The Desert Sun
Golf in the heat? Just head inside
Even most golf-crazed desert rats would surely agree that a day on the links sounds about as appealing as a root canal when it's 110 degrees outside. But one blazing August day in La Quinta, about 10 people were happily playing on the mountain-ringed...
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A DEADLY WALK
Jaime Castro started the day working with his father, then hung out with his friends later in downtown Palm Springs. It was about 7 p.m. when he got back home. h But he wasn’t there the next morning. h His father, also named Jaime Castro, wasn’t too...
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A GAME AND SOME LAUGHS
Fans of Chinese Mahjong, a traditional tile-matching game, gather every Thursday afternoon to play at the La Quinta Library. Above, Veronica Vandenburg of Indio, center, laughs with fellow players during a game this week. At right, a foursome picks...
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Who’s running, who’s stepping down from health board?
The Desert Healthcare District Board of Directors will have a bit of a shakeup during the Nov. 3 general election. Of the five seats that are up for election, three board members have announced they will not seek reelection. Those include Carole...
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Colleges confront decline in reading
Anyone who has spent time on a college campus lately has probably heard laments from faculty about their students’ reading habits, or rather nonreading habits. Such complaints are more than an unfounded nostalgia for a bygone age. Reading – not just...
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HIGH COURT FACEOFF
Justices for California’s highest court asked pointed questions this week about Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of around 650,000 ballots as the court heard two legal challenges to the sheriff ’s investigation. h The California Supreme...
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KNOW YOUR FOOD
The much-publicized recent cyclosporiasis outbreak, which sickened thousands of people and killed two in 17 states, couldn’t have come at a worse time for Native Foods. The Palm Springs plant-based restaurant’s co-owner, Sean Reynolds, said the...
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DESERT BUZZ
If you’ve been feeling a jolt of energy in the Coachella Valley lately, there’s a reason for that. h Over the past year, several new coffee shops have opened all across the desert, offering classic java drinks and unique flavor combinations. Cafes have...
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RIVER RELIANCE
The Colorado River, a crucial water supply for about 40 million people and millions of acres of farmland across the West, including in the Coachella Valley, continues to break the wrong kind of records. h Lake Mead, one of two crucial Colorado River...
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Embryo personhood debate gains notice
About 100,000 babies were born through in vitro fertilization in 2024, according to the most recent U.S. data. But IVF commonly involves trying to create multiple embryos, because success is never guaranteed. If unused, those embryos can be frozen,...
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FOOTBALL FRESH START
The 2026 high school football season in the Coachella Valley begins Friday. If you’re wondering what to expect, we have you covered. There are several storylines marking the start of the new season. We’ve circled six of them that we’re following...
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‘This is your beginning’
An expected high near 110 degrees hardly made it feel like the end of summer break. But in much of the Coachella Valley, school was back in session on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Palm Springs Unified is already two weeks into the 2026-27 school year, and now...
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New wildfire-defense changes coming to homeowners
California homeowners could be required to make some changes to their landscaping thanks to a new statewide wildfire-defense policy in what officials described as a first for California — and the nation. Officials could adopt the policy on Aug. 19, and...
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Is ‘blue dot fever’ affecting Acrisure Arena?
In December 2022, ahead of Acrisure Arena’s opening, Oak View Group cofounder and former CEO Tim Leiweke told The Desert Sun that it would be a “world-class arena” hosting both the new Coachella Valley Firebirds hockey team and various live...
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A new Mexican joint, two coffee shops & deli update
Summer has been a typically slow period for new restaurant openings in the Coachella Valley, but there have been a few — and they’ve had us seeing double. Two local favorites and a national chain that already have valley locations — La Cocina De Mama...
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HOW TO BUILD A SCHOOL
The spirit of Palm Valley School, which closed suddenly in June, will live through a new private school that some of its former parents and teachers have spent the summer starting from scratch. h Valley Independent Preparatory Academy plans to open...
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Al-Qaida, Islamic State group adopting AI
Artificial intelligence may not create a new kind of terrorism, but it makes existing tactics cheaper, faster and easier. That is the central argument of a July report from the U.S.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies. h It...
