FNX (First Nations Experience) has announced the launch of a streaming app and platform tailored exclusively to showcase Native American and Indigenous voices and stories from around the world FNX debuted as a PBS-affiliated broadcast channel in September 2011 and was established through a collaboration with KVCR television on the San Bernardino Valley College campus The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians provided a start-up grant for the program The new FNX App has also been developed with funding from a grant from San Manuel "Creating a streaming platform for FNX advances our vision for Native American and Indigenous media creations to share our experiences with the world We are proud to support an initiative that will bring opportunities for Native American creatives to make their mark on entertainment and education," Lynn Valbuena chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians "We look forward to the stories and quality content that will be shared through this new streaming app." How can I access the FNX app?The FNX app is available for free on a number of different platforms Viewers can access it online at fnx.lightcast.com on the Apple and Android app stores and streaming platforms Roku users just need to type in their email address A press release states that the app is available to more than 85% of the U.S What is available to stream on the FNX app?Native community members have described the app as "Native Netflix," given the vast amount of shows documentaries and other content available on the platform including "This is Indian Country" by Ruth-Ann Thorn (which explores different cities and reservations around the country) "Puntos de Vida" (a maestra of artesania and her two students during their Mayan embroidery tour in Yucatan Mexico) and "Sasquatch'n" (dives deep into secret Native societies to uncover knowledge about the Sasquatch) Films and television series cover a variety of topics including an animated story about two kids navigating a move ("Wapos Bay: Long Goodbyes") a teenager sent to spend the summer in a small Arctic Circle community ("The Sun at Midnight") stories of tribal self-governance and sovereignty ("For Our People") and others "This is a monumental and significant joyful moment for Native American representation in media," Thorn said in a statement I've been working to amplify the voices and stories of our people and my series 'This Is Indian Country,' which is featured on it represent a powerful step forward in sharing our narrative." FNX is hosting a red carpet gala event on May 1 at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage The evening will include a showcase of entertainment and Indigenous cuisine featuring: Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic ShareSaveLeadershipForbesBLKSip, Soak, and Stay: Inside the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage’s RefreshByAshlee Marie Preston Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights 07:02pm EDTShareSaveDesign-forward upgrades and a Veuve Clicquot collaboration worth toasting uncork a new era of desert luxury.The Ritz-Carlton Resort in Rancho Mirage After a two-year, multimillion-dollar renovation, The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage unveils its reimagined hillside oasis setting a new standard of contemporary luxury across the property the resort partnered with legendary champagne house Veuve Clicquot debuting a limited-time poolside experience infused with its signature joie de vivre The La Grande Dame Lounge and Solaire Terrasse Vista Pool Experience invites guests to indulge in curated bottle service and panoramic views—all while sipping chilled Veuve Clicquot under the desert sun They can also take in live champagne sabering demonstrations while luxuriating in Veuve-branded cabanas outfitted with flatscreen TVs the real star of the show is the setting itself Cradled between the wide sweep of the Coachella Valley and the rugged foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains the property’s surroundings offer grandeur that craftsmanship alone can’t outshine It’s the kind of soul-stirring backdrop today’s travelers are craving more than ever the titanite crystals and the luminous energy of selenite create a sensory interplay that nurtures clarity and a gentle stillness often elusive in modern life Though guests may not immediately recognize the metaphysical properties at play and a deeper resonance with their surroundings and warm sand blend with textured materials like handcrafted leather and stone-clad walls Even the spa’s chandelier pays homage to the land its 222 crystals catching the light in a dazzling tribute to the desert’s mineral wealth Nature lovers find even more to admire as they explore the grounds Towering Madagascar palms and colorful blooms line the path to the entrance while sculptural clusters of Blue Glow Agave and Barrel Cactus create striking focal points nearby The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage front drive entrance A striking stone fireplace commands the room plush seating areas offer an easy place to settle in—whether you’re waiting for check-in or just taking a moment to linger known for his intricate organic sculptures thread the desert’s lifeblood through the space celebrated for their vibrant interpretations of nature colorful dimension to the resorts’s curated art collection offering rare finds for travelers seeking a bit of retail therapy a discreet service desk tempts guests with a colorful candy station—small unexpected touches that make the experience feel both polished and playful a curated collection from Dawson Cole Fine Art lines the main corridors bringing world-class artistry into the walk from the lobby to the spa the terrace spills out onto a glistening reflection fountain framed by a Tuscan coastal garden and sweeping valley views drought-hardy plants like Lady’s Slipper orchids and life to the grounds—demonstrating how intentional design can work hand-in-hand with the land Guest rooms and suites carry that indoor-outdoor synergy forward Standard rooms offer serene desert views and thoughtful amenities while the Vista Residential Suites elevate the experience with expansive layouts and cozy fire pits—perfect for evening relaxation under the stars For those seeking absolute privacy and a more personalized stay the 1,700-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Suite claims the crown with panoramic balcony views that stretch across the desert valley and roll toward the horizon the silhouettes of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains complete the scene vintage black-and-white portraits of Hollywood icons line the walls when Rancho Mirage served as a lesser-known extension of the stars’ desert escape sought refuge just far enough from Los Angeles to escape the flash of camera bulbs yet close enough to be called back to set at a moment’s notice Today’s travelers seeking a quick staycation can still tap into that timeless allure high-art and warm retro-modern touches make the suite feel more like a private desert residence than a hotel stay Dining across the property mirrors the same level of craftsmanship and care the all-day menu celebrates California’s agricultural bounty highlighting fresh ingredients like Coachella Valley dates The restaurant’s open-air patio sets the perfect stage for sunrise juice flights or late-night cocktails under the stars State Fare Bar & Kitchen Bradshaw Room Positioned at the highest point of the property The Edge Steakhouse strikes a more distinguished note it draws both resort guests and locals for its cinematic valley views and sharp culinary execution Though famed for its prime steak and seafood selections The Edge defies expectations with Michelin-inspired plant-based offerings like the popular Miso Glaze Mushroom Steak The meaty texture and savory depth could easily rival any traditional cut Add in a tightly curated international wine list and floor-to-ceiling windows—and you’ve got one of the most sought-after dining reservations in the valley The resort’s wellness offerings are just as coveted The 28,000-square-foot spa offers treatments that incorporate indigenous botanicals Signature experiences include the Spirit of the Mountains journey which utilizes native herbs and mineral salts to balance and rejuvenate guests can retreat to plush lounges stocked with gourmet snacks and throne-like chairs that invite smooth integration the spa also features multisensory showers—infused with scents like lavender and eucalyptus—alongside steam rooms and families alike find their perfect reset the spa makes it easy to leave behind the deadlines The resort’s Green Meeting Initiatives also set a new gold standard for event sustainability Guests attending conferences or retreats onsite encounter eco-conscious details like reusable vinyl insulated lunch boxes and notepads made from post-consumer waste and a table linen reuse program further minimize the property’s carbon footprint gently used towels are donated to mobile shower units serving the unhoused while special Giving Tuesdays dinners at State Fare Bar & Kitchen donate $5 per entrée to nonprofit partners like Olive Crest From the resort’s stellar commitment to the planet to its interstellar offerings beyond it Rancho Mirage invites guests to expand their gaze For those looking to connect with the cosmos the hotel offers complimentary stargazing sessions on select evenings Guests are guided through the night sky’s wonders using an 11-inch computerized telescope They can observe the glowing bands of Jupiter and even the spiraling arms of the Andromeda Galaxy Daytime visitors can also experience sungazing through a solar-filtered telescope set up outdoors at select locations around the resort—a rare opportunity to safely observe the sun’s radiance from one of the desert’s most pristine vantage points The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge enhances the stay with yet another layer of exclusivity Guests with club access enjoy a private parlor Local artist Timothy Mulligan also lent his touch to the space creating customized artwork inspired by the region’s natural textures and tones with artful game sets like polished tic-tac-toe and a sleek Connect Four that double as decor Access is included with Vista Suites and The Ritz-Carlton Suite delivering an elevated stay within an already rarefied escape Rancho Mirage extends well beyond the resort’s limits Adventurous guests can book a Red Jeep Tour of the nearby San Andreas Fault led by naturalists and geologists who decode the desert’s dramatic landscapes Cultural highlights include the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum honoring the heritage of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians the iconic Sunnylands Center & Gardens now welcomes visitors to wide-open desert gardens and guided tours celebrating both art and architecture For those craving a taste of the local harvest the Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market brings together growers small-batch preserves—all just a short drive from the resort and thoughtful nods to local culture and history Rancho Mirage isn’t simply celebrating a renovation more resonant chapter—and with a chilled glass of Veuve Clicquot in hand For more leisure and activities in the area visit here Disclosure: The contributor traveled to Rancho Mirage as a guest of The Ritz-Carlton though all views expressed are entirely their own A Rancho Mirage private elementary school teacher was arrested at his Yucca Valley home Tuesday on suspicion of numerous counts of child molestation stemming from the alleged long-term abuse of an underage girl was being held without bail after being booked on suspicion of five child sex abuse-related felonies including continuous sexual abuse of a minor according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department officials and records The investigation unfolded quickly after deputies were notified of the allegations on Monday via a 911 call The alleged abuse involved a now-16-year-old girl "During this investigation, detectives learned Stephen Spurlock, who is currently a teacher at a private school in Rancho Mirage, had molested the victim on countless occasions since the victim was 14 years old," according to a sheriff's department statement investigators showed up at Spurlock's home on Tuesday morning with a search warrant Several items of evidence related to the investigation were seized and Spurlock was taken into custody It was determined the suspect was employed as a teacher at a private school in Rancho Mirage Spurlock was listed as "lower school faculty and athletic coach" on the directory of Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage "Given the nature of this abuse by Spurlock and in his capacity as a school teacher and coach detectives suspect there may be additional victims in both San Bernardino and Riverside counties," the statement said "Spurlock's booking photo is being released for reference." Officials did not disclose how the suspect knew the victim He was scheduled to appear for an arraignment hearing Thursday in San Bernardino County Superior Court More: Ex-school bus driver from Hesperia pleads guilty in federal child pornography case Anyone with information was urged to contact the Sheriff's Morongo Basin Station at (760) 366-4175. Information may also be provided anonymously to the We-Tip hotline at (800) 782-7463 Stephen Spurlock worked as a guest teacher/certificated specialist in the Desert Sands Unified School District 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 Spurlock was charged Thursday with 21 felony counts of sexual abuse He is scheduled to be arraigned in court Friday in Rancho Cucamonga – A teacher and coach from the Coachella Valley is under arrest facing multiple felony charges for allegedly molesting a teenager for over two years According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department was taken into custody after a 911 call reporting ongoing abuse Investigators say the victim was just 14 when the alleged molestation began who teaches and coaches at Palm Valley School School officials told News Channel 3 the incident did not involve a Palm Valley student Spurlock was arrested after detectives served a search warrant at his Yucca Valley home Deputies say they recovered evidence linked to the case during the search He is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday The sheriff’s department believes there may be additional victims in both San Bernardino and Riverside counties Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station at 760-366-4175 the Interim Head of School PVS was notified by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office (Morongo Basin Station) that Stephen Spurlock was arrested in San Bernardino County and charged with sex against a child The Sheriff's office confirmed the incident did not involve a Palm Valley Student nor did it occur on Palm Valley School property Stephen Spurlock was immediately placed on indefinite leave In adherence to our commitment to child protection and accreditation standards Palm Valley School maintains a stringent policy mandating background checks for all individuals working in proximity to students We emphasize our steadfast dedication to the safety of children We extend our gratitude to law enforcement authorities for their diligence in this matter The well-being and safety of our students are paramount We will continue to take all necessary measures to support our community and cooperate with law enforcement Stay with New Channel 3 for any new developments News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines KESQ-TV FCC Public File | KPSP-TV FCC Public File | KDFX-TV FCC Public File | EEO Report | FCC Applications | Do Not Sell My Personal Information Prosecutors filed 21 felony charges against a third-grade teacher at Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage Thursday at the San Bernardino Superior Court related to the alleged long-term sexual abuse of an underage girl Stephen Michael (or Micheal, his middle name is spelled two different ways in court documents) Spurlock, 43, was arrested at his home in Yucca Valley this week after deputies with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Office were notified of the allegations on Monday via a 911 call He was immediately placed on indefinite leave from the private K-12 school Court records show that the charges against Spurlock span more than a year The charges filed against Spurlock include: In an email to the Palm Valley School community on Tuesday the school said the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the incident did not involve a student and did not occur on school property "We are not aware of any threat to any Palm Valley students," the email said According to the mid-April archive of Palm Valley School’s website Spurlock’s biography said he has more than 15 years of experience working with elementary and middle school students Public records show he was previously employed by Desert Sands Unified School District detectives suspect there may be additional victims in both San Bernardino and Riverside counties," a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department statement said A video arraignment for Spurlock is set for 8 a.m May 2 in Rancho Cucamonga before Judge Michael Lough Previous reporting by Brian Day from the Victorville Daily Press was used in this report Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com made a surprise stop at a town hall Saturday in the Coachella Valley where he decried an “unprecedented assault” against America by President Donald Trump’s administration the New York representative who’s led House Democrats since 2023 Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico who drew a standing ovation when Ruiz introduced him said he was already “in the neighborhood” meeting with tribal leaders and wanted to stop by the town hall to discuss the Trump administration which he said is “completely and totally out of control.” which is why we’ve been taking these town hall meetings on the road and will continue to do it in Democratic and Republican districts,” Jeffries said A main topic of Saturday’s town hall was the ongoing discussions to pass a federal budget in D.C., with Republicans in the majority able to pass the omnibus package without any Democratic support. While plans have not been finalized, Jeffries said the budget proposal includes “the largest proposed cut to Medicaid in American history.” “It will hurt children and families and seniors and women and older Americans and everyday Americans with disabilities,” Jeffries said of the proposed budget Democrats are “going to do everything we can to stop this budget in its tracks bury it in the ground and make sure it never rises again,” though he did not share specifics on how the party will do so Jeffries and other lawmakers later mentioned that it “only takes four Republicans” to derail Trump’s legislative agenda “We're going to try as far as we can to find those folks,” Jeffries said noting Democrats in the minority prevented a repeal of the Affordable Care Act in 2017 during the first Trump administration Asked by a resident what Democrats are doing to fight Trump’s agenda Jeffries described the current budget proposal as “the most significant battle line that has been drawn at this particular point in time,” saying the party’s three “battlefields” are in Congress The town hall also featured speakers discussing the local impacts of the proposed cuts whose organization is preparing to have fewer meat and dairy products for delivery this summer due to federal cuts described people who go multiple days without food while providing for their loved ones “If there are cuts … it could be detrimental for people because we will start seeing hunger in a way that we have never seen it before in this country and I don’t think that’s what America is about,” Espinosa said Related: Feds cancel shipments of meat and dairy to Coachella Valley food bank Tom Henderson, an Imperial County resident and Vietnam War veteran, criticized DOGE cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs saying it’s become harder for him to book appointments at his nearest VA hospital in San Diego The quartet of elected officials then took questions from the audience with multiple attendees raising concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration and deportation policies “Where’s the due process?” asked a woman from Indio pointing to fast-track deportations of undocumented immigrants Ruiz reaffirmed that he and his colleagues will fight for every person’s right to due process saying many people have been deported in “a very heartless brutal way.” He also noted some court orders have halted actions by the administration In response to a question about how Democrats can produce a more unified message, Jeffries noted that Trump has the lowest presidential approval rating of any president in modern American history through their first 100 days. (An ABC News poll found Trump with the lowest approval rating in the last 80 years.) is actually breaking through more than it ever has against any other president in American history at this particular point in time,” Jeffries said Other attendees asked about proposed cuts to the Department of Education the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Particularly with the potential elimination of the Department of Education Jeffries said it can only be dismantled by an act of Congress who co-chairs a Democratic steering committee that guides caucus priorities told the crowd that the event in the valley is the first of a series of town halls the party’s steering committee is hosting in red and blue districts across the United States “When we go back to Washington to fight this dangerous Republican budget we're taking your stories with us,” Barragán told the crowd “We are laser-focused on talking to the American people and laser-focused on making sure we have Speaker Hakeem Jeffries in 2026,” she added later in the event Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun Raul Ruiz is inviting the public to attend a town hall in Rancho Mirage on Saturday afternoon It's for the House Democratic Caucus Steering and Policy Committee which helps to shape the party's legislative agenda There will also be a special surprise guest The event begins a 1:00 p.m. and space is limited, so anyone who wants to attend needs to register in advance online at ruiz.house.gov/townhall Ruiz says lawmakers want to hear directly from people about the issues that matter most to them Previous town halls were held in Indio, El Centro, and in Beaumont which News Channel 3's Shay Lawson attended and covered Ruiz on Friday about the town hall and why it matters Longtime TV Game Show Host Wink Martindale Dies at 91 who became one of the most well- known and recognized television game show hosts of his generation by helming programs such as “Tic-Tac-Dough,” “High Rollers” and “Trivial Pursuit,” died today at age 91 Martindale died in Rancho Mirage “surrounded by his family and his beloved wife of 49 years Born Winston Conrad Martindale in Tennessee in 1933 Martindale started working as a disc jockey in Jackson He he made some rock n’ roll history by