YFD warns locals about rising heat-related emergencies

KYMA on July 9, 2026

Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Desert Southwest is experiencing triple-digit temperatures, and Yuma residents are feeling the effects of extreme heat this week.

The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) is alerting locals on how to stay cool and reduce the risk of heat-related emergencies.

Locals have been experiencing excessive heat in Yuma this week, with temperatures reaching past 110 degrees. YFD says heat-related emergencies are on the rise.

“As the temperatures increase here in the summer the number of heat emergencies does increase,” said Francisco Leon, Public Information Officer for YFD.

The most vulnerable members of the community are at an increased risk of heat-related emergencies. That includes people who work outside, elderly adults, children, and individuals with special needs.

According to the Arizona Department of Health, the most recent data on heat-related deaths in 2024 shows 977 deaths statewide in Arizona, including 28 in Yuma County.

So far this year, there have been 40 recorded heat-related emergency department visits, compared with 176 total emergency department visits recorded in Yuma last year.

YFD shared ways to reduce the chance of heat-related illness.

“Get some shade and stay hydrated, and if you’re able to, find some AC,” Leon said.

According to the CDC, the number of heat-related emergencies has been increasing as our climate warms. One of the leading causes of heat-related illness is a lack of air conditioning.

One local, Connie Shelbi, urges others to stay out of the heat and remain in the AC.

“Hopefully, you have AC. Stay out of it. Stay inside. Don’t go out in this. This is terrible,” Shelbi expressed.

If you do need to go outside, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, try to stay out of direct sunlight, wear breathable fabrics, and don’t stay in the sun for extended periods of time.

If you have been in the sun and start to feel nauseous, stop sweating, or have a headache, call 911.

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Video shows incident between Brawley Police Officer and resident

KYMA on July 9, 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – A video circulating on social media has sparked questions about the actions of a Brawley police officer, prompting the department to release a statement.

Ring camera and witness video appear to show Brawley Police Officer Dyroff refusing to turn on his body-worn camera before allegedly challenging a resident to a fight.

“Turn on your body cam. I am asking you, OK,, turn on your body cam please if you’re gonna be here in this conversation I want your body cam on,” Brawley resident George Doilez says in the video.

The officer then turns and and says, “Go (beep) yourself.”

Doilez says he called police on June 29, after seeing a neighbor swinging what he described as a machete-type weapon.

The encounter escalated into a verbal back and forth with Officer Dyroff, Doilez and neighbor Abbi Solaris, raising concerns about the officer’s conduct.

“I requested that he, just for accountability, purposes that he please turn on his body cam. I think I said that two or three times in the video I was able to get,” Doilez told KYMA in an interview.

Doilez and Solaris spoke on record at a Brawley City Council meeting this week detailing the incident. He says this has been an ongoing issue.

“We’ve been having them out here, and they disregard…They don’t take the grievances seriously, and they treat us like the enemy when we’re calling for help,” Doilez explained. “And it’s been this way for a long time with Brawley Police Department,” he added.

The Brawley Police Department (BPD) released a statement saying in part, “an investigation is currently in progress.”

Solaris says he was tending to his grandchildren when he heard the commotion and went outside. He was concerned about the man with the weapon.

“I walked in, I hear the officer yelling, so I came outside and I saw him stand up,” Solaris said.

“He goes, ‘You’re talking to me. Dude, you wanna fight? You wanna fight a police officer or what?,'” Solaris recalled, saying his grandchildren were scared.

Both men say they just want answers as to what the protocol is for body cameras.

At this time, KYMA does not know if the officer has been placed on leave or if he is facing any disciplinary action.

Our newsroom reached out to BPD for an interview. However, they said due to the nature of the investigation, they will not be commenting further at this time. 

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The Valley’s Forgotten: The families still waiting

KYMA on July 9, 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

EDITOR’S NOTE: For part one of The Valley’s Forgotten, click HERE.

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – For the families of murder victims, a cold case isn’t just a file sitting on a shelf. It’s a daily reminder that someone, somewhere got away with taking a life.

One of those families is still searching for answers in the murder of Yunique Puckett.

Investigators say Puckett was shot on January 17, 2017. Afterwards, the home was set on fire, burning her body.

Her mother, Laurie Clancy, said it happened only hours after Puckett’s daughters left to spend time with their father.

“I didn’t even get to see her after. They kept telling me you don’t want to see her you don’t want to see her, but that’s my baby,” Clancey said in an interview with KYMA.

Years later, details of that night are still difficult to talk about.

“I got a phone call, and I couldn’t even tell you who it is from now. I don’t remember. And they said- your daughter is gone,” Clancy said, holding back tears.

She wants people to remeber her daughter who was a mother, and a friend that helped people when they needed it most.

While the case remains unsolved, she hasn’t stopped hoping. Recently, the case gained new attention when the FBI offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

“An FBI agent calls me and says they were reopening the case, and that they were gonna offer a reward to try to get some information,” Clancy said. “I asked him, at the time, if he had any new information and he said no, but they’re hoping that they get a renewed interest in it.”

That hope is what keeps families and friends going. The belief that someone somewhere knows something, and that one day, the phone could ring with the answers they have been waiting to hear.

Investigators say many cold cases are solved because someone finally comes forward.

If you have information about an unsolved crime, authorities urge you to contact law enforcement.

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Delivery truck catches on fire near Bob Hope overpass, westbound traffic briefly impacted

KESQ on July 9, 2026

Jesus Reyes

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – A delivery truck is on fire near the Bob Hope overpass along Interstate 10 in Thousand Palms.

The incident was reported just before 6:10 p.m.

Details remain limited. Westbound traffic was briefly impacted near Monterey, with at least two lanes blocked, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Traffic as of 6:35 p.m.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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Downtown Columbia business owners voice support for urban camping ordinance, dissenter questions effectiveness in other cities

KMIZ on July 9, 2026

Olivia Hayes

Editor’s note: This article has been adjusted to reflect the correct city council meeting date.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two local downtown business owners are putting their support behind a proposal for an urban camping ordinance for downtown Columbia.

Executive Director of Columbia’s Downtown Community Improvement District Nickie Davis said the CID plans to submit a proposal letter to the City Council on Friday, ahead of its July 20th meeting. Davis said the letter will also be signed by some downtown business owners.

“What we have right now, it’s very scattered through all the different ordinances that we have as a city. It’s not entirely clear what is enforceable, what’s not enforceable. We know that many of the ordinances that this urban camping ordinance would contain are things we already have on the books,” Davis said.

Dimetrious Woods, owner of Essentialz Neighborhood Bodega on the corner of Ninth Street and East Broadway, said he signed the proposal letter in support of the move.

“I looked into it and I seen that it wasn’t a criminalization or anything on a negative end. It seemed like more of a respect thing, more of an organized thing,” Woods said.

Woods and his business are no strangers to unhoused individuals and said his relationship with them is built on respect.

“Most of those people happen to be my customers,” Woods said. “I have to be assertive at times, but I offer respect back and it seems to work out somehow.”

Davis said the proposal was inspired by a city staff retreat to Columbia, South Carolina, during the fall of 2025, but the idea got put on the back burner.

“With our new block-by-block safety ambassadors, it’s really important that we have a clear understanding of what we have on the books as far as people sleeping downtown, people sitting on the sidewalks,” Davis said.

Woods expressed the need for respect to remain at the core of any formal ordinance passed.

“They kind of protect my front, they know I want it clean, so they definitely don’t sleep under our porch because I would have an issue with that,” Woods said. “Just explain to them this is what’s expected. I think it may go over well.”

Jim Yankee, owner of Flat Branch Bank and founder of Flat Branch Home Loans, said he hasn’t signed the CID’s proposal letter yet, but he plans to.

“The police need something to be able to enforce, when somebody is obviously creating a bad situation,” Yankee said.

Davis said one suggestion on the table for the potential ordinance is a “three-strike rule.”

“It’s a warning, it’s a citation and then it’s actually a little bit more serious after that third warning,” Davis said.

Yankee voiced his support for the strike system.

“The biggest thing is being able to to force them to go get help and get services. They’re not receiving the services that they need camping out in the park at night. A lot of these people have addiction issues, they have mental health issues,” Yankee said.

Major Nancy Powers, with the Salvation Army Columbia, expressed concern over a lack of wrap-around services in the community to keep people transitioning out of an unhoused lifestyle stable.

“The problem is so deep rooted that ‘housing first’ is not the answer,” Powers wrote in a statement to ABC 17 News. “Putting people who have been abused, trafficked, given drugs since childhood, never known a safe environment, have no life skills, don’t know the difference between sex and love, in an apartment sets them up for one more failure.”

Powers said she moved to Columbia from a city with an urban camping ordinance and questioned its effectiveness.

“The homeless did not follow it, the City was faced with horrid PR as their staff went in and threw away all the camping supplies and personal items,” Powers wrote. “The homeless got more clever in their camps and set traps and city staff started getting injured, some seriously injured.”

Davis said the CID is looking for a three-month turnaround to get the ordinance in place. If the need for more time arises, Davis said a six-month timeline could also occur. Woods believes a 90-day turnaround is doable, especially with the new Downtown Safety Ambassadors patrolling in the area.

“They could take charge or that responsibility to help CPD get valid information out and everything and be kind of a bridge to making that work,” Woods said.

The City Council will not on the ordinance on Monday, but Davis said the first step is re-starting the conversation around it.

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Century-old Picacho Road Bridge moves one step closer to repair

KYMA on July 9, 2026

Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The first major step toward repairing the Picacho Road Bridge is officially moving forward.

Imperial County leaders announced demolition work on the century-old bridge will begin July 20.

The project starts with removing parts of the existing bridge so engineers can inspect its condition and determine whether it can be repaired while plans for a full replacement continue.

Local officials say the bridge is a critical connection for residents, emergency responders, businesses and the region’s agriculture industry.

“This is not just a bridge that we’re looking at here. This is a lifeline to the entire Bard-Quechan community,” Imperial County Supervisor John Hawk said.

County officials estimate a full replacement would cost more than $8 million. While funding has not yet been secured, they say they’re pursuing state and federal grant opportunities to help pay for the project.

Quechan Tribal President Jonathan Koteen said the closure has affected not only the tribe, but surrounding communities, local businesses and agriculture.

“The negative impacts affect all of us,” Koteen said. “It takes all of us to come together and address the problem.”

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is also working with the county on the project. Officials say their top priority is making sure water continues flowing through the nearby canal, which supplies farms across the region and delivers water to Mexico under an international treaty.

County leaders say reopening the bridge remains a priority as work moves into its first phase later this month.

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Former Santa Barbara Mayor Sheila Lodge Remembered for Staying Engaged

KEYT on July 9, 2026

Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Longtime Santa Barbara locals are mourning the city’s longest serving mayor.

Sheila Lodge, who turned 97 in June, died on Wednesday.

People who regularly attend city council meetings are likely to remember Lodge who served three terms as mayor in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Lodge was also the first woman to become Mayor of Santa Barbara, but not the last.

Video of one of her campaign advertisements show Lodge talking about the need for affordable housing.

Lodge also stayed active.

In April of 2025 she attended to the city council meeting to apply to be on the latest Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Commission.

When she walked along the halls of city hall she garnered immense respect

Lodge wrote a book entitled “Santa Barbara – An Uncommonplace American Town.”

Mayor Randy Rowse said he recalled tangling with her over the signs at his restaurant.

“Sheila, number one, was our longest running mayor, she was our first female mayor and she was the mayor that was there when I started my business in the early 80s right across the street from city hall, so my beginning relationships with Sheila was kind of contentious.”

They disagreed over an ordinance impacting his neon sign that said Paradise Cafe, that formerly said La Paloma Cafe.

Rowse won the fight over the sign.

Years later, Rowse said they found common ground.

“She saw me perform on council, we became friends and she became somebody as a confidant somebody I talked to a lot about stuff and somebody who would talk to me when I would say something she didn’t agree with so as far as issues go Sheila and I disagreed on a lot of stuff but we had a great relationship and a lot of mutual respect because we both had the city at heart and sheila especially and that is the most incredible track record for a civil servant that I can think of-is what she did for a city, ” said Rowse.

Jeff Berkus recalls getting to know Lodge while working with his architect father Barry Berkus in the 1980s.

“My thoughts are that Sheila Lodge, Mayor Sheila Lodge was an amazing individual and represented our city incredibly well, I happened to be working with my father downtown during her tenure I was there from 83-89 and she was mayor the entire time, ” said Berkus,” she did a lot for the city, she was a woman of character and she was the kind of woman you’d like to look back and say this is the legacy we would like to continue in our town in Santa Barbara.”

Some of her admirers were getting ready to Wet Wednesday sailing races at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club when they heard she had died.

Lodge spent some of her childhood years in Ojai and went to UC Santa Barbara once her daughters were in school.

She got involved with the League of Women Voters and stayed involved.

Her husband Judge Joe Lodge died of cancer decades ago.

According to the Santa Barbara Independent, Lodge is survived by four daughters and a grandson.

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City collects 110 tons of recycling in first 10 days of resuming weekly curbside pickup

KMIZ on July 9, 2026

Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia collected nearly 110 tons of recycling materials in the first 10 days after curbside pickup resumed.

Utilities spokesman Jason West told ABC 17 News that is more than 25 tons of recycling materials that were collected during the same period in 2025.

An EF-1 tornado hit the city’s recycling facility on April 20, 2025, which led to the temporary stoppage of curbside pickup. Materials were recycled again during curbside pickup last summer, but weekly curbside recycling started again in the city on June 15.

After the tornado halted normal sorting operations at the Material Recovery Facility, Superintendent Tom Elliott said it is now back to normal operations, though weather conditions and staffing constraints persist.

“The number of people we’ve, are currently employing is less than it was at the time of the tornado,” Elliot said.

