Paulina Lucero qualified for the CIF Southern Section meet last year as a sophomore and arrived not knowing exactly what to expect “I didn’t get the results there that I wanted,” she said Wednesday at the Desert Valley League track and field finals Lucero will get another chance at CIF by winning both the long jump and the triple jump at the DVL finals six inches in the long jump and 34-1 in the triple jump The Coachella Valley High School junior was named the girls’ field events MVP with fellow Coachella Valley junior Fernando Avina claimed boys’ field event MVP with wins in the long jump (21-3.25) and the triple jump (42-8.5) While some high school football players are abandoning field events for track events in an effort to work on their speed for the gridiron Avina has worked all spring on his jumps to improve his explosiveness and balance in the air “We have a couple faster guys in the 100 (meters),” said Bill Johnson who coaches football and track at Coachella Valley “But Fernando is a great jumper and it’s going to help him when he explodes out of his stance makes cuts and jumps for the ball on the football field.” Avina said that the results are the culmination of a lot of work it just feels great to see all that work pay off,” he said Eva Tili of Twentynine Palms and Indio’s Damian Durinzi were MVPs of the track events was second in the 100 hurdles (17.85) and was part of the winning 4x100 (51.57) and 4x400 (4:35.44) relay teams the 300 hurdles (40.47) and was a part of the winning 4x400 (3:30.03) relay team Lucero’s triple jump was the second-best mark in school history She’ll have another year to try to break the record the goal is to go back to the CIF meet and get the results that she had hoped for last year “I’m going in really focused on that,” she said I’m more confident and there shouldn’t be any excuses.” [This story has been updated to add new information.] Andrew John covers sports at The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network This work, NMRTC Twentynine Palms Industrial Hygienists assist Camp Pendleton with blast overpressure monitoring, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright John Chavarria was found and arrested Wednesday at a residence on the 7400 Block of Kellogg Avenue in Twentynine Palms He was found at the residence with another wanted suspect Chavarria was booked into Morongo Basin jail He faces charges of attempted murder and felon in possession of ammunition (KESQ) - Deputies are working to locate a man suspected of strangling a woman who managed to escape and flag down drivers The incident was reported Saturday at around 9:40 p.m According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputies saw a woman walking into the roadway flagging down vehicles near Two Mile Road and Larrea Avenue The agency said the woman had sustained several noticeable injuries She later told deputies that she was strangled during an altercation with a friend 49 year old John Henry Chavarria of Twentynine Palms was at a residence on the 72600 block of Two Mile Road Deputies conducted a security sweep of the residence but were unable to locate the suspect The agency noted that Chavarria also has an active felony no bail warrant for Felon in Possession of Ammunition 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 Show Search Search Query Submit Search Advertisement Filters Close filters Neighborhood all Gift Shop Wine Shop Record store Shopping Apothecary Vintage Store More Less Price Print As someone who has spent a lot of time in the high desert towns of Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley I’ve long been skeptical of anyone who predicted that Twentynine Palms was about to become the new desert hot spot Located just 20 minutes from downtown Joshua Tree less crowded entrance to the national park and a brand new visitors center that opened in 2023 It also has the luxuriously rustic Twentynine Palms Inn Stay up to date on the best things to do, see and eat in L.A But Twentynine Palms is both a few degrees warmer than Joshua Tree and a longer drive from L.A It also lies outside the natural range of the spiky Joshua trees that lend its better-known neighbors so much of its otherworldly ambience (not to mention their Instagram appeal) And then there’s Twentynine Palms’ noticeably high concentration of barbershops which makes sense for the 20,000 active-duty Marines and sailors and their families stationed at the local Marine Corps base but may be less enticing for weekend tourists “We used to call it Twentynine pizza parlors,” one longtime Yucca Valley resident told me after spending several days in Twentynine Palms this winter There’s a new energy in town and a bunch of folks who have put their life savings into starting creative small businesses that appeal to both tourists and the local community like Sara Lyons of the craft beverage store Scorpion Lollipop and Francoise Lazard of the fashionable Desert General are longtime desert lovers who moved to Twentynine Palms permanently during the upheaval of the pandemic Lifestyle Growing up, these young locals thought Palm Springs was dead. Now, they’re reclaiming the low desert as their own with restaurants, bars and cafes that appeal to both visitors and themselves. “Twentynine has always had an artsy community, and it’s always been a tourist town, but it can be isolating out here,” said Jessica Sable, an artist who grew up in Twentynine Palms and now works at the art and design store Very Very. “The owners of these new businesses all live in town, and that’s what we want.” Talk to any of the new shop owners, and they’ll tell you that running a business in Twentynine Palms is no fairy tale. Several promising businesses have shuttered over the past few years, including the beloved Out There Bar, a local watering hole in an old A&W Root Beer stand. But those who continue to hang on remain hopeful. There are a couple of new hotels in the works, an escape room is coming soon and an art-themed mini-golf course called Mojaveland is hoping to break ground in 2025. “We’re not Joshua Tree, so we really have to create something for everyone,” said Steve Przybylowski, president of the newly established business owners association Rediscover 29 and owner of the record shop White Label Vinyl. “It’s really hard out here, but what I love about it is the community.” Will Twentynine Palms be the next teeming desert oasis? Check out these nine businesses on your next visit and decide for yourself. