News

Indio woman killed in I‑10 crash near PS

The late-night crash followed two other fatal collisions Sunday.

• 8:21 AM

DUI suspected in crash into wall

A Palm Desert woman was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol Sunday night after hitting a wall in her Pontiac Grand Am while trying to make a turn on Courtside Drive in Palm Desert, police said Monday.

• 9:55 AM

Motorcyclist killed in crash was 'full of life'

Three separate crashes Sunday claimed the lives of three Coachella Valley residents.

• 8:48 AM

Joshua Tree National Park better prepared for peak season than peers

Many national parks are finalizing plans to hire fewer temporary employees this summer, close some campgrounds and scale back popular family programs such as ranger-led nature walks and cultural tours because of mandatory budget cuts that took effect March 1.

• May 19, 2013

Sunnylands invites families to explore sculpture, pottery

Artist Bill Anson was pounding away Sunday afternoon on a new sculpture of copper and cedar, while across the lawn at the Sunnylands Center & Gardens, Scott Lauer was busy at his pottery wheel.

• May 19, 2013

Store reopens after it was hit in crash

Two months after a Mercedes was driven straight into his Postal Annex store, Clint Rodgers considers himself a lucky man.

• May 19, 2013

Missing audits draw attention to Chiriaco Summit Water District

The Riverside County auditor-controller has found the Chiriaco Summit Water District non-compliant with state law — having failed to submit to an audit each of the past nine years — and is asking the state Controller's Office to look into the possibility of fraud, waste or abuse.

• May 19, 2013

Small Florida city wonders who won $590 million jackpot

Some lucky person walked into a Publix supermarket in suburban Florida over the past few days and bought a ticket now worth an estimated $590.5 million — the highest Powerball jackpot in history.

• May 19, 2013

SunLine misses audit deadline

The Riverside County Transportation Commission was forced to withhold a payment of more than $800,000 to SunLine Transit Agency last month after the valley bus operator missed a deadline for submitting its annual financial audit.

• 7:56 AM

White House insists Obama was not involved in IRS

A top White House adviser insisted Sunday that President Barack Obama learned the Internal Revenue Service had targeted tea party groups only 'when it came out in the news' while Republicans continued to press the administration for more answers.

• May 19, 2013

Officials surprised by tribe's quest for legal relief

Under Richard Milanovich, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians evolved from an impoverished people into a political powerhouse.

• May 19, 2013

Boats from Savannah High, Glendora High win Solar Cup

Boats from Savannah High School in Anaheim and Glendora High School in eastern L.A. County won the 11th annual Solar Cup boat races Sunday near Temecula.

• May 19, 2013

Community briefs for Monday, May 20

Community-related news and notes from across the Coachella Valley

• May 19, 2013

Predawn power outage affects 3-block area of Rancho Mirage

An equipment failure in an underground vault triggered a predawn power outage Sunday that affected 33 businesses and homes in a three-block area of Rancho Mirage, a spokeswoman said.

• May 19, 2013

15 motorists arrested or cited at Riverside County checkpoints

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department on Sunday released the results of two sobriety/driver's license checkpoints in the county.

• May 19, 2013

1 killed, 2 suffer major injuries in traffic collision in Palm Desert

One person is dead and two people suffered major injuries early Sunday morning in a traffic collision at Highway 74 between El Paseo and Highway 111 in Palm Desert, a Riverside County Sheriff's spokesman said.

• May 19, 2013

See prom photos at mydesert.com/prom

• May 19, 2013

Lawsuit claims agencies put water supply at risk

Water from the Colorado River flows through a canal and a pipeline, and then pours into ponds in the Coachella Valley. That water seeps down through the sandy soil to the aquifer and enables the desert to bloom in an oasis of thousands of palm-studded gardens, golf courses and swimming pools.

• May 19, 2013

Marine rose from 'mouse' to special ops duty

Cathedral City High School history teacher Lee Wilson served as a cryptologist — and later a linguist (he speaks Russian) — during his four years of active duty and eight years of reserve duty in the U.S. Marine Corps.

• May 19, 2013

Political Insider: Brian Nestande website flickers on feed

Assemblyman Brian Nestande's campaign website made a brief debut last week, and immediately raised questions about whether the congressional candidate was blurring the lines with his state legislative duties.

• May 18, 2013

Ramon Road makeover to begin in Cathedral City

A much-needed improvement project is scheduled to begin Monday on one of Cathedral City's busiest and bumpiest streets.

• May 18, 2013

Students' talents on display at All District Arts Show

Palm Springs Unified School District displayed more than 200 pieces of art created by pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students at its sixth annual All District Arts Show on Saturday.

• May 18, 2013

Mother, daughter duo to get diplomas

Graduation Day is a time to celebrate achievement, and Deborah and Denise Powell of Indio have overcome much.

• May 18, 2013

Authorities: Hofstra student killed by police

A Hofstra University student being held at gunpoint by an intruder was accidently shot and killed by a police officer who had responded to the home invasion at an off-campus home, police said Saturday.

• May 18, 2013

Powerball numbers are in

Of course, the chances of winning the $600 million prize remain astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. And lottery officials said Saturday that 80 percent of the possible combinations have been purchased.

