August 1 Daily Briefing: County confirms investigation, hospital meeting, reading results, and more

Welcome to Thursday, and welcome to August! This month, we’ll celebrate everything from International Mahjong Day (today) to National Power Rangers Day (Aug. 28), observe National Dog Month, see local students go back to school (Aug. 7), and hopefully start to catch a break from the heat. It’s also a time when the news slows to a trickle, as there are no City Council, board, or commission meetings at City Hall. That provides us an opportunity to take our annual one-week summer break (more on that later), which we’re more than ready for!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Add Some Music To Your Day” by The Beach Boys

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LEADING OFF

Investigation of Queer Works CEO stretches beyond Palm Springs, county confirms

An investigation into the CEO of a Palm Springs-based nonprofit for alleged misuse of taxpayer funds goes well beyond city limits, The Post has learned, and involves much more than the $700,000 in question here.

First things first: Riverside County approved more than $1.6 million in funding over the course of 15 months starting in June 2021 for Queer Works, what was then a fledgling non-profit organization, and it thought the funds would go toward street outreach for unhoused people and rental assistance for victims of domestic violence.

How we got here: But this year, staff discovered discrepancies in Rostovsky’s invoices, starting a chain reaction that ended up at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, which is now investigating Queer Works, just as it’s doing with similar concerns raised in Palm Springs.

Context: in Palm Springs, a Universal Basic Income (UBI) program the city helped Queer Works launch and fund in 2022, to the tune of about $700,000 had mostly failed to be delivered as promised by the time questions about the program were finally addressed in 2023.

By the numbers: From June 2021 to October 2022, the county approved more than $1.6 million in money for Queer Works for three separate projects, with money coming out of CARES Act funds and other federal grants. The county disbursed $632,260 before ceasing payments. 

• The county could not confirm exactly what work had been done by Rostovsky and suggested a public records request might turn up additional information.

What happens next: On Tuesday, City Manager Scott Stiles released details of new measures and more rigorous vetting he will propose to the City Council in hopes of preventing similar lapses in accounting at City Hall.

Dive deeper with our complete story here.

BRIEFLY

🏥 Desert Healthcare plans additional meeting on future of city hospital

The Desert Healthcare District and Foundation is hosting another community information sessions to get the word out about the hospital lease plan for Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, ahead of voters’ final decision this November.

• Tonight’s meeting is at the University of Riverside, Palm Desert Campus in the auditorium and starts at 6 p.m.
  
  
• At the end of May, the board voted to move forward with a deal with the hospital’s current operator, Tenet Healthcare that would see Tenet continuing to run the hospital through 2057, with an option to buy the hospital at the end of the lease. 

Bottom line: The deal is not final until it is voted on and approved by local voters during the November election.

🚨 Two face murder charges in parking garage incident

Two suspects are facing murder charges in the death of a 31-year-old man in a Palm Springs parking structure last week, according to a report in The Desert Sun.

• Jorge Adnan Maciel III, a 20-year-old from Palm Springs, and Eliberto Jesus Genera III, a 23-year-old from Cathedral City, are charged with felony murder in the death of Adam Ortega of Desert Hot Springs. The charges, filed Wednesday, include special circumstances of attempted robbery and criminal street gang association.
  
  
• The Palm Springs Police Department responded to a report of a gunshot victim at 10:30 p.m. on July 25 in the parking structure in the 200 block of South Indian Canyon Drive. Acting on tips, and with the assistance of a K9 unit, they later arrested three suspects at a home.

Bottom line: Ortega was pronounced dead early Saturday at Desert Regional Medical Center. A third suspect initially identified was not charged, however the investigation is ongoing. Court records show both Maciel and Genera have lengthy criminal histories.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Pet Vaccine Clinic
9:30 a.m. | Palm Springs Animal Shelter
The Palm Springs Animal Shelter invites you to bring in your pet for low-cost vaccines, including vaccines for rabies and canine influenza. They are also offering microchip implantation and registration. ($15-$25)

Welcoming Yoga
9 a.m. | The Center
At this non-judgmental, safe, and fun class, be prepared for a slow basic practice focused on applying moderate stress to connective tissue. Register online here. ($15)

Game Night
5 p.m. | Play Lounge and Cafe
Enjoy extended happy hour and meet new friends every Thursday at game night. Bring your own board game or play some of the board games on offer at Play Lounge.

Desert Healthcare District Community Meeting
6 p.m. | UCR Palm Desert Campus Auditorium
The Desert Healthcare District and Foundation is hosting a series of community meetings about the hospital lease proposal from Tenet Healthcare. 

VillageFest
7 p.m. | Downtown Palm Springs
A reminder, starting this month and through the rest of the summer VillageFest, the weekly street fair featuring art, entertainment, shopping, and food, will be starting an hour later at 7 p.m. The Palm Springs Art Museum also has free admission tonight starting at 5 p.m.

SAVE THE DATE

• Summer Sunday: Weaving Patterns at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum on Sunday.
  
  
• The Great Catsby Book Club at Frisky Business on Aug. 8.
  
  
• SplashHouse on Aug. 9 to Aug. 11 and Aug. 16 to Aug. 18.
  
  
• Friends of the Palm Springs Library Book Saleon Aug. 31 at the Palm Springs Public Library JC Frey Building.
  
  
• PSUSD Diversity & Racial Equity Conferenceat the Palm Springs Convention Center on Sept. 7.
  
  
• Business Expo & Taste of Palm Springs at Indian Canyons Golf Resort on Sept. 18.

AND FINALLY …

The Palm Springs Public Library celebrated the end of this year’s summer reading program with a huge prize giveaway for library patrons young and old.

Driving the news: The library handed out prizes ranging from a compost bin and bikes to a Playstation 5 at the 2024 Summer Reading Finale last week.

• The library said the Friends of the Palm Springs Library, Palm Springs Sustainability Commission, and local businesses pitched in to donate this year’s prizes. 

By the numbers: This year, the library said there were 527 participants. Children, teens, and adults collectively logged 2,299 reading hours and completed over 1,678 books aimed at younger audiences.

In addition: Each week the library handed out free books to children and teens and a voucher for adult participants to pick out their own used book.

What they’re saying: Jeannie Kays, Library Director, said last month about the program, “Summer Reading helps combat reading loss sometimes experienced over the summer, studies indicate that students who read recreationally outperform those who do not, and we know that students read more when they can choose materials based on their own interests!”