Nov. 12 Daily Briefing: Dust discussion, council preview, honoring service members, and more

Welcome to Wednesday! After enjoying two parades and a Pride festival during the past week, you can probably see how Palm Springs gets its reputation as the place to be this time of year. Kudos should go out to city events staff for pulling those parades off, and also to several hundred volunteers who do all the big and little things needed to make Pride run smoothly. But folks, we’re just getting started. Up next are holiday events — including a tree lighting and the Festival of Lights Parade — then before you know it, it’s time for the International Film Fest. Organizers of that can’t do it without you, though, so please consider filling out the volunteer form here.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas

LEADING OFF

Dust summit attracts elected officials, residents seeking concrete solutions beyond studies

Elected officials, scientists and residents gathered last week for a regional dust summit seeking solutions to the Coachella Valley’s air quality crisis. The event exposed a stark disconnect between data showing improvement and residents reporting more frequent, severe dust storms.

Driving the news: The Coachella Valley Dust Summit at UC Riverside’s Palm Desert campus, hosted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), drew about 100 participants — half in person, half online — for a three-hour discussion on how dust affects public health and the regional economy.

By the numbers: Data from three valley monitoring stations showed PM2.5 levels largely below federal standards, except for a brief spike following Hurricane Hilary in 2023. PM10 levels, while still exceeding standards on some days, have generally declined since tracking began in 1989.

• PM2.5 describes the fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, and PM10 are larger particles commonly linked to wind-blown dust and construction.

What else: An epidemiologist at the summit showed a slight decrease in ER visits related to air quality issues, but she qualified that conclusion by acknowledging that she can’t detect anything that doesn’t lead to a medical encounter.

On the ground: Residents described daily health crises that don’t appear in official statistics. “Twenty percent of the youth in our community have been told they have asthma,” said Deiter Crawford, a Desert Highland Gateway Estates resident, noting dust storms also delay emergency response times.

• Community advocate Lillian Garcia said many affected North Shore families near the Salton Seas seek treatment in Mexicali, keeping them out of local health data.

What they’re saying: “The frustration level is increasing for all of us who live in this great Coachella Valley, and we simply want to get some action taken,” said Indian Wells Councilmember Toper Taylor, founder of Coachella Valley Clean Air.

What’s next: SCAQMD recently approved $3.1 million for additional monitoring to capture localized dust events, and Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez urged officials to prioritize short-term mitigation steps alongside longer-term solutions.

Dive deeper with Kendall Balchan’s complete story

BRIEFLY

🏗️ Major development projects, dog parks, swim center all on Council agenda tonight

It’s a busy night at the Palm Springs City Council, with a long list of agenda items. Here are some of the highlights:

• Councilmembers will be considering an agreement between the city and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians related to a 62-unit apartment complex planned for tribal land at the southwest corner of East Alejo Road and North Sunrise Way. They will also hear an appeal to reconsider the Planning Commission’s approval of a seven-story hotel and nine-story residential development near the convention center.
  
• Also on the agenda, the approval of plans for the Demuth Park development project which includes updates to the dog park, restrooms, and parking lot as well as the next step in approval of construction documents for the swim center. 
  
• Details: The regular meeting is open to the public in council chambers at City Hall. You can submit comments via an online public comment form, in person, or by calling the city clerk’s office at (760) 323-8204 at any time prior to the end of the public comment period. View the meeting live on YouTube.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Sunshine Sisters Breakfast
8 a.m. | Rick’s Restaurant
Start the day with other Palm Springs Sunshine Sisters with breakfast and conversation.

Core & More
9 a.m. | The Center
Are you ready to step up your fitness game and conquer the art of balance while having a blast? Look no further! Our “Core & More” class is designed to not only improve your stability and prevent falls but also to bring a whole lot of fun and excitement to your workout routine. ($60)

Water Aerobics
10 a.m. | Palm Springs Swim Center
Get some low-impact exercise at the swim center every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday with instructor Donna Newton! ($5)

Chinese Mah Jong Open Play
2 p.m. | Mizell Center
Practice your skills and play with others. You do not have to be a member of Mizell Center to attend. People are encouraged to bring their own sets as a limited number of sets will be provided to use.

Poetry Club
4 p.m. | Welwood Murray Memorial Library
Led by T.S. Leonard, meet monthly to discuss and work on your poetry. Every month there is a different theme. Members share their written work and discuss selected works of poetry.

Palm Springs City Council
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
The city council meets this evening in closed and open session. Check out the agenda here. 

Gand Band: Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
7 p.m. | Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs
Step into the golden haze of 1969 as The Gand Band brings the unforgettable soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to life.($22)

See all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• West Side Story in Concert benefit for Dezart Performs starting Thursday.
  
• Palm Springs Hospitality Golf Tournament on Friday.
  
• Rotary Club of Palm Springs Sunup Holiday Blood Drive on Saturday.
  
• Book signing: Lucie Arnaz’s “Lucy and Desi: The Love Letters” at Just Fabulous on Saturday.
  
• Section 14 Survivors Anniversary Summit at St. Paul in the Desert Church on Saturday.
  
• Coachella Valley Filipino Festival on Saturday.
  
• Gregory Douglass Live at Revolution Stage Company on Sunday.
  
• McCormick’s 79th Auto Auction Nov. 21 through 23 at Palm Springs Convention Center.
  
• Plaza Theatre Community Open House and Block Party on Nov. 22.
  
• For the Heroic, Bright and Beautiful Desert Winds Freedom Band concert at Jewish Community Center on Nov. 22 and 23

Submit your event here

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AND FINALLY …

Palm Springs has been rolling out the red carpet for veterans for nearly 30 years, and Tuesday’s 28th annual Veterans Day Parade didn’t disappoint. A large crowd lined Palm Canyon Drive under pleasant, partly cloudy skies — the kind of weather that makes you remember why people move to the desert.

Driving the news: Marching bands, floats, retired service members, and enthusiastic students from local schools made their way down the historic downtown street while spectators cheered them on.

• No active duty military members were able to participate this year, but you wouldn’t have known it from the crowd’s energy.

But wait: After the parade ended, the celebration went from the street to the stands when the Palm Springs High School band put on a patriotic concert followed by a fireworks display.

Zoom out: This year’s theme, “Honoring All Who Served,” slots nicely between Sunday’s Pride Parade and December’s Festival of Lights, keeping Palm Springs’ calendar packed with community celebrations.

Check out our photo gallery from the event here