🌱 How an Indio man’s dark web drug scheme unraveled

Good day Indio! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How an Indio man’s dark web drug scheme unraveled
• How Beyoncé’s latest tour quietly connects back to Indio

Also on today's calendar: Food Truck Fridays and 3 more events.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Indio? Post it to Indio photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
Today's Indio Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T-Mobile and UScellular have joined forces to connect people from big cities to small towns and everywhere in between. UScellular is now a part of T-Mobile. Find out more at T-Mobile.com/Better-Together.
Find a T-Mobile store near Indio.

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Mostly sunny and very warm, with a high of 83 and low of 48 degrees.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny and very warm, temps: high: 80, low: 49.
• Thursday: Partly sunny and very warm, with a high of 82 and low of 49 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Southern California Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy (fbi.gov) — An Indio resident has pleaded guilty in a major federal case involving fentanyl-pressed counterfeit pills and methamphetamine sold on dark web marketplaces. Prosecutors say the scheme ran from 2020 to 2022 and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars. He faces at least 10 years in prison when sentenced in March 2026.
   

• Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour is the highest-grossing solo tour of the year, says Billboard (komonews.com) — Beyoncé’s record-breaking Cowboy Carter Tour gets a brief local nod with a photo from her iconic 2018 Coachella performance in Indio, reminding residents of when the Empire Polo Club hosted her historic set. The article focuses on her 2025 tour’s massive ticket sales, revenue milestones, and standout multi-night run at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
   

📸 Around Indio

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Indio

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Friday December 19

• Loteria with the Friends
  Indio Senior Center, 45700 Aladdin St, Indio
  10:00 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Wednesday December 17

• Girls Tennis Banquet
  Shadow Hills High Indio, CA 92201
  6:30 pm

Friday December 19

• GSA Holiday concert PS
  Amistad High (Continuation) Indio, CA 92201
  5:00 pm
• Food Truck Fridays
  Indio City Hall , 100 Civic Ctr Dr , Indio
  5:00 pm
• Indio Loteria Night - Indio, CA 2025
  Cinemark Century La Quinta and XD , 46-800 Washington St , La Quinta
  5:30 pm

Saturday December 20

• SHHS Early College Trip
  College of the Desert , 43500 Monterey Ave , Palm Desert
  8:30 am

📣 Indio Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Tuesday December 16

• Scrapbooking Class
  Indio Senior Center , 45700 Aladdin St , Indio
  11:30 am
• Ambassador Meeting
  Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce (some months we will meet at a local business TBA)
  3:00 pm
• La Quinta Blackhawks vs Palm Desert Aztecs
  La Quinta High School , 79255 Blackhawk Way , La Quinta
  4:00 pm

Wednesday December 17

• Choose Your Glass Blowing Project - Tumbler OR Ornament - Adult - Wednesday, December 17
  Old Town Artisan Studios , 78046 Calle Barcelona , La Quinta
• Ribbon Cutting - BaBaLoo Lounge
  Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce 73833 CA-111, Palm Desert, CA 92260
  11:00 am
• Tustin vs La Quinta (LQ)
  La Quinta High School , 79255 Blackhawk Way , La Quinta
  3:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• My 15 year old mini poodle is missing.
  I let him go out to potty. After 5 mins I realized he’d not come in and looked everywhere for him. He couldn’t have gotten out as all exits are… (Nextdoor Terralago)
• Hello neighbors.
  These puppies lost their owner unexpectedly and now need a loving home. We are doing our best to honor their owner and finding them a safe,… (Nextdoor Shadow Hills)

• Troon Golf, L.L.C. posted a job opening for Expeditor in Indio. Apply here.
• Premium Retail Services, Inc. posted a job opening for Seasonal Walmart Merchandiser in Indio. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Indio here.

🗞 Nearby News

Coachella

• A Tuscan Friendsgiving raises more than $37,000 for FIND Regional Food Bank, supporting holiday meals across Coachella Valley (kesq.com)
• Mandatory Wood-Burning Ban In Effect Monday (hometownstation.com)
• Keeping Faith in Humanity Thanks to a True Hero; a Meeting in Palm Desert to Discuss Rolling Back Recognition of Pride Month–Coachella Valley Independent's Indy Digest: Dec. 15, 2025 (cvindependent.com)

La Quinta

• KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to LQR 2025-CALI (apnews.com)
• Transfer portal tracker: A look at how Utah's 2026 roster is shaping up (deseret.com)

Palm Desert

Ok Indio! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook