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Palm Springs Walmart plans to build a 16-pump gas station
A Walmart gas station planned next to the chain's superstore on Ramon Road came closer to becoming a reality after a vote by the Palm Springs City Council on Thursday. The 16-pump fuel station is planned for a 1.9-acre plot adjacent to PetSmart at the corner of Ramon Road and Lawrence Crossley Road. Walmart plans to build a 1,400-square-foot convenience store selling beer and wine to service the gas station. ...
Marilyn Monroe's former Los Angeles home declared a historic monument to save it from demolition
Fans of Marilyn Monroe have won a battle to preserve her mark on Los Angeles and are a step closer to seeing a towering statue of the silver screen icon remain in Palm Springs.The Los Angeles home where Monroe briefly lived and died has been declared a historic cultural monument, while a Palm Springs planning commission decision boosted chances that a 26-foot (8-meter) statue called “Forever Marilyn” will stay in place. The Los Angeles City Council voted for the historic designation Wednesday after a lengthy battle over whether the home in the tony Brentwood neighborhood would be demolished, the...
Cathedral City spending $3M to remove soil that Hilary left under bridges
Cathedral City is spending $3 million to remove soil that accumulated in the Whitewater River Channel streambed underneath two bridges after Hilary, a major storm that hit the Coachella Valley in August and caused intense flooding. Flood water in the channel carried soil and debris that raised its streambed elevation, which could...
Palm Springs hires long-promised consultant to research Section 14 history
The city of Palm Springs said Thursday it has selected a consultant to document the facts surrounding the Section 14 neighborhood, which was demolished in the 1960s to make way for new development. The move comes at a time when the city is negotiating what could be a multi-million-dollar settlement...
Banning to contract with county for animal services
During a special meeting on Tuesday, June 25, Banning City Council instructed City Manager Doug Schulze to negotiate with Riverside County Animal Services for one year of animal control and animal shelter services as the city continues to investigate a permanent solution following the termination of the its contract with ARE Animal Rescue for animal shelter services.
City’s new homeless facility already making impact, council told, even before being fully operational
The Palm Springs Navigation Center is already making a significant impact on the city’s homeless population, despite being only partially open, according to a report presented to the City Council on Thursday. Rosa Verduzco, chief operating officer at Martha’s Village and Kitchen, which provides services for the navigation center,...
Palm Springs Unified School District seeks voter approval for $465 million school bond
Voters living within the boundaries of Palm Springs Unified School District will decide in the Nov. 5 election whether or not to approve $465 million in bonds to repair and modernize the district's school facilities. PSUSD has explored the issue since earlier this year, and unanimously decided Tuesday night to...
San Jacinto River Authority reduces wholesale water rates for groundwater reduction plan customers
Groundwater and surface water wholesale rates will be reduced beginning this September for customers participating in the San Jacinto River Authority’s Groundwater Reduction Plan. (Vanessa Holt/Community Impact) Groundwater and surface water wholesale rates will be reduced beginning this September for customers participating in the San Jacinto River Authority’s Groundwater Reduction…
Gay Desert Guide Weekend: Jun 28-30, 2024
I, like Jon Stewart, could only follow up the debate performances with “WTF!” There’s no spin that I have seen in the post-mortem of Thursday’s Presidential debate that can adequately counter what happened. 30 plus lies from one against a stumbling performance from the other. I...
June 27 Daily Briefing: Cannabis events considered, street closure related to ‘Marilyn’ statue moves forward, and more
Welcome to Thursday! We are less than a week from Independence Day, which brings with it the annual tradition of local TV news shows demonstrating exactly how lighting fireworks can go disturbingly wrong. Hopefully that won’t be an issue in Palm Springs, because they’re not allowed. Seriously — don’t be the neighbor everyone reports to the police and fire departments. Those crews will be busy enough and would rather not deal with you. Instead, head to Palm Springs Stadium, or the resort casino out in Rancho Mirage. We guarantee the shows put on at those places will be far better than your sparklers and M-80s.
Funding for Palm Springs Art Museum’s free Thursday admission sparks City Council debate
What should have been routine approval of funding for the Palm Springs Art Museum’s popular free admission night during Thursday’s City Council meeting instead turned into a discussion about the program’s overall benefit to the community. For nearly three decades, the museum has offered free admission on...
Banning prepares biennial budget
The city of Banning expects to end fiscal year 2023-24 with its general fund about breaking even and balanced budgets proposed for the next two years. During the June 11 Banning City Council meeting, Administrative Services Director Lincoln Bogard used the city website’s Public Transparency Portal to present the preliminary 2024-25 and 2025-26 biennial budget, as well as give a report on the actual 2023-24 budget as the fiscal year draws to a close.
Banning Unified sets priorities in 2024-25 LCAP
On Wednesday, June 12, the Banning Unified School District presented a draft of its 2024-25 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) to the board and community. The LCAP is a three-year plan that describes a school district’s goals and planned actions, services and expenditures to support positive student outcomes while also addressing state and local priorities. It is a state required tool for local education agencies (LEAs) to use that highlights the district’s strategies for improving areas of need and describes how the district plans to allocate the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funds from the state.
Marilyn, Oh Marilyn…Where Art Thou Marilyn?
For now, Forever Marilyn continues to shine in the heart of Museum Way. And possibly she’ll be there for awhile. We won’t say forever, because forever is quite a long time. But the Palm Springs Planning Commission has voted unanimously in favor of vacating Museum Way permanently, and...
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