Month: June 2025

Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The dream of launching rockets in Yuma is still alive, but taking longer to get the ground.

Yuma’s spaceport project once had a goal of launching rockets by late 2026.

Now, the target has delayed, but many in the community say there still on board, as long as it brings growth to the city.

The countdown is still ticking for a spaceport, but just a bit slower than planned.

Some locals say this delay doesn’t bother them as long as it brings growth.

“Anything that will bring employment and economy to Yuma. We’ve been here 30 years and we’re not from here, and we love Yuma, so I’m for it! Any growth for us is good,” said Winnie Kelly, a local.

City of Yuma Administrator Jay Simonton now projects a launch could happen in 2028 or 2029, but not before Yuma clears several hurdles.

“We’ve got to build the infrastructure. We’ve got to build the spaceport. We’ve got to get the rocket companies here. We’ve got to get all the agreements with the FAA worked out for the rocket company. There’s a lot of steps, but we’re getting there,” said Simonton.

With only a few commercial spaceports nationwide, Simonton says he’s confident they’ll gain interest from investors.

“I think once we have that license in place these companies will be coming to Yuma because ‘Hey, we need a place to launch’ and I think they’ll make the investment to build that spaceport. We’re really confident that will happen,” explained Simonton.

The City expects to complete its environmental review and FAA license application by 2026. After that, they can move into design and construction, putting Yuma on track for its first launch in a few years.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Local Somerton kids get a taste of the real world. The “Bite of Reality” event provided an interactive life simulation where kids get to experience spending and buying in real life situations.

They are assigned a persona and initial budget and then have to make purchases like a car, house, food, and more on an interactive app, with the goal to stay on budget.

Campesinos Sin Fronteras is hosting the three-week life skills camp, providing funding for 100 kids from Somerton and San Luis combined. They are partnering with Avenir Financial for the “Bite of Reality” simulation.

One student says they are thankful and learned how to better manage money.

“I’m learning how to take care of like, you know, like make it last longer too,” said participant Analia Soto.

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Adrik Vargas

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – As summer temperatures climb in California’s farming regions, a new study from San Diego State University (SDSU) is raising alarms about the heat risks agricultural workers face daily, and how much rest they need to survive it.

Researchers looked at weather conditions in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys, where farmworkers regularly labor under intense sun. They found that in extreme heat, workers may need up to 32 minutes of rest per hour to avoid heat stress.

“There are more than 300,000 farmworkers active in these crop fields, and they are exposed to high heat stress every day as they work in those fields,” said Sagar Parajuli, a research scientist at SDSU.

The research team used local weather data and existing safety guidelines to determine when conditions become too dangerous for prolonged physical labor. Their findings suggest that breaks aren’t just helpful, they’re essential.

Despite existing regulations, farmworker advocates say these protections often go unenforced, especially among workers hired through small labor contractors.

“They don’t respect their breaks, or give them enough shade, or give them fresh water…It’s hard sometimes because many workers don’t work directly for big companies, but for smaller contractors who don’t always follow the rules,” said Ruben Partida with Comité de Acción del Valle.

Imperial County consistently reports the highest rate of heat-related illness in California, according to state data. That makes enforcement of heat safety guidelines more urgent than ever.

“The people work day to day, so sometimes they prefer to stay quiet to conserve their job, but what happens when they stay quiet is their working conditions become deplorable,” Partida added.

Researchers emphasize that rest breaks, water, and shade aren’t optional, they are scientifically proven tools to protect health.

“The farmworkers are the people who bring food to our table, they’re hardworking people, so we are responsible for protecting them,” Parajuli said.

For the full research article, click here.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Adelita Grijalva is running a campaign rooted in experience and legacy touring local nonprofits and service hubs as she continues her bit to represent Arizona’s 7th congressional district.

She says listening to the communities needs is the center of her campaign.

“When we look at what’s needed in Yuma, and the people I’ve talked to, they need a process. They need to feel safe and secure and they need families to be able to have opportunities,” she says. “You can go away and go to college but also know when you come back you can come home and have a place were you’ll thrive and have a beautiful quality of life.”

Grijalva adds no two communities are the same and recognizes different areas have different needs. She says a strong representative must be flexible and present.

“What San Luis needs is different than Somerton and different that Douglas and Nogales. And I need to be a good representative for everybody, and the only way to do that is to meet on a regular basis,” says Grijalva.

Grijalva says shes heard different concerns in every stop, from bumpy roads to lack of transportation. She plans to be the voice for communities like ours to be heard.

“Every community that I visited feels their community is safe. They just want more resources…they want more transportation, they want improved roadways, they want United States Postal Service,” Grijalva explained. “I mean, there are things that are very unique to different communities here in Yuma, and I wanna be able to highlight those and fight for them in Congress.”

Though she’s been in public service for years, Grijalva says this campaign reaffirms her commitment to lead and listen.

“I’m very excited about going on a listening tour. I’ve started some of that here as a candidate, but with a member in congress, you also have opportunities to bring more people together, and I’m excited about that opportunity,” she expressed.

Grijalva will continue to visit different cities across the district not just in aims to win votes, but to build trust.

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