Month: September 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAl, Calif. (KYMA) – A judge ruled that the county must conduct a full environmental impact report for a new data center complex rather than reviewing its components in isolation.

The court found sufficient evidence of potential environmental impacts, rejecting the county’s attempt to treat permits as ministerial actions.

Alene Taber, attorney for the City of Imperial, spoke to News 11 about the decision.

“Basically the county divided up the project into smaller pieces. So, for example, there was a separate grading permit, a lot merger that was separate a vacation of a roadway, and then they were looking at those individual pieces and saying, look, they’re ministerial meaning, we don’t have to have a lot of analysis, a review to determine whether these uses are permitted,” she shared.

However, the City of Imperial and the courts disagreed.

“The city was saying, no, you have to look at the project as a whole, which the court agreed with us. And when you look at the project as a whole, there are the potential for significant environmental impacts. And you need to do the most stringent level of environmental review, which is an environmental impact report,” Taber explained.

An important piece of the puzzle is disclosing these findings to the public, and to let the public “review and provide meaningful comments.”

“Going through the environmental process is going to give the community a voice and be able to express what their concerns are and for their own assessment to be made as to whether or not this is the right location for this project,” she said.

Moving forward, the parties will submit comments on a tentative decision while the county remains barred from issuing further approvals.

2026-08-31 Tentative Decision City of ImperialDownload

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Consumer Reports

YUMA, Ariz. (CONSUMER REPORTS) – An important warning from Consumer Reports: Your child may love those soft, squishy sensory toys, but federal safety officials are warning that counterfeit versions of popular “squishies” could pose serious health and safety risks.

Consumer Reports has important safety information parents need to know.

On August 5, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning about fake and counterfeit squishy toys that don’t comply with federal safety standards and “may pose serious risks to children.”

The agency says it has stopped over 350,000 squishy toys from entering U.S. ports. However, counterfeit squishies are still showing up online, on social media, and in discount stores, and may contain potentially hazardous or unsafe materials.

This government warning comes months after a Consumer Reports investigation found concerning reports filed with the federal SaferProducts.gov site, claiming children suffered chemical burns after their squishy toys burst open.

The risks are not just limited to counterfeit products, and know that because as part of the investigation, CR’s safety experts bought several toys and tested the gel inside.

One had an acidic pH, similar to lemon juice or vinegar, and a pH like that can cause severe skin irritation, especially in children who have more delicate skin.

It’s difficult and sometimes impossible for a parent to determine, based on a package or an online listing, whether a particular squishy toy is counterfeit, and many of the incidents reported to the CPSC involve name-brand products purchased at major retail stores.

It’s encouraging that the CPSC is taking action against counterfeit and violative products. But, right now, parents need more information because the safety risks may extend beyond fake or off-brand toys.

If your child is playing with these squishy toys, a few strategies can help keep them safe. Don’t give gel-filled toys to babies or toddlers. Check for holes or tears frequently, and if one does break on your child’s skin, wash it off right away and throw out the toy.

If you have concerns about a toy’s safety, report it to the CPSC on SaferProducts.gov.

The warning also comes as dangerous social media videos encourage kids to microwave squishy toys, which safety experts say is never safe. Heating these toys can cause them to burst, releasing hot, sticky material that can cling to skin and cause serious burns

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – Locals across Yuma County are sharing their reaction to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ call for a statewide pause on data center construction.

In a press release Monday, the pause is said to be “necessary amid rising energy bills and after the Department of Interior cut Arizona’s Colorado River water supplies by almost 30%.”

“The only sane thing to do is to pause the approval of new data centers,” Attorney General Mayes said. “Data centers are power- and water-intensive, and Arizona is challenged on both fronts right now.”

Mayes is also calling on lawmakers and Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) to pass “legislation to halt data center approvals until Arizona develops a plan to manage the industry’s growth.”

In addition, Mayes announced she will be holding a town hall in Ahwatukee, a village located in Phoenix, on October 14, where she will hear “from concerned community members about Menlo Digital’s planned hyperscale data center project.”

Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said she shared similar concerns Mayes had regarding water supply and demand, and said she supports a national moratorium on new data center construction.

In a statement to News 11, Rep. Grijalva said, “A moratorium would give us the time needed to develop a national strategy and establish clear rules of the road for artificial intelligence. We need to ensure that the rapid growth of AI doesn’t come at the expense of our workers, our water, or our communities.”

Locals News 11 spoke, like Albert Cajigas, to said they want more information from their elected representatives before the projects move forward.

“Right now, I just don’t think the public is informed enough on what those data centers can really do to the to the area that, I think, maybe putting a little bit more time and research into it is going to be something that, I think, maybe we may need,” Cajigas explained.

Grijalva said Arizona’s drought, water supply cuts and higher utility bills are all reasons to take a closer look at data center growth.

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