Author: KYMA

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The City of Yuma says their offices will be closed next Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

As a result, the City says early-week trash collection will shift by one day, with the Monday service being collected on Tuesday and the Tuesday service being collected on Wednesday. However, the City says recycling collection for later in the week will not change.

While offices will be closed, Yuma residents can use the City of Yuma’s website to view official city documents, pay utility bills and register for Parks and Recreation programs, according to the City.

The City also says there is a 24/7 self-serving kiosk outside the main entrance of City Hall, and it accepts cash, credit or debit.

To submit non-emergency service requests, such as street repairs, graffiti, vandalism, streetlight outages, and road sign issues, click here.

Offices will reopen Tuesday.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A sports event is being held by the Silver Spur Rodeo.

A horseshoe tournament is planned for Saturday, January 17 at 2577 E. County 14th Street in Yuma.

Teams of two and single registration is available with sign-ups starting at 12 p.m. and the event beginning at 2 p.m.

Outside food and drinks will be permitted.

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Dillon Fuhrman

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial Valley College (IVC) is holding a Community Vision Board Event this week.

According to a press release, the event is taking place Thursday at the El Centro Library from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Courtesy: Imperial Valley College

Courtesy: Imperial Valley College

IVC says the event is “designed to bring people together for creativity, reflection, and goal-setting in a welcoming space.”

Those who attend are encouraged to bring their own magazines while additional supplies and board will be provided at the event, IVC says.

For more information, click here. To RSVP, click here.

Courtesy: Imperial Valley College

Courtesy: Imperial Valley College

Courtesy: Imperial Valley College

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Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, LLC has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Imperial and several senior officials.

The developer is suing the city for civil rights violations, conspiracy and retaliation.

The lawsuit alleges city officials launched a “bad-faith” campaign to derail a permitted AI data center project worth $10 billion.

It also says the campaign is costing the community countless jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue.

The developer claims the city ignored its own codes, acted in retaliation and conspired with outside groups.

To learn more about the lawsuit, see attached files below.

News Release Lawsuit Against CIty of ImperialDownload

Civil Rights Complaint (1-09-26)Download

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Abraham Retana

UPDATE (12:07 PM): Transdev has issued the following statement regarding the strike:

“Transdev respects unions and recognizes the important role they have played in improving wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers across this country. We bargain in good faith every day with the unions serving our passengers and communities nationwide, including our partners here in the Imperial Valley, Teamsters Local 542.

This situation, however, is different.

Although the Union has raised additional proposals, the primary unresolved issue remains the Company’s refusal to accept language that would allow employees to be required to participate in work stoppages that are unrelated to their employment relationship with us or to their treatment by this Company. That demand fundamentally alters the purpose of the collective bargaining agreement by attempting to hold our local management accountable for decisions made by other employers, in other locations, that have no connection to our compliance with this contract. It would also permit work stoppages driven by union leadership located thousands of miles away, rather than by issues affecting our local workforce.

We believe that decisions impacting local service should be driven by local concerns. Our employees should not be compelled to stop working in support of disputes that have nothing to do with their workplace, particularly when they may not wish to participate.

Unfortunately, the greatest impact of a strike under these circumstances is felt not by the Company, but by the Imperial Valley community – by the passengers who depend on this service to get to work, school, medical appointments, and other essential destinations.

To protect the reliability of transit service in this community and to ensure stability for both employees and riders, we cannot agree to contract language that would allow outside entities to mandate work stoppages unrelated to local working conditions. Our goal remains to reach a fair agreement that respects workers’ rights while ensuring dependable service for the community we serve.

We remain ready to continue negotiations and reach a resolution that keeps our community moving.”

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Teamsters Union Local 542 announced they have voted to authorize and initiate a strike in El Centro.

According to a press release, the strike, which started Monday at 4:00 a.m. Pacific, comes after “negotiations for a new successor contract failed to produce an agreement.”

Local 542 says their members prefer a fair and equitable resolution at the bargaining table, but said “essential terms and conditions must be addressed” before a tentative agreement is reached.

The union also says the strike will impact Imperial Valley residents who rely on public transportation to get to work, school, medical appointments and essential daily travel, and said the decision was not made lightly.

“Our members want to avoid a work stoppage, but they cannot accept a contract that fails to meet the basic standards required to protect workers and ensure safe, reliable service for the public” the union stated. “We remain committed to reaching a fair agreement and urge Transdev to return to the table with proposals that reflect the vital role our members play in the Imperial Valley’s transportation system.”

While the strike will continue until a tentative agreement is reached, the union said they are ready to continue negotiations at any time.

