Author: KYMA

Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – A major job fair at the Imperial Valley Mall drew hundreds of job seekers Friday, as the community works to help those hit hardest by recent layoffs.

The event comes after the sudden closure of the Spreckels Sugar Plant in Brawley, which wiped out around 400 jobs and sent shockwaves through the local economy.

Employers from across the Valley came ready to hire, looking to help people get back on their feet.

“We’re looking for EVS, pharmacy techs, but mostly RNs, but we’re looking for everything,” said Marselle Cooke with Pioneers Memorial Healthcare.

One program, ForeverGreen Farms, offers an eight-week paid training for farmworkers to move into better-paying agriculture jobs.

“The training is gonna pay $25 an hour, the training is for 8 weeks completely paid, they’re even gonna get transportation if they don’t have any to get to the training,” said Ruben Partida with Comité de Acción del Valle.

Congressman Raul Ruiz, who helped organize the job fair, said he’s working with growers and the USDA to save jobs.

“We’re working with the growers, and the USDA, to salvage what we can of the beet industry, so that people in that industry can continue to work. We’re also working with the Lithium Valley companies to create the manufacturing base of jobs that many people here have skills for,” Congressman Ruiz said.

Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez also encouraged companies to see what the region has to offer.

“Come see the jewel, the gem, of what Imperial County is, so that way they can understand really the beauty, the hard working people here,” Assemblyman Gonzalez shared.

County officials say they hope to host two job fairs every year.

For more information and employment resources, visit the Imperial County Workforce Development Board.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Helping local police train K9s. The K9 Officer Partner Support (OPS) Foundation donated a bite suit to the Yuma Police Department.

The non-profit says it’s important to support local law enforcement.

“Money is so tight everywhere, they need equipment, they need things that can help them train, so it’s important for us and to us to be able to provide them with that help,” said Mark Sims, Vice President of the K9 OPS Foundation

The bite suit has a price tag of nearly $2,000.

The Yuma Police Department (YPD) say this a much-needed tool for both the officers and the K9s.

“It’s going to help to make our decoys more safe, it’s good for the dog as well. It’s a different color, different suit, different material. It’s good for them to see it, but really is for our decoys to be safer,” said Officer Blaine Blanton of YPD.

If you would like to support the K9 OPS Foundation, they are hosting a restaurant takeover on Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m. at Texas Roadhouse on 16th Street.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Arizona Western College (AWC) is doing what it can to help local college students with a food drive going from August 11 to September 8.

“The Cubby” is running the food drive with a goal to collect 1,000 items to ensure all students can get the proper nutrition they need to bask in academic success.

“There’s a lot of students that are in need and we want to be able to support the students and not make hunger something that they have to deal with, or, a challenge that gets in the way of them thriving here on campus, in their classes,” said Student Care Coordinator Adrienne Noriega.

Although the program is newer, students are making the most out of the food pantry and demand is on the rise.

“I think we’ve seen ‘The Cubby’ growing, and the need growing, so we want to make sure that we’re always stocked and that students know they can go there, and that it’s a safe place for them, and that they’re gonna receive the nourishment that they need,” Noriega said.

Students are ready to take full advantage of the pantry to try to eliminate a common obstacle that has stood in their way in the past.

“I mean everyone’s sort of heard the phrase, ‘The starving college kids,’ so it’s nice just to have that little program where people can go and get what they need,” local student Nicholas Foley stated.

You can donate non-perishables to “The Cubby” on campus or make a monetary donation here.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Pam Engelmann says she received constant scam emails, saying everything in her storage unit would be sold. However, Engelmann doesn’t have a unit.

After receiving this same scam a second time, she alerted the police of the danger.

“I just don’t want anybody to get caught in this because three months of storage unit, had I given them my card, who knows what they would have done with it you know, it’s just a little frightening,” says Engelmann.

Luckily, she did not fall for it. However, these scams do typically affect people in her age range.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, personal losses due to internet crime increased by 30% last year.

They say that people ages 60 and over lost the most money at almost five billion dollars.

