🌱 Gas Prices On The Rise In Riverside County + Drag4Drag Rally

Hello, friends. Danielle Fallon-O'Leary here with your Wednesday edition of the Palm Springs Patch newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about what's happening locally.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 83 Low: 60.

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Here are the top three stories in Palm Springs today:

1. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in Riverside County increased by two-tenths of a cent, marking its fifth increase in six days. The average price, sitting at $4.86, has continued to rise in the past six days, including nine-tenths of a cent on Monday. The national average price also rose over the weekend and is expected to continue to rise due to an increase in oil prices. (NBC Palm Springs)
2. In response to anti-drag and anti-transgender legislation, a "Drag4Drag" rally was held in Palm Springs on Tuesday. Attendees were encouraged to wear drag attire and brought signs to show solidarity with drag performers. The rally was hosted by Desert Stonewall Democrats and the ACLU's desert chapter and featured local drag queen Bella da Ball. (Desert Sun)
3. All Southwest departing and arriving flights were listed as delayed until after 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday in Palm Springs. Southwest Airlines experienced a nationwide halt in flight activity due to "data connection issues resulting from a firewall failure," resulting in over 1,750 flight delays. (Patch)

From our sponsor:

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Today in and around Palm Springs:

• Farmers Market At 72559 Hwy 111 (8:30 AM)
• Birding Walk About At Desert Willio Drive in Palm Desert (10:00 AM)
• Mah Jong Open Play At Palm Springs Public Library - The Learning Center (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Renowned pottery artist Virgil Ortiz will give a free talk and workshop at the College of the Desert's Palm Desert campus in May. Ortiz's work, which embraces his Pueblo history and culture, has been exhibited in museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Denver Art Museum. (Patch)
• Next door in Indio, the local Chella festival will be held on Wednesday between the two weekends of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. The festival is free and will feature food trucks, live performances, and a DJ in the downtown area. (NBC Palm Springs)
• Palm Desert Charter Middle School experienced a warm welcome at the airport on Sunday after competing in the 2023 Winter Guard International Color Guard World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. (NBC Palm Springs)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• 33rd Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show (April 20)
• "Around the World in 60 minutes" Dance Class! (April 22)
• Spring Music Series at The River (April 22)
• Add your event

That's it for today! I'll see you around.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.