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Arts + Culture by | Apr 6 Hi Desert Times has become a place to explore the world of print and ideas and support a friend and a local business This work, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms Chiropractor Supports Team USA at Fencing World Cup in Egypt, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright (KESQ) - Investigators with the Morongo Basin Sheriff's Station released a surveillance photo of a suspect wanted for a shooting at Twentynine Palms motel on Wednesday The shooting happened at the Motel 6 on the 72500 Block of Twentynine Palms Highway Deputies responded to the scene and learned that a motel guest The bullet traveled into an adjoining room occupied by two people visiting from San Diego according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department "Surveillance video showed Roche leaving the motel room with a towel wrapped around his left hand," reads a news release by the agency Investigators said they do not believe anyone else was involved in the shooting Roche fled the scene before deputies arrived 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer bearing California license plate 9NJB143.  Roche is currently wanted out of Colorado for a probation violation He is likely armed with a firearm and should be considered armed and dangerous Roche's photo is being released and anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has information on the whereabouts of Roche is urged to come forward and contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Morongo Basin Station at (760) 366-4175 Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or submit information online at www.wetip.com This work, USA Olympic Team chiropractor treats service members at Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, NMRTC Twentynine Palms Sailors build resiliency in the Joshua Tree desert, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, NMRTC Twentynine Palms Sailors sharpen skills and build camaraderie at shooting event, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms Sailors Advance Process Improvement Through Lean Six Sigma Training, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright A Marine assigned to the Corps’ Air Ground Combat Center in California faces a murder charge after arriving at a local hospital last weekend with his injured wife was arrested early Sunday at the Hi Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree where he had arrived with his “severely” injured wife according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department The Marine faces an official charge of murder with an aggravating circumstance of using a deadly weapon Hospital officials called county deputies when Zamudio who they reported as having injuries to his head police arrested Zamudio on the murder charge The Sheriff’s Department declined to describe the type of injuries Encke suffered or how Zamudio might have inflicted them on his wife Zamudio was arraigned Wednesday at the San Bernardino Superior Court in Joshua Tree and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge He was being held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga Zamudio is assigned as a transmission system operator with the 3rd Battalion The base is a major desert combat training site about 140 miles east of Los Angeles the headquarters of the 1st Marine Division said military officials are assisting civilian authorities in the investigation Zamudio enlisted in the Marine Corps in California and began boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in January 2020 He graduated from the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School at Twentynine Palms in September 2020 Zamudio deployed to Australia with the Marine Rotational Force — Darwin in 2022 and Japan under the Unit Deployment Program in 2024 He was promoted to corporal in April 2022 and received the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal these business owners have gained more than a job – they’ve built a sense of identity The California desert Chapman became a desert resident last summer was stationed at the Twentynine Palms combat center the largest US Marine Corps training base in the world Within just a few months of receiving orders the couple moved with their three young children to the secluded outpost near Joshua Tree national park joining the thousands of other active-duty service members and their families who live there The closest Walmart is 30 miles (48km) down the highway Palm Springs is an hour’s drive and Los Angeles is three spread across roughly 1,000 sq miles (2,590 sq km) of open desert is flanked on several sides by nothing more than rolling hills of sand and a string of unpopulated The landscape isn’t the only otherworldly part of Twentynine Palms; every summer temperatures in the triple digits descend on the community “There’s just nothing out here,” Chapman said In a setting that removed from the urban world Despite having a college degree in sociology and economics Chapman was laid off from her remote job in August and then struggled to find an in-person role in human resources – a position she’s held at previous bases Chapman and her family have moved to three states in six years I was like: ‘I have to do something or I’m going to go crazy,’” she said we have groceries and bills and things that we have to do.” The Twentynine Palms US military base in California Photograph: Amanda Ulrich/GuardianSo Chapman started her own small business instead: C&O Gifts a one-woman operation where she assembles themed gift baskets for holidays baby showers or any day of the year that might warrant a pick-me-up Her business is a welcome financial boost for her family but it also serves as an emotional boost to other spouses in Twentynine Palms “It just makes it a little less lonely,” she said Chapman is one of many spouses on the base with a burgeoning business; others sell handmade earrings and bracelets pillowy loaves of sourdough and even mini photoshoot sessions for couples and families Many factors make finding a job difficult: frequent moves from base to base the challenge of finding reliable childcare the difficulty of transferring professional licenses among states and countries and the lack of accessible remote jobs beyond customer-service roles And many military families say that relying on only one income is less feasible than in generations past especially as the cost of living goes up nationwide When Madie Chapman (pictured) first moved to the California desert Photograph: Amanda Ulrich/GuardianIn that employment vacuum many women have turned to entrepreneurship Chapman and a tight-knit network of other spouses host “small-business expos” each month where they showcase their businesses and sell their most recent creations often to other wives and families from the base Being a business owner also offers military spouses something much more valuable than just a job the CEO and co-founder of non-profit the Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce we’re very proud to support the mission of our service members But you do tend to lose some of that sense of self-identity,” Brown said “So if we can help military spouses find that sense of purpose – as a small-business owner as someone who is self-employed – then that’s a gift.” In the hours before Twentynine Palms’s most recent business expo – a Valentine’s Day-themed event staged in one common room on the base – more than a dozen business owners buzzed around their homes I was denied access to the base for this story (Twentynine Palms stated that they didn’t have enough staff to escort me so a handful of spouses met me just outside the barbed-wire confines of the combat center instead Their cars were loaded down with supplies for the expo and their children waited restlessly in the back seats armed guards stood watch at one entrance to the base The muffled sound of artillery echoed regularly in the distance Chapman rifled through stacks of plastic bins piled high in her trunk putting together a sample Valentine’s basket The first basket she ever made was for a spouse celebrating her 18th birthday while her husband was deployed Chapman has made similar gifts for military spouses who have given birth while their husbands were gone or have been forced to celebrate wedding anniversaries alone Emma Salazar now sells handmade jewelry Photograph: Amanda Ulrich/Guardian“You just see on Facebook the young wives that are out here who are newly 18 and whose spouses are gone for months at a time and you’re in this remote location by yourself,” she said “I’ve been through my fair share of deployments with my spouse and I know what it’s like to be alone at those special times.” Another Twentynine Palms spouse-turned-business-owner showed off the jewelry she planned to sell at the expo that day: tiny rings made of twisted metal earrings studded with small shells and quartz after learning from her grandmother how to forage for natural materials and then transform them into handmade jewelry But when she moved to the desert with her husband in 2023 it was tough to find a regular job to supplement that passion project It was also Salazar’s first time living on a military base – and she had just given birth to her first child “I ended up just doing my business full-time since I can’t work anywhere else,” she said Salazar now crafts jewelry from her home on the Twentynine Palms base in whatever room “baby wants to be” at that moment would be to sell her pieces in local boutiques “People automatically just view you as a dependent,” she said of her role within the military because you can get so lost in just being a wife A guarded entrance to the Twentynine Palms military base Photograph: Amanda Ulrich/GuardianGroups like the Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce are working to bolster that community of entrepreneurs The non-profit awards free certification to spouse-owned businesses and helps to connect them with nationally recognized companies in the private and public sectors “All we’re trying to do is legitimize them,” Brown said both the isolation and the highly controlled nature of any military base can affect almost every part of daily life the Twentynine Palms spouses eventually left to set up for the expo artfully arranging their merchandise and readying for customers can often feel like “a step back in time”; spouses have to figure out how to make their own luck Chapman even started working a second job: a new role in human resources Authorities are searching for a man who attacked a 14-year-old boy who was walking home from school Thursday afternoon in Twentynine Palms The attack was reported at around 2:20 p.m near Sunnyslope Drive and La Buena Tierra Avenue the teen was walking when he was approached by a man The teen was rendered unconscious and sustained multiple injuries to his face Medical aid was provided on-scene and the teen was transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment of his injuries Authorities described the suspect as a black male adult He was further described as wearing a burgundy hoodie Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Morongo Basin Station at (760) 366-4175 Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may contact We-Tip at 1-888-78-CRIME A Marine has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife in Twentynine Palms was arrested early Sunday morning at the Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree after being accused of the murder of Savannah Encke deputies were called out to the hospital after a woman was in the emergency room with severe injuries Detectives assumed the investigation and determined that the husband