Public Safety
Thermal Schools Back in Session After Threat Evacuations, Students Detained
(CNS) – Thermal schools were back in session Thursday after a pair of students were detained when a handgun was discovered to have been taken to Toro Canyon Middle School, which prompted the evacuation of three schools.
Coachella Valley Unified School District Board President Bianca Torres Hall said that classes would resume Thursday.
At 10:10 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to the area of Avenue 66 and Tyler Street on a report of a threat at Toro Canyon Middle School, Sgt. Brandi Swan of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department told City News Service.
Sheriff Chad Bianco said a student was seen at a bus stop with a handgun Wednesday morning. He said sheriff’s deputies responded to the middle school campus, but that at some point that morning, the handgun was passed to another student.
“We went and retrieved that student and a backpack containing the handgun,” Bianco said. “Under closer examination of the backpack, there was an object that appeared to be in the likeness of a grenade, so out of abundance of caution for school staff and for our students that are here in school, the decision was made to evacuate the school.” The suspected grenade turned out to be a toy radio device, he said.
A 13-year-old and 14-year-old juvenile were detained at the scene, according to Bianco.
“We will be determining the consequences of their behavior,” CVUSD Superintendent Luis Valentino said.
About 3,700 students from Las Palmitas Elementary School, Toro Canyon Middle School and Desert Mirage Middle School were evacuated to neighboring schools, with buses brought in to carry students off campus to be reunited with parents.
“I want to congratulate our students for notifying the right people so that this investigation could take place,” Torres Hall said. “I want to congratulate our staff for collaborating and for making this transition easier on our kids.”
Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.
By: Ceci Partridge
November 3, 2022
Latest Instagram Posts
BREAKING NEWS: Country artist Dolly Parton has died at 80 following prolonged issues. Our Maria Noble Valdez has more here. Be sure to stay tuned nbcpalmsprings.com for more information. #dollyparton #breakingnews #nbcpalmsprings
📘Make your child the main character in a book, or give someone a special keepsake.📕 Thalia discovered this app and wanted to share it with all of you: Bookestry.com
Meet Kaydee, the newest visitor to the Big Bear Valley Eagle Nest! Kaydee has been making herself right at home — and on Sunday, she gave viewers some seriously adorable head tilts while checking out her reflection in the camera dome. Experts believe Kaydee is female based on her size compared with Shadow, who she’s recently been spotted hanging out with following the death of Shadow’s longtime partner, Jackie. Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets, Sandy and Luna, fledged a few weeks ago and are now out on their own. For now, we’re happy to follow along with Kaydee’s sweet adventures! ❤️🦅 #BigBear #BigBearValley #BaldEagle #KaydeeTheEagle #ShadowTheEagle EagleNest CaliforniaWildlife Wildlife NBCPalmSprings
Calling MOOOM! The Iowa State Fair’s annual Mom Calling Contest is back, and these kids brought their best—and funniest—mom calls to the mic! From Fortnite updates to snack emergencies, apparently everything is a five-alarm situation when you’re a kid. 8-year-old Vivien Sullivan of Ankeny took home first place, a blue ribbon and $5! Would your kid win this contest? 👀 #IowaStateFair #MomCallingContest #Iowa #StateFair #KidsBeingKids #FunnyKids #Mom #FamilyFun #ViralVideo #NBCPalmSprings
☕️ Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
It’s that time of year again! It’s the start of the 2026 Friday Night Lights season, and you can see all the action here on NBC Palm Springs and nbcpalmsprings.com #fnl #fridaynightlights🏈 #football #nbcpalmsprings
UPDATE: The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department have confirmed that one person has died and another two were injured after a home explosion on Ocotillo Rd in Twentynine Palms. Security camera video from a nearby neighbor captured the dramatic blast around 8:28 p.m., followed by a fire that brought a massive emergency response from fire and law enforcement agencies across the Morongo Basin. The burning structure has been confirmed as a residence at 6427 Ocotillo Ave. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Arson/Bomb Detail team is conducting the investigation. Tune in to our evening newscasts for the latest information.
A little galaxy far, far away… meets the debate over surveillance cameras. 👀 A man dressed as Darth Vader spoke at a San Diego City Council meeting this week, telling members the emperor is a “fan of Flock,” the company behind license plate-reading cameras facing scrutiny across the country. The moment came as communities debate the balance between public safety, technology and privacy. #SanDiego #FlockCameras #LicensePlateReaders #Surveillance #Privacy #StarWars #DarthVader #California #LocalNews #NBCPalmSprings
From Jackie and Shadow to the next generation. Millions watched the beloved Big Bear bald eagle family. Now, following Jackie’s death, conservationists are working to protect and track the young eagles who could represent the future of the species. See the full story at NBCPalmSprings.com. #BaldEagles #BigBear #WildlifeConservation #NBCPalmSprings #southerncalifornia
The Palm Springs Police Department opened its doors to its surveillance center to give the public a firsthand look at how they use flock cameras across the city. After a look behind the scenes, we asked residents about their impression of the technology. Make sure to tune in to our 5 and 6 p.m newscast for all the details.