Author: KYMA

Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A local non-profit organization needs the community’s support as some children there head back to school.

The Crossroads Mission is accepting school uniforms and supplies for more than ten children who are currently staying at the family shelter.

The children attend kindergarden to high school.

Personal hygiene products and canned food are also needed.

“This will help this group of children and we also have children coming throughout the year and also children to have food meals to our kitchen so we are trying to help those children as well,” said Rene Sonoqui, Crossroads Mission Family Shelter Director.

You can take your donations to the Crossroads Mission Second Chance Thrift store on 8th Street and 5th Avenue.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Local students are helping shape the future of healthcare in Yuma. 40 high school and college students are participating in Onvida Health’s weeklong Healthcare Career Camp.

Students get to work alongside doctors and first responders and get hands on exposure to medical careers through mock surgeries, casting demos, and real emergency response simulations. One student shares her experience.

“I really enjoy the camp! It’s really educational. Getting to see the inside of the hospital, what goes on behind the scenes, the hard work that these nurses and techs really put into the hospital,” said Onvida junior volunteer & camp student facilitator Alexa Estrella.

Throughout the five-day camp, students participate in a full schedule of classroom learning, hospital tours, career panels, skill demonstrations, and shadowing opportunities.

The goals is to introduce local students to hands-on learning and empower them to explore healthcare careers.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is asking the federal government to reimburse Arizona for the $100 million spent by former Governor Doug Ducey.

In 2022, Ducey spent millions of dollars on storage containers as a way to fill the gaps in the border wall.

Once in office, the Biden administration filed a suit saying the barriers were illegal, forcing the state of Arizona to have them removed for $70 million more.

New federal legislation, originally named the “big, beautiful bill,” states $10 billion worth of grants will be available to states that paid for border barriers and other security measures.

Madeline Murray will have more on this story this afternoon and what local representatives have to say on the issue.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – KAWC announced they are looking for volunteer hosts for music programs on KOFA Border Radio.

According to a press release, this coincides with KAWC marking 55 years of “broadcasting across Yuma and La Paz Counties.”

KAWC says, “The community, including Arizona Western College students, faculty and staff, are invited to participate.”

Courtesy: KAWC

“When KAWC was started in 1970, everyone on the air was a student,” shared David Riek, General Manager of KAWC/KOFA-Border Radio. “The station was born out of a love for radio and serving the community through entertaining programming. As we begin our 55th year on the air, we want to give the community a chance to express themselves and share their favorite music.”

Volunteers will be trained with “the necessary skills to create music programs for broadcast, streaming, and on-demand access on 94.7 FM KOFA and kawc.org.”

For more information about this, contact music@borderradioAZ.org.

KAWC seeks music lovers to volunteer on airDownload

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A local restaurant in Yuma, Saigon Pho, raised almost $3,000 for the flood victims in Texas.

The restaurant and its staff held a fundraiser this past Saturday, and received funds from the community.

Vinny Vo, owner of Saigon Pho, says, “Lots of people in town are very supportive.”

The fundraiser received funds from local nonprofits like Saint Francis Church and Crossroads Mission.

Vo shares why he was so compelled to donate to victims and how the tragic floods hit close to home.

“I like to help the flood victims because I live in a country that every year, people get killed. People are washed away all their lifetime savings because of flood,” said Vo.

He hopes the next time he hosts a fundraiser, even more people will join.

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Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Imperial County is changing the way people vote, aiming to make it easier and more flexible.

Starting next year, voters won’t be tied to one polling place. Instead, they’ll be able to vote at any voting center in the County, and they’ll have more days to do it.

“I think the advantages lie on the convenience for the voters, it gives them more flexibility,” said Linsey Dale, Registrar of Voters. “We’re hoping that by offering more opportunities to vote in person that it will increase our voter participation.”

The county plans to open 14 voting centers and keep eight 24-hour ballot drop boxes. Imperial is following the lead of Yuma County, which made a similar switch several years ago.

Officials are still deciding exactly where to place the centers, and they’re asking for help from the public.

“We want to hear from the community,” Dale said. “We are looking for locations that are ADA compliant, that are near public transportation locations, and have ample parking. We want them to be convenient for our community.”

For some voters, the changes could make a big difference. Imperial County voter Jillen Kennedy said voting hasn’t always been easy.

“This last time I had to vote, it was one of those things where either I drop it off before I make it into work early in the morning, or it wasn’t gonna get turned in at all,” she said. “So I had to make the choice.”

But she’s hopeful the new system will make things smoother saying, “Especially having expanded hours and places that are designated for you to go that maybe aren’t so difficult to access.”