helping to arrange for Elvis Presley to visit the station and give his first-ever radio interview after it played the singer’s debut record “That’s All Right” in 1954 then taking over the morning show at KRLA and eventually KFWB radio He also had stints at stations including KGIL He made his first foray into television while still in Memphis leading the children’s show “Mars Patrol” and later “Teenage Dance Party,” on which Presley also appeared in 1956 But he scored his first major gig by hosting NBC’s “What’s This Song?” in 1964 That led to more than 20 other hosting gigs including shows such as “Words and Music,” “Gambit,” “The Last Word,” “Instant Recall” and “Tic-Tac-Dough,” which he hosted for about a decade he helped create and produce the game show “Headline Chasers” in association with Merv Griffin He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006 and flowers will be placed on the star Tuesday evening in his memory along with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren Local Entrepreneurs Brings Award-Winning Sandwiches to Rancho Mirage Community RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., March 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Capriotti's Sandwich Shop just opened a new location in Rancho Mirage which is slated to open at 36101 Bob Hope Dr Capriotti's introduces local communities across the U.S to the brand's 40-year-old tradition of slow-roasting whole and other one-of-a-kind sandwiches made using the freshest ingredients The new Capriotti's in Rancho Mirage is owned and operated by two local entrepreneurs Captivated by Capriotti's exceptional sandwiches and unique offerings was the ideal canvas for their new venture A longtime resident with deep roots in the local hospitality industry Steele brings a wealth of experience to the venture His impressive resume includes executive chef and food and beverage director roles at renowned resorts and country clubs Steele also has a proven track record as a successful restaurateur Seeking a new challenge without the complexities of starting from scratch he found the ideal fit in Capriotti's established franchise model I craved a business model that was efficient and rewarding," Steele shared offering a diverse menu with something for everyone We're excited to introduce this culinary gem to our community!" Capriotti's is known for its wide array of sandwiches including The Bobbie: an award-winning creation made with fresh oven-roasted turkey Capriotti's cheesesteaks are made with premium steak or Impossible plant-based meat and melted cheese the new Capriotti's shop will bring a multitude of new jobs to the Rancho Mirage market Capriotti's fans can download the Capriotti's Rewards App on iOS and Android to earn redeem rewards and score free food at Capriotti's shops Capriotti's in Rancho Mirage will offer convenient order-ahead options Capriotti's also offers catering for any event with catered items including cold sub party trays For more information, please visit www.capriottis.com Media Contact: Logan Ruby | Fishman PR | [email protected] | 630-945-0474 Restaurants Retail Food & Beverages New Products & Services Do not sell or share my personal information: Things to Do by | Dec 5 Activity stations include a magnetic bunny kids can decorate PHOTO COURTESY CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY MUSEUM OF THE DESERT Competition strikes at the zipline challenge Children see the Bernoulli effect in action as a wind machine keeps beach balls suspended midair PHOTO COURTESY Sunnylands Center & Gardens What does the constellation Orion look like? Does Mars really appear red? Find out at the Rancho Mirage Observatory the observatory contains a rotating dome that opens to the night skies and a research-grade CDK 700 telescope capable of penetrating into deep space and distant galaxies An outdoor observation deck provides space for visitors to set up their own telescopes PHOTO COURTESY THE WESTIN RANCHO MIRAGE GOLF RESORT & SPA go to Escape Games at The River with a group and test your problem-solving skills against a ticking clock You’ll have 60 minutes to escape from a locked room 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage888-999-1995aguacalientecasinos.com 69825 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage760-341-7323ranchomirageca.gov 71701 Gerald Ford Drive, Rancho Mirage760-321-0602cdmod.org 37977 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage760-202-2222sunnylands.org 70007 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage760-770-4663mistysconsignments.com  71333 Dinah Shore Drive, Rancho Mirage760-328-5955westinranchomirage.com 71800 Highway 111 Suite A-167, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270760-469-2828daveandbusters.com 71680 Highway111 Suite D, Rancho Mirage760-610-1738pinotspalette.com O’Caine’s Irish Pub is preparing to say goodbye to its longtime customers The Rancho Mirage bar announced Friday that it will be closing its doors at the end of March "including the inability to keep up with unreasonable rent hikes and the refusal to allow the sale of the public by the landlord," as reasons for the closure "We'll continue to consider options for re-location," the post said opened in 2019 dedicated to the flavor of Ireland Its offerings include a wide selection of Irish beer and whiskey and Irish-inspired cuisine bangers and mash and corned beef and cabbage O’Caine family historyBrenda Johnson and Mark Pierce shared on the pub's website that they are the eighth and ninth generation descendants of John O’Caine who made his way to America in 1651 from the town of Dungiven John O’Caine was one of the last clansmen of the O'Cahan Clan who ruled the Dungiven region during the 12th through 17th centuries which the website states was one of the most influential clans in the Irish province Ulster The family writes that John O’Caine's grandfather is credited as the original author of the melody known today as "O Danny Boy," which he composed as a tribute following the death of the last of the O'Cahan Chiefs Longtime O’Caine's customers can look to some other Irish pubs in the area if they want to celebrate the green Mickey’s Irish Sports Bar and Grill just recently opened on South Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs is also the home of Shamrock’s Irish Pub (KESQ) - A new expansion is open at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage The ribbon cutting on Monday introduced the casino's addition of over 12,000 square feet of gaming space The expansion includes over 250 new slot machines and table games The month of April also marks Agua Caliente Casinos' 30th year in gaming - since starting back in 1995 Chief Operating Officer Saverio Scheri says they've purchased over 500 additional games for the tribe's three casinos The next era of one of the Coachella Valley’s famous old restaurants is starting to come into focus Lord Fletcher’s, where decades of desert-dwellers noshed on prime rib and other hearty fare from the comfort of familiar old-timey digs for years before it closed in 2020, has been sold to the Life & Times design and development firm Online property records show the restaurant and the land it sits on along Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage said while their team is still in the early stages of making plans for the restaurant they are planning to keep both the Lord’s Fletcher’s name and “the spirit of the place.” will need to be developed but he said fans of the old restaurant should not expect any kind of major construction or changes “We’re not just going to turn the lights on,” he said “But we're going to bring it back to being an important place for people to gather and dine and drink and enjoy and with our touch on it.” Life & Times is the owner of three well-known high desert businesses: The Red Dog Saloon and Pioneertown Motel in Pioneertown and The Copper Room in Yucca Valley the new incarnation of Lord Fletcher’s will be a partnership between Life & Times and two other companies Restaurant operator Last Word Hospitality will manage the food while Alperin Enterprises will handle the beverage offerings Those two companies are both also partners in The Red Dog Saloon and The Copper Room and also have restaurants and bars in Los Angeles who lives in Pioneertown as does his brother who is also a partner in Life & Times said that their business specializes in bringing new life to iconic spaces that people hold near and dear in their memories and that Lord Fletcher’s fits right into that we love that area down there but also its just right in our wheelhouse real kind of soul and is just super special,” he said French said his grandparents frequented Lord Fletcher’s while living in the Palm Springs area for 15 years and that he also lived in Palm Springs “It’s just been fun bringing it up to especially their generation everyone has some story about Lord Fletcher’s,” he said “So it's just kind of cool to absorb all that.” French said his team is currently in “information-gathering mode” and that a key early part of that has been talking with Michael Fletcher the son of the restaurant’s founder who himself ran it for many years and he had some pretty amazing stories about the place,” he said taking inspiration from the countryside inns of his native England The restaurant soon became known as a hotspot frequented by stars like Carey Grant whose portrait later hung by his favorite table Storied history: Sinatra fans pack Lord Fletcher's for a night of stories with The Desert Sun French said it is too early to say what the timeline will be for reopening the restaurant saying he would hate to put something out there and not be able to stick to it “It's obviously such a special and iconic spot so we're super excited for bringing it back to life,” he said Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com Large crowds of protesters gathered in Palms Springs and Rancho Mirage on Saturday to speak out against the Trump administration's actions part of hundreds of such gatherings across the United States and beyond Organizers referred to the national day of action as “Hands Off!” protests and tens of thousands rallied in cities big and small across the country Los Angeles and more locally Joshua Tree and Idyllwild A crowd that appeared to be at least 2,000 strong attended the event in Palm Springs one of the founders of the activist group Courageous Resistance-Indivisible of the Desert The group organized the event and worked with unions the city council and the city's police department to make sure it went smoothly and that the huge turnout showed how many people care about what President Donald Trump and his administration are doing to the country “I think the opposition thinks that we don’t care It’s affecting so many of us and you can see that in the numbers that are turning out right now because we are being undermined,” Silver said Some of us are dying because of the decisions that are made right now.” a Democrat whose district includes about half the Coachella Valley spoke against several Trump administration initiatives — including tariffs that he said will make life more expensive for working families He said Trump's "tariff tax" could cost working families up to $3,000 a year adding that Trump is waging a war to amass more power and wealth at people’s expense to create the autocracy and the dictatorship that Donald Trump wants for America,” Ruiz said a skirt hand-painted over three days with transgender flag-colored flames and an orange Trump with devil horns drew the attention of many fellow protesters the community outreach specialist for the Transgender Health and Wellness Center in Palm