El Centro volunteers send care packages to troopers

KYMA on November 25, 2025

Manoah Tuiasosopo

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – In this week’s Military Matters report, a group of dedicated volunteers in El Centro are supporting our troops this holiday season.

In an annual effort led by American Legion Auxiliary Unit 25 volunteers, alongside Boy Scout Troop 40-70, packaged and shipped over 90 care packages to deployed U.S. troops Sunday.

Inside the troop packages are items like playing cards, handmade crafts from local students and other small comforts from home.

The organizer thanks the community and says small donations play a big role in letting service members know they’re not forgotten during the holidays.

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Crossroads Mission Annual Christmas

KYMA on November 25, 2025

Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Christmas Ball is December 6 at the Civic Center.

The doors open at 5:30 and serving begins at 6:00 PM.

Tickets are $65 and you can buy them on the Crossroads Mission website or the City of Yuma website.

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Family of teen killed in El Centro speaks out

KYMA on November 25, 2025

Karina Bazarte

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – There is a memorial is dedicated to 14-year-old Mike Jimenez, known to his friends and family as Moso, outside where the teen was shot and killed by the El Centro Police Department (ECPD).

The mother of the teen, Alma Serrano, says she won’t stop fighting until she brings justice for her son.

“‘You’re coming back.’ That was the last thing I said and he said, ‘Yeah, I love you,’ and that was it…by 6:30 he was already deceased,” said Serrano.

On October 5, Jimenez went out to see his friends and later became involved in an incident with ECPD, who shot him multiple times.

“That was murder that was not self-defense…you shoot someone to move them down to stop them from doing something. You don’t shoot my son three bullets in the face blow his head off,” said Serrano.

Serrano says she has not seen the body cam video released by ECPD last week.

“I don’t think any mother wants to see something like that as well as my attorney said that it was edited, so when I am ready to see the video, I’ll be ready in court to see the full video, not parts of it…I want to see the full video,” said Serrano.

However, the sister of the teen, Jasmine Moreno, says she saw the video when it was released. They both think the shooting was uncalled for.

“I heard more than 12 rounds you know, I’ve studied the video my own way and everything, and I just think it was overly excessive. They did not try to deescalate anything. When I seen how the cop cars where position, I was thinking he wasn’t going to go anywhere,” said Moreno.

This past weekend, family members and friends gathered for a walk to demand justice for Jiménez, for his mother and her legal advisors. 

“We are here to put pressure on the investigating agencies to do so in an independent way…to have a truly investigation and if not, we are planning on civil justice of our own we will be filing a tort claim,” said Tim Scott, the family’s attorney.

Meanwhile, the family says they will continue to hold rallys and raise awareness for Jimemez.

“We are still going to stand strong for my son, and we are not going to stop we are just not going to stop,” said Serrano.

“I miss him so much. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him. I always passby his room and I look and he is not there,” said Moreno.

We reached out ECPD, but they told us they won’t be commenting at this time. 

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Judge hears arguments in lawsuit to block Missouri’s new congressional map

KMIZ on November 25, 2025

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Lawyers for the State and People Not Politicians met in federal court Tuesday for a hearing to determine whether a judge will block Missouri’s new congressional map.

A lawsuit filed by People Not Politicians is over a referendum to block the newly created congressional map that the group wants on next year’s ballot. The group has raised more than $1.7 million in contributions since forming and has collected more than 100,000 signatures.

The State argues that redistricting is a complicated issue that takes legislative expertise, calling the topic “an inherently technical enterprise,” in court documents.

The state added that if put onto the ballot, details of redistricting could become unclear through limited ballot language and possible influence from outside groups

“Voters would be ‘educated’ on the competing maps via dark-money-funded advertising and 100-word summary statements about each proposal,” according to court documents.

People Not Politicians argues that they have interacted with thousands of voters who are educated in redistricting and would like to have a say in legislation.

“What I was hearing was, frankly, clarity from the state about how afraid they are of voters getting the final say on this,” People Not Politicians Director Richard von Glahn said.” If you think what you did is a good thing, you have nothing to fear from a referendum, it is an opportunity to say, ‘see, the voters are with us.'”

People Not Politicians also argues that the State has no grounds to be going to federal courts for the case, since the rules being interpreted are from the Missouri Constitution, making the case a state issue.

I would argue the Constitution is quite clear, the Constitution says any act of the General Assembly is subject to the referendum, it then provides exceptions to that,” von Glahn said. “Congressional redistricting is not one of those.”

The state argues that state law is a federal question, therefore a federal case. The state also adds that referendum petitions are a state process, meaning voters are participating in state action.

Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a countersuit in October, stating that the referendum is unconstitutional and infringes upon lawmakers’ constitutional right to draw the congressional map.

Hanaway says in a statement that the lawsuit “is about protecting Missouri’s constitutional authority from being hijacked by out-of-state dark money groups.” Missouri Republicans have long complained that Missouri’s initiative petition process allows for groups that don’t report their donations to have an outsized impact on the process.

