🌱 New Drift Palm Springs Hotel + North Indian Canyon Drive Reopens

Hi all. I'm back with your fresh edition of the Palm Springs Patch newsletter, fresh off the presses. Let's get this Monday started off right, with a quick guide to the most important things happening around town.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy and cool. High: 74 Low: 51.

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Here are the top three stories in Palm Springs today:

1. Former U.S. Senator Al Franken is set to appear at the Richards Center for the Arts as part of the Palm Springs Speaks lecture series Friday, Mar. 31, at 6 p.m. Franken, who won against Republican Norm Coleman by 312 votes in 2018, resigned from politics after a controversy about an inappropriate photo taken with radio personality Leann Tweeden. The 71-year-old moved back to New York, started the “Al Franken Podcast,” and went on a comedy tour last year. He will be back for a lecture series at Palm Springs High School. (Desert Sun)
2. North Indian Canyon Drive is now open after flooding caused roads nearby to close earlier last week. The road had been closed since Wednesday between Sunrise Parkway and Palm Springs Station Road. Other roads closed were portions of East Vista Chino Road and Gene Autry Trail, which reopened Friday. (Desert Sun)
3. A brand new hotel in Palm Springs blends Spanish colonial and Moorish architectural elements. The 30-unit Drift Palm Springs, located at the heart of Palm Springs, opened on Friday. With panoramic mountain views, hammocks, and an idyllic pool, Drift Palm Springs is easy walk from many of the city's landmarks. It is minutes away from the Palm Springs Art Museum and hiking spots like the Museum Trail and an hour away from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival grounds and Joshua Tree National Park. (Travel + Leisure)

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Today in Palm Springs:

• Monday Mixer At Escena Golf Club (4:30 PM)
• AR Architecture Tours by Modernism Week At Palm Springs Visitors Center (9:30 AM)

From my notebook:

• An "at-risk" teenager was found after disappearing from her home overnight. Morgan Norris, 16, reportedly left the area of San Lorenzo Road between the hours of midnight and 3:30 Saturday morning. She is developmentally disabled and requires medications. (kuna noticias y kuna radio)
• Local resident Ernesto Gutierrez was riding his bicycle around the Tahquitz Golf Course when he spotted a man riding a small inflatable raft down the flooded area! Check out the unique sighting at the link. (KESQ)
• On the hunt for a new home nearby but don't know where to start? Check out the five most recent properties to hit the Palm Springs area, including a two-bed, two-bathroom home for $289,500. (Palm Springs Patch)

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• Dance Party FUNdraiser W/ Coach Syreeta (March 25)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed. 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.