Christopher LeBleu Lance Cpl. Christopher R. LeBleu, a 22-year-old marine stationed at Twentynine Palms, received a complete liver transplant after suffering unexplained total liver failure. Christopher received numerous blood transfusions before, during, and after his transplant and will continue to require additional blood and blood components. Christopher received a second chance at life due to the generosity of volunteer blood donors. You have the power to donate life! Donate blood today and give patients, like Christopher, hope for a healthier and happier tomorrow! THE CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS AND DESERT HOT SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTS A BLOOD DRIVE ...

Everything on the agenda at tonight's Desert Hot Springs city council meeting was approved unanimously. How do they do it? Other political bodies in southern California must be jealous. Even worse than unanimity, the two most interesting items on the agenda were delayed. The Chamber of Commerce quarterly report was delayed because the CEO was not present. Recently the C of C has generated some news by removing the CEO and then reinstating her. Me, I just wanted to hear her mangle her numbers again. The other item was the plastic bag item. As anti-libertarian was it would be, it would have ...

The Hinds Pumping Plant is the pump on the Colorado River Aqueduct that you can easily see from I-10 east of Coachella Valley. Most people call it Hayfield, since that's the name on the exit. But in 1967 it was renamed for Julian Hinds. This is the last pump on the aqueduct and raises the water up above 1,700 feet so it can cruise the rest of the way into the L.A. area. All my photos of the Hinds plant can be found here or if you want to see these plus all my photos from the ...

As I was moving to Coachella Valley I was driving my rented truck on I-10 approaching from the east when I was startled by the sight of what I now know is the Hayfield pumping plant and could only wonder what it was all about - it was my first time on I-10 east of the valley. A few months later when my friend Carlton was visiting we tried to just boldly drive right up to it, only to be thwarted by security. I can recall going on my second 4WD trip with Great Outdoors when Ed and Gardner stopped ...

I haven't seen it mentioned yet in either the Desert Sun or Desert Local News that the new sidewalk on Palm Drive between Camino Aventura and Camino Campesino in response to the hit and run death of Carissa Nwene has been complete for about two weeks. Maybe they talked about this at the city council meeting that I missed. So I stopped there this morning to get a few photos. The complete set of photos is here, and these are some samples: How many drivers actually observe this speed limit as they come ...

18-year old Aurora Maldonado is organizing a march in Palm Springs to protest the prohibition of marijuana. She says she "grew up in Desert Hot Springs 'where marijuana was just a part of the natural order of things,'" She said she was inspired to organize this march on Saturday when she saw an ad for the Million Person Marijuana March in High Times magazine. However when I Google for "Million Person Marijuana March" I get only four hits: two from this Desert Sun article, one from a blog who says 10,000 marchers were on the steps ...

Escrow closed April 25 on the Lautner Motel (AKA, the "Desert Hot Springs Motel"), designed by John Lautner. Final selling price was $425,000. The new owners, Tracy Beckmann and Ryan Trowbridge promise a swimming pool in the future. My set of photos of the Lautner Motel can be seen here. ...

The next Desert Hot Springs Historical Society soup supper will be held at Cabot's Pueblo Museum, 67616 East Desert View in Desert Hot Springs, California. A very entertaining presentation has been promised. ...

3rd Street got a layer of asphalt today. 1st Street got partially paved, too. It looks like the whole project includes a little widening and curbing on Cactus between 1st and 3rd (a little beyond 3rd, actually) which will be fabulous. I remember my very first night in Desert Hot Springs (it was magical!) and I tried walking down Cactus Drive in the dark. I thought it was nearly impossible, dodging potholes, not tripping on curbs that suddenly moved left or right (like it was Boston, or sump'n), and wondering about the dogs. Now I can negotiate it ...

On Pierson Boulevard in Desert Hot Springs. ...

Photo by bossco. This is the view last night from Desert Hot Springs. This morning the Desert Sun is still saying "near Idyllwild" and only 7 acres. I suppose it depends on your definition of "near." This morning I can see only smoke and can hear the drone of fire fighting aircraft. ...

I've got no info other than what my own eyes bring me, but there's a big fire on Mt. San Jacinto. It may be above Tahquitz Canyon, but it's almost impossible to say in the dark. I went outside to see why we have a low-flying helicopter hovering in the neighborhood and saw the fire on the mountain. The Desert Sun says this fire started near Idyllwild and had burned only 1.5 acres! Something's not correct in that info, since the fire would have had to travel many miles from Idyllwild to be visible where it is from ...

Some of the new sidewalk construction in Desert Hot Springs: 3rd Street. 2nd Street. 1st Street. ...