1917_001Download

The Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) has issued saying they were informed of the strike Sunday evening, and said they wish to avoid “any type of service disruption and has continued to request that the parties continue to engage in good faith negotiations to come to a resolution and a new collective bargaining agreement.”

ICTC says to alleviate this, they will offer free fares across all IVT services, such as IVT Fixed Route, IVT Access, IVT Ride Now and IVT MedTrans, during the strike.

They also said Calexico On Demand will not be impacted by the strike, not will it be subject to the free fares.

To read their statement in full, see attached file.

Press Release- IVT service interruptions_1-12-26Download

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Parents are getting a new childcare option in Yuma as Gabby’s Family Child Care LLC had its grand opening this weekend.

The grand opening was in coordination with Arizona Western College’s Small Business Development Center.

The childcare center offers toddler and preschool programs with certified and experienced staff, along with DES programs for ages one to 12.

“We are so excited because this center isn’t just about childcare. It’s about the community. We want to create a place where the children feel like a home and the parents feel very confident leaving the most important people with us,” said Francisca Gabriella Torres, the owner of Gabby’s Family Care LLC.

Gabby’s Family Child Care LLC is located on W. Eighth Street and is now enrolling.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local coffee shop in Yuma not only has a new name, but is undergoing an extensive renovation.

Mostly Muffins has been rebranded as Desert Buzz Cafe, and was temporarily closed earlier this month as they are revamping the cafe.

According to Courtney Fisher-Sellers, the owner of Desert Buzz Cafe, the rebranding was due to the expiration of an agreement to use the Mostly Muffins name and its recipes.

Fisher-Sellers also shared other factors as to why they’re rebranding the cafe saying, “We’ve been through a lot…and we’ve been able to give back so much to our community because of the community we have. And I didn’t want to lose that. I wanted to keep that same spirit going forward and just keep the giving going.”

The cafe will reopen Monday at 5:30 a.m., but Fisher-Sellers says they will host an official grand re-opening in the coming weeks.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Territorial Chapter of the Arizona Old Time Fiddlers Association (AOTFA) hosted the 49th Annual Yuma Silver Spur Rodeo Worthen Memorial Old Time Fiddlers Contest this weekend.

The contest, which kicked off Saturday, took place at Silver Spur Rodeo Clubhouse, located at 2577 E. County 14th Street, and was for contestants to showcase their talents to compete for cash and prizes in several categories.

There was also a silent auction during the contest, where people can bid on a variety of items, like a fiddle and a blanket.

Janet Shelby, Membership Secretary for the Territorial Chapter, shares how the contest benefits locals across Yuma County.

“It’s just…very encouraging for families and community. It’s a connection, musical connection, and really some great…discipline and skills that they’ll enjoy all of their lives,” Shelby explained.

According to Shelby, there were about 68 people who participated in the contest.

In addition to local and state talent, contestants from states like Idaho, Washington, Colorado and California also participated in the contest, Shelby said.

Shelby also said the winner of the Grand Champion Award went to Aaron Fewkes of Meridian, Idaho.

The contest wrapped up Sunday, but Shelby said this was the first of three fiddle contests AOTFA is hosting throughout the state of Arizona.

To learn more about those contests, click here.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – A peaceful protest was held in Yuma Saturday at the sight of a recent hit and run.

Family and friends of Mariella Acosta gathered near the intersection of S. Avenue B and W. County 14th Street at 10:00 a.m.

Acosta was killed in a hit and run on December 6, 2025.

The person responsible, a 27-year-old man from Somerton, turned himself in and went to court, but was released because no charges were filed.

Now, the family is looking for a resolution.

“It’s really hard for us, I mean, being out here…fighting for her, and and nothing happens from the county. I mean nothing happened. Nobody did nothing about her, so she died here, and basically, nobody’s doing nothing about it, so…[we’re] just looking for answers,” said Alberto Ramirez, Acosta’s stepfather.

Acosta was 21-years-old.

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Carolina Garcia

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County residents protested against the installation of a data center in the county.

The protest was organized by the group “Not In My Backyard” and took place on Imperial Avenue in the City of El Centro Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific.

Protesters said the project must be carefully studied due to the negative environmental impact it could have, as well as the heavy use of resources it may require.

“People live [here]…their families live there, there’s elementary schools there. We want to make sure that this project, that this moratorium protects all of us, because this rapidly increasing industry is the most rapidly increasing industry in the entire country, because there are so many data centers just being pushed in impoverished communities, just like this one, without really letting us know the long term impacts and effects.”

Gilberto Manzanarez, Calexico Resists founder

They also stated that the protests against the project will continue.

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