was responsible for the injuries leading to Encke’s death The 23-year-old was arrested and booked into the Morongo jail the 1st Marine Division confirmed that Zamudio enlisted in the Marine Corps from California He began boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in January 2020 The 1st Marine Division shared a statement on Zamudio's arrest: “1st Marine Division is aware of the arrest of one of our Marines by San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department on Jan Zamudio enlisted in the Marine Corps from California and began boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Upon graduating from the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School at Twentynine Palms Zamudio was assigned as a transmission system operator with 3rd Battalion Zamudio deployed to Australia for Marine Rotational Force – Darwin in 2022 and to Japan under the Unit Deployment Program in 2024 He achieved his current rank of corporal in April 2022 and his only personal decoration is a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal The circumstances surrounding the incident leading to the arrest are currently under investigation and Division leadership is engaged and committed to supporting local authorities on this case." Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Owenn Domon, Specialized Investigations Division at (909) 890-4904. Callers can remain anonymous and contact We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or www.wetip.com Over 170,000 active-duty troops are abroad this Thanksgiving not including those away from home on bases like Twentynine Palms over 200 Marines got to celebrate Thanksgiving with desert families News Channel 3's Athena Jreij speaks with American Friends of Our Armed Forces and several marines on what this community outreach means to them To learn more about AFAF, visit https://www.afafusa.com/index.html Morning Dove by Homestead Modern in Twentynine Palms offers a striking landscape and rammed-earth construction for idyllic desert escapes On the property, you will find two structures – a main house, and a guest house, both featuring rammed-earth construction, the ancient building method that blends sustainable architecture with a wildly distinctive look and feel 'Rammed earth uses a combination of native materials a binding agent and colourant to mix into the material by batch to achieve the layered look,' explains Tracey Cavaniola screened it to get the consistency we wanted – a rougher rustic look – and mixed it with specific-coloured mortars.' The mixture is then poured into forms and compacted by a tamper. Once the first layer is completed, the forms are moved, and the process is repeated. 'It is an ancient construction method in Europe, New Zealand, Africa, and drier climates. In the past ten years, it has gained momentum in the US and Canada.' Other striking touches to the property include Earthaus Plaster for a natural mineral finish; custom solid Knotty Alder wood doors sourced from Sun Mountain in Colorado; and recessed lighting from TECH lighting and the powder-room raised vessel sink is from Gem Look Design designed by world-renowned Norm Architects While Twentynine Palms has evolved into an area where a lot of people have renovated single-family homes on plots which were often subdivided into smaller lots Cavaniola explained that these homes were due to the government's post-Second World War programme to assist veterans coming back to the states with housing and jobs 'Although renovations have a positive story as well we decided to buy land instead of digging into a renovation project.' When Campbell and Cavaniola acquired the land they deeply invested how to build a home that did not abuse the land or deplete the ethereal surrounding landscape but instead preserved the abundant open space and highlighted a sense of place 'It is hard not to be inspired by the colours and textures of the ever-changing desert even during different times of the day,' adds Cavaniola escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox 'We knew that we did not want to build a modern home that only put on a facade of belonging 'We were very lucky the property provided us with a composition of earth that allowed us to fulfil the inspiration meticulously.' homesteadmodern.com Carole Dixon is a prolific lifestyle writer-editor currently based in Los Angeles and was formerly the LA City editor for the Wallpaper* City Guides to Los Angeles.  This work, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms enhances safety with on-the-job training for ventilation testing, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Police continue to search for a driver who fled the scene of a deadly crash last week in Twentynine Palms the California Highway Patrol shared pictures of a dark green Chevrolet Silverado believed to have been involved in the crash The truck has an extended cab or four-door and possibly a 4X4 decal on the left rear of the bed the Silverado was traveling eastbound on SR-62 at a high rate of speed The Chevrolet changed lanes directly in front of a Nissan The driver of the Nissan steered to the right to avoid striking the truck but lost control and struck the right front of the truck The Nissan then struck a Burrtec trash truck on the right lane of westbound SR-62 before colliding into a Tesla Model Y in the left lane Police said the driver of the Tesla was transported to Hi-Desert Medical Center with minor injuries and the driver of the Burrtec truck was uninjured If anyone has information pertaining to this crash particularly the location of the Chevrolet or its driver you are urged to call the Morongo Basin CHP Office at 760-366-3707 A furious second-half rally led by running back Ayden Ogilvie came up just short for the Twentynine Palms Wildcats on Friday Trailing 31-0 at the half, Twentynine Palms scored the next 26 points in the game. But the rally came too late, and the Wildcats fell 31-26 in the team's final non-league game of the season. Banning improved to 6-1 with the victory, while Twentynine Palms fell to 