5 Things to Know: Wednesday, September 16

By
Casey Dolan
-

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 Arena

In February, after months of buildup, complaints about traffic and parking, and loads of season ticket deposits, the planned downtown Palm Springs arena project was suddenly put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Now, seven months later, that project is no more…but the arena is apparently still happening, just a little further east.

The Desert Sun reported on the new plans for the future home of the Seattle NHL’s minor league franchise on Tuesday, with a 10,000 seat arena now planned to be built on an unincorporated piece of land between the 10 Freeway and the Classic Club golf course, just north of Palm Desert.

Groundbreaking is now scheduled for early 2021 and the arena is expected to open in late 2022 – though, as we have seen, things could change.

An email to those who had previously put down a deposit on tickets said they would be contacted in a few months about the process for choosing seats.

2) The Fires

Dozens of fires continue to burn in California, Oregon, and Washington.   Currently, 17,000 men and woman are taking on 25 major wildfires in the state of California that have burned over 2.8 million acres:

The numbers on this year’s fires are truly staggering:

Some important links:

3) The Coronavirus

Riverside County announced 215 new coronavirus cases and 11 more people dead of coronavirus in the last 24 hours.  Here’s the latest in the Coachella Valley:

More:

  • “We are moving forward and we have seen a decline in the rate of spread and transmission of COVID-19,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference on Wednesday. “We are turning the corner in suppressing the latest increase.”  COVID-19 hospitalizations are down 22% over the past two weeks, the governor said.
  • At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that most Americans will not have access to a vaccine until at least late spring or summer of next year.
  • The pandemic has been great for the golf industry.
  • But really bad for so many other businesses.
  • I guess blue state deaths don’t count now:

4) 2 Men Rescue Child from Attacking Dog in Banning

A 12-year-old boy was rescued from an attacking dog in Banning on Tuesday night.
The men had been working on changing a battery in a pickup when they heard what sounded like a pig squealing, according to Riverside County Animal Services. They responded to the sound and say they witnessed the dog holding onto the boy’s right arm while a woman was hitting the dog with a broom, but the dog would not let go.

One of the men reached over the short fence to grab the pit bull’s hind legs. The other man put his arms around the dog’s neck. Their impromptu actions finally forced the dog to release the child.

The boy was hospitalized with severe wounds to his right arm and right leg. The dog was taken to Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms.

The dog’s owner, who was not home during the attack, was contacted and indicated he wants to keep the dog.

A hearing will be scheduled regarding the incident.

Dog Attacks Banning Boy; Youngster HospitalizedTwo Men Rescue 12-Year-old from Further InjuriesWEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16,…

Posted by Riverside County Animal Services on Wednesday, September 16, 2020

5) Incredible

Adapting to the new normal has been hard for everyone.  Thankfully, there are amazing people out there that are going out of their way during these times…

Stay safe.  Stay Smart.  Wear a mask. ??

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR