Author: KYMA

Lynette Niebla

IMPERIAL VALLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – SDSU Imperial Valley’s Steppling Art Gallery kicks off the new academic year with a powerful new exhibition celebrating Chicanx culture and local history.

The exhibition, titled “Proof of Concept: Retrospecting the Ephemeral and Activist Art of Armando Rascón,” is completely free and open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., through October 1.

The showcase features the retrospective and activist art of Calexico native Armando Rascón, whose decades of work explore border community identity while highlighting local political history.

“The practice of Armando Rascón…he’s been considered a pioneer of Chicano conceptual artists,” said Luis Hernandez, Director of the John H. Steppling Art Gallery. “A conceptual artist is an artist who works more with ideas rather than objects.”

For Rascón, bringing this comprehensive retrospective back to the Imperial Valley represents a profoundly personal milestone.

“It’s super interesting because I’ve had an awareness of everything here since childbirth basically, my earliest years,” Rascón shared. “I wanted to appropriate myself, my history, my cultural history, our story.”

The gallery exhibition ties directly into a companion book that spans five decades of Rascón’s career from 1976 to 2026.

The book uncovers the hidden stories and behind-the-scenes photography of his creative process.

Strikingly, much of the exhibition serves as a moving memorial to art that has physically vanished over the years.

“The book that I published…the last chapter in the book is this: Works that don’t exist,” Rascón explained.

Visitors will see fabric flags hanging on the gallery walls, which represent these lost historical pieces.

“What we have in this exhibition are flags that represent works that he did in the past that no longer exist because of different reasons—because they were ephemeral or temporary artwork,” Hernandez said.

Locally, Rascón is celebrated as the lead artist for the famous “Border Metamorphosis Mural Project.”

The original, large-scale public work took four years to complete and brought together more than 2,000 volunteers between 1998 and 2002.

Though the physical border fence and the canvas have since been replaced and destroyed, Rascón insists that the true spirit of the project can never be erased.

“These are things you can’t control, so I still want to celebrate that piece,” Rascón said. “To me, the fact that the community got together, and there was so much collective memory in having contributed to that, changes the tone of public art from being a passive consumer of culture to an active participant in the production of the art.”

The fabric displays function as a “memento mori,” which means a reminder of impermanence, but they double as a metaphor for a career that stays alive through public domain records and community impact.

“These are works that don’t exist except in the existing memory, and I think that’s a really good place to be if you look back on a career of 50 years,” Rascón added.

Ultimately, Rascón believes that grit and unfiltered truth are what define the Chicanx art movement. He encourages the Imperial Valley community to visit the gallery and form their own personal interpretations of the history on display.

“I would say that the history of Chicano art is sweat equity…where it’s just your ability to have backbone, grit, conviction, and truth, and you wander your own history,” said Rascón. “You don’t have to balance and falsify it.”

What: “Proof of Concept: Retrospecting the Ephemeral and Activist Art of Armando Rascón”

Where: John H. Steppling Art Gallery, SDSU Imperial Valley (720 Heber Ave, Calexico, CA 92231)

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Running through October 1)

Cost: Free and open to the public.

Parking: Public parking is available in the lot off East Sherman Ave and surrounding streets.

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Adrik Vargas

(KYMA) – California lawmakers are moving to limit how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in mental health care.

Senate Bill 903, written by State Sen. Steve Padilla (D-District 18), would prevent companion chatbots from advertising or providing psychotherapy in California, but therapists and AI developers said the technology can still have a role as a support tool.

Stephanie Levitt, a licensed therapist and co-founder of AI Powered Therapist, said the platform is designed to help people between therapy sessions, not replace a therapist.

The platform includes tools that can help users work through worrying thoughts, including interpreting stressful text messages. It also has guidelines intended to recognize when someone may need additional help.

Co-founder Scott Enrico said users who may be experiencing emotional dysregulation can be directed to 988.

Enrico acknowledges that AI can make mistakes, which is why the platform can also connect users with licensed therapists.

