguild. The deal comes after three years of bargaining with the paper’s owner, Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper chain, and after a number of walkouts and a open-ended strike earlier this month by union members.

Authorities have identified all three people who were killed in the fire. 46-year old Phillip Pape, 37-year old Josee Vanbuskirk, and 51-year old Danial Burr. 37-year old Jonathan Ochoa from Palm Springs was injured and taken to a local hospital. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

They presented a five million dollar donation to the San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Foundation. The funds will help hospitals establish a comprehensive Women’s Health Program and enhance its Women’s Wellness programs. This program will offer specialized services including OB-GYN, breast health, family services and Women’s Wellness programs.

During the month of March, Precious Metals Refinery is hosting a pet supply drive benefitting Loving All Animals. All PMR locations will be accepting pet supplies that will be donated to Loving All Animals, to support their mission in joining with other local and national animal welfare organizations to maximize programs intended to stop the killing of adoptable animals. All donations help support their mission by allowing them to continue to care for the animals who are at their No Kill Shelter awaiting their forever homes. Potential supply list includes: Blankets Towels Gently used/new leashes Gently used/new collars Puppy pads Dry/wet dog food (any brand) Dry/wet cat food (any brand) Laundry soap Trash bags, 13 gallon Paper towels Chew toys Treats Dishwasher pods Bleach ZEP Spray bottles Drop-off locations include: PMR Indio 80150 CA-111 Suite C-2, PMR Palm Desert 73020 El Paseo Suite 102, and PMR Palm Springs 2465 East Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 1020.

As the weather begins to warm up, the chances of you and your pet encountering a venomous snake goes up. One local organization is helping train people and their pets on the best ways to live in harmony with our desert reptile friends.

For weeks now we’ve been monitoring the beloved eagles, Jackie and Shadow of the Big Bear Lake. The start of pip watch for the three eggs being incubated by Jackie began late last month. Cameras installed by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley have allowed fans to watch their progress from all over the world.

Aside from all the action happening on the hard court at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open, a lot happens off as well. BNP Paribas USA uses these two weeks to make an impact here in the Coachella Valley. For the past 16 years, BNP Paribas has been the lead sponsor for the BNP Paribas Open, here in Indian Wells. Every year, the bank has partnered with an organization to try and raise funds for the youth at one of the most visible tournaments in the world. “We really try to check and connect with the values of equality between men and women, equal access, equal opportunity.” Vice Chairman for BNP Paribas USA, Jean-Yves Fillion says. This year, they partnered with the non-profit organization Girls on the Run, which strives to empower young girls through an after school program teaching them to be confident in themselves, while being active. “We really have a central value at the end by promoting youth, and this organization really combined these values which we really tried very hard to make our daily values at BNP Paribas.” Fillion says. This is

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The governor’s office announced that California is seeking 10,000 individuals to join the California Service Corps program. The program is already collaborating with the College of the Desert and organizations like Find Food Bank, offering diverse volunteer opportunities. The program pays its volunteers a starting wage of $2,814 dollars a month.

The event will feature hundreds of illuminated lanterns, dozens of displays and plenty of photo ops. Friday is closed off to members on, with the first day open to the public on Saturday. To learn more visit www.livingdesert.org.

46-year old Phillip Pape of Cathedral City is the first person to be identified. Officials have been able to identify a second victim but are working to notify their family before their name is released. The two other victims are still unknown, including the person still in the hospital who remains on life support. Officials believe that all four victims were unhoused which makes the identification process more difficult, but Cathedral Fire Chief Michael Contreras says they are not giving up. In the meantime, there are ways the community can help.

Winds blew into the Valley Monday night and is continuing at this hour. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory that began 3pm today and will last until midnight. A number of road closures occured today because of blowing dust including Gene Autry Trail through the Whitewater Wash. Indian Canyon Drive also closed this morning but opened after about an hour. The National Weather Service expects winds to be strongest on Wednesday and Thursday.

The first half of the Palm Springs Navigation Center opened its doors as of Tuesday afternoon. It’s what the city is calling a community effort, to try and help the the unhoused residents within the city. The new Early Entry Facility can house up to 50 residents but there’s a process. In order to be able to access The Homeless Navigation Center, neighbors will have to sign up for a spot at the Palm Springs Access Center starting at 8am every morning. The facility is run by Martha’s Village and Kitchen. The doors opened officially a week ago to the public, ahead of today’s symbolic grand opening. Officials with Martha’s Village and Kitchen say a space of this kind was needed in the West Valley, as there was nothing like this before this building.

The hearings began after some members of the public brought up complaints that the sheriff-coroner staff were unresponsive to loved ones of inmates who died in jail custody. The vote was based on findings of the Riverside County Executive Office that felt that the seperation would impede the cornor’s office ability to function and leave potential gaps in staffing.

Laurie Moulton is a female entrepreneur who’s breaking down social barriers while also opening up new economic opportunities across the Coachella Valley. “I get so excited about women in business,” she said. “I get excited about the expansion that they’re bringing to the marketplace and just all of the opportunities that women are bringing.” Moulton owns and operates Lux Box Agency, Lolo Interiors, and House of Lolo — making her part of the recent surge of women running their own businesses. A new study from Wells Fargo shows an increase of women-owned businesses starting up across the country and the statistics show they’re growing faster than their male counterparts. “I actually think the faster growth of women-owned businesses is a testament of these long-term efforts in promoting inclusive entrepreneurship,” said Qingfang Wang, a professor of public policy with the University of California, Riverside. She says there’s about 14 million women owned businesses across the country which represents about 40 percent of all businesses. Though Wang expects those numbers to continue climbing, she also predicts several challenges. “It will continue to grow but we really have to

The goal of this intiative, led by committed teachers and students, is to collect a wide variety of dresses, suits, and accessories for senior students to wear on their big night. Although prom is still months away, the donations have been pouring in, from all parts of the Valley. Through social media postings, the school has procured dozens of dresses, suits, and accessories in a variety of colors and sizes. Students also shared their enthusiasm for the intiative, stressing the importance of inclusivity among their peers. Aside from providing students the pieces to complete their prom look, organizers hope to also promote a sense of confidence among the youth, creating an inclusive and memorable experience for everyone.

The Palm Springs Unified School District is inviting kindergarten parents to learn more about the double-immersion program. Students can involve themselves in learning both English and Spanish at various elementary schools here in the Valley. It’s open to all incoming PSUSD students. For a schedule of classes and locations visit PSUSD’s website at http://www.psusd.us.

It’s the first of its kind at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. An Asian American Pacific Islander Panel, highlighting former tennis players, many of them once playing at the professional level, within the community and their successful careers. Vania King, Prim Siripipat, Daniellle Lao, and Peanut Harper, spoke and answered questions about what it was like growing up playing tennis while being a part of the AAPI community and the struggles they faced transitioning out of tennis. This is just the second tournament in the world, following the U.S. Open where an all AAPI panel has been hosted, discussing the different experiences each panelist has faced, playing a sport like tennis. 

The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission led local Giving Day efforts with 13 donations totaling $144.667. The annual online campaign raised over $860,000 for 160 plus local nonprofits, surpassing last year’s total by $490,000. Founded in 1971, the Rescue Mission aims to help individuals break the cycle of homelessness through counseling, job training, and placement.

The Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival is hosting a screening of the new “Symphony of the Holocaust” documentary and a live musical performance tonight. The film showcases child violin prodigy and Holocaust survivor Shony Alex Braun’s story. Armenian violinist Erik Ghukasyan who was a refugee living in Mexico is having his musical debut with the orchestra. In the documentary, he travels to Aushwitz to play Shony’s Symphony on Shony’s prized violin. The powerful movie screening begins at 7pm tonight.

Brewing beer can be a tough business. Devon Sanchez knows all about the physical and emotional demands it takes to produce quality drinks. “It’s long hours, sometimes 60 to 80 hours a week,” he said. Sanchez owns and operates Desert Beer Company in Palm Desert. He says the pressure to produce perfect pints can sometimes overflow into stress and anxiety. “You do the best you can to cope with it, take your time with everything,” he said. “I try to sit down and actually go through and line out everything I need to do. But a lot of times that can get away from you.” Now a non-profit is teaming up with the Betty Ford Center and providing mental health services to craft beverage employees and their families for free. “In the craft beer industry, particularly let’s say hospitality, food and beverage, they’re tied at the top with construction and the entertainment industry for most usage of drugs and alcohol,” said John Sakacs, outreach manager with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Sakacs and his team are working with Infinite Ingredient to promote a new workplace wellbeing