Author: KYMA

Jessamyn Dodd

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Fire crews in Imperial Valley sharpened their skills on April 1, with a wildland fire training exercise.

El Centro, Brawley, Imperial County, Calipatria, and Holtville Fire Departments participated in hands-on training.

The scenario based activities aimed at preparing fire fighters for wildfire season included hose laying and portable pump stations.

The yearly training gets the new recruits ready in the event that a strike team needs to be deployed to areas like Riverside County, L.A. County, or Ventura County.

“You’re gonna have to at least have completed your probationary period. And for us here in El Centro, that entails the EMS training, search and rescue, the structure, and of course ultimately the wildland training,” El Centro Fire Department (ECFD) Battallion Chief Eddie Ainza told KYMA.

Jesse Llanas, Fire Captain for The City of Holtville Fire Department, said the trainees are put through a rigorous course, testing both their physical and mental abilities.

“It’s a three-mile hike. It’s has to be done within 45 minutes with 45 ponds. Yeah, and then once you get that done, then you go to other stations which is communications, fire shelter deployment, handline construction…Weather reading as well cause weather actually, we can predetermine with weather fire behavior, fire pattern and how it’s gonna act,” Llanas remarked.

Although this particular training event was a two-day event, the department’s training continues year round.

“With fire season now year round, it’s just an ongoing thing so just constantly be up health wise, educational wise, and physical fitness training,” Llanas said.

ECFD says these exercises and trainings help crews from multiple different agencies work together smoothly when minutes count.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – One person was injured in a motorcycle crash Thursday morning in Yuma.

The crash happened around 7 a.m. on Avenue 3E near Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

For unknown reasons, the motorcycle hit the semi-truck from behind. The motorcycle rider was taken to Onvida Health.

The cause of the crash remains under investgation.

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Jessamyn Dodd

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Attorney Veronica Henderson has been practicing law for over two decades, and as handled every kind of case, from juvenile and probate to criminal and civil.

With accessibility as a major factor in the more rural areas of the Imperial Valley, Henderson suggests making use of existing facilities, especially in areas like Winterhaven and Salton City.

“I would love to see an expansion if possible of our court systems so that we have outlying courts, and one way you can do that is rather than having a dedicated court everyday, perhaps use existing facilities, conference rooms, what have you,” she explained.

Henderson suggests using conference rooms and holding a “pop-up’ court on alternating weeks or months in different areas.

She says the county needs to utilize its drug courts and look for treatment options for low-level offenders, as mass incarceration for drug offenses does not work.

According to Prison Policy Initiative, the incarceration of drug addicted individuals fails to address the root cause of addiction, and often leads to high recidivism rates, creating a revolving door in the prisons and jails.

“I’d like to see greater development of our mental health court. We already have one. Again, these are statutorily based and other counties have these courts and we need to filter more cases through those courts,” she expressed.

We asked Henderson about outside political influence on judges and their rulings. She said that although the positions of a judge is non-partisan, the laws they enforce are written and voted on by different political parties.

Henderson mentioned that during her campaign, she has spoken to many resident and what she has found is that people want to be heard. She said they want to know that a judge will give a fair ruling.

“A judge position in an election is non-partisan, and there’s a reason for that. Because it’s not about politics. Now we all know that our laws that are codified in our codes, come from the legislature. That is an inherently political entity with political influences on it,” she said.

Voters will make the decicision of who they want on the bench with California primary elections set for June 2.

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Jessamyn Dodd

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – The procession began at Sacred Heart Church in Brawley, walking through the streets before ending with a bilingual prayer at St. Margaret Mary Church, honoring the Passion of Christ.

The group from the two Catholic churches led by Father Bernardo Lara, walked to Saint Margaret Mary Church, with one young devotee carrying a wooden cross.

“It’s Good Friday. We’re remembering when Christ died. But it’s not the end of the story. It’s leading us into the resurrection, or reminding us that life always triumphs over death, that God never abandons and that we’re all brothers and sisters,” he said.

Comprised of families, elders and children, the procession stopped several times along the route.to recite prayers and sing in English and Spanish.

Father Lara says the themes of Good Friday and those leading up to Easter Sunday are universal themes of resilience, faith, and miracles.

“In the Catholic perspective, at least or in the Christian, the world literally gave God the worst they had, which is death on a cross, and God defeated it. No, it’s, that message still resounds and still it’s alive. 2000 years later, we have communities of people gathering,” he added.

Lara said the event serves as a time for community on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma County will be taking up the biosolids issue at their next supervisors meeting on Monday.

Last December, the County sent a letter to the State Land Department requesting that AG Tech LLC’s lease be terminated.

The request came after the County claimed that “residents, agricultural producers, and community stakeholders have experienced persistent nuisances attributed to Ag Tech’s operations, including overwhelming odors, severe fly infestations, and the spread of dust and debris from the use of biosolids on state land.”

The meeting is planned for next Monday at 9 a.m. at the Yuma County Auditorium on Main Street.

People wanting to talk are encouraged to sign up at the call to the public.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Exceptional Community Hospital (ECH) Yuma is teaming up with Vitalant to host an upcoming blood drive. They are calling on the Yuma community to help meet a constant and critical need.

Lisa Brazeel, ECH Community Liaison, says the demand for blood never goes away. Community blood drives play a key role in maintaining a steady local supply.

According to Vitalant, Arizona relies on organization-sponsored blood drives for more than half of its blood supply.

At the same time, about one in every seven hospital patients in the state will require a blood transfusion.

“It is very important…every time you donate you’re able to save two to three lives,” Brazeel said. “Which is so important and in Arizona alone, we need 700 donors per day.”

The Laboratory Manager at Exceptional Community Hospital, Jasmine Lara, says each donation can go much further than many people realize. Allowing it to help several patients with different medical needs.

“When you give blood, there’s several components to blood,” Lara said. “So, you have your red blood cells which are going to be used in any emergencies and traumas. You have your plasma which is going to be used for patients that are going to be dealing with any internal bleeding. And then you have your platelets which are going to be used particularly for cancer patients, Leukemia patients which is gonna assist in any blood clotting factors and things like that.”

Despite the ongoing need, some people may feel hesitant about donating. However, staff say the process is simple and relatively quick.

“The whole process is an hour, you’re actually only donating for 10 minutes,” Brazeel said. “So, piece of cake. You can save someone’s life in less than an hour’s time…We hope to see you on the eighth”

The blood drive will take place Wednesday, April 8, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at ECH Yuma. Vitalant representatives will be on-site accepting donations.

Healthcare workers emphasize that donating blood is one of the easiest ways to make a life-saving impact in the community.

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Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The City of El Centro is inviting residents to their annual Floating Easter Egg Hunt, happening this weekend.

According to a press release, the event is taking place at the Aquatic Center Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

During the event, the City says families can dive into the Lazy River to hunt for Easter eggs.

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

The event, according to the City, will be divided into four different age groups organized for children ages two to four, five to six, six to nine, and ten to 14.

The City says, “A parent