Springs said the center lost a $500,000 grant due to the Trump administration’s cuts that would have helped house domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in safe places — simply because “transgender” is in its name I am out here protecting my trans brothers and sisters who are basically afraid to go out in public now because of the harassment that is being done to them,” Holzhauer said “So I am here to send a message that these individuals have always been here Darryl Ponicsan sat in the shade with a sign reading “Trump Shame of Our Nation.” He said he was at the protest for an obvious reason — the United States’ democracy is on the brink not a sucker or a loser,” a reference to disparaging comments Trump has made about veterans in the past with cheers and chants of phrases such as "We fight we win!” “Hey Donald Trump has got to go!” and “Hands off our freedom to have a voice.” There was also an array of signs with messages that included "Fire Trump,” “Fire The Felon Dump Trump X-Out Elon,” “When Injustice Becomes Law Resistance Becomes Duty,” and “This is Not Normal.” Barron Willis attended with his wife and two of his children He said he wanted to show his support for the movement against Trump carried a sign that read “Stop pretending your racism is patriotism.” One of his concerns was how the Trump administration has been going after diversity “It’s just amazing how they’ve aggressively gone after people of color while they’re promoting just idiots … in their own government,” he said Scarlett Moon drove to Palm Springs from Beaumont and stood along East Tahquitz Canyon Way with her mother and family friends Holding a sign that read “The climate is changing why aren’t we,” she said she wanted to do something regarding climate change because it's something she’s passionate about As Lauren Nile stood along the street with other protesters two trucks drove by with Trump supporters inside The drivers slowed down to antagonize protesters Nile and others who noticed them shouted “shame” until they moved past said it's encouraging to see how people have come out in droves throughout the country “We’re about to lose our democracy unless millions and millions and millions of people come out and say ‘No You will not strip millions and millions and millions of benefits from hardworking Americans in order to give tax breaks to the rich ‘We are better than this’A few miles from Palm Springs over 500 protesters gathered by Rancho Mirage City Hall for a similar gathering with no speakers and packs of people lining Highway 111 with signs whose messages included "Hands Off!" "Deport Elon There was hardly a pause in the cacophony of passing drivers honking to indicate their support who helped organize the event along with the group Democrats of the Desert said they intend to eventually hold rallies in every Coachella Valley city but Dillon said over 1,000 people had signed up online to come “I’m super heartened that people are waking up to what’s going on,” she said She said she felt better being able to take action with Trump back in office rather than wringing her hands sitting at home “My hope is that the Republican Congress and Senate will finally realize that the people are more powerful than Trump and until they realize it they’re not going to push back on him,” she said Abraham Ishaq may be a familiar face to those who watch Palm Springs City Council meetings, as he has spoken repeatedly to urge the council to rethink its resolution in support of Israel after the Oct 7 attacks and advocated for Palestinians who have been suffering due to the Israel-Hamas war he stood at the corner of the intersection by Rancho Mirage City Hall wearing a shirt that read “bombing kids is not self-defense” and holding a banner that read “stop arming Israel.” He said his group was representing the local chapter of CODEPINK “What brings us here today is … to support Palestine telling the United States to stop arming Israel because it is being used to bomb innocent civilians,” he said said she’s proud of the many people who showed up and it gave her hope The crowd and honking from drivers just kept growing “I need to do something instead of whine and complain and to be with others of like mind,” she said Julie Christian celebrated the eve of her 80th birthday by attending She said she was thrilled to see so many people sharing their disgust with what the Trump administration is doing “Trump and Musk and all the rest of his cabinet are demolishing everything that makes this country great and it is so disheartening and disgusting and frankly just scary,” she said Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City Local musicians and other talented performers will take the stage for a good cause during the Musicians for CA Wildfire Relief next month Here's everything to know about this upcoming event to benefit victims of the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County 11 inside the Celebrity Ballroom at the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa located at 71-333 Dinah Shore Drive The event will feature performances by local bands The Barry Baughn Blues Band with musicians such as Mike Reno (Loverboy) Tommy Castro (Tommy Castro and The Painkillers) Laurie Morvan (Laurie Morvan Band) and many others How much are concert tickets?GA tickets are $55.20 and VIP tables for up to eight guests are $800. Tickets are available on eventbrite.com All proceeds from Musicians for CA Wildfire Relief will be donated to The American Red Cross “We’re thrilled to bring together such an incredible group of artists and community members for this important cause,” said Tom Scaramellino General Manager of The Westin Rancho Mirage in a press release we can help provide immediate relief to those affected by the wildfires and bring hope to their recovery efforts.” The event will also feature both silent and live auctions of unique items such as a custom-built guitar honoring late local blues legend Endorsed by the California State Firefighters Association the event is made possible by the support of the Westin Rancho Mirage Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com The lights momentarily went out Friday in the main gym at Rancho Mirage High School and it coincided with Palm Springs High starting a late third quarter run the Indians had whittled down the Rattlers’ lead to a single point But in front of a crowd of more than 1,100 there to cheer on the two high schools on Ramon Road Rancho Mirage drilled three consecutive 3s with under four minutes to play to seal a 50-43 win in the CIF Southern Section 2A playoffs "Palm Springs makes it so hard to score and sometimes you just need a kid to make a shot," Rattlers head coach Rob Hanmer said "The nice part about this team is that we're not relying on one kid We've had multiple people makes shots when we've needed it." Rancho Mirage will host Canyon (Canyon Country) on Tuesday in the 2A quarterfinals brought out several former players from both schools and students brought an energy of a college basketball rivalry game This was the third meeting this season between the two teams Rancho Mirage won the first meeting on Jan "I couldn't sleep that night," Rattlers captain Marcus Gragg-Buchanan said of the Feb Gragg-Buchanan and his teammates were able to remedy that loss Palm Springs led throughout the first quarter but Rancho Mirage (24-6) took the lead early in the second and led the rest of the way But after a brief moment of darkness when the lights briefly cut out They went on a 10-3 run and brought the score to 35-34 with under five minutes remaining That would be the closest Palm Springs would come to taking the lead hit the first of three 3s to push the lead back to four Freshman Cash Gervin and senior Vincent Davis connected on the other two and the home fans shot out of their seats with a roar after each one But Rancho Mirage was clutch from the free throw line down the stretch connecting on 8-of-11 free throws in the final quarter "Last time when we played them we didn't play hard enough." The Indians (21-9) ended their season having won a share of the Desert Empire League title and a first round playoff game are returning to the CIF-SS quarterfinals for the second consecutive year "Last year we were in 4A and everybody kind of made fun of us for being in the small division," Hanmer said and we're happy to be in the final eight." senior guard Jayse Creavalle finished with a game-high 21 points Rancho Mirage shot 16-of-50 (32%) from the field and 8-of-14 (57%) from 3 Palm Springs shot 12-of-49 (25%) and 4-of-15 (27%) from 3 The Indians outrebounded the Rattlers 27-25 "Our offense obviously needs to improve," Hanmer said "But we did just enough to be successful tonight and to know that the freshman and the sophomore got it done certainly makes me want to keep coaching." Palm Desert beat top-seeded Linfield Christian six rebounds and five assists for Palm Desert grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out four assists in the win The Aztecs will play at Maranatha on Tuesday in the 3AA quarterfinals [This story has been updated to add a post-game video] Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network Nicholas Kontaxis isn't able to explain verbally what a brush stroke means or why he uses certain tools but the artist's work conveys a strong message of overcoming obstacles and creating something meaningful in the process It's "more feel than form," Krisann Kontaxis The Rancho Mirage artist was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 15 months and though his seizure disorder limits his ability to speak which has captured the hearts of people all around the world Nicholas, who is Greek-American, has shown work in several international galleries. But his latest show, "Catch Me," exhibiting at the Basil & Elise Goulandris Museum in Athens, Greece, has come with exciting firsts and important reminders for those who view it The show embodies Nicholas' resilience and the universal need for support during life’s struggles Safety net has symbolic meaning in 'Catch Me'The centerpiece of "Catch Me" is a colorful symbolic trampoline that has been reimagined as a canvas is a rescue device that was used by firefighters to help catch people from burning buildings The net was patented in 1887 and was in use until the 1980s Krisann explained she found the net in a salvage shop in downtown Los Angeles and quickly found a deep correlation to her son's story and so the theme in that net really told our story concisely," she said Nicholas would often utter the words "Catch me" just before a seizure Working on the piece during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic Krisann said it took Nicholas about eight months to paint it he'll either paint from a chair or lying down on the ground when days are difficult further demonstrating the symbolic meaning of the piece The large canvas features thousands of markings on it Each marking can be interpreted as the number of times Nicholas' family has had to catch him when he has experienced a seizure "I've made it." As an ode to the firefighters who saved people's lives with the net Nicholas also applied ash from his fireplace in between layers on the canvas Krisann said the trampoline piece has been resonating with people and making them think about their relationships with themselves and others: "Do we catch each other Do we catch ourselves when we need to give ourselves a break catch each other instead of pushing each other away?" The exhibit also features a number of Nicholas' other artwork many of which feature a wide array of colors circular shapes and an homage to his heritage "YiayYia Is Here" is a