Remote Surveillance Trailer in Indio, CA

Two Desert Sands Unified School District middle schools were recently named to the 2025 California Schools to Watch List for demonstrating academic excellence and equipping teachers with the necessary tools to support student success.

Also in this week's education roundup: Rancho Mirage High School dedicated a bust and plaque to honor Jerry Argovitz; College of the Desert's Roadrunner Radio won three national broadcasting awards in New York City; and COD's College Corps paid fellowship program is now accepting applications for 59 students to reduce their debt through public service.

Did we miss a noteworthy education story? Raise your hand and send it my way: jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.

Two Indio middle schools from Desert Sands Unified School District are among 2025 Schools to Watch in California

Indio Middle and John Glenn Middle schools at Desert Sands Unified School District have re-earned a spot on the 2025 California Schools to Watch list by demonstrating academic excellence, advancing social equity, meeting young adolescents' needs and cultivating a collaborative leadership.

California Schools to Watch is a statewide program by the California League of Middle Schools, California Department of Education, California Middle Grades Alliance, National Forum and the California Schools to Watch model schools.

Statewide, 46 middle schools received recognition from the program and 44 others re-applied, showing continued progress, for a total of 90 California Schools to Watch. Schools must complete an extensive application and host a site visit by a middle grades expert to become a School to Watch. To retain this designation, each school undergoes reevaluation every three years.

IMS first earned a spot on the list in 2018 and received re-designation in 2025. JGMS originally received designation in 2004 and has been re-designated seven times from 2007 to 2025.

In a statement to The Desert Sun, IMS' principal, who took the helm this school year, said that the recognition showcases the commitment of the staff, students and community to the school's success.

"Through our 'Every Tiger, Every Day' mantra, we ensure that each student is supported, challenged, and inspired to succeed. Our teachers and staff create engaging learning experiences, our students demonstrate resilience and leadership, and our families and community provide unwavering support," Robert Cullinan, who goes by Cully, said. "This honor is a testament to our collective commitment to academic growth, innovation, and student well-being."

At the March 18 board meeting, board members Beto Alvarez and Kailee Watson took a moment to recognize IMS for its recognition.

"I want to thank Indio Middle School because you, this year, are a completely different school. This is a 180-degree difference," Watson, the board president, said, attributing the change to Cullinan and Assistant Principal James Adkins.

Most recently, Palm Desert Charter, James Workman and Nellie Coffman middle schools received their first California Schools to Watch designation in 2023.

Jerry Argovitz’s legacy celebrated at Rancho Mirage High School with bust and plaque unveiling

Rancho Mirage High School recently honored the late Jerry Argovitz, founder of the Jerry Argovitz Sports Institute, with a dedication ceremony for a bust and plaque.

Argovitz, a former NFL agent and team owner, established JASI in 2015 with a $1 million endowment. The institute guides student-athletes by offering a curriculum that emphasizes balancing academics and athletics — fostering leadership and exploring career opportunities in sports. He personally mentored students until his death in May 2024, instilling values like integrity, responsibility and teamwork.

The program, which meets weekly at RMHS, has expanded to Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs high schools, continuing to impact the local community.

In 2016, RMHS hosted a small gathering to dedicate its football stadium to Argovitz, who gave $1 million to the school. His wife, Loni, also donated $250,000 to fund the Coachella Valley's first video scoreboard.

College of the Desert's Roadrunner Radio wins three national broadcasting awards in New York City

College of the Desert's award-winning online radio station, Roadrunner Radio, earned three Gold Mic Awards, continuing its streak of excellence for another year. The prestigious honors were announced on March 8 at the 2025 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference in New York City.

“I am not surprised. These students come to us eager and ready to learn, dedicating hours to perfecting their skills and creating relevant content for the station," said COD Roadrunner Radio Manager Scott Colwell, in a press release. "Their hard work has been rewarded; they truly deserve this honor.”

The categories for which COD Roadrunner Radio was nominated include, with asterisks indicating first place:

Since 2013, COD's media students have consistently excelled at the IBS Awards, winning multiple Golden Mic Awards and earning numerous nominations for Best Community College Radio Station over the past decade. The station serves as a training ground, offering hands-on experience in broadcasting and production.

