5 Things to Know: Thursday, October 15

By
Casey Dolan
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Welcome to 5 Things to Know – a daily rundown of things you might want to be aware of if you live in, visit, or just like being aware about what’s going on in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. As always, thank you for your continued support of Cactus Hugs.

1) The Coronavirus

Riverside County reported 225 new cases and 5 new deaths in the last 24 hours. There have now been 1,269 reported deaths from coronavirus this year in Riverside County.

Here is the latest on what’s going on in the desert:

More:

  • The Coachella Valley Unified School District will temporarily close its administrative offices for “a comprehensive cleaning and sanitizing process” after a recent outbreak among employees.
  • You probably won’t be seeing many Canadians around the Coachella Valley anytime soon as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said our norther neighbor is committed to keeping the border closed until the US gets some sort of handle one the coronavirus. “The U.S. is not in a place where we would feel comfortable reopening those borders,” he said Wednesday. “We will continue to make sure that Canadian safety is top of mind when we move forward. We see the cases in the United States and elsewhere around the world, and we need to continue to keep these border controls in place.”
  • Chris Christie, who was hospitalized in the ICU for seven days with coronavirus after attending numerous White House events without a mask, now says he was wrong not to wear a mask.  Better late than never, I suppose.
  • Meanwhile, around the country, things are just not good:

2) Two Arrested at Illegal Grow House in Thousand Palms

Two men were arrested on Wednesday after police say they discovered an illegal marijuana grow house in Thousand Palms after serving a search warrant. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Dept. says they received a tip about the operation inside of a warehouse facility.

3) It’s the Last Day to Be Counted with the Census

Counting for the 2020 census was supposed to go through the end of the month but the Trump administration fought hard to end it early (an explainer on why that’s the case can be found here).  It’s pretty important for funding and representation that everyone be counted – so, if you haven’t yet taken part, you can do so here until it’s midnight in Hawaii.

4)  Arts Center Coming to Coachella

The Coachella City Council has approved plans for an industrial property owned by the city to be turned into a cultural arts center offering programs for adults and children.   The building, which was once home to a metal fabrication company, will be leased to Culturas Music & Arts, a newly incorporated Coachella-based nonprofit organization, who hopes to transform the building and include things like a stage, ceramic studio, wood shop, welding area and recording studio.

5) The Living Desert to Host a Modified Howl-O-Ween

Health experts are urging against traditional trick-or-treating this year, but a modified version of Howl-O-Ween will still take place at the Living Desert on Saturday, October 31.

The event, which is free for members or with paid admission, will be a socially distanced, family-friendly event with a self-guided scavenger hunt, special food and beverages, and, in lieu of traditional trick-or-treating, children 12 and under will receive a pre-stuffed Boo-in-a-Bag featuring treats and toys, while supplies last.

Reservations can be made and details found here.

Stay safe.  Stay smart.  Wear a mask.

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