Peter Torres, a local storage unit manager, shares some helpful advice on how to know if an email or phone call is a scam.

“By law, we got to provide the customer all the details and the information that they need to know for them to save the items if they want it paid. Now, if this is a scam, immediately you will know that because they will not have that information,” Torres said.

The Yuma Police Department shares the possible punishments for those caught conducting these scams.

“It depends on the scam though, most of the time the money amounts could lead to felony charges for fraud, but fraud in general is a felony offense,” said Hayato Johnson, Public Information Officer for YPD.

The FBI also says that Arizona was in the top ten for most money lost at $392,000,000.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma High is acting as the home court for a no-cost physical event for all Yuma Union High School District athletes at 4 p.m. this Friday.

The district is pairing with Onvida Health in an effort to avoid any hurdles student-athletes may encounter in registering to play sports.

“I think the free physical is really important so that we are decreasing as many barriers as possible to play sports for our athletes,” Assistant Principal of Athletics & Health and Safety Johannah Elliott said. “The fact that it’s free is really amazing.”

Student-athletes will not be dealing with minor league doctors, either. The event is led by Doctor Ryan Zerr, who is bringing a full team of medical professionals to take care of every student-athlete.

“We’re really grateful for the partnership with Onvida,” YUHSD Chief Communications Director Eric Patten said.

Just because an athlete is not participating in a fall sport does not mean they need to stand on the sidelines. These physicals will prepare student-athletes for long-term play.

“There’s still time to get cleared,” Patten said. “There’s still time for athletes to go out for fall sports. And if you’re participating in anything like soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball…anything like that…in the winter and spring, the physical that you get now will be valid for that, as well.”

You can fill it out the Arizona Interscholastic Association physical forms online before the event to speed up the process, or fill out the paperwork upon arrival at Yuma High School.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Fat Daddy’s Burger and Grill will remain open for the next 15 years because of a special use permit.

However, the permit comes with some rules, such as building a seven foot block wall around the facility, live music ending at 7 p.m., and getting some things up to ADA compliance.

Jacob Fletcher, the owner’s son, is happy he can continue his father’s legacy.

“I think he would be happy, he’d be smiling down, I think he is today, today’s his birthday too so, our first year without him but he’d be stoked,” says Fletcher.

While many people in favor of the business staying open, some complained about the noise.

However, with the special use permit now in place, Yuma County Board of Supervisors Darren Simmons is hopeful everyone can be at peace.

“It allows them to stay open and have their music, and like I said a lot people like their music, but it also hopefully, with the walls and stuff it kind of answers the question for the people that live around it as far as keeping the noise down in their area,” Simmons said.

Larry White, a longtime customer and best friend of the late owner, is happy to see the business continue.

“This is the best place in town, you know the music is good, the food’s excellent, it’s just a nice place to be and associate with other people,” White says.

Fletcher would also like to share a message of gratitude to the community, supervisor Simmons, and even some of their competitors who showed them support.

“Just all our loyal people that we have you know out here in the Foothills that have made this possible, 279 signatures came through on a ballet to keep this place open, that was done by the Eagle’s Club so everyone you know came together,” said Fletcher.

If you would like to donate to the restaurant as they build the wall, you can click the link HERE.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY-TV) – Good news for Yuma and Imperial County both setting record temperatures across the desert Wednesday. We will continue to keep you updated in our newscasts if we break any records two days in a row.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the past August 6th record was 115 in Yuma in 1995 and 114 in El Centro in 2018. NWS officially announced Thursday that Yuma tied that record at 115 and El Centro broke the record by one degree at 115.

 A Weather Authority First Alert ACTION DAY REMAINS in effect through Friday for the Desert Southwest, as we will need to take action for the dangerously hot conditions.

An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for both Yuma and Imperial Counties until 8 p.m. Friday for the major heat risks and highs up to 119 degrees. 

The NWS warns of major Heat Risk is in portions of southwest Arizona and southeast California.