Federal Judge Zachary Bluestone expects to decide on the case before Dec. 9, the same day People Not Politicians expects to submit their signatures for approval. The deadline for the signatures is Dec. 11.

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‘Jackpotting’: ATMs rigged to spit out cash in Salina

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By KAKE Staff

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    SALINA, Kan. (KAKE) — Police in Salina are still searching for suspects after cash was stolen from two ATMs over the weekend.

The first theft happened at around 8 p.m. Saturday at the Bennington State Bank branch at 2130 South Ohio. The second occurred at the Bennington branch at approximately 1 p.m. Sunday. In each theft, the suspect or suspects got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Police say the suspect vehicle was a white Lincoln passenger car. It had a Kansas tag, but police say the license plate was stolen between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday from a vehicle in the 100 block of South Phillips.

Authorities believe this incident is connected to a previous “jackpotting” incident in Wamego, Kansas. The Salina Post reports “jackpotting” is a crime in which thieves install malicious software and/or hardware at ATMs that force the machines to spit out cash.

This is an ongoing investigation.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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Forsyth County firefighter gets second chance with new kidney from sister

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Kaitlyn Ross

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    FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. (WXIA) — A Forsyth County firefighter who has been fighting kidney disease since May has received a lifesaving gift from his sister.

Chris Stancel, who has served his community as a firefighter and first responder for 25 years, was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease caused by a rare genetic condition. He had been working with Piedmont Hospital’s transplant team searching for a living kidney donor.

Now, thanks to his sister Katie, Stancel has received a new kidney and a second chance at life.

Their mother said it best: “They were raised, you take care of your people.”

And that’s exactly what Katie did, stepping forward in an act of love and courage that saved her brother.

For years, Stancel rushed toward danger when others ran away, offering help and hope during people’s most terrifying moments. When he needed help, his sister answered the call.

More than 90,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney transplant. According to the American Transplant Foundation, every nine minutes someone is added to the national organ transplant list, and 16 people on that list die every day.

Living organ donations can significantly cut wait times for patients while offering the best chance for long-term success.

Chris and Katie’s story is a powerful reminder of the impact of family, selflessness, and hope. From the operating room to recovery, they walk forward together — connected in the most literal way, carrying a piece of each other.

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New findings from Lithium Valley study highlight local job opportunities

KYMA on November 25, 2025

Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – A new workforce and economic study shows that the growing lithium and clean-energy industry could bring significant jobs and investment to Imperial Valley.

The RAND report outlines the opportunities the industry could create, but also highlights challenges the county still needs to address, including infrastructure, affordable housing, and training programs for local residents.

Priscilla Lopez, Director of Workforce and Economic Development, said the report acts as a “roadmap” for preparing a trained workforce for the emerging industry.

She emphasized that county training funds should be invested locally to ensure residents are the first to benefit.

The study notes that Imperial County already has key pieces in place, such as partnerships with local colleges and existing training programs.

Local unions, including IBEW Local 569, say they are ready to step in as Lithium Valley grows. Union representatives are advocating for project labor agreements with new companies to ensure local workers get first access to jobs.

Daniel MacHain of IBEW Local 569 said, “When you come into an agreement with the unions, that’s a legal document you can actually use so you can get your local people to take those jobs.”

If Lithium Valley reaches its potential, it could reshape Imperial County’s economy, and local workers are preparing to step into these opportunities.

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Lawsuit alleges state left people deemed incompetent to stand trial in jail without treatment

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Cherisse Halsall

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    Missouri (KOMU) — The MacArthur Justice Center, ArchCity Defenders and the ACLU of Missouri filed a class action lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Mental Health on Monday, claiming the agency failed to provide legally required treatment for pretrial detainees living with serious mental illness and disabilities.

The groups filed the federal lawsuit in the Central Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The lawsuit alleges the department left hundreds of Missouri residents deemed incompetent to stand trial in county jails without treatment.

Missouri law requires courts to receive competency evaluations within 60 days of an order, but advocates said the process often takes about six months. Nearly 500 people deemed incompetent to stand trial remain in jail without treatment while awaiting transfer to Department of Mental Health facilities, according to the lawsuit. On average, detainees wait 14 months before receiving restoration treatment, and some remain incarcerated longer than the maximum sentence they would face if convicted, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit lays out the following argument: The department’s own legislative testimony showing the waitlist for competency services increased by a third since September 2024 and nearly 88% since September 2023. As of May 5, 230 people waited in jail for evaluations, while another 430 detainees already ruled incompetent waited for court-ordered treatment. By October, the number of people waiting for restoration treatment reached nearly 500.

The lawsuit seeks court intervention to require the Missouri Department of Mental Health to provide timely evaluations and treatment for people deemed incompetent to stand trial.