As lawmakers work to set limits, developers say there is still a place for AI as a mental health support tool.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24/7. You can call or text 988, or use the online chat.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – While most of the people are coming back from a holiday weekend, or resting at home, others “celebrated” Labor Day actually working.

Some workers News 11 spoke to said they are happy to have a job, especially in Yuma County, where the unemployment rate is almost 19%, the second highest in the country.

“To tell you the truth, I love to work, and I’m blessed to have a job and that I have to work,” said Caty Anaya, a department store worker.

Meanwhile, El Centro is number one nationwide in unemployment rate with 19.7%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

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Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The El Centro Police Department (ECPD) said a teen was arrested for making reported school threats.

In a press release, they received information from the San Diego and Imperial County Joint Terrorism Task Force Friday, September 4, regarding threats involving Central Union High School.

ECPD said officers immediately worked with school officials and law enforcement partners to investigate the circumstances as well as ensure “the safety of students, staff and the surrounding community.”

During the investigation, their School Resource Officer, detectives and agents from the FBI’s Imperial County Field Office worked with school officials to identify the students believed to be responsible for the threats.

As a result, the teen was taken into custody in connection to the reported threats, and ECPD said the investigation is ongoing.

If anyone has information regarding the case, call 760-352-2111.

Press Release – September 4 School ThreatsDownload

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Two Yuma County organizations are teaming up this September for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

The Yuma County Anti-Drug Coalition and Yuma County Mental Health Coalition are launching a month-long campaign called “Connection Is Prevention.”

The campaign aims to encourage people to have open conversations about mental health, recognize warning signs of suicide and help connect people who may be struggling with support.

Ginny Legros, Executive Director of the Yuma County Mental Health Coalition, says the campaign is focused on reminding people that human connection can play an important role in suicide prevention.

“Nothing can replace human connection,” Legros said. “So it all starts there. Being able to open up to someone face to face is key.”

The groups will share educational information and suicide prevention resources throughout September.

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

For local mental health resources and more information about suicide prevention efforts in Yuma County, visit the coalition’s resource directory.

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Lynette Niebla

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Students at Southwest High School are heading into the weekend with a major reason to celebrate after a surprise announcement turned an ordinary school day into an unforgettable milestone.

On Friday, the school’s Purple & Gold Pantry received a massive financial boost in its ongoing fight against community hunger.

The student-led pantry was awarded a grant through the Explore.Act.Tell (E.A.T.) program, funded by the Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning in partnership with the Albertsons Companies Foundation.

However, the presentation took an unexpected turn when organizers stunned the classroom by revealing an additional, unannounced $1,000 grant for the program.

Recent data shows that nearly 30% of students at Southwest High School experience food insecurity.

The pantry is run entirely by students in the CTE Health Science and Public Health Pathway, who track inventory, run donation drives, and assemble nutritious meal kits for local families.

“I feel like every so often I get told things that happen that I never have the power to do anything because I’m just a teenager in this high school, right?” said Azul Prieto, a student leader at the pantry. “But here, I have the opportunity to do something about a real problem.”

Southwest High School was one of five schools to apply for the initial grant, ultimately being hand-picked by local Albertsons store associates due to their unique, discrete approach to helping peers.

“The creative way that they are getting the food to their fellow students that doesn’t have those students stand out and it’s very confidential…I think resonated with the team that voted,” said Courtney Carranza, Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Albertsons Companies Foundation.

The surprise bonus funding caught students off guard, which was exactly what program leaders had hoped for.

“It was really hard to keep the secret about the extra thousand dollars because I knew how meaningful it would be for the students,” shared Jackie Valadez, a CTE teacher and Purple and gold Pantry advisor at Southwest High School. “But I genuinely wanted them to have that surprise experience.”

According to Carranza, the funding is a direct result of community generosity at local checkout stands.

