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Palm Springs, CA

Construction crews will begin roadwork on Sunrise Way starting July 20 as part of the ongoing Palm Springs Public Library Renovation Project, according to the city.

Swinerton Construction, the contractor overseeing the project, will lead the roadway work, which is designed to accommodate an expanded south parking lot and a new driveway entrance restricted to right turns only. The project also includes construction of a median.

During construction, Sunrise Way will be reduced to a single lane between Baristo Road and Camino Parocela, with intermittent lane closures expected throughout the project timeline. Work crews will operate from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The project is expected to run through Nov. 13, 2026.

City officials are urging motorists to plan ahead for delays, reduce speed through the work zone, and follow all posted signage and directions from construction personnel. Drivers are also encouraged to seek alternative routes during construction hours to help minimize traffic impacts.

Additional project information and updates are available through Engage Palm Springs at the Library Retrofit-Renovation-Expansion project page.

While the renovation is underway, the Palm Springs Public Library is operating out of a temporary location at Rimrock Plaza Shopping Center, 4721 E. Palm Canyon Drive, at the corner of Gene Autry Trail and East Palm Canyon Drive. For more information, call the library at 760-322-READ (7323) or visit pslibrary.org.

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PALM SPRINGS, Calif.

A four-vehicle collision on Indian Canyon Drive Tuesday evening sent three people to the hospital, one in critical condition, and led to the arrest of the driver believed to have caused the crash, according to the Palm Springs Police Department.

Police dispatch received reports of the collision at approximately 5:20 p.m. in the area of Indian Canyon Drive, just north of Via Escuela. Officers who responded to the scene determined that four vehicles were involved.

According to a preliminary investigation, one vehicle made a lane change and sideswiped a second vehicle. That impact caused the second vehicle to cross into oncoming traffic, where it collided head-on with a third vehicle. A fourth vehicle was also involved in the crash, police said.

Three individuals were transported to a local hospital with injuries. One of them was reported to be in critical condition. The conditions of the other two were not immediately available.

During the investigation, officers arrested the driver believed to have caused the collision on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was identified as Gabriel Gutierrez-Roque, 30, of Rancho Cucamonga.

The Palm Springs Police Department’s Traffic Division has taken over the investigation. Indian Canyon Drive remains closed in the area as investigators continue their work. No further information was immediately available.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (July 14, 2026) — The granddaughter of Judy Garland will appear at the Plaza Theatre next month as part of a special screening of “The Wizard of Oz,” the 1939 film that made her grandmother a household name.

Vanessa O’Neil, who runs the Judy Garland Estate’s official social media accounts, will introduce the film and answer audience questions afterward. The screening is set for Saturday, Aug. 22, at 3 p.m. at the theater, 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive.

Vanessa O’Neil

Tickets start at $20 and are on sale now through the theater’s website.

O’Neil never met her grandmother, who died in 1969, two decades before O’Neil was born in Los Angeles in 1990. Her mother is Lorna Luft, Garland’s daughter and a concert performer, actress and author. Her father, Jake Hooker, was a guitarist and songwriter who co-wrote the rock anthem “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

“Grandma died two decades before I was born, but I have always felt so close to her,” O’Neil said. “As I’ve grown up, I’ve had an unwavering desire to connect with those who also share a deep devotion and love for her.”

O’Neil worked in hotel management and later in the fitness industry before taking on a more public role representing her family’s legacy. She has appeared at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, the Academy Museum, the TCM Classic Film Festival and Oz-Stravaganza, an annual festival devoted to the film. She has also appeared alongside her aunt, Liza Minnelli, and entertainer Michael Feinstein at the Million Dollar Theatre in Los Angeles, and represented the Garland estate at The Sphere in Las Vegas with her mother. She has been featured in People magazine and on “The Today Show.”

O’Neil lives in Southern California with her husband, Patrick, a firefighter, and their two sons, ages 10 and 4.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The Palm Springs Fire Department is offering free, ready-to-fill sandbags to city residents preparing for storm-related weather this season.