colorful ode to his Greek grandmother There's also "Spanakopita," named after a savory traditional dish which features hundreds of overlapping brush strokes similar to the delicacy made of layers of feta it might seem like there's no rhyme or reason why a painting is titled the way it is — some other artworks in the show are named "Passwords," "Thomas Edison" and "My Clock Is Set." But when Nicholas experiences moments of clarity his phrases are recorded and used for the titles of his works "We find it important for his future and our knowing that these things are from his mouth," Krisann said Krisann said his practice has been built around how he's feeling The Goulandris Museum is holding workshops for children to immerse themselves in Nicholas' colorful world and encourage them to express themselves through whatever medium best suits them There are also mindfulness events and games for people age 60 and older and those with mild cognitive impairment taking place in collaboration with Nicholas' art Paintings are also accessible to those who are deaf he's found a way to push the frequencies out of the way and to access That's important for all of us," Krisann said and overcome and still try and access each other The family's time in Greece has been filled with warm welcomes and historic moments a large-scale projection of Nicholas' "Yes I Can" artwork was projected onto the Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 were held "Yes I Can" features several drawn circles which complements the Olympic logo of five interlaced rings The projection marked the first time that the stadium which was constructed in the 4th century B.C. Nine antiquity and rarities committees had to sign off on it It was an "incredible" moment for him and his family overcoming obstacles and saying 'yes I can' instead of 'no I can't.'" "I'm more in awe of the whole situation," his mother added "I'm just as amazed as this person that's standing next to me because the over-swelling of people is so much." To make Nicholas feel at home in the exhibit and music that he listens to plays in the space Krisann said he "must have done a double take 20 times" when he saw the area "Let's Make It Beautiful," has also been acquired by the Goulandris He joins a vast and impressive collection of artists in the museum The fact that we're coming back to our roots (in Greece) .. it definitely feels like coming home," Krisann said (KESQ)-- If you’ve been to different parts of Rancho Mirage you may have noticed that your cell phone service doesn’t always work depending your location and your carrier and tourists have all noticed a lack of cell service for years text messages not going through," said one Jaime a tourist visiting the area for a few days "It’s kind of scary because I have four kids at home "I can't even send text messages in some areas the City of Rancho Mirage is taking steps to improve the city's wireless connectivity In July of 2024 the city council authorized an agreement with ‘CelPlan technologies’ to develop the plan using strategic solutions and emerging technologies.According to City Council Member Steve Downs "One of our issues is that the city of Rancho Mirage is about 25 square miles," said Downs and most of that land is low density residential so there’s limited commercial land available to build." The city is also working to bring in more cellular service to the area by attracting providers like AT&T and T-Mobile to invest in infrastructure in the area "We are encouraging the cell companies to build more infrastructure and then what we’re doing is we’re making it easier," said Downs "So we’re streamlining the application process we’re making it less expensive for entitlements In order to better the area's cellular coverage and connectivity, Rancho Mirage announced the launch of an interactive cell phone coverage map on its Facebook page. This map was created in an effort by the Rancho Mirage City Council and their work during the March 6th The goal with this initiative to enhance connectivity for all residents and businesses and is just one of the many steps included in the Wireless Master Plan and they can figure out roughly what their cell coverage is like whether it's good or whether it's poor," said Downs there are lots of areas that could be better and that's what the Wireless Plan is designed to do is to make cell coverage better throughout the city." You can check out the new map here Click the “Continue” box in the bottom left of the screen Click “OK” in the bottom right of the screen Enter your address in the GIS map to view and compare cell coverage for AT&T You can also dive deeper into the City Council's discussion on the Wireless Master Plan and watch the full video of the March 6th meeting for more insights into how the city of Rancho Mirage is improving cellular services and attracting providers to invest in our infrastructure Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEjtgOaOhpU Tori King joined KESQ News Channel 3 as a reporter and anchor in October 2023. Learn more about Tori here Sponsored, Vision by | Nov 13 the residential development with its 24-acre Cotino Bay grand lagoon will prove a mid-valley centerpiece with mountain backdrops the lagoon’s patented Crystal Lagoons technology to maintain water quality and help control evaporation as well as an efficient filtration system that requires a mere 2 percent of the energy employed by conventional pool filtering systems Cotino residents and guests can expect the big reveal in 2026 Catana’s first phase will open with 210 single-family homes and a clubhouse with a pool Phase two will add 94 affordable apartments “These enhancements underscore our unwavering commitment to delivering unmatched luxury and service in the heart of  Rancho Mirage,” says Shannon Gilbert Via Vail’s 234 affordable units will accommodate people who work in the city Meanwhile, Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa invested $15 million in renovating its guest rooms and meeting spaces and continues its makeover with a refresh of its signature Pinzimini restaurant including a reimagining of the menu toward coast-inspired flavors The next phase of the museum’s makeover will cater to children older than 8 and focus on STEAM-based stations to help middle and high school students discover hobbies and potential career pathways The fresh and fun new look of the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert With so many investments and initiatives aimed at enhancing the resident it’s easy to see why Rancho Mirage continues to be a favored destination of newcomers to the desert communities Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert high schools shared the Desert Empire League title in boys' soccer last year so it wasn't exactly a stretch to assume that the first time they matched up this season would be worth seeing But the Rattlers' 2-1 win over the Aztecs told a different story than perhaps most expected Instead of it being a showcase of two teams that will perhaps be in contention for back-to-back league titles it instead showed that Rancho Mirage should be the team to beat in the DEL 1-0 DEL) controlled the game from the start and surely could have come away with a lopsided win Palm Desert goalkeeper Jerry Rodriguez saved nine would-be goals and the Rattlers had a half-dozen other shots sail just over the crossbar or bounce off of it "We had more shots than we expected," Rattlers head coach Carlos Calixto said Palm Desert fell to 6-7-3 and 0-1 in the DEL this season But the Aztecs made the game interesting late They finally found the back of the net with just under 12 minutes to play to make it a one-score game The remaining minutes were closely contested with the Aztecs desperately trying to tie the game and the Rattlers not trying to squander what was once a two-goal lead "There were a few things that happened in our last game that carried into this one," Aztecs head coach Aurelio Alonso said "When you come out and play a good team like Rancho you're going to have to come with your A-game Freshman striker Christian Almazan scored the first goal for the Rattlers on a shot in front of the net off a pass from teammate Jesus Gutierrez with under six minutes to play in the first half Carter chased down a pass that floated into the Aztecs' box and after Rodriguez dove for the ball Carter managed to kick the ball out of Rodriguez's grasp and into the corner of the net Palm Desert's Kade Harper scored the lone goal for the Aztecs on a 15-yard shot that left some Rancho Mirage players a bit stunned He took over the game during stretches with his ability to separate from the defense Calixto referred to Sanchez's performance as Calixto also singled out the play of Jose Antonio Guerrero The first takeaway is that Carter has to be the early favorite for DEL offensive player of the year He scored his eighth goal of the season in the game and the truly wild part is that Carter could've score two or three other goals Two of his shots sailed just inches over the crossbar and another bounced off the post and he's able to create offense in a way that is without question among the best in the valley The second takeaway is that Rancho Mirage will be incredibly tough to beat in the DEL this year they also have so many versatile players and a deep roster 14 can play multiple positions," Calixto said now you're going to have to cover this other guy and then later this other guy and then this other guy." Rancho Mirage takes the field next at La Quinta on Monday Palm Desert returns to the pitch Monday at home against Shadow Hills Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and he USA TODAY Network (This story will be updated as votes are tabulated.) Two incumbents were leading over three challengers in early returns Tuesday night in the race for two seats on the Rancho Mirage City Council The citywide race includes incumbent Ted Weill, who has served on the council since 2012, and Michael O’Keefe, who was appointed to the council last year The current members were challenged by Wayne Avrashow an attorney who recently moved to Rancho Mirage from Los Angeles; Gregory Goodman who owns My Little Flower Shop in Palm Springs; and Nate Lewis Coachella Valley results: Live results of races across the Coachella Valley Results posted Tuesday night by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters showed O'Keefe and Weill comfortably in the lead and Avrashaw was in a distant third place at 16% Weill, a Navy veteran who has worked in real estate with a focus on master-planned communities, has served on the council since 2012. His priorities include maintaining high funding levels for police and fire services which the city receives via contracts with Riverside County keeping the city’s reserves flush and guiding thoughtful developments including new affordable housing projects in the works O’Keefe was appointed to the council in December 2023 from a field of 11 applicants, following the resignation of long-time councilmember Richard Kite. O'Keefe previously served on the city’s cultural commission, and his website says his priorities include promoting affordable housing as well as bolstering residential rebate programs for turf replacement and solar panels an attorney who previously worked in Los Angeles city government before recently moving to Rancho Mirage has focused his campaign on transparency at city hall saying he would push for some meetings to be held at 5 p.m. Noting how crucial sales and transient occupancy taxes are for the city he also said he would push to create an “ombudsman" at city hall to retain Stay informed: Download the app and sign up for alerts Goodman has lived in