1-5. "We held them scoreless in the second half exciting game," Twentynine Palms head coach Eric Tili said in a message to the Desert Sun "Finally felt like a football team even in the loss." the rally began with a 9-yard scoring run by the Wildcats' Ogilvie Twentynine Palms then cut the lead to 31-12 with an interception return for a touchdown Twentynine Palms pulled closer with a 23-yard run by Ogilvie for his third touchdown of the night The two-point conversation made it 31-26 with six minutes to play Twentynine Palms will begin Desert Valley League play next week at Coachella Valley Sponsored, Things to Do by | Oct 13 while cattlemen utilized the desert grasslands for their trade The city also serves as the primary gateway to Joshua Tree National Park (Find the north entrance on Utah Trail.) The city is undergoing a creative re-pioneering as artists and tastemakers flock to the desert to cultivate a community where history Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center.PHOTO COURTESY SKY’S THE LIMIT 29 Palms Art Gallery.PHOTO COURTESY 29 PALMS ART GALLERY Old Schoolhouse Museum.PHOTO BY BRANDON HARMAN Smith’s Ranch Drive-In.PHOTO BY BRANDON HARMAN Sun of the Desert.PHOTO COURTESY SUN OF THE DESERT Everton Gordon, the self-taught chef behind Kitchen in the Desert Starting in 2015 as a pop-up in a gas station the concept has blossomed into a hot spot with a seasonal menu of Caribbean-inspired New American dishes and Gordon’s signature jerk chicken Kitchen in the Desert.PHOTO COURTESY KITCHEN IN THE DESERT Out There Bar.PHOTO COURTESY OUT THERE BAR Later, luxuriate in the ultimate hangout vibes at Out There Bar a psychedelic desert dive tucked inside a vintage 1960s A&W Root Beer stand the retro-chic joint serves up nonstop fun a shopping hall with boutique retailers.PHOTO BY BRANDON HARMAN Fortynine Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park.PHOTO BY BILL BJORNSTAD 73565 29 Palms Highway, Twentynine Palmsinstagram.com/29palmsbeerco 9697 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms760-490-9561skysthelimit29.org 74055 Cottonwood Drive, Twentynine Palms760-367-781929palmsartgallery.com 4584 Adobe Rd, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277760-367-7713drivein29.com 73637 Sullivan Road, Twentynine Palms760-361-4151theatre29.org 6427 Mesquite Ave., Twentynine Palms760-865-0245kitd29.com  71845 29 Palms Highway, Twentynine Palmsoutpost29.com 73839 29 Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms760- 800-1222instagram.com/outtherebar 73950 Inn Ave, Twentynine Palms760-367-350529palmsinn.com  71161 29 Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms760-401-1309harmonymotel.com 73842 29 Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms213-440-2826ramsey29.com Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms Sailors Advance Process Improvement Through Lean Six Sigma Training Desert Hot Springs and Twentynine Palms used to share a league in the Desert Valley League and on Friday night they shared a few more things Both the Golden Eagles and Wildcats suffered losses on Friday Desert Hot Springs braved the cold to play at Big Bear and came back down the mountain with a 21-0 loss but a sloppy seven-turnover performance doomed them to a 42-0 defeat against Hemet West Valley The loss for DHS marks their second in a row after a 3-0 start having failed to score in two straight games the defense played well holding a solid Big Bear team scoreless in the second half "Our defense played lights-out D in the second half but we couldn't overcome our mistakes as we dealt with the cold wet ball," Desert Hot Springs coach Roy Provost said We became one-dimensional and were forced to keep throwing it Desert Hot Springs (3-2) will host a familiar foe on Friday when former league mate Yucca Valley pays a visit Coach Eric Tili said the team also dealt with some key injuries but just struggled to move the ball in general He did point out Wyatt Granger who played well defensively with 10 tackles and a forced fumble This was only the third game for Twentynine Palms as they fell to 0-3 They look to get in the win column next week when they head travel to Desert Mirage on Friday they will actually play each other in two weeks as the Wildcats will travel to Desert Hot Springs to face the Golden Eagles on Friday This work, NMRTC Twentynine Palms officer recognized as Junior Health IT Officer of the Year, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. The Oasis Visitor Center (OVC) in Twentynine Palms closed its doors at 5:00 PM Monday, May 2, 2022 after 60 years of operation. The new facility, Joshua Tree Cultural Center replaces OVC in welcoming visitors and providing park information. Other park visitor facilities are Joshua Tree Visitor Center, Cottonwood Visitor Center, and Blackrock Nature Center and Art Gallery. These are open to welcome the public daily. Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go. But that afternoon, the sky darkened and the wind howled. The clouds spit out quarter-sized hail. Aggressive and impactful reporting on climate change Water poured in through Firestine’s sliding back door She tried to stanch the flow with blankets But then the water seeped in through her walls As she stuffed more linens around the baseboards water flowed from beneath her kitchen cabinets and through her bathroom She grabbed clothes from her closet and rolls of toilet paper in a desperate attempt to soak it up she received a flash flood alert on her phone The 61-year-old cosmetologist has weathered many monsoons which typically hit the Mojave Desert from July to September But this one came as a surprise — both for its intensity and the fact that it flooded her neighborhood which she described as a first in her 36 years there Mary Firestine stands near her above-ground pool, which is still full of debris after a mid-July monsoon storm. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) “My home is not even in a flood zone, so I never expected that,” she said. Like many desert residents, she doesn’t have flood insurance, and homeowner’s insurance won’t cover the damage. The surprise storm devastated pockets of Twentynine Palms sending motorists floating down the main highway displacing people from their homes and leaving many wondering why the damage was so extensive — and why they didn’t get more warning as well as several smaller storms that followed also revealed a resilient community whose members have banded together to help one another recover The July 14 storm developed extremely quickly a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas roughly 1.88 inches of rain fell on Twentynine Palms which normally gets 3.87 inches in a year Monsoon storms typically form when an area of high pressure draws moisture up from the Baja Peninsula and other parts of Mexico and then the wind turns to blow from the south Forecasters will generally see monsoon conditions developing a couple of days in advance but they often can’t pinpoint where the storms will form “That can really change rapidly with small changes in the atmosphere,” Nickerson said Minh Dang observes the damage to the parking lot of his Twentynine Palms business after a monsoon swept through (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) In fact forecasting summer thunderstorms in the interior of the Western United States is notoriously difficult Unlike storms arising from atmospheric rivers — large-scale systems that stretch for thousands of miles and have well-observed features — these are small-scale systems that emerge spontaneously “If the air near the surface happens to be light enough to rise and there happens to be enough moisture in the air a local thunderstorm might occur,” Hall wrote in an email “Predicting this requires monitoring the temperature and moisture at all locations throughout the entire atmosphere We just don’t have the resources to do this type of monitoring.” The jury is still out on whether climate change is affecting the intensity or duration of the North American monsoon as the phenomenon is poorly simulated in global climate models Global warming will most probably have some effect “One event doesn’t necessarily mean that we have climate change going on,” Nickerson added “It is definitely something to pay attention to because it could mean that we’ll have more extreme events like this especially when people build homes in washes or flood plains was out offroading with her husband when the hair on the top of her head stood up which she took to be a sign of an impending storm her garage had taken on about 2½ feet of water but the emergency responders the operator connected her with hung up ‘We have so many other people we’re helping you guys are gonna have to just figure it out,’” Stedman said The 911 operator apologized and said the response was not typical Stedman’s husband was eventually able to pry open the door and she swam to his truck holding her squirming dogs They drove through the floodwaters to a friend’s house across town “There were cars at the red light just floating, bumping into each other,” she said. She estimates she lost 70% to 80% of her possessions and isn’t sure when she’ll be able to return to the home she rented Her renter’s insurance doesn’t cover water damage due to natural disasters said Twentynine Palms Mayor Steven Bilderain have people on standby for potential flooding,” he said “It hit everywhere that we were not prepared for based on the past.” Twentynine Palms’ small team of municipal employees mobilized quickly closing the floodgates that block streets prone to flooding who doubles as its emergency services director pivoted from addressing cybersecurity threats to dealing with flood mitigation In the space of just a couple of hours that afternoon the San Bernardino County Fire Department conducted three swift-water rescues and helped or rescued 17 people from their vehicles was out in the field helping to close floodgates “There was an awful lot of activity behind the scenes that people didn’t see that the city was incredibly proactive in,” he said Some expressed frustration with the city for what they described as a lack of communication to affected residents in the immediate aftermath Others wondered whether authorities could have done more to monitor the development of private properties that they believe may have intensified the flow of water into certain areas frustrations boiled over on social media and at a City Council meeting in which residents took to the podium to criticize officials’ response Erick Turner, 39, whose home was saturated with mud and water, lives near Twentynine Palms School. This was the first decent rain since a new football stadium was built there last year. “Where does all that stadium water go? To my house,” said Turner, who manages an ampm and Cold Stone Creamery. “No flood drainage was done, no curbs and gutters.” Climate & Environment A seven-story boulder on federal land has become a tinderbox of tensions over who gets to enjoy this patch of Mojave Desert, which has rapidly gentrified since the COVID-19 pandemic. He lost the flooring in his home. He can’t afford to replace the drywall and cabinets and is hoping they don’t becomeinfested with mold. He had to have a tractor pull out his truck, which sank into the mud. “I’ve never dealt with something like this,” he said. “How do you react when you have something so big that you worked so hard for and you’re trying to save it?” Dan Coleman, 53, owns a 12-bedroom apartment complex that was flooded. Tenants living in three of his four units — two of whom were pregnant — were displaced. Many of his tenants are in the military, drawn to the city by its Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. “So when things like this happen, they don’t live in a city where their families live,” he said. “They don’t have any support.” “There needs to be better communication from the city to the residents,” he added. “Is this a natural disaster? Is there going to be funding available?” Tom Ingram lost a lot of paperwork that was stored in his garage, right, during the monsoon. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Tom Ingram, 63, last year moved from Los Alamitos to Twentynine Palms, where, he jokes, “I can live in a $2-million house that only cost $300,000 to buy.” During the storm, a giant rush of water broke his fence, then began pouring through his air conditioning vents. Two outdoor sheds were propelled across the yard and broke apart, sending clothes and business paperwork flowing into the street. Ingram’s home sits atop a hill, so he didn’t expect it to flood. After the deluge, he checked his security cameras and saw that the water was channeled his way by a wall built around a nearby housing tract, as well as an adjacent vacant lot that acted as a funnel. Public works crews removed 100 dump trucks worth of sand from the nearest intersection. The radio show host, who also organizes a popular rockabilly festival in Las Vegas, questioned whether the potential flooding impacts were properly considered when the housing development was built, which records show took place in the mid-2000s. The water took out his driveway and three fences and filled his air conditioner ducts and hot tub pumps and motors with wet sand. He must rip out portions of his walls and flooring and may need to replace the kitchen, although he bristles at the idea of overhauling his 1961 Midcentury Modern home, which he purchased precisely because so many of its original features were in good condition. He estimates the repair costs and lost property at about $150,000. Still, he plans to stay and says he will build protections against the next flood. A muddy line on the side of Tom Ingram’s home marks how high the water rose. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) “I don’t think it will be a one-off,” he said. “I think it’s something we should start expecting because of all the changes in the weather patterns.” Ingram has received cleanup assistance from two nonprofit groups, but nothing from the city or county, he said. Still, he says he’s one of the lucky ones, as he can recover without much help. But a lot of his neighbors can’t. Multiple nearby homes were rendered unlivable, and he worries they’ll sit empty. Development projects are reviewed by professional engineers licensed by the state and must follow state hydrology standards, James, the city manager, said. Although San Bernardino County is responsible for flood control, the city will work to identify areas that were hardest-hit by the storm and determine whether there are steps they could recommend to the county to mitigate future flooding, he added. And, although the city has done its best to respond to the devastation, he said, “with a staff of 40 in City Hall, we can’t do everything for everyone all at the same time.” California Amboy has been beset by a series of crises that stretch back more than half a century But owner Kyle Okura hopes to turn it around No less than his father’s legacy is at stake 150 homes were found to have sustained wind or flood damage the estimated dollar amount fell short of the $10-million threshold needed to qualify for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency The city has elected to not declare a local emergency saying that doing so would not benefit residents city officials have focused efforts on connecting victims with nongovernmental organizations in addition to clearing roads and fixing broken and exposed water mains The Red Cross has assisted 25 families accounting for more than 70 people and teams also distributed emergency supplies such as cleanup kits In a low-slung building at a local community center a handful of volunteers with veteran-led nonprofit Team Rubicon — known as “greyshirts” — billeted for four days sleeping on cots and showering at the park across the street The city connected the group with damaged homes that were in need of mucking out and tore out wet carpet and drywall at risk of mold growth saving each homeowner an estimated $10,000 to $30,000 They also held a public class demonstrating how to fill sandbags Neighbors from Yucca Valley pitch in after the monsoon in Twentynine Palms (Inez Rodriguez-Alcaraz) “When your neighbor’s yard washes into yours nothing’s gonna get done because you’re just consumed by anger Why not just get your neighbors and then grab shovels?” “I need to show them how to be good little men and be productive in our community,” she said “I figured what better way to show them how to care about people and help out than helping in Twentynine with the flooding?” she and her sons helped clear mud from driveways and place sandbags The group advertised their services on social media Local Marines, City Councilman Octavious Scott and members of the rival Yucca Valley High School football team are pitching in. “Usually we’ll talk smack about each other here and there,” Rodriguez-Alcarez said. “But with this going on, we’re not seeing each other as, ‘We’re just Yucca; we’re just Twentynine.’ We’re seeing each other as, ‘We’re the Morongo Basin, and we’re all just trying to help each other out.’” Microburst rips through Wonder Valley. (Genea Gaudet) On one recent afternoon, film director Genéa Gaudet, 50, was considering reaching out for help from the group. Her cabin was damaged not by the July 14 storm, but by a subsequent microburst 10 days later that ripped through Wonder Valley, an unincorporated community on the outskirts of Twentynine Palms. Winds blew off her roof and her neighbors’ and lifted a 5,000-pound cow trailer, sending it careening into the side of her house. “This is a cool thing about the desert, and a nice thing about living in a rural area,” said Gaudet, who moved from Los Angeles in 2020. “It’s a nice aspect to have that type of community that you don’t kind of get in a big city.” Snake wrangler Danielle Wall has become a celebrity in California’s high desert. But you’ll learn about more than snakes if you tag along. Alex Wigglesworth is a reporter who covers the Inland Empire, Mojave Desert communities and the environment for the Los Angeles Times. Politics 2025 – San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials report that on Sunday deputies with the Morongo Basin Sheriff Station responded to Hi Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree in reference to a female in the emergency room with severe injuries The victim was brought into the emergency room by her husband Detectives with the Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division it was determined Zamudio was responsible for the injuries leading to Encke's death Zamudio was arrested and booked at the Morongo jail for PC 187 – Murder Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Owenn Domon, Specialized Investigations Division at (909) 890-4904. Callers can remain anonymous and contact We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or www.wetip.com.  