West said currently have eight employees out of the 16 spots available, making them halfway staffed. Staffing issues had caused issues for recycling pickup in 2023.

Because the tornado stripped away the structural coverage at the plant, operations are dependent on weather conditions.

“Very light rain; we’ll cover the equipment until it stops. We can do a little bit,” Elliott said. “But if it’s very much rain at all, then we button down, we tarp everything, and then we wait until we have better, better weather.”

In extreme heat conditions, Elliott said crews are still working. With there being no electricity yet in MRF, there is no place to connect any cooling devices so they must go to their neighboring buildings to cool down.

“We have cooling breaks up at both the other buildings, which are standing,” Elliott said. “They also have air conditioning, two things that this site does not currently have.”

Pick up at recycling drop-off sites were halted after the tornado hit. Right now, Elliott said there is talk of reopening the public recycling drop-off sites, but the main priority is starting construction to rebuild the plant so there is no set date on when drop-off sites may reopen.

Glass containers are still not able to be processed at the MRF due to it being considered contamination for the mills that sort and process them, Elliott said. The recycling plant also get charged for every ton of glass it sends based on the contamination rate, according to Elliott.

However, Elliott said that the city is exploring the option of making glass recycling available. He said a collection event at the Grissom Building went well.

“There is no option in the City of Columbia for glass recycling,” Elliott said. “Probably looking at a dedicated drop-off container placed for glass only.”

According to Elliott, the new facility will be constructed directly on top of the old MRF site, with the option to accommodate future expansion. He said there is no set date for when construction will start to rebuild the plant, but he estimates that it will start towards the end of this year.

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Burn ban issued for Jefferson County

KIFI on July 9, 2026

Par Kermani

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) — Jefferson County residents are being urged to avoid outdoor burning after county officials issued a burn ban due to extreme dry conditions and an increased risk of wildfires.

The burn ban took effect July 6 and will remain in place through Sept. 30.

During the ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited, including brush piles and debris burning. Agricultural burning may still be allowed but must receive approval from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality before any burning takes place.

Officials at the Central Fire District say the restrictions are necessary because of heightened wildfire danger across the region and are asking residents to help prevent human-caused fires by complying with the ban.

Residents are also encouraged to report any unauthorized burning to local authorities.

The burn ban was issued with the support of the Jefferson County Commissioners and will remain in effect through the end of September unless conditions warrant changes.

Officials are reminding the public that dry vegetation, hot temperatures and windy conditions can quickly turn a small fire into a fast-moving wildfire.

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Teen girl wont face adult charges in stabbing of youth in April

KMIZ on July 9, 2026

Sutton Parker

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ)

A teenage girl accused of stabbing another youth in April will not stand trial, according to the Boone County Juvenile Office.

Boone County Juvenile Officer Angie Bezoni told ABC 17 that the girl accused of stabbing someone in central Columbia will not face adult charges. Instead, the Juvenile Office recommended the girl to the Missouri Division of Youth Services.

“We did not recommend certification. We recommended she be committed to the MO Division of Youth Services (DYS) until she turns 19, and that is what the judge ordered,” Bezoni said.

Bezoni added that instead, the girl will be placed in a residential treatment facility until she completes a program.

“Then she will be released to an appropriate adult caregiver on aftercare services, with a DYS Service Coordinator supervising her progress in the community,” she said.

It is unknown what facility the girl will be placed in, as Columbia is not currently equipped with the resources needed for residential treatment. Residential Treatment Facilities are operated by the Division of Youth Services, which is part of the Department of Social Services.

According to the Department of Social Services website, DYS offers treatment services through different types of residential care facilities across the state for youth who would benefit from a more structured setting than the community.

Baylee Watts, the spokesperson for the Department of Social Services, emphasized the residential program allows youth to continue their personal development and education.

“They still live in a setting where they’re going to school and taking part in different kinds of counseling. And so that’s probably the biggest benefit,” she said.

DYS offers three tiers of residential care designed to match the specific needs of youth. Options range from least-restrictive group homes with high community engagement to moderately structured facilities with increased supervision.

The most intensive option is secure care, which places youth in highly structured environments with educational programs customized for them, including basic, remedial, special and vocational programs.

Watts added the overall goal for the program is to rehabilitate juveniles to become productive citizens.

“Really the goal of the division of youth services is that every young person that’s served by them will end up becoming a productive citizen and leading a fulfilling life, by providing individualized and comprehensive service to enable the youth to reintegrate into their home community eventually,” she said.

According to the DYS 2025 Annual Report, last year, there were 542 youth committed to the care of DYS, with 6% committed for juvenile offenses. In the central area — the region that accounts for most of Mid-Missouri — there were 26 individuals committed. Out of those 26, 13 were in Boone County and nine were in Cole County.

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