the valley for about 15 years and moved to Rancho Mirage a few years ago One of his campaign priorities is pushing for term limits for the council saying the city needs “fresh ideas.” He also believes the city must do more to help small businesses Lewis, who served as board chairman of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce in 2022 said he wants to see the city fill vacancies in its shopping centers adding that he would leverage his relationships with business owners to promote that growth He also said he thinks the city has been on a good course overall either through an appointment or a special election Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert A putback attempt after an intentionally missed free throw hung on the rim as the clock struck zero Wednesday night at Palm Springs High School and with it held the league championship fate of not one allowing Palm Springs to hold on to a tense 45-43 win over Rancho Mirage The Indians' victory meant that Palm Springs Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert — which took care of its business Wednesday by beating Xavier Prep — all finished the Desert Empire League season with 8-2 records For the Rattlers it's a first-ever DEL title since the league came to be in the 2018-19 school year And for the Aztecs it's their second DEL title having shared one with Palm Springs in 2021 "I remember saying at the beginning of the year that 8-2 could win the league this year," said Rancho Mirage coach Rob Hanmer whose team was the only one with a shot at the outright title Wednesday night But we had a great season and for us to win a league championship is huge." which had won the last two DEL titles with spotless 10-0 records was considered by many to be primed for a down year after graduating four of five starters but they were able to do just enough to pull out the win and keep their title streak alive Not bad for a down year," Palm Springs coach Chris Howard which won at Rancho Mirage in overtime earlier in the year beat Palm Springs on Monday to give itself a chance at a piece of the league title I’m very proud of this group," said Aztecs coach Justin Sobczyk after his team's 86-26 win over Xavier Prep on Wednesday This is the closest team I’ve had since I’ve started They always root for one another’s success We started clicking when it mattered and that’s what allowed us to bring home a share of this Desert Empire League title All three teams will now await their CIF-SS playoff position and opponent which will be revealed on Saturday a league title does not earn you a home playoff game like it used to so all three teams could be on the road or at home when the playoffs begin next Wednesday It's no surprise that this was a low-scoring grinder Palm Springs prides itself on a swarming team defense and Rancho Mirage plays a harassing fullcourt defense that creates a ton of turnovers There was a great one-on-one matchup as Palm Springs senior Jayse Creavalle tried to lock down Rancho Mirage star Marcus Gragg-Buchanan each having their moments winning the battle The Indians led 21-14 and when Gurnoor Brar swished a 3-pointer midway through the third period Palm Springs had its biggest lead of the game at 34-20 A 14-point deficit against the Indians' defense is no place you want to be Slowly but surely they chipped away at the lead and the Indians helped them in that pursuit with some suspect free-throw shooting A Gragg-Buchanan lay-up off of an in-bounds play cut the lead to 40-34 with 3:39 left in the game Senior Vincent Davis then canned a 3-pointer to make it 40-37 at the 2:45 mark a large road contingent from Rancho Mirage was roaring It was a great atmosphere and the closing 2:45 had both sides on the edges of their seats Palm Springs' Kellyn Mount came up with a huge offensive rebound and putback to slow the Rattlers' roll and put the Indians up 42-37 A Gragg-Buchanan 3-pointer cut it to 42-40 with 1:21 to go though and Rancho Mirage decided to extend the contest by playing the fouling game and the strategy worked Juelz Lang and then Bezzy Soedjak of the Indians each split a pair of free throws and then a Roland Barnett rebound and kick-out to Cash Gervin for a 3-pointer cut the Indians lead to 44-43 with 27.8 seconds left the closest the Rattlers had been since the game was 3-3 which gave the Rattlers a final possession down 45-43 Gragg-Buchanan drove it to the basket and struggled to get one up past Mount but a foul was called giving Gragg-Buchanan two free throws with 2.3 seconds left with a chance to tie it But his first pressure-packed free throw hit the back of the rim and rattled out Now he had to intentionally miss the next one He missed it perfectly as it hit hard off the rim right to a charging Vincent Davis who got a good look at the rim it ricocheted to Jeremiah Johnson who flipped one more shot up at the hoop and that's the one that hung on the rim and trickled off "We knew they were going to try to speed us but we just needed to stick to our gameplan we felt like we got away from our gameplan the last time we played them," Creavalle said everyone counted us out this year we did what we had to do." Mount added Brar both had seven points and Soedjak six The Indians could've pulled this one out without sweating the finish if they had done better from the free-throw line They were just 8 of 21 from the charity stripe in the game The Rattlers were paced by Gragg-Buchanan with a game-high 21 Syeed Baaree added eight points and Gervin had 3-pointers on the first and last bucket of the game for his six points Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert shared the DEL title They all went 8-2 and each went 1-1 against the other with all six games being single-digit contests There was something very important on the line during Monday night's boys' basketball game between Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert — control The winner of the game would be able to use one of sports' most beautiful phrases when it comes to a tight race for a league title: "We control our own destiny." A tense 32 minutes couldn't decide the game as for a second time this year the Rattlers and Aztecs went into overtime it was the Rattlers who made the winning plays in the extra session The Rattlers moved to 6-1 in a three-way battle for the Desert Empire League title with three games left in the regular season There are two more games next week that will likely decide the title Palm Springs plays at Palm Desert on Monday before a climactic game next Wednesday when Rancho Mirage visits Palm Springs "We control our own destiny now and that's the important thing but nothing is going to come easy and anybody can beat anybody in high school basketball," Rancho Mirage coach Rob Hanmer said "Our young kids are growing and I've gotten smarter as a coach because I was a little gun shy about using some of them earlier in the year Rancho Mirage scored the first eight points after halftime to quickly erase a 36-28 halftime lead for Palm Desert Rattlers star Marcus Gragg-Buchanan had one of his best games of the season scoring 29 points including 12 in the third quarter which ended with the Rattlers clinging to a 50-49 lead going into the fourth The intensity and perhaps the nerves cranked up several notches during the fourth quarter as both teams found it tough to score made a knifing lay-up with 1:30 to go in the game to give the Aztecs a 58-56 lead Gragg-Buchanan later swished a pair of free throws to tie it at 58-58 with 24 seconds left and neither team got off a legitimate shot the rest of the way as the game went to OT but this time the Rattlers made all the little plays An offensive rebound by Christian Perez and a kick-out to Vincent Davis for a 12-footer gave the Rattlers a 60-58 lead and stayed that way until there were 50 seconds left in the game Palm Desert's Jake Brande split a pair of free throws to cut the score to 60-59 but then Gragg-Buchanan made one of his patented mid-range floaters in the lane to put the Rattlers up 62-59 with 30 seconds left A defensive stop and a physical rebound by the Rattlers led to Davis getting fouled and he calmly swished a pair of free throws to make it 64-59 with 13 seconds left to effectively put the game away Davis got one more free throw in the final seconds and that was all it took The Rattlers won the overtime session just 7-1 "We knew we had to come out with some intensity and that's how we practiced and that's what we did," said Davis It was just a great performance from the whole team." Malachi Davis didn't crack the score sheet but played a heck of a game defensively on Palm Desert sharpshooter Paul Dreisbach but Malachi Davis' ball pressure was a big factor in the game Also for the Rattlers' rotation of quick guards Syeed Baaree and Cash Gervin both scored eight points Wil Wilson had a solid game for the Aztecs with a team-high 18 points The Aztecs are not out of the mix for a league title If they can beat Palm Springs on Monday and then hope that Palm Springs beats Rancho Mirage it would be a three-way tie with all three teams having two losses But what they did lose Monday night was the vital control They no longer have their destiny in their hands and they are the outright Desert Empire League champs That's something the Rattlers have not accomplished since the new league started "It was definitely an amazing feeling out there it felt like we seized the moment," Gragg-Buchanan said "We just have to play as a team the rest of the way because we feel like when we play as a team The race for the top spotLet's take a look at the remaining schedules for the three teams in the race for the DEL title This Rancho Mirage house is a stone’s throw from California’s Palm Springs and boasts revived modernist interiors by Harrison Soll by designer Harrison Soll with studio AR+D who did the architecture and landscaping works A stone's throw from Coachella and Palm Springs city centre Rancho Mirage is a residential neighbourhood renowned for its 20th-century homes as well as its star-studded residents included Hollywood stars and key film industry personalities 'Rancho Mirage is a captivating piece of Hollywood history set against the allure of a sexy 'It has been the escape of choice since the 1920s and 1930s breathing tribute to an era of glamour and elegance.' It was this glamour and refinement that the designer sought to revive with his elegant reimagining of the home's interior spaces, nodding to its era's original architecture, but infusing it with a contemporary twist. 