Program Spotlight: College of the Desert is recruiting for its fourth College Corps cohort fellowship

College of the Desert is accepting applications for the 2025-26 College Corps fellowship, offering 59 students an opportunity to reduce college debt through public service.

Launched in the 2022-23 school year, the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps is a statewide, paid service program that provides meaningful work to college students in exchange for serving their community through partnerships with select community colleges and four-year public and private universities.

The fellows tackle one of the state's biggest issues — food insecurity — through a yearlong service in partnership with FIND Food Bank.

For their 450 hours of work and training, the College Corps Fellows will receive up to $10,000, a combination of a monthly living stipend and scholarship. Students who are offered a seat will start as early as Aug. 1.

For more information: Visit collegeofthedesert.edu.

Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.

Those heading to Coachella this weekend won’t have to wait until Lady Gaga hits the stage to see some serious heat.

What's the Indio weather forecast?

A National Weather Service meteorologist said the high temperature is expected to be just over 100 degrees on Friday, when the first weekend of the three-day long festival kicks off.

However, conditions will then start to improve from there with the high dropping into the mid-90s on Saturday and then likely into the low 90s on Sunday.

Still, even Sunday’s comparatively cooler temperatures will still be well above the average high for April, which meteorologist Paul Steward said is 88 degrees.

In fact, it’s possible that festivalgoers could even see some local temperature records set during the festival. The record highs for April 11, 12 and 13 are 101, 103 and 101 degrees respectively, according to Weather Underground historical data. That means that the April 11 record appears to be in play.

The good news for attendees, however, is that temperatures will cool down significantly at night, with the low expected to be in the upper 60s on Friday and the low to mid 60s on Sunday.

Stay hydrated while on the Empire Polo Club grounds

Still, Steward said it will be important for people to be prepared to stay hydrated and find ways to cool off, particularly if they are arriving in time to see the early acts or camping at the festival.

The gates for Coachella now open at 1 p.m. with the earliest performers taking the stage around that time. The popularity and name recognition of the performers generally gets bigger as the day goes on with this year’s headliners all taking the stage between 9 p.m. and midnight over the course of the three days.

Crowds at Coachella are typically thin for the first few hours before a rush of people arrives at around 4 or 5 p.m. meaning that many festgoers will likely miss the hottest parts of each day. However, the last-minute addition of a set by big name rock band Weezer at 3:10 p.m. on Saturday could bring more people to the festival earlier that day.

Steward said the heat will be the result of a strong area of high pressure that will be in place over the desert and fueling the hot temperatures.

Of course, Coachella veterans likely know that wind can often be just as big of a threat to good times as heat at the famous desert festival. Thankfully, winds are expected to be light Friday and calm further throughout the weekend, suggesting that wind and resulting dust should not be a major issue during weekend one.

While it is too early for the National Weather Service to issue a forecast for weekend 2 of the festival, the agency’s Climate Prediction Center says there is a 60 to 70% chance of above average temperatures in the Coachella Valley and much of Southern California over the next 8 to 14 days.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

In 2021, Indio native Ejay Gomez had a dream that he was walking through a bustling town full of thriving businesses. Kids were playing, dogs were barking and all the storefronts were full.

“I thought it was like downtown Pasadena or something,” said Gomez, who had opened Indio’s first cafe, Everbloom Coffee, with his business partner, Matthew Ortega, just a few months before. “It was a communal space where people were hanging out in a ‘live, eat, work’ kind of place.”

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In the dream, Gomez asked God where he was. God told him, he said, that this was the future of what was then a largely deserted stretch of downtown Indio, just a block away from where Gomez grew up.

“He said, ‘If you steward this well, I will make this place prosperous.’” Gomez said. “It was such a real dream that it became a core conviction.”

Gomez’s vision may not have come fully to fruition just yet, but with a host of new businesses opening in the past year and several more on the way, it no longer feels so far-fetched.

“It’s like Silver Lake before it became Silver Lake,” Gomez said, sitting outside his bright coffee shop — a favorite with visiting celebrities, influencers and local moms — on a recent afternoon. “We’re just on the precipice of something great.”

Hundreds of thousands of people descend on Indio each year for Goldenvoice’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach, but few venture beyond the festival grounds. In the past, there wasn’t much to do in the desert city besides grab chips and a decadent Tamale Boat from Arriola’s Tortilleria or shop at Yellow Mart for western wear or a crossbow. Now, that’s all changing. Thanks in part to a business-friendly city government that is investing in art and infrastructure, downtown Indio is growing at an unprecedented pace.