“What we do to fundraise at our stores at the pin pads and with hunger bags does go directly back into the Imperial County community,” Carranza explained. “We have two stores in Imperial County, and all of those funds from those stores raised go to the Imperial County Food Bank that goes directly back into the community, including this high school. So what our customers donate will stay in the county here.”

As many of the pantry’s current leaders are seniors preparing for graduation, they hope underclassmen will step up to carry on the tradition.

“It feels amazing actually,” Prieto said. “I think this class is a great opportunity to just get out there. If you have a teeny-tiny bit of curiosity about the health pathway, this class is perfect because it gives you such a broad understanding of a lot of things.”

Valadez hopes the empathy and innovation the students practiced in the pantry will follow them long after they leave Southwest High School.

“This is part of their story, and maybe they don’t end up in public and community health, but I know that their compassion and their empathy for others and the community will be evident in anything they choose,” Valadez said.

The Purple & Gold Pantry accepts donations throughout the year to keep its shelves stocked. For more information on how you can donate or get involved, email Jackie Valadez at jvaladez@mycuhsd.org.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Canadian visitors have long been part of Yuma’s winter tourism season, but fewer are traveling to the United States.

Statistics Canada reports Canadian-resident visits to the U.S. fell 23.5% in 2025 compared to 2024. Leisure-related travel to the U.S. dropped 21.5%.

The agency said early 2026 data shows the decline in travel to the U.S. is continuing.

That trend is also being felt locally.

Bill Evans, general manager of The Palms RV Resort in Yuma, said the resort has not fully recovered its Canadian visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evans also pointed to political tensions between Canada and the U.S. as another factor that may be keeping some Canadian visitors away.

He says some Canadians are still stopping in Yuma, but others are choosing to spend the winter in Mexico instead.

“I certainly welcome everybody to come to Yuma and get a taste of it in those great months of October through March,” Evans said.

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Dillon Fuhrman

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial County District Attorney’s Office said two men received life sentences for a murder while in prison.

In a press release, Jose Luis Perez, 49, and Juan Carlos Urbina Serrano, 38, were sentenced last week to life in prison for the November 2022 murder of William Quintero.

The D.A.’s Office said three correctional officers from the Centinela State Prison testified earlier this year.

To learn more about this, read the press release, written in English and Spanish, below.

Press Release – Two men receive life sentences for murder – englishDownload

Press Release – Two men receive life sentences for murder – spanishDownload

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) responded to a house fire early Friday afternoon.

In a press release, the fire happened in the area of E. Corona Drive and S. La Cruz Avenue before 2 p.m.

Upon arrival, YFD said, “Crews found flames and smoke coming” from the interior of a single-family home.

This prompted them to initiate an “aggressive offensive attack,” and YPD said they were able to “knock down the main body of the fire.”

Courtesy: Yuma Fire Department

Courtesy: Yuma Fire Department

However, YFD said it extended into the attic space, requiring them to continue to find and extinguish the remaining fire.

Firefighters, according to YFD, were working in extreme heat conditions and “around solar panels on the roof while extinguishing the attic fire.”

Courtesy: Yuma Fire Department

Courtesy: Yuma Fire Department

YFD said they remained on scene until the fire was extinguished and the home was secured, but said they put a fire watch in place to monitor the home “for any potential rekindling.”

While no injuries were reported, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Press Release Corona FireDownload

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Connor Emery

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) is still on the search for Alexandra Becerra.

Becerra, 16, was first reported missing on Thursday, August 22. The family are looking for answers as she has not been in contact.

She was last seen with an unknown subject in a black four sedan wearing a black and gray striped shirt and blue jeans.

YPD told News 11 they believe it’s not the first time Becerra was reported as missing.

“She lives within the city limits. Family reported her as a runaway. From what I believe, it’s not her first time there’s been other times she’s ran away, but you know like I said they typically turn out within 24 to 48 hours. That just isn’t the case this time around,” Officer Hayato Johnson said.

YPD said to contact them if you have any information regarding the case at 928-783-4421, or 78-CRIME at 928-782-7463 to remain anonymous.

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