'This home is a classic California dream,' says Harrison Soll So the opportunity to work on such a project in a familiar and beloved setting was irresistible.' The renewed interior mixes a restrained black and white palette with moments of colour This is explored in compositions such as the living room's alpaca lemon-green bouclé mixed with a found green textile from Zak + Fox come together to form an interior of textured This is matched by the lush green garden of native plants outside which enlivens the home's terraces and pool area and Sammy Davis Jr – epitomises midcentury modern design escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox These elements were instrumental in informing the design ensuring that it not only resonates with nods to desert homes of the yesteryear but also captures the leisure and exclusivity reminiscent of the Tamarisk’s heyday.' harrisonsoll.com Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper* She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006 visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas Ellie has also taken part in judging panels such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022) A 40-year-old man was struck and killed by a vehicle near Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage on Thursday forcing a multi-hour closure of a stretch of Bob Hope Drive Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched at 4:53 p.m to the area of Bob Hope Drive and Columbia Drive an intersection that includes entrances to the hospital and the Springs Country Club and after medical personnel attempted life-saving measures the victim was pronounced dead at the scene The car's driver remained at the scene after the crash She added that Bob Hope Drive was closed in the area until about 11 p.m An investigation into the crash was ongoing Rancho Mirage High School cut an 11-point fourth quarter deficit down to three and the Rattlers found themselves with the ball and had a shot to tie Tuesday's 2A CIF Southern Section quarterfinal game against Canyon High The game had come down to a single possession But with the seconds ticking down and the Rattlers (24-7) unable to get the ball to leading scorer Marcus Gragg-Buchanan point guard Vincent Davis fired up a 3 that hit the rim and rolled off The Cowboys rebounded the ball as time expired in a 60-57 loss for Rancho Mirage "This is a hard loss because we had our opportunities," Rattlers head coach Rob Hanmer said hit a 3-pointer with 1:45 to play to cut the lead to 59-57 and Rancho Mirage allowed just a single free throw the rest of the way But the Rattlers also came up empty on every one of their own possessions including one that ended with a shot clock violation with 32.1 seconds remaining allowing just 10 points and forcing six turnovers in the quarter The Rattlers put Canyon guard Solomon Sims on the line with 21 seconds remaining and he made 1-of-2 to give Rancho Mirage a shot to tie the game The Cowboys pressed the Rattlers full-court after the free throw Davis took the in-bounds pass with the aim of getting Gragg-Buchanan or star freshman Cash Gervin open for a 3-pointer on the wing Davis nearly lost the ball on a deflection He retrieved it with about nine seconds remaining and rushed to move the ball up the floor in time for a shot which he took from the top right of the arc Hanmer said that his squad simply didn't make enough shots in the second half to win the game The Rattlers were 10-of-26 (38.4%) from the field in the second half but shot just 2-of-12 (16.7%) from 3 Gragg-Buchanan finished the game with 22 points He was 3-for-3 from the field in the second half who has played brilliantly at times this season Senior forward Roland Barnett ended the game with 10 points to round out the top three scorers for the Rattlers Canyon forward Eric Kubel finished with 22 points to lead the Cowboys who shot just 1-of-4 from the free throw line in the first half made 4-of-6 down the stretch of the fourth quarter to help Canyon seal the win Barnett and Hector Andrade are the only seniors on the Rattlers' roster so next season is already off to a good start for Rancho Mirage "Marcus and Cash are among the hardest workers I've ever coached," the coach said (This article has been updated with new information) The Rancho Mirage boys' basketball team is known to be an undersized team that plays fast and gets up a bunch of shots but to get one of their biggest wins in school history Wednesday night The Rattlers held Palm Springs scoreless for the first seven minutes and 43 seconds of the fourth quarter as part of a 14-0 run that led them to a wild 52-48 victory over the Indians in front of a jam-packed home crowd The Rattlers had never beaten Palm Springs in school history and the win ends Palm Springs' 26-game Desert Empire League winning streak It also creates a three-way logjam atop the Desert Empire League standings as the Rattlers Indians and Palm Desert (68-53 winners over Xavier Prep on Wednesday) are all now 4-1 after the first wave of league games Palm Desert beat Rancho Mirage in OT and now Rancho Mirage beat Palm Springs "It's just really nice to play a basketball game that is that emotional both teams competing and it was a lot of fun to have our young kids step up and have some success as hard as they've worked to get to this point where we can compete with the best teams," said Rancho Mirage coach Rob Hanmer really hard and made enough shots to be on the right side of the scoreboard tonight." The Indians have been the gold standard in the DEL in recent years and have come to expect getting every opponent's best game That was the case Wednesday as the Rattlers played with an increased intensity getting to more loose balls and coming away from scrums with the ball were made by a couple of guys who were playing in their first-ever game against Palm Springs – Syeed Baaree a sophomore transfer from Ontario High School The referees swallowed their whistles the entire game which made for one of the most intense Four guys diving all over each other for it Neither team built any sort of lead in the first half but the two-time defending league champs started to take control opening up a 7-point lead late in the third quarter after four straight points from Darwin Gambler to make it 43-36 with 20 seconds left in the third the Rattlers let the clock wind down for the last shot and Baaree calmly swished an NBA-3-pointer to cut the lead to four but it felt like a huge moment in the game you don't want to go into the fourth quarter down seven Both teams struggled to score in the fourth but Rancho Mirage's Marcus Gragg-Buchanan made a behind-the-back save of a loose ball right to Gervin who swished an open 3-pointer to make it 43-42 A steal-and-score by Vincent Davis then gave the Rattlers the lead at 44-43 while their defense and scrappiness were keeping the Indians off the board who also played harassing defense all night Then after a stop with about 45 seconds left in the game Gervin let the shot clock run down and swished another 3-pointer to make it 50-43 with 22 seconds left to complete a 14-0 run that turned a seven-point deficit into a seven-point lead Palm Springs' Bezzy Soedjak scored a floater with 17 seconds left in the game – the first points of the fourth quarter for the Indians Two Gervin free throws and a late 3-pointer by Palm Springs' Juelz Lang made the final score 52-48 be competitors for first place," Baaree said And what about his two crucial long 3-pointers I'm over there like NBA's Damian Lillard or somebody Gervin led the Rattlers with a game-high 19 points fought back and made big plays down the stretch The Indians got a great night from Gurnoor Brar who scored a team-high 15 points including 13 in the first half Jayse Creavalle added 13 points and led the defensive charge all night Gambler finished with eight points and Soedjak scored seven Coach Chris Howard hasn't had to dust off his post-game speech following a league loss in more than 1,000 days but he said it's a unique situation his team is in Creavalle is the only player who was on the team last year so this group is new to this kind of tough road atmosphere "You can talk about it and try to tell them what it's going to be like to play in these games when you have Palm Springs on your chest but you're going to get everybody's best shot," Howard said "You sort of inherited what the guys that came before you did But you can learn from a loss and let it refocus you." And Howard was able to tell his team that all of their goals are still in front of them "Our goal every year is to win a league title and in recent years because we've gone 10-0 the last couple years but our goals are still there," Howard said "We went cold in the fourth quarter tonight So looking ahead to the second half of the league season all eyes will be on the three key games pitting the teams who are part of the three-way tie First up will be Rancho Mirage at Palm Desert on Jan 3 and the regular-season finale will be a rematch of Wednesday's game when Rancho Mirage visits Palm Springs on Feb 4-1) stay home to host Xavier Prep on Friday 4-1) will start the second wave of Desert Empire League play on Friday at Shadow Hills 2025 at 1:47 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}(David Allen/Patch)RANCHO MIRAGE CA — One of the most popular fast food restaurants in California was closed to Rancho Mirage residents for nearly a week — a tragedy for locals craving a Double Double The location is back open after its four-day closure told the newspaper that the Rancho Mirage In-N-Out had to close for several days to upgrade kitchen exhaust equipment Hardesty says the work finished ahead of schedule Hungry fans of the chain can now get their fix at 42-560 Bob Hope Dr In-N-Out Burger is a nearly 60-year-old chain with 223 restaurants in four states — California Read more from the Desert Sun. Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. a benefit concert in support of those impacted by last month's wildfires in Los Angeles County is scheduled to be held Tuesday at the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa and will include performances by The Barry Baughn Blues Band with special guest appearances Mike Reno (Loverboy) Deanna Bogart and Laurie Morvan (Laurie Morvan Band) News Channel 3's Patrick Evans is set to emcee Silent and live auctions for musical items including a "custom-built guitar honoring the late blues legend Kal David,'' will also be held at the event we can help provide immediate relief to those affected by the wildfires and bring hope to their recovery efforts,'' said Tom Scaramellino All proceeds from the evening will be donated to the American Red Cross during the Feb. 24 California State Firefighters Association Conference. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/musicians-supporting-ca-wildfire-relief-tickets-1207907988309?aff=ebdssbdestsearch By the time the neighbors noticed the fire it had nearly fully engulfed the Rancho Mirage residence where it started kind of like if you hit the side of a car or a trash can and then we heard some popping sounds," neighbor Nancy Hill said in a phone interview with The Desert Sun "I viewed the (Ring) camera and I knew the house was on fire firefighters were unable to contain the fire until 2:17 a.m Battalion Chief Pete Tierney told KESQ one person had died in the fire a representative for Cal Fire was unable to confirm the death to The Desert Sun as of 2 p.m The fire agency described the home as "fully involved" in fire It occurred in the 36800 block of Patricia Park Place Neighbors described a scramble to evacuate the two houses on either side of the burning residence "We’re so lucky there wasn’t any wind because my house would be directly downwind of it," neighbor Jackson Haring said He was woken up by Hill and immediately heard a distinct popping sound he assumed to be fireworks "Oddly none of the landscaping on our property lines was destroyed," he added An elderly man in his mid-70s lived alone in the destroyed home They haven't heard from him today and worry he did not survive The cause of the fire had yet to be determined Investigators were still on scene Friday and were expected to report more information by the end of the day Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun California (KESQ) - One death has been confirmed in a house fire News Channel 3 was tracking late Thursday in Rancho Mirage Cal-Fire Battalion Chief Pete Tierney made the announcement Friday morning as cleanup operations were underway Fire crews were on scene of the house fire A News Channel 3 crew captured dramatic video of massive flames and a billow of smoke above the structure The cause of the first is under investigation California (KESQ) - Riverside County Sheriff's deputies were investigating a deadly crash involving a pedestrian