New restaurants like Marcel Ramirez’s Gabino’s Creperie East, Roman Whittaker and Skip Paige’s popular gastropub Indio Taphouse and elevated Italian speakeasy Italica are drawing more people to and around the single-street strip than have been there in decades. Thrifters can shop for vintage goods at Daniel Mata’s Urban Donkey, and those looking for an alternative nightlife scene can check out Adrian Romero’s Rosemary HiFi to sip beer and natural wines while listening to records on high-end stereo equipment. Visitors and locals attending free outdoor concerts and films at the city-sponsored Center Stage — a recently built outdoor theater— line up for smashburgers and loaded fries from local vendor Papa Headz, who gives out free burgers to kids on family movie nights.

And there’s more on the way. On a recent tour of the classic downtown area dotted with freshly painted murals, Indio’s Economic Development Director Miguel Ramirez-Cornejo pointed out the locations where new businesses soon will be arriving. They include an art gallery, a music studio, a beer and pizza place, an ice cream parlor that also will serve grilled cheese, a restaurant from the Michelin-starred chef behind Palm Springs’ Bar Cecil and the second location of Gomez’s Everbloom Coffee, which will serve as the company’s flagship.

“We’re just at the beginning stages,” Ramirez-Cornejo said. “We’ve got so much to do. So much to grow.”

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Gomez has been doing his part. Determined to realize the bustling downtown Indio of his dream, he seeks out local business owners, offers whatever help they may need, ensures they are connected to other businesses for support and recruits friends and entrepreneurs to the area.

“The friendships are very unique here,” he said. “We’re each other’s council. It’s a whole ecosystem and it’s very beautiful.”

Indio may still be in the early stages of its transformation, but a visit here is already well worth your time. If you’re going to be in town for the festival or you happen to live nearby, here’s a list of seven cool businesses to check out now.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

Just Like Heaven Fest returns to Pasadena on Saturday, May 10. The music festival features the best and brightest in indie rock and electro dance music, including a long-awaited Rilo Kiley reunion alongside headlining band Vampire Weekend, Empire of the Sun, Slowdive, Perfume Genius, Panda Bear, Ra Ra Riot and others.

Tickets are now on sale for Just Like Heaven Fest, which once again takes over Brookside at the Rose Bowl. It marks the first time in 17 years that Rilo Kiley’s entire original lineup (including actress-turned-frontwoman Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Jason Boesel and Pierre De Reeder) performs on the same stage.

News

At a Glance: How to Buy Just Like Heaven Fest Tickets Online

As of press time, Just Like Heave Fest passes are in Tier 1 or 2 pricing. General admission is $226 (or $200 per person when you buy a four-pack), VIP tickets are $440 and up and Clubhouse entry for 21+ and upfront stage viewing starts at $700. Parking costs an additional $25 to $75.

Who Is Performing at Just Like Heaven Fest?

Just Like Heaven Fest features some of the best indie rock and electro dance bands from the 2000s and the 2010s, including Bloc Party, TV on the Radio, Courtney Barnett, Grouplove, Peter Bjorn and John and more. Learn more about Just Like Heaven Fest here.

Below, you’ll find a complete lineup of the music festival and the official flyer.

Just Like Heaven Festival 2025 Lineup:

Don’t live in Los Angeles? Flights on United Airlines and Southwest Airlines may have discounts, promos and offers for flights to LAX and Burbank Airport to attend Just Like Heaven Fest.

Where to Find Just Like Heaven Fest Tickets Online

Want to attend Just Like Heaven Fest in person? Find options for tickets for Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena below. Ticket prices vary depending on the seat location, with options starting at $316, as of this writing, on Ticket Network.

Some of the best deals on Just Like Heaven Fest tickets are available at Ticket Network (use code THR150 for $150 off orders over $300 or THR300 for $300 off orders over $1,00), Vivid Seats (use code THR30 for $30 off orders over $300) and SeatGeek (use code HOLLYWOOD10 for $10 off orders over $250).

Keep reading to find out where to buy Just Like Heaven Fest tickets online, along with deals and offers on promo codes to get discounted seats to the concert.