Empty sandbags are available for pickup at all five Palm Springs fire stations, with a limit of 10 sandbags per household. Pickup locations include:

• Fire Station 1: 277 N. Indian Canyon Drive
• Fire Station 2: 300 N. El Cielo Road
• Fire Station 3: 590 E. Racquet Club Road
• Fire Station 4: 1300 La Verne Way
• Fire Station 5: 5800 E. Bolero Road

Residents can also fill sandbags at a self-service sand station located at Palm Springs City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Fire officials said sandbags are most effective when used to redirect stormwater away from homes, garages and other structures, and cautioned that the bags are designed to divert moving water rather than serve as a watertight barrier.

Because filling and placing sandbags can be physically demanding, officials advised residents to use caution during the process. Homeowners with larger or more specialized flood protection needs were encouraged to consult a licensed contractor.

The fire department also recommended residents take additional steps ahead of rainfall, including clearing debris from gutters and drains, securing outdoor items, and placing sandbags where appropriate to help reduce the risk of localized flooding.

Palm Springs, CA

The Palm Springs City Council voted Wednesday to approve a long-debated policy allowing the removal of dead palm fronds, known locally as “skirts,” from many of the city’s roughly 2,150 California fan palms, ending years of back-and-forth over how to balance public safety with the trees’ iconic look.

Under the new policy, city crews will prioritize frond removal on trees in high-traffic commercial corridors, including the rows of California fan palms lining downtown. Council members carved out exceptions for designated historic sites, community gateway areas, city-landscaped areas and parks valued for their heritage character, directing staff to weigh those factors on a tree-by-tree basis rather than applying a blanket rule.

The debate traces back to a 2007 General Plan update that set a goal of gradually replacing the city’s nonnative Mexican fan palms with California fan palms as older trees die off. A 2009 policy required removal of fronds from Mexican fan palms while leaving California fan palm skirts largely untouched, aside from trimming needed to maintain 12 feet of clearance above the ground.

That approach came under renewed scrutiny after a mother and her infant son were injured in March 2024 when a falling frond struck them outside the Welwood Murray Memorial Library in downtown Palm Springs. The council considered changing the policy that summer but delayed action after hearing public pushback, instead directing staff to study alternative safety measures.

According to a city staff report, individual fronds can weigh more than 20 pounds, and up to 50 are added to each tree every year meaning an untrimmed skirt can eventually weigh between 1,000 and more than 4,000 pounds. City Attorney Jeff Ballinger told the council Palm Springs has fielded at least 11 claims tied to falling fronds since 2019, including one that resulted in a $100,000 settlement.

Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein framed the vote as a safety matter rather than an aesthetic one, saying the city has already seen accidents and doesn’t want to be responsible for a more serious one down the road.

About 20 residents spoke against the proposal, raising concerns about wildlife habitat loss and the potential erosion of the city’s historic character. Bettina Rosmarino, land acquisition director for the Oswit Land Trust, argued the fronds support a layered ecosystem of insects, reptiles, small mammals and birds, and warned that cutting skirts could actually make trees less stable rather than more so. Jane Garrison, the land trust’s founder and executive director, urged the city to limit trimming to the downtown pedestrian core and form a committee to evaluate individual trees there.

The council’s compromise directs staff to focus removal efforts on high-traffic commercial zones while sparing trees in historic and ecologically significant locations. Officials also plan to use signage and other measures such as relocating benches away from trees with heavy skirts to reduce risk in areas where fronds remain.

The rollout is expected to unfold over four years, beginning with an initial $300,000 investment approved as part of Wednesday’s vote. Total costs for the project are projected to exceed $1 million. Public Works Director David McAbee said every tree will be inspected individually, both from the ground and from above, before any trimming takes place.

Palm Springs, CA

Palm Springs firefighters extinguished a small vegetation fire burning within an encampment along Tramway Road near State Route 111 on Wednesday evening, according to the Palm Springs Fire Department.

Crews were dispatched after reports of the fire and arrived with Engine 3 at approximately 6:13 p.m., locating a small blaze that had not spread into surrounding vegetation. Engine 1 assisted with suppression efforts, and firefighters quickly contained and extinguished the fire.

One adult suffered minor burns to the hands and arms. The department’s Paramedic Squad treated the patient at the scene before transporting them for further medical evaluation.

The fire was declared out at approximately 6:25 p.m. No structures were threatened, and no additional injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.