Thursday night Investigators said the incident was reported before 5:00 p.m in the area of Bob Hope and Columbia Drive Emergency crews worked to save the pedestrian before they were pronounced dead on the roadway He was identified on Friday as Juan Garcia Investigators said the driver remained on the scene Emergency workers put up road blocks on Bob Hope Drive in both directions near Eisenhower Health Northbound lanes were blocked from Country Club Drive to the Eisenhower Health entrance and southbound lanes were blocked from MacMillan Way to Country Club Drive Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 for updates on this breaking news story the City of Rancho Mirage hosted its first-ever Earth Day Celebration at the Rancho Mirage Library More than 10 organizations and community partners set up booths and interactive stations for attendees of all ages Kids made crafts and learned the importance of sustainable practices adults had the opportunity to learn about sustainable foods and item donation drop-offs were also available but organizers say they were pleased with today's turnout and are excited for a bigger event next year Stay with News Channel Three to hear from organizers and attendees on the importance of learning sustainable practices this Earth Day The daily life of a Desert Sun reporter is a never-ending game of "what will today bring?" One day you're rounding up restaurant inspection reports at your desk and the next you're interviewing celebrities on the red carpet at the Palm Springs International Film Awards .. or sitting across from one of the most influential people in the world: Bill Gates It's no secret that the Microsoft co-founder spends time in the Coachella Valley — he's often spotted at the BNP Paribas Open and much has been written about his home at the exclusive Vintage Club in Indian Wells — but interviewing Gates Until his team reached out to do just that Gates has an impressive list of accomplishments revolutionized computer software and helped make personal computers more accessible and he's dedicated most of his life to philanthropic efforts we were chatting about his upbringing in Washington which included being a rebellious young boy who Gates is set to release his most personal book yet "Source Code," a memoir about his childhood his time at a private prep school and how he got his start in programming He will also speak at a special Rancho Mirage Writers Festival event at 4 p.m Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin Bill Gates’ Palm Springs-area connectionsHow do you start a conversation with a tech pioneer By asking him the same question you would ask any other local resident: How long have you lived here His parents bought a home in the Vintage Club community in 1989 and would visit on the weekends "Our family was golfing quite a bit at that time," Gates recalled "It’s only later that I more got involved in the tennis thing and I play tennis and pickleball a great deal." Gates continued the tradition of traveling to the Coachella Valley on the weekends until the COVID-19 pandemic when his sisters also bought homes in the area when he's not traveling the world for his philanthropic work he spends November through May in the desert enjoying all the walking and hiking opportunities the environment has to offer "Not as many trees like the Northwest," he added with a smile It's not long into our interview that I relax Even though I've had the opportunity to interview well-known people over the years Gates has a very precise minute-by-minute schedule and you find yourself constantly checking the clock to see how much time is left But once Gates begins talking and making me laugh all those built-up nerves I had going into the interview start to go away This is the first time that Gates will be speaking at the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival In "Source Code," he shares that he's loved literature and reading since childhood and he was actually an assistant librarian during his elementary school days where his main task was finding missing books He's even more excited to be interviewed by Goodwin "An Unfinished Love Story," is both a personal account of her relationship with her late husband an aide and speechwriter to Presidents John F as well as an exploration of American history in the 1960s Gates called it a "phenomenal book" and was eager to have a deep discussion about it Gates said friends recommend a lot of books One he had just finished up at the time of our interview was "Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI" by Yuval Noah Harari Though Gates has written a number of books over the years — including "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster" in 2021 and "How to Prevent the Next Pandemic" in 2022 — this is the first time he's giving readers an in-depth look into his early life the idea for a memoir came about when Rob Guth former reporter for the Wall Street Journal and "Bill Gates chronicler," began to gather materials for a single autobiography Gates said that book was "getting too long and complicated," as it was trying to incorporate too much from his life they decided to focus solely on "this period of time that completely shaped me where I can talk about my parents and Kent (Evans) and Paul (Allen)," he said and it’s definitely been fun going back over." Microsoft will celebrate its 50th anniversary the Gates Foundation will turn 25 and his father would have turned 100 "Source Code" dives into Gates' quaint childhood in the suburbs of Seattle where the only major drama that ever seemed to happen was a tornado in 1962 As he details what he called "the least crazy childhood one could imagine," he also shares quite a bit about his parents It might surprise some readers to learn that Gates was a rebellious child who didn't want to respect his parents or think they should make all the rules at least until math and reading caught his attention a prestigious private prep school where his interest for computers took off Given all the technology we have available today it's a bit surreal to read about a young boy discovering BASIC code writing his first computer program for a game of tic-tac-toe and the journey it would eventually take him on "Microsoft’s early slogan was 'A computer on every desk and in every home,' and sometimes because people thought it was so weird we left out the 'in every home' part because people were like 'What would they do with them?'" Gates said Now the most valuable companies are software-centric But to have a dream that became one of the greatest change agents of my lifetime the internet and now getting into the early AI era Gates and his friends figured out how to hack into the computer systems at school to get free computer time and eventually their skills were utilized to make computer programs for their school Gates had the proverbial 10,000 hours of practice needed to be considered an expert at computers "That was the time the microprocessor is coming all emerges from that time at Lakeside and Harvard," Gates said Gates writes that "the climate of limitless potential was the backdrop for my early life," noting the county's optimism of sending people to the moon cartoons like "The Jetsons" depicting a high-tech future and a slew of inventions Gates believes his life path would have been "utterly different." Gates said he enjoyed the process of writing the book even if he had to revisit some challenging times in his life such as the death of his friend Kent at a young age or the tumultuous relationship he had with his parents and eventual business partner Allen (Gates said "he was amazing but different in terms of how he did things and thought about things") and would take several hours at a time because he'd be thinking back on the past Gates: ‘The adults got such a kick out of me’When you've managed to reach a level of success that surpasses your wildest dreams When asked if he's in awe of his younger self Gates is quick to praise his parents and teachers for their support and the exposure he had he said there was "some kind of ambitiousness or willingness to be contrarian" within himself which clearly contributed to his success he spent a lot of time interacting with adults whether through family friends or his work in school and his social skills were developed before most of his peers and I enjoyed their advice and help a lot," Gates said He viewed American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman as a role model growing up Feynman said that in order to do something different you have to approach work with a different point of view Gates and his pals saw the potential in the microprocessor while the adults around did not believe computing would take off as it did those who were curious enough to ask questions helped advance the field of possibilities and it's what he encourages other people to do in their work "Source Code" may also inspire people to chase after what they love most sometimes all it takes is finding your spark being exposed to it for a long time and continuously wanting to improve your skills (also a bit of luck) He also hopes his book gives hints about raising an unusual kid and directing excess energy into productive avenues that code is not good enough,'" Gates said a high percentage of it was 'hey I want to write better code let me look at other people’s code,' getting feedback you can really get unusually good at something It’s like Bobby Fischer playing chess night and day." Gates and I only reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his childhood but he's planning on writing two more memoirs in the future about Microsoft and his philanthropic efforts because we live in a climate of limitless potential in the 21st century maybe we'll get another chance to dive further into his life a retired Los Angeles Police Department detective turned bestselling author known for his novels journeying into the world of police work and crime died Friday at his residence in Rancho Mirage at 88 A post made on Friday afternoon to Wambaugh's Facebook page confirmed his death and said "Heaven has gained a new choir boy the Pittsburgh native and son of a police officer grew up as an only child The family moved to Southern California when he was 14 years old after traveling to the area for a family member's funeral and decided to stay He attended Chaffey High School in Ontario and joined the U.S He studied at Chaffey College and California State University Los Angeles majoring in English intending to become an English teacher he joined the LAPD and returned to CSULA to study English and Spanish while working as a detective sergeant at the Hollenbeck Community Police Station in Boyle Heights Wambaugh released 3 books before resigning from the LAPDWambaugh released his first two crime novels The New Centurions in 1971 and "The Blue Knight in 1973" while working as a police officer "The Onion Field." Many of the police figures in his novels were known for being flawed due to stress Reading 'The Onion Field' was of course a life changer as a young reader but it was his fiction that made the biggest impact," said Palm Desert resident Tod Goldberg His five-volume "Hollywood Station" series debuted in 2006 and portrayed the less glamorous side of Tinseltown featuring police officers from the Hollywood division struggling with desperate criminals and drug users along with the politics of racial profiling and staffing issues befitting an LAPD fundamentally different from the one he'd been a part of decades earlier," Goldberg said about the "Hollywood Station" series Wambaugh is survived by his wife Dee Allsup two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.