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HISTORIC TREES?
A preservationist group in Palm Springs has launched an effort to stop the controversial trimming of palm trees along Palm Canyon Drive. The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation has written a proposal that would preserve the rows of palm trees along...
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Who serves the best pizza in the Coachella Valley?
If there’s one food that seems to generate discussion and, yes, dispute, in the Coachella Valley, it’s pizza. Most locals seem to agree our Mexican food and bunch offerings are on point, and won’t push back if someone says we could use a few more good...
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An Ibiza-inspired EDM party is redefining the valley music scene
On a recent hot Saturday night, Indio’s Dune Room music venue was washed in red light, with additional light sticks hanging from the ceiling. Palm Springs DJ ASI was playing music with steady, warm bass lines, and the beats were emanating from a custom...
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Family sues over CEO’s alleged killing of woman in car crash
The daughter of a 60-year-old woman killed in a 2024 hit-and-run crash has filed a lawsuit against the CEO accused of being at the wheel, his company, and the city of Cathedral City. The lawsuit alleges Palm Springsbased Silvercrest Advertising bears...
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MAKING US SAFER OR THREAT TO PRIVACY?
Every day in the Coachella Valley, hundreds of cameras perched near major intersections capture images of tens of thousands of passing cars, storing data on each car’s license plate, make and model. One person alone could have their car photographed...
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Home sales on the rise across CA
California’s housing market is sending a mixed signal this summer: home prices have largely stalled across many major metro areas, but buyers are returning and sales activity is picking up. Data from Zillow’s June 2026 Market Report and the California...
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The oceans are sending mixed climate signals
The Pacific Ocean is heating up, El Niño is strengthening and a marine heat wave is lingering off the California coast — but another ocean pattern in the Atlantic could add complexity to the climate signals scientists are watching. Scientists are...
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Expanding college access
Some teenagers could soon earn a college degree for free while working toward their high school diploma. Designed to expand college access and opportunities for local students, the first and only “middle college” high school in the Coachella Valley...
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DANCE IN THE DESERT
The desert may be hot this time of year, but that’s not stopping anyone from dancing their hearts out. The first Dancing with the Stars Con kicked off Friday, July 31, at Palm Desert’s Acrisure Arena. The fan convention and live show brings both...
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RENOVATION RESERVATIONS?
La Quinta Resort & Club, long known for its relaxed vintage charm, is on the verge of adding one amenity it hasn’t had before: water slides. That plan, however, is raising eyebrows among some who live in condos adjacent to the proposed water slides...
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Different kinds of justice
WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett likes to note that the black robes she and her colleagues wear show that the nine justices are “united symbolically.” Despite different personalities, legal philosophies and backgrounds, the robes...
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‘THE DECLINE IS SIGNIFICANT’
When Ashton Reed voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, he was drawn by Trump’s vow to recharge the economy and curb the inflation that many around his hometown of Jackson, Missouri, blamed on then-President Joe Biden. Reed, 22, who has worked at...
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ECHOES OF THE PAST
For almost two years in Indio during the mid’90s, a venue at the city’s entrance along Highway 111 was the only place in the Coachella Valley where teenagers and other local music fans who couldn’t go to Los Angeles could see bands such as Kyuss, the...
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‘A good car town’
Jill Beck and Karl Thomson share a deep love of cars. Decades ago, before they met each other, they both experienced the thrill and victory of racing cars. Years later, they operated a professional auto racing team — based first in Toronto and later in...
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Citrus Ranch plan could finally be moving forward
In 2007, about 1,200 acres of desert land hugging the Indio Hills seemed poised to become the Coachella Valley’s latest hub for resort-style desert living, complete with a golf course, a 65-room boutique hotel and about 3,000 homes. But nearly 20...
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California’s oldest churches still stand centuries later
Throughout the early 16th century, Spanish explorers saw North America’s Pacific Coast as “a difficult and distant place to reach,” according to The California Frontier Project. Despite being “the furthest point of the known world,” Spain believed it...