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Incarcerated women in SF jail say sheriff’s deputies recorded them during mass strip-search

CNN Newsource on November 25, 2025

By Luz Pena

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A group of women say San Francisco sheriff’s deputies took humiliating video of them during a mass jail strip-search on May 22, 2025.

At least 19 women are accusing San Francisco sheriff’s deputies of subjecting them to a mass strip-search inside the B-Pod of the San Francisco County Jail.

“This has been happening over again on the inside. So we’re just here to say that we believe you and support you,” said Julia Arroyo, Executive Director of Young Women’s Freedom Center.

During a rally outside the jail, the city’s public defender commended the women for coming forward. His office filed a complaint against the deputies involved pointing to violations of policies – among them having men present during searches and failing to conduct searches in private areas.

“The mass strip-search and the harassment that continue afterwards is unacceptable and unjust,” said San Francisco Public Defender, Manohar Raju.

Several women are being represented by a private firm. Their attorney said they described armed guards pointing guns while searching them.

“During the strip-search, there was body-worn camera footage that was turned on. At least one of the women know that there was a younger deputy who tried to speak up and said, ‘shouldn’t we have our cameras off?’ And they were directed, ‘no keep the camera on,'” said Elizabeth Bertolino with Bertolino Law.

We looked into the San Francisco sheriff’s Custody and Court Operations Policy manual. It states portable recorders should be “activated any time” a deputy believes it’s valuable “except for strip searches.” Bertolino said her clients reported at least 15 male deputies in the room watching them.

“There was a couple women who said they reached out to try to have the body-worn camera footage of them erased, and they were, told, don’t worry if we upload it to YouTube or something, we’ll have it blurred,” said Bertolino.

The city’s executive director of the Department on the Status of Women said they are planning to tour the facility.

“We need to be able to really first look at more of the details in a transparent way and we need to be able to investigate and continue making sure that we hear all the voices and all the claims that come forward,” said Diana Aroche, Executive director of SF’s Department on the Status of Women.

Tanzanika Carter, SF’s Assistant Sheriff, responded to the allegations.

“We understand the allegations that a mass strip-search happened, but we know women were individually searched by female deputies in single person stalls. We want to acknowledge the women who came forward every complain raised within our facilities is taken seriously,” said Assist Chief. Carter.

Assistant Sheriff Carter said personnel actions were taken but did not elaborate on what those actions were.

The private attorney representing the women in this case said the city has 45 days to respond to their claim.

“We want some of those individuals fired like we there’s particularly a couple individuals who I believe are going to come to light and we want them fired. We want others held accountable. We want policies in place,” said Attorney Bartolino.

If the city rejects the claim or doesn’t respond, there will be a state or federal lawsuit filed against the city of San Francisco that will include compensation for the women.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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Drainage project that has delayed paving finally begins in El Paso County

KRDO on November 25, 2025

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The county is now a week into a major drainage project that will eventually allow crumbling pavement at a busy intersection to be repaved.

Numerous viewers have complained to KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior for the past year about the poor condition of North Gate Boulevard at Struthers Road; the former is in Colorado Springs, and the latter is in the county.

Some repaving of the eastbound lanes of North Gate in front of the Western Museum of Mining and Industry was done earlier this fall, but officials said that the westbound lanes and the northbound lanes of Struthers can’t be repaved until completion of the drainage project.

That project finally started last week, with the county building a stormwater retention pond, south of North Gate and in the Interstate 25 corridor.

Within the next few weeks, crews will begin installing 3,000 feet of stormwater pipes along North Gate and Struthers.

The county expects to finish the project next spring, after which the city will repave the rest of the intersection.

“The biggest challenge will be at the end — asphalt repaving, and how we can line that up with the weather,” said John Lantz, a county senior engineer. “The spring time frame is what we’re quoting folks. Things will line up, hopefully, in the April time frame.”

He explained that the project took a long time to start because it required approvals for being on Air Force Academy property and for environmental assessments.

“We started on (November) 19th and got final approval only a day or two before that,” he explained. “The project crosses city and county jurisdiction, and the Air Force Academy and CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) jurisdiction.”

The retention pond has a capacity large enough to capture stormwater runoff from a 1 in 100-year flood; when filled, the water will flow through an existing CDOT drainage pipe into Smith Creek, which flows under I-25 and connects to Monument Creek.

Just before the eastbound North Gate repaving, city crews filled dozens of potholes at the intersection.

Drivers should expect traffic impacts in the area from mid-December until the project’s completion.

Still, some viewers remain frustrated that the intersection will endure another winter of deterioration.

“And then in the wintertime, we get the snowplows that make it even worse,” said Dave Hardin. “So, that hasn’t helped the situation.”

But Douglas Jenkins agrees with the need for the drainage project.

“Water pours downhill, pools in the intersection, and creates more potholes,” he said. “It definitely needs underwater storm drainage.”

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