Month: April 2025

Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma’s Northern Arizona University (NAU) held their Second Annual Student Research Symposium.

Several students are putting in the research for their future careers. Over 200 students attended in-person and online to present their projects to reviewers.

Many students said they are grateful for this opportunity to network into their career.

“Just to show off some of our work and what our education is doing for us, what we can do, and hopefully in professional application,” said NAU researcher Cesar Duarte.

“We’re here to advocate, and this is the start of our career, so presenting this is a big thing for us,” said NAU researcher Alejandra Lara.

Each researcher received a digital badge they can add to their LinkedIn profile or digital resume. The co-chair of research symposium says the goal for presenters is to be career ready by 2030.

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Adrik Vargas

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The final phase of a $200 million expansion to the Calexico West Land Port of Entry is moving ahead after the city approved the sale of a portion of Heffernan Avenue to the federal government.

The land transfer clears the way for a temporary pedestrian facility that will allow for the demolition of the aging port and the construction of a larger, modern facility with increased capacity.

“The facility will in large be to increase the processing capacity by 100%,” said Michael Coyne, Calexico’s Planning and Building Director. “Right now, there’s six booths, and now that’ll be 12.”

Local merchants are also hopeful the project will drive more foot traffic into downtown Calexico.

“I ask them to make sure that when people are walking, people have shade,” said Joong Kim, a business owner in the area. “Because when it’s over 100 degrees, people can’t handle it.”

City officials say the improvements are not only about efficiency, but also comfort and safety for those who cross the border daily.

The full expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.

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Adrik Vargas

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Laughter, pizza, and the sound of bowling pins filled the air at PlayZone on Thursday as dozens of families gathered for the third annual George’s Kids Bowling Day, an inclusive spring break tradition for children with autism and their families.

The event is hosted by the El Centro Rotary Club in partnership with Autism Support of Imperial County and the San Diego Regional Center.

It’s named in honor of the late George McFaddin, an El Centro Rotarian who, alongside his wife Audrey, helped found ASIC after their grandson received an autism diagnosis.

“We named it George’s Kids in honor of George McFaddin, him and his wife founded Autism Support of Imperial County,” said co-organizer Caitlin Chavez.

For many parents, the day offers more than just a few games of bowling, it’s about feeling seen, supported, and included.

“There’s not usually these types of events for kids with special needs. Usually, they’re catered to neurotypical kids, and our kids are usually excluded,” said Laura Galvan, a parent in attendance. “So it’s a good time to normalize this type of inclusion.”

Jenny Martinez, another parent, shared a similar sentiment.

“We’re here to support our son. He’s autistic and we want him to spend quality time with other children that have the same condition,” Martinez said. “I wish there were more events like this. It’s hard for autistic children to have friends they have things in common with, and I think this is a great experience for them.”

Organizers say the event continues to grow each year, offering a safe and welcoming space for neurodivergent children, and their siblings, to play, connect, and just be kids.

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Adrik Vargas

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – A new gym made specifically for kids and young adults with autism is opening soon in El Centro, and it’s the first of its kind in the Imperial Valley.

It’s called Kidisthenics, pronounced kid-is-thenics, and what makes it different is how it mixes fitness with therapeutic movement.

Instead of regular gym workouts, this space offers fun, guided activities that help with things like coordination, confidence, and letting go of stress.

“We’re doing primitive movement training, sensory integration, rhythmic movement, and we’re even developing our own audio training,” said Ryan Bigelow, COO of Kidisthenics.

The idea came from the founder Arlene Lopez Martinez. who grew up in the Valley, and wanted to give local families more access to support for neurodiverse kids.

“With a lot of autistic individuals, they can get very stressed, very stuck in fight or flight,” said Anthony Thomé, one of Kidisthenics movement specialists. “Our goal is to help them feel safe and empowered.”

The gym opens to the public on May 7 and will be open all year round.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) teamed up to host the National Take Back Day this weekend.

The event started at 10:00 p.m. and took place at the YPD station, located on South First Avenue.

Officer Christina Fernandez, Public Information Officer for YPD, says the event was for people who wanted to get rid of unwanted or expired prescription medication in a safe way.

“We really want the community to take every opportunity they can to come and dispose of their prescription medication safely. We really want to make sure that we’re safely disposing of these so that children or other people don’t have any access to them in the home,” Officer Fernandez explained.

However, they didn’t accept liquids, needs or illegal drugs during the event.

Fernandez says 12 boxes were filled during the event.

MCAS Yuma’s Drug Demand Reduction Program was also on hand to participate in the event.

No ID was needed and the service was free and anonymous.

According to YPD, the medication drop-off box in the entrance hall of the station has been permanently removed and “additional information will be released once a safe and secure alternative for medication disposal has been established.”

In the meantime, they are asking those who want to drop-off unused, unwanted and expired prescription medication to scan the QR code, which is on a poster where the drop-off box used to be, as it provides other locations who have drop-off boxes.

The event lasted until 2:00 p.m.

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Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The City of El Centro says the Floating Easter Egg Hunt has been postponed.

The City says this was due to the high winds and heater issues which caused the pool’s temperature “to fall below the required 75 degrees.”

While the event has been rescheduled for next Saturday, the City says the event is taking place at the same scheduled times, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with the Easter Egg Hunt taking place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

To learn more about the event, click here.

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