June 25 Daily Briefing: Suspect dies, tree ordinance update, Emmy for local museum, and more

Welcome to Wednesday, where we’re diving into the “tah-kwits” vs. “tah-keets” debate, thanks to a reader who is also debating how to pronounce Tahquitz with others. We’ve always said “tah-kwits,” and it seems that’s the most common, so we’re sticking with that (for now). But since we’re just coming off the AI expo, we asked Chat GPT what it thought and got this response: “The pronunciation ‘tah‑KWITZ’ comes from the Cahuilla people’s heritage, as confirmed by sources like the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the National Park Service, and is the accepted local way to say it.” No matter how you say it, you should definitely read the fascinating history of the name here.

🎶 Setting the mood:  “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by  Elton John, Kiki Dee

LEADING OFF

Tree protection ordinance moves closer to City Council consideration

A proposed Palm Springs tree protection ordinance establishing removal criteria and replacement requirements moved closer to completion Tuesday. City staff reported the measure is nearing final approval and submission to the City Council.

Zoom in: The ordinance would manage both public and private trees on city properties and commercial properties, including businesses, homeowners associations and multi-family properties that submit landscape plans to the planning department.

• Single-family homes would not be covered by the replacement requirements.

The details: Protected trees are defined as those with trunk diameters of 12 inches or more measured at chest height. The city manager could also designate trees of cultural or ecological importance as protected regardless of size.

• The measure would affect roughly 3,800 city-managed shade trees and approximately 8,000 trees total including palm trees.

Replacement requirements: The ordinance calls for a two-to-one ratio for protected trees, meaning two trees must be planted for every protected tree removed. All other trees would require one-to-one replacement, while palm trees need only same-species replacement at one-to-one.

What’s next: City Sustainability Specialist Christian Wheeler said staff expects to present the completed ordinance to the City Council sometime in the fall.

• The ordinance is awaiting one more meeting with code enforcement before the full text is released.

The bigger picture: The commission previously discussed the tree protection measure in January as part of broader efforts to preserve Palm Springs’ urban forest amid climate challenges.

Dive deeper with our complete story

BRIEFLY

⚖️ Bombing suspect dies in federal custody

A Washington state man accused of supplying chemicals for last month’s Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing, died Tuesday while in federal custody at a Los Angeles detention center. Daniel Park, 32, was found unresponsive at approximately 7:30 a.m. at the Metropolitan Detention Center and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

• Park was facing conspiracy charges in connection with the May 17 bombing outside American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic along North Indian Canyon Drive. He was accused of shipping approximately 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate to bomber, a 25-year-old Twentynine Palms man who died in the blast.
  
• The Seattle resident had been arrested at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport after being deported from Poland, where he traveled four days after the bombing. Park arrived at the Los Angeles detention center on June 13 after being indicted for alleged malicious destruction of property.
  
• Bottom line: The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service have been notified of Park’s death. The Bureau of Prisons said no employees or other incarcerated individuals were injured, and further details about the manner of death were not immediately released.

Dive deeper with our complete story

🏛️ Council scheduled to adopt major two-year budget tonight

The Palm Springs City Council will hold public hearings on the city’s proposed budgets for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 during its meeting this evening. Among other things, the comprehensive budget includes the city’s general fund and the five-year capital improvement program.

• Other public hearings will address Assembly Bill 2561 requirements for reporting on city employee vacancies and recruitment efforts, and the Palm Springs Small Hotel Tourism Business Improvement District assessment for fiscal year 2025-26.
  
• The consent calendar includes approval of plans for demolishing abandoned facilities at the wastewater treatment plant, amendments to airport car rental agreements, police union contracts, and a $520,514 contract to renovate the spray ground at Downtown Park.
  
• To participate: The meeting begins with a closed session at 4 p.m., followed by the regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. Residents can participate in person, watch live at this city website, or register for Zoom access by contacting the City Clerk at cityclerk@palmspringsca.gov or 760-323-8204.

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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.

Resident Discount Day
10 a.m. | Palm Springs Surf Club
The Palm Springs Surf Club is offering a half-off discount on ticket sales for Palm Springs residents. Tickets must be purchased in advance. ($20)

Palm Springs International ShortFest
11 a.m. | Festival Theaters
Hosted by the Palm Springs International Film Society, this week-long event features both national and international short films. Awards handed out at this festival are academy-qualifying. ($20) 

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.

Interfaith Prayer Vigil
6 p.m. | The Church of St. Paul
Come pray with representatives from multiple local faith communities as they seek to pilgrimage in solidarity with those who are searching for a peaceful home.

Palm Springs Power Baseball
7 p.m. | Palm Springs Stadium
Your Palm Springs Power will take on the  San Diego Bombers. Wednesday is $5 margaritas night! ($10)

See all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Swim Center Community Meeting on Thursday at 5 p.m.
  
• Virtual traffic signal installation meeting Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
  
• 4th Saturday Chamber Music at Mizell Center on Saturday.
  
• 2025 All American 4th of July Weekend July 3-5 in Palm Springs.
  
• Your Extraordinary Mind on July 12 at the Cultural Center.

Submit your event here

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AND FINALLY …

The Palm Springs Air Museum is making a habit of taking home Emmy Awards, collecting its second golden statuette for Military Programming at the 51st Annual Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards ceremony in San Diego last Saturday.

Driving the news: Director Phillip Large and producers Fred Bell and Dann Ramm were recognized for their long-form documentary “From Stealth to Sixth: Shaping the Next Generation,” which aired on KVCR-TV and KESQ-TV.

• Large also snagged a separate Emmy earlier in the evening for his editing work on the same documentary, making it quite the night for the local museum team.

The recognition: The Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences covers a broad region including San Diego, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Maria.

Why it matters: This marks the museum’s second Emmy win in three years – they previously took home the award in 2023 for their 25th Anniversary Celebration Program, proving that aviation history can indeed be Emmy-worthy television.

About the museum: The museum is located at 745 North Gene Autry Trail and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with kids 12 and under receiving free admission with a paying adult. More information is available at PSAirMuseum.org.