Stories by Donna Rolando on Coachella Valley Times

Donna Rolando News


Riverside County Sheriff's Department: Murder suspect is awaiting trial on separate homicide

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department provided an update to a murder that has been under investigation since it happened in June 2020. The unsolved crime is the murder of Moreno Valley resident Kevin Henderson, who was shot outside of his apartment.


Cal Fire Director Tyler: Preventive steps 'imperative' as fire season starts early

With conditions ripe for an early start of fire season, Cal Fire and the Riverside County Fire Department this week put into effect a temporarily ban on all residential outdoor burning in the county.


Victim in San Bernardino shooting identified, described as 'a good kid'

A memorial has been growing outside a San Bernardino hookah lounge as the community remembers 20-year-old Allen Gresham Jr., victim of Friday night's shooting that also injured eight, KESQ reported.


Palm Springs pedestrian who 'succumbed to his injuries' identified as 52-year-old resident

The pedestrian killed on Sunday morning on North Sunrise Way was identified later that day as 52-year-old George Edward Lammon of Palm Springs, according to News Channel 3 KESQ.


Palm Springs Firefighters Association Fish Fry returns June 4 'after two-year hiatus'

The Firefighters Association Fish Fry is back Saturday, June 4, in Palm Springs.


'I got the call': Palm Desert High School grad Brian Serven makes MLB debut with Colorado Rockies

Brian Serven, a 2013 Palm Desert High School graduate, made his MLB debut Wednesday with the Colorado Rockies in a game against the San Francisco Giants.


Disney breaks ground on Cotino at 'grand oasis' in Rancho Mirage, first 'Storyliving' housing community in US

The Walt Disney Co. broke ground May 17 on Cotino, a residential community in the Rancho Mirage city of Coachella Valley.


Controlled burns in Winchester, Riverside target 'non-native grasses and weeds'

The Riverside County Fire Department conducted controlled burns Wednesday and Thursday as a means of rehabilitating habitat for native animals in the area, NBC Palm Springs reports.


Inmate found 'unresponsive' in cell at Cois Byrd Detention Center pronounced dead

The Coroner's Bureau is investigating the cause of death of a male inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell at Cois Byrd Detention Center Tuesday morning and failed to respond to life-saving measures administered by staff.



Off-duty Indio firefighter sustains 'major injuries' in motorcycle crash

An off-duty Indio firefighter from the 16th Battalion sustained major injuries Sunday during a collision while riding his motorcycle.


Orange County Sheriff's Department: Churchgoers 'undoubtedly prevented additional injuries and fatalities' during attack

A 68-year-old Las Vegas man has been identified as the suspect who opened fire inside an Orange County church Sunday, killing one person and wounding five others, according to Reuters in an article posted by Yahoo News.


Veteran protests to block removal of former Palm Springs mayor's statue

Removing the statue of former Mayor Frank Bogert as ordered by the Palm Springs City Council did not go according to plan on Tuesday morning due to opposition that included a veteran who stood guard.


Coachella Valley Housing Coalition director: 'We’re going to convert this into what we call the Palm Desert Merle Street Urban Self-Help Program.'

The city of Palm Desert has donated city property to the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC), which plans to turn the empty lot into 14 houses for those in need.


Riverside County Sheriff's Department: Driver 'drove straight toward two patrol vehicles'

A 23-year-old Moreno Valley man was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer after colliding with a sheriff's patrol car in an effort to evade deputies, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reported.


100 Palm Desert High School students 'peacefully' walk out of class in support of abortion rights

Palm Desert High School students performed a peaceful walkout Thursday morning to protest the ongoing developments regarding Roe v. Wade.


Palm Springs Police Lt. Araiza: 'The community needs to know what we have. And it's not the mere possession of the equipment; it's how we use it too.'

Palm Springs City Council recently deliberated over the Palm Spring Police Department's use of military equipment in accordance with a new transparency law that took effect last September, News Channel 3 reported.


Riverside County Sherriff's deputies arrest suspect in burglary of Lake Elsinore Senior Center

Deputies from the Riverside Sheriff's Department responded to a burglary alarm early Thursday morning at the Lake Elsinore Senior Center, where they discovered a broken second-story window and vandalized interior.


Desert Regional Med Center's Zerr on baby formula shortage: 'People are buying in bulk more than they need'

NBC Palm Springs recently conducted an interview with Dr. Ashley Zerr, a pediatrician at Desert Regional Medical Center, about the growing baby formula shortage that has become a national crisis.


Riverside County Sheriff's Department destroys pot plants: 'Marijuana cultivation negatively impacts the environment'

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department recently seized and eradicated approximately 3,800 marijuana plants and 1,700 pounds of processed weed after executing a search warrant in an unincorporated area of Sage County.