July 31 Weekly Briefing: Vets in competition, compost program proposed, new museum attractions, and more

Happy Thursday! We all love that Indio is growing, but we maybe don’t love the roadwork that comes with it. Even if it means smoother roads and nicer medians, it’s hard to remember the benefits when you’re stuck in traffic! On Oasis Street, traffic has been down to one lane each direction. Crews are also hard at work on the Avenue 44 low-water crossing bridge. And if all that wasn’t enough, our neighboring city to the west is ramping up a massive construction project on Highway 111 from Jefferson Street to Washington Street. They even closed down the major Washington Street and Highway 111 intersection for 24 hours. So if you’re headed that way, choose basically any other road!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan

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LEADING OFF

National Veterans Wheelchair Games rewards local vets with more than just medals

A six-member veteran team from American Legion Post 739 in Indio brought home 19 medals from the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Minneapolis. The competition provided healing and community connections that participants say matter more than the hardware.

Driving the news: The team won 15 gold, two silver and two bronze medals during the six-day competition that featured 537 veteran athletes from across the country competing in over 20 adaptive sports.

Why it matters: The games offer therapeutic benefits beyond athletic competition for veterans with spinal cord injuries, amputations, multiple sclerosis or other conditions requiring wheelchairs for sports.

• Marine Corps veteran Luis Bernal, who missed this year’s games due to hospitalization, calls the competition “our medicine to recover and remind us who we are.”

The bigger picture: Veterans coach kids in wheelchairs during the event and forge lasting bonds with fellow competitors who understand their experiences.

• Bernal recalls being “dragged” to his first games in 2019 after his leg was amputated, but the encouraging environment helped him emerge from isolation.

The challenges: Funding nearly prevented the team from attending until a local fundraiser featuring donated spaghetti and salad raised several thousand dollars.

• Two team members had their wheelchairs damaged by airlines during travel, part of a national problem where airlines mishandled more than 11,000 mobility devices last year.

What’s next: The team is already planning for next year’s games in Detroit, Michigan.

Dive deeper with our complete story

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BRIEFLY

♻️ Business owner proposes community composting program to meet state requirements

Prema Walker, founder of Prema Permaculture and Composting, outlined a small-scale composting program at this week’s Sustainability Commission meeting that could help Indio comply with state requirements to divert organic waste from landfills. The city must purchase 7,330 tons of composted material yearly at an estimated cost of $72,000 or face fines up to $10,000 per day.

• Walker proposed the city help purchase an autonomous composting machine housed in a shipping container, costing $125,000 to $200,000, that could process 200 to 600 tons of material annually and break even in a few years.
  
• The state requires organic waste composting because when food waste and other organic materials get buried at landfills, they produce methane, a greenhouse gas the state wants to reduce.
  
• Zoom in: Indio High School already operates a successful composting program, with students composting 92,000 pounds of organic waste since late 2023. Commissioners supported the project but noted potential conflicts with the city’s waste franchise agreement with Burrtec.

Dive deeper with our complete story

⏰ Deadline for nonprofits to apply for up to $5,000 in funding from the city

Attention all procrastinators: Today’s the last day to apply for a city grant aimed at nonprofits.

• The City of Indio is accepting grant applications from nonprofits and governmental entities seeking up to $5,000 in funding through its Community Grants & Sponsorship Program, with applications due today.
  
• Eligible organizations must demonstrate their projects will benefit Indio or its residents by enhancing quality of life, strengthening the business community, supporting economic development, or boosting the city’s regional marketing efforts.
  
• How to apply: Organizations can access grant applications and table sponsorship forms through the city’s website or email Grants@indio.org for questions. Start writing!

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YOUR WEEKEND

Thursday Night Rock Show featuring HWY 111
Today | 8 p.m. | Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
Listen to rock and roll hits as HWY 111 performs songs from bands like Foreigner, AC/DC, The Black Crows, Van Halen, Pat Benatar and more. FREE live music starts at 8 p.m. Guests must be 21 years old to enter. 

Food Truck Fridays
Friday | 5 p.m. | Towne St. and Bliss Ave.
Carne asada fries, birria tacos, fresh pizza, gourmet donuts, and so much more await at the city’s weekly Food Truck Friday.

MC Raider Comedy Show
Friday | 8 p.m. | MC Raider Comedy Show
Host of The M.C Raider Show podcast and a hardcore fan of the Raiders, Lakers, and Chivas, MC Raider mixes stand-up with real-life stories that make you laugh, nod your head, and feel seen. ($13)

Check out more events in our community calendar

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AND FINALLY …

The Coachella Valley History Museum board has approved interior designs for a project to convert a 1950s railroad car into an event venue. Officials say the unique project could transform the East Valley’s cultural landscape.

Driving the news: The board voted this week to move forward with the final phase of the ambitious project that has been in development since 2017. The vintage stainless steel sleeper car will be transformed into an homage to Southern Pacific sunset limited dining and lounge cars of the 1950s.

Why it matters: The story of rail is the story of Indio, which sprang to life in 1876 as a railroad town when the Southern Pacific Railroad built lines between Yuma, Arizona and Los Angeles.

The details: They’re not just putting in some tables and chairs and calling it a day. The intricate plans call for the train car to honor different stops along the railway.

• “It’ll have a little piece of the LA Metro dining car, the New Orleans lounge car, and the Texas breakfast car,” said Gloria Franz, 2nd vice president of the museum’s board of trustees.

The bigger picture: The project will include an exhibit diving into the history of rail and water in the valley, and a replica “desert submarine,” an ingenious 1920s structure that used evaporative cooling to keep workers comfortable in the desert.

By the numbers: Total project costs have grown from an initial estimate of $500,000 to $1.5 million, largely due to pandemic-related cost increases.

Dive deeper with our complete story