• May 18, 2013

Up to 60 injured after car drives into Va. parade

About 50 to 60 people were injured Saturday when a driver described by witnesses as an elderly man drove his car into a group of hikers marching in a parade in a small Virginia mountain town.

• May 18, 2013

Graphic: Aquifer under stress

The Coachella Valley uses water from the Colorado River to replenish its natural reservoir of groundwater. A lawsuit by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

• May 18, 2013

Parking fees at California state beaches heat up

Sunbathers flocking to Southern California beaches are used to feeding the meter or paying a parking attendant. Not so along the less developed north coast where it's customary to ditch cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 to surf, swim or picnic.

• May 18, 2013

Palm Springs police arrest man on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle

Police arrested a man early Saturday morning on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle, Sgt. Kelly Fieux said.

• May 18, 2013

Public safety briefs for Sunday, May 19, 2013

Authorities released the name of an Idyllwild rockclimber who died Friday after falling 150 feet.

• May 19, 2013

Community briefs for Sunday, May 19, 2013

A caregiver support group funded by Riverside County Department of Mental Health meets from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursdays at The Space, 66-525 Pierson Blvd., near Palm Drive.

• May 19, 2013

Police close Palm Springs marijuana dispensaries

Two medical marijuana dispensaries ordered by the court to close were visited Friday by Palm Springs police to ensure they were following orders.

• May 17, 2013

Businessman dead; RM fire ruled arson

Craig Marlar — a longtime Coachella Valley businessman who battled over ownership of the fire-ravaged GG's Island — is dead, The Desert Sun learned Friday.

• May 17, 2013

Charter revoked for Father's Heart in Thousand Palms

A charter school in Thousand Palms will have to close its doors for good by the end of this school year, forcing about 70 students to move to other Coachella Valley schools.

• May 17, 2013

New video: Banjo the dog adopted

Banjo's hobo days are behind him. The 11-month-old poodle-terrier mix — found by a Union Pacific crew tied to train tracks in Mecca on April 2 — finally has a home with Jeff and Louisa Moore and their Tibetan terrier Lali.

• May 17, 2013

New Cathedral City church to focus on unity

People looking for a different spin to traditional religious worship will soon have a chance to check out a new church in Cathedral City.

• May 17, 2013

Jodi Arias victim's family makes dramatic statement

For 4 1/2 months the trial has been about Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander, two attractive young people whose obsessive sexual relationship exploded into murder. One of the lovers is dead, the other may soon be sent to death row.

• May 17, 2013

Audit: City of Riverside holding onto funds

The city of Riverside is not complying with rules regarding the disposal of assets possessed by redevelopment agencies dissolved by the Legislature in 2011, and is instead holding onto funds it shouldn't, according to findings released this week by the state controller's office.

• May 17, 2013

Report: Yahoo nearing $1.1B acquisition of Tumblr

Yahoo may be on the verge of closing its biggest acquisition during the 10-month reign of CEO Marissa Mayer as she tries to attract more traffic and advertisers to the Internet company's website and mobile applications.

• May 17, 2013

California AG meets with new task force on guns

California Attorney General Kamala Harris met with a new statewide taskforce of district attorneys Friday to study ways to reduce gun violence and enforce existing law.

• May 17, 2013

Strong winds expected across Coachella Valley through Saturday

Strong winds are expected to blow through the Coachella Valley and Riverside County mountains this afternoon through early Saturday, especially north of I-10.

• May 17, 2013

Powerball jackpot grows to $600 million

Powerball officials say the jackpot has climbed to an estimated $600 million, making it the largest prize in the game's history and the world's second largest lottery prize.

• May 17, 2013

Public safety briefs for Saturday, May 18, 2013

A rock climber died Friday after falling 150 feet in Idyllwild.

• May 17, 2013

Man enters plea in Jurupa Valley exposure case

A 57-year-old man accused of exposing himself to a girl in a Jurupa Valley supermarket pleaded not guilty Friday to indecent exposure.

• May 17, 2013

Ex-con accused of killing homeless man to stand trial

An ex-con accused of fatally beating a homeless man with a rock during a confrontation in a transient camp near Lake Elsinore must stand trial on murder and other charges, a judge ruled Friday.

• May 17, 2013

Garage in La Quinta catches fire Friday night

At 8:42 p.m., firefighters were called to a single-story home in the 78-900 block of Zenith Way, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

• May 17, 2013

Suspect in La Quinta Chase bank skimming case charged

Criminal charges were filed Friday against a 29-year-old Sun Valley man who allegedly used an electronic skimmer to steal account information from Chase bank customers at a La Quinta branch.

• May 17, 2013

Blythe man pleads not guilty by way of insanity

A Blythe man pleaded not guilty by insanity this week to a crime spree in which he allegedly broke into a senior apartment building, started a fire, drove a stolen car into some firefighters and took a victim hostage at gunpoint, using him as a shield.

• May 17, 2013

Ex-CVUSD official sentenced to prison

The former Coachella Valley Unified School District transportation director was sentenced Friday afternoon to nearly seven years in prison for misappropriating and embezzling district funds.

• May 17, 2013