They remind everyone to take heat precautions and be alert of overexposure to prevent heat related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke. Take advantage of local free cooling centers and water sites to help stay cool. You can find a full list here. 

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – With possible record breaking temperatures Wednesday, and Thursday, the Yuma Fire Department (YFD) shares how they keep their crews safe.

“It’s not secret that Yuma is one of the hottest places on Earth so the Yuma Fire Department’s had to be creative,” said Fire Captain David Padilla.

In order to better ensure the firefighters’ safety, YFD has set up a rehabilitation vehicle. The vehicle comes equipped with swamp coolers and additional water.

They will also have a rehab division which is a crew assigned to monitor the firefighters.

“Our crews are getting rehabilitated getting plenty of fluids, whether that’s through, you know, our sports drinks like electrolytes, or taking supplements that way, we monitor their vital signs. Once they’re cleared for the incident, they go back to their stations,” says Capt. Padilla.

Padilla describes how it feels to be out battling fire in triple-digit temperatures.

“It’s rough and so days like today where we’re hitting 115, 116, we have to be cognizant of it, we limit our training during the day, and we try to limit how much our members are outside,” he said.

Padilla also shares how they train and prepare throughout these hot summer days.

“Our dispatchers are monitoring the different flag levels, we have green, red, and black, if it’s a red flag  day we’re limiting out door activity, if it’s a black flag day then we’re doing zero outdoor activity aside from running 911 calls,” he says.

However, just because it’s a black flag day does not mean they stop preparing.

“We reduce our training we keep our guys indoors, they do indoor training whether that’s on a computer, but we limit how much they’re outside, we want them to be as close to 100% if we get a working incident,” said Padilla.

After a fire, if anyone is feeling sick, they get checked out and bring in replacements to work in their shift.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – On Tuesday evening, a school bus caught fire on Interstate 8 near Araby Road.

Thankfully, there were no injuries reported. However, the incident raised concern among the community, especially for parents.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire from the front of the vehicle before it spread to the back, but there were some challenges.

“Being an alternative fuel vehicle presented additional challenges, just because of the hazards that come with propane and finding a shutoff valve for it,” Yuma Fire Department Public Information Officer Francisco Leon said.

As for future use of school buses, the school district is adamant that transporting students in a secure manner is priority number one.

“I want to reaffirm to our families that this is a safe mode of transportation,” District One Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator Christine McCoy said. “We take this instance very seriously. We will investigate and determine the cause of this, and we’ll share that information with the community, so that they’re aware, as well, what the cause was.”

The good news is the district does not expect to encounter such a problem in the future.

“What I can say is our school buses undergo regular maintenance, so this really was an event that we haven’t seen in the past, and don’t expect to see in the future,” McCoy stated.

The investigation on what led to the propane sparking is still ongoing.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma’s intense heat can be more than just uncomfortable. It can be life threatening and with temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees, heat related illnesses are a serious concern.

Dr. Donald Hubbard, medical director and emergency medicine physician at Exceptional Community Hospital Yuma, helps us recognize the signs of heat related illnesses and understand what to do in an emergency.

“You have to be aware, especially when you’re working in the heat, and especially if you’re not used to it. One of the things is you need to drink plenty of fluids. Water is certainly an acceptable, acceptable fluid. You should probably drink 8 ounces about every 20 minutes if you’re working out in the heat,” he said.

Dr. Hubbard says there are signs to look out for when it comes to heat related illness.

“Heat illness is just if you start to get very just tired, fatigued, no energy, that’s a sign that you’re not hydrated enough. It’s also a sign that your body temperature may be going up. That would be the first sign that you probably need to cool off and, and drink some fluids,” he explained.

Hubbard says there comes a point where symptoms could turn into hospital visit.

“At any point that you feel like you need to be seen, you probably need to be seen. But if you’re not sweating, if you are thirsty, and you’re drinking water and it’s not helping, if your heart rate is elevated, those are definitely signs that you probably need to be seen,” Hubbard remarked.

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