Public comments and suggestions may be submitted in person at the Registrar of Voters Office, by fax at (442) 265-1062, or by email to VoterServices@co.imperial.ca.us.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – In Tuesday’s Home Grown report, a local hemp farm in Yuma shows just how vital the plant could be for Arizona’s economic future.

They say this is one of Arizona’s first hemp fiber industry farm tours hosted by the Hemp Industry Trade Association of Arizona (HITA). Local agricultural leaders share how hemp is opening doors for sustainable agriculture and economic opportunity.

Local council members, state leaders, and farmers toured the 20-acre hemp farm.

“It was very educational. I knew nothing about him. How it’s grown. How little water it needs,” said Rep. Mariana Sandoval (D) Arizona District 23.

“It was much more than educational. It was something to take home and talk about it and experience that more and be part of it,” said San Luis Councilmember Lizeth Servin.

Farm owner Daniel Nowell says Yuma’s soil and location make it great for growing and shares some of the items the crops help make.

“We make everything from rope. You can make textiles. I’m wearing a shirt today as well and you can do all kinds of building materials, insulation, carbon composites, supercapacitors. It goes on and on and on the many uses that we can use with industrial hemp,” said Nowell.

Hemp could also be used to build the first school of its kind.

“It’s an incredible material, and it’s exciting that we’re gonna be having the opportunity to create and build the first elementary school made out of hemp,” said Daniel Turbyfill, Secretary for the Hemp Industry Trade Association.

Tour stop number 2 was the condor seed production company where seed is taken.

“We bring it into here, we receive it, and we mill it, clean it, make it a pure product. We package it, and we ship it,” said Condor Seed Operations Lead Chris Tolman.

Locals got to tour the inside of the warehouse.

“I think it is absolutely the future of Arizona. I think it’s a great crop for shade cover, and I think it’s a beautiful crop to have in the field through the summer,” said Turbyfill.

During the tour they officially announced the launch of their adopt an acres of hemp program. The next tour will be a planting and harvesting tour before the end of the year.

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Miriam Ordonez

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Imperial County residents are planning a “Stop the Cuts” rally this Saturday in El Centro.

Organizers say the event is part of a nationwide protest against proposed federal cuts in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

The rally, hosted by Democrats United Imperial Valley and Indivisible activists in the county, will run from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the intersection of Main Street and Imperial Avenue on July 19.

For more information about the protest, contact Frances Beope at (442) 250-9307, or via email at Beope.Frances@gmail.com.

You can also contact Thomas Henderson at (760) 554-1901, or via email at Handsoffelcentro@gmail.com.

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Miriam Ordonez

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys is giving away 1,000 free backpacks filled with school supplies to help Yuma students gear up for the new school year.

The giveaway will take place Wednesday, July 23 at the Yuma Fairgrounds starting at 4:00 p.m. It is first come, first served.

K-12 students must be present to receive a backpack. Families can also enjoy free entertainment, face-painting, balloons and ice cream.

This is the fourth stop on the firm’s nationwide backpack tour. To learn more about it, read the press release below.

PR-LRIA_YUMA Backpack Giveaway 2025Download

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Dillon Fuhrman

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Arizona Western College (AWC) says, “Gadsden Elementary School Superintendent Lizette Esparza completed her first year teaching the Cultural Diversity in Education course” at the San Luis Learning Center (SLLC).

According to AWC, Esparza began teaching the course at SLLC during the spring of 2025, “which examines the relationship of cultural values to the formation of a child’s self-concept and learning styles” as well as examine the “roles of prejudice, stereotyping, and cultural incompatibilities in education.”

“Teaching my first cultural diversity class was a journey where I wasn’t just a teacher,” Esparza shared, “I realized that teaching wasn’t just about sharing knowledge—it was about creating connection, confronting bias, and learning to honor the richness each student brings to the class.”

Following the completion of the spring course, Esparza helped find her students jobs within the Gadsden Elementary School District, with one of her students, Efren Haro, landing a position teaching music as a long-term substitute teacher.

Efran Haro; Courtesy: Arizona Western College

Efran Haro; Courtesy: Arizona Western College

“Taking Lizette Esparza’s EDU 210 class was a meaningful and engaging experience that supported my growth as a new music teacher,” Haro reflected. “As someone who began teaching this year, I found the course especially valuable in helping me build a strong foundation in educational theory and classroom management. Professor Esparza created an inclusive and supportive learning environment where I felt comfortable asking questions and connecting course content to my real-world teaching experiences. Her passion for education and practical approach to teaching made the material relevant and applicable to my own classroom. The course not only helped me reflect on my teaching practices but also gave me tools to better support and engage my students through music.”

AWC says the course is offered during the spring semester at SLLC, and is for those interested in Education of working with children.

For more information, call SLLC at (928) 314-9449.

Gadsden Superintendent Esparza shapes future educators at the SLLCDownload

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