Welcome to 5 Things to Know – a daily rundown of things you might want to be aware of if you live in, visit, or just like being aware about what’s going on in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. As always, thank you for your continued support of Cactus Hugs.

1) The Election

It’s still happening, people.  I know the last 24 hours (as well as the last 4 years) have been exhausting, but, hey, there’s a pandemic and a lot of people voted by mail and a lot of states didn’t update their election practices to count the votes in a way that makes sense and so it’s taking a little more time to count every vote. Luckily, the presidential inauguration isn’t until the third week in January, so, yeah, we’ve got plenty of time to make sure votes are counted.  Plus, it’s looking more and more like things will be called pretty soon.

Locally, they are still counting as well.  The Desert Sun is tracking the results here.

2) The Coronavirus

Riverside County reported 420 new cases and 5 additional deaths on Tuesday. There have been 1,329 reported deaths from coronavirus this year in Riverside County.

Here is the latest on what’s going on in the desert:

November 4 — #COVID19 in the #CoachellaValley (+/- from day before):

16,404 reported cases (+59)
+420 last 7 days

378 deaths (+2)
15,037 recoveries (+45)

989 known active cases (+12)
+135 last 7 days

Up…up…up… pic.twitter.com/NMepciSI7i

— Kevin Duncliffe (@kevinduncliffe) November 4, 2020

Here’s a long view of the daily #COVID19 case rate in the #CoachellaValley, over the last several months.

(The seesaw in July/August reflects, in part, the reporting delays we experienced for a few weeks.)

A case rate of ~30 a day or more puts us in the state’s “Purple” tier. pic.twitter.com/iDaaoBHsX0

— Kevin Duncliffe (@kevinduncliffe) November 4, 2020

More:

• Bad news for those hoping Riverside County could quickly get back into the red tier, as the county is currently heading in the wrong direction.
• Over the past eight months, there have been some who have claimed that the day after the election, the coronavirus would just go away. Unfortunately, that is not the case.  Not even close:

Breaking News: The U.S. recorded over 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began, as the wave of infections engulfing the country shows no sign of receding.https://t.co/4xUgmPnftf

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 5, 2020

Be safe.  Wear a mask.

3) The Date Fest grounds are getting some upgrades

The Riverside County supervisors have unanimously approved a $2.57 million project to upgrade restrooms and heating systems at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio.  The funds come from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act, because the site is a designated COVID-19 testing location.

The festival will not take place in 2021, but is looking to return in 2022.

4) You can buy Jerry Lewis’ old Palm Springs house for $2.25 million

A Palm Springs ranch once owned by Jerry Lewis in the mid-1960s has hit the market.  The 2,495-square-foot place has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, gourmet kitchen, plenty modern design features, and a new solar system.

There’s also a swimming pool and spa, a built-in barbecue area with counter seating, and an outdoor living room anchored by a raised hearth fireplace.

The Press Enterprise has more on the house and listing here.

5) A special, quick and easy meal recipe for you

It has been an exhausting stretch for many and you’re probably not looking to do a whole lot of work in the kitchen tonight.  Combine that with the fact that the election is overshadowing all other potential news stories, and, hey, there’s room for one of my favorite recipes below.

Casey’s Quick, Easy, and Delicious Mid-Week Recipe

1. Order Pizza
2. Acquire Pizza
3. Eat Pizza
4. Eat Even More pizza

Seriously though, you deserve to have some tasty pizza.

Have a nice night.  Thanks for the support.

🍕🍕🍕

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Stay safe.  Stay smart.  Practice Social Distancing.  Wear a mask.  

💚🌵