Refer: Detective Owenn Domon or Sergeant Michael Warrick Station: Specialized Investigations Division Source: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Sometimes it's hard to predict what will happen in a high school basketball game Twentynine Palms series this season has been a bonafide head-scratcher they played again and Twentynine Palms won 81-61 -- an improbable 47-point swing Part three of the series was on Tuesday night in a game that will likely go a long way toward deciding the Desert Valley League champion and the Arabs were motivated to show it was their loss to the Wildcats that was a fluke sprinting to a 40-16 lead on their way to an impressive and thorough 81-47 win So that means the three games between the two teams this year were a 27-point Coachella Valley win a 20-point Twentynine Palms win and a 34-point Coachella Valley win "We had a little bit of revenge in our mind because we went up there and didn't play our type of basketball," Arabs coach Mike Rodriguez said after Tuesday's win "So we came out with a goal to set the tone from the start and we did When Coachella Valley is playing its type of basketball And the speed game was on display Tuesday night Everything was working in the first half for Coachella Valley its full-court pressure was causing turnovers its fast-paced offense led to open 3-pointers or lay-ups "That's what we want Coachella Valley basketball to look like from here on out a half-game ahead of Indio (4-2) and now with a bigger lead on Twentynine Palms (3-3) Coachella Valley and Indio play next Tuesday in the final game of the regular season at Coachella Valley A win in that one and the Arabs will win the Desert Valley League title The last time Coachella Valley won a boys' basketball league title as the banner hanging in their gym clearly shows They control their own destiny with two games remaining -- Thursday at Yucca Valley before the big home game against Indio but they have a two-headed offensive monster in seniors Franky Aguirre and Israel Garcia Aguirre is the team's leading scorer and he led the way with 29 points on Tuesday And what's unique in this day and age is he did it without making any 3-pointers is always under control and is a consistent finisher around the rim He has anywhere-in-the-gym range and a green light to shoot it He made four 3-pointers in the first half on his way to 19 points Gabriel Lopez added eight points and Mark Gonzalez seven for the Arabs (14-6 it was a struggle to avoid turnovers against the Arabs' pressure When they did they were able to score behind athletic big man Ayden Ogilvie who had 18 points and at least 20 rebounds the Wildcats actually play Indio twice in the next week a make-up game from a postponed game earlier this year Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun This work, Sick Call Screener Course enhances operational readiness at NMRTC Twentynine Palms, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, From Humans to Canines: NMRTC Twentynine Palms corpsmen cross-train with Army vets, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, California Assemblyman honors first baby of 2025 at Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, by Christopher Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This year's 29 Palms team is ready to fight and stay together for their upcoming 2024-25 season "This team has a lot of blood and sweat and tears on this field and I think we're going to show that this season," Wildcats senior defensive end and right tackle Charles Ell said the Wildcats want to change the narrative and rise back to the top "We're going to be the underdogs this year," Wildcats senior wide receiver and defensive back Jaden Mcnealty said 29 Palms' goal is to compete with every team until the final whistle is just to match everybody's energy," Wildcats head coach Eric Tili said Along with matching the other team's energy the Wildcats also want to extend their season past ten games "To get to 14 games to the CIF championship That's our goal this year," Wildcats senior wide receiver and defensive back Mcnealty said As their first league game is against the Desert Mirage Rams the Wildcats can't wait to start the season "This team will be one that sticks together," Wildcats head coach Tili said and we look forward to competing in the DVL with everyone that we're playing against."  Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of high school sports throughout the season The Twentynine Palms Wildcats felt like they were an improved team this year and a season-opening tilt Thursday against a Canyon Springs team that beat them 38-0 last year would be a good way to tell if that was true the Wildcats led their visitors 15-14 at the half but Canyon Springs hit some big plays after halftime coming down with some 50-50 balls and pulled away for a 40-22 victory over Twentynine Palms While it goes down as a loss in the standings the much more competitive effort by the Wildcats has to make coach Eric Tili feel good about his team The offensive leader in this one for the Wildcats was running back and kicker Will Herrera He had 125 yards rushing and a touchdown and kicked a pair of field goals: a 30-yarder and a 37-yarder transfer Kruz Cueto led the way with 13 tackles The Wildcats (0-1) will play on Thursday again next week when they hit the road to play at Victor Valley