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Struttin’ his stuff on stage
If there’s anything “Dancing with the Stars” pro Ezra Sosa can promise with the show’s first-ever convention, it’s plenty of fun with his “girlies,” including entertainer JoJo Siwa. h Dancing with the Stars Con, which will take place July 31 through...
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A VISION FOR VACANT LAND
For decades, Indio’s leaders have wanted to transform its portion of Highway 111 from a car-oriented commercial strip into a more citylike hub of mixed-use, walkable developments. City officials have called much of the space along the highway...
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RAPTOR RESCUE
Arescued bald eagle near Big Bear Lake may be Jackie, the mate of Shadow, one half of the famous bald eagle pair whose San Bernardino Mountains nest has attracted viewers around the world. h The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation...
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FDA still seeks cause of outbreak
Federal health officials are continuing to test food items for cyclospora after walking back its statement about discovering a match in one sample of iceberg lettuce for the parasite that has caused thousands of people nationwide to fall sick. After a...
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Ripa, Consuelos tour Indian Canyons with tribe vice chair
Anthony Purnel, vice chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, was recently featured on a Disney TV special with “Live with Kelly and Mark” co-hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. h The segment, which featured Purnel leading Ripa and...
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IT’S TIME TO GET WEIRD IN THE DESERT
The desert is a notoriously strange place filled with colorful characters and quirky towns. For travelers, that means plenty of amusing places for memorable pitstops. h So, whether you’re a Coachella Valley local looking to get out of the house for a...
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Quartz countertops driving health crisis
If you walk into a Costco, Home Depot or Lowe’s and order a countertop for your kitchen renovation, the store will likely contract with a local fabrication shop, instructing them to make one from a material called engineered stone. h Often marketed as...
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1 dead, 3 remain missing in Alcatraz boat incident
One person died, and three people were missing after a boat capsized in the San Francisco Bay on Tuesday, July 14, spurring search-and-rescue operations that were expected to continue throughout the night. San Francisco Fire Department received a...
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Program gives struggling artists $1,000 a month
Though artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to produce images, music and text, the technology is also making it harder for the people who have traditionally produced this work to earn a living. A photographer who once was commissioned...
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‘Connected to the cosmos’
Joe Canoura practices the flute every morning, performs every Wednesday at Shadow Mountain Golf Club, and spends Sundays at The Dune Room’s Café Rumba dancing with his wife. At 92, the rhythm of his life hasn’t slowed a beat. Canoura, a professional...
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Rodents, permit issues close 2 Palm Springs bars
Two Coachella Valley facilities were shut down this week by inspectors while another two were downgraded, according to Riverside County health reports. Copa Nightclub in Palm Springs was shut down by inspectors for operating without a valid...
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Safety issues beset Silicon Valley defense startup
Ayear ago, Ryan Tseng, the head of U.S. defense tech startup Shield AI, announced his company had turned a new page. After a gory incident that partially severed a U.S. Navy official’s fingers during a test of its V-BAT drone, Shield AI had addressed...
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‘Skirts’ on many palm trees to get a trimming
Palm Springs will move forward with trimming the natural “skirts” of many palm trees on public property after a contentious city council meeting. In a 4-1 vote with Councilmember David Ready dissenting, the council approved a new trimming policy that...
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New restaurants dishing up barbecue, beer and tamales
The start of summer typically heralds the dawn of the “slow season” in the Coachella Valley, as the onslaught of relentless triple-digit temps can keep even hardy souls away. h But there hasn't been much slow about it this year. The season’s arrival...
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Design concerns delay final In-N-Out approval
In-N-OutA proposal for the first In-N-Out Burger in Palm Springs has tentatively cleared one of its last hurdles, but a city panel withheld final approval over concerns about the restaurant building's design. On Monday, July 6, the Palm Springs...
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Clean, sleek design style perfect for desert climate
Palm Springs is known around the world as a haven for mid-century modern architecture. But aside from looking good, the style is perfectly adapted for the region’s desert climate. As the name suggests, mid-century modern homes began to be designed in...
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PARTY IN THE U.S.A.
Fourth of July celebrations in every corner of the Coachella Valley felt particularly special this year because they marked a huge milestone: America’s 250 birthday. The City of Coachella kicked off the festivities early on Thursday, July 2 at...
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The year of America’s birth
In 1776, as colonists along the Atlantic declared independence from Britain, there were no European settlements in what we know as the Coachella Valley. h California was then Alta California, under Spanish control. Missions were expanding along the...
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SUDOKU
Insert numbers 1-9 in each box with every row, column and 3x3 box containing the digits just once. Difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest) RATING: GOLD YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
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California woman reflects on a century
The thought of living to 100 is not one most people share, and for Elizabeth Gonce, who will become a centenarian on July 4, it was not either. From the Great Depression through World War II and into today’s digital era, the California native has...
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¡SÍ SE PUEDE!
Elias Banegas, center, and fellow Mexico fans cheer while watching a live stream of the World Cup round of 32 knockout match against Ecuador at Las Palmas Brewing in Palm Springs on June 30. Mexico won 2-0. Mayovie Guzman dons a foam finger while...
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In soccer stronghold California, World Cup is a seismic event
SAN JOSE—Flying high in their best-ever start to a season, the San Jose Earthquakes rule soccer in these parts of California, but they’re making way for new kings as the United States prepare for a World Cup knockout match against Bosnia on...
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WHERE THE WIND TAKES US
ABOVE: Blowing sand builds up on the wall at Gene Autry Trail railroad overpass, which remained closed to through traffic due to strong winds causing hazardous conditions in Palm Springs on June 28. AT RIGHT: A camera flash makes blowing sand more...
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Comedy club, axe throwing club, more now open
The desert’s most famous city center has seen a bevy of new business openings in the past few months, everything from a comedy club to a place where you can smash old glass bottles for stress relief (really!). The pace of change in downtown Palm...
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RESERVOIR DROPS
Lake Powell — the massive Colorado River reservoir that helps supply water and power across the West — is entering peak summer at its lowest level on record, raising fresh concerns about water supplies that millions of Californians depend on. Federal...
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KNOCKOUT QUEEN CROWNED
The Knockout Queen, a new California State Athletic Commission-sanctioned boxing event featuring female content creators, OnlyFans models and a few professional boxers, ended with Australian model/creator Rebecca McLeod’s first-ever boxing belt. McLeod...
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Strait of Hormuz traffic rebounds
DUBAI – Oil prices fell to prewar levels on June 25 as the United States said flows through the Strait of Hormuz were nearing normal and its top diplomat wrapped up a Gulf tour aimed at winning support for a preliminary Iran deal. Energy Secretary...
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Family affair
New York City is synonymous with die-hard basketball fans, endless debates over the best bagels or pizza and its love affair with bodegas. Inside these small neighborhood convenience stores are a plethora of household items and snacks. But for the...
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POST-PANDEMIC, PATIOS DEBATED IN PALM DESERT
Little Bar in Palm Desert may soon have to remove its popular deck due to an unresolved issue between its landlord and the city over liability. The bar along Highway 111 faces a June 30 deadline to comply with the city’s rules for temporary outdoor...
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How Holocaust artifacts found at thrift store will be preserved
Susan Cox was just a few weeks into a job volunteering at Revivals, a popular thrift store in Palm Springs, when she recently made an unforgettable discovery. As Cox was sorting through donated items in the store’s back room, she came across a couple...
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Review: Shakira got all the she wolves on their feet
If Shakira’s performance at Acrisure Arena was her audition tape for headlining a future Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, consider her at the top of our list. The Colombian superstar took the Palm Desert stage by storm on Wednesday, June 17,...
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Desert stories get their spotlight
Move over, Hollywood, the Coachella Valley is ready for its closeup. h The upcoming Palm Springs International ShortFest, which runs June 23-29, will feature more than 300 short films from all around the world. Screenings will take place at Festival...
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New restaurants wrap
The new restaurant at Indian Wells’ Renaissance Esmerelda Resort & Spa takes its name — and guiding ethos — from the seven gallons of olive oil sourced from the first harvest of the resort’s on-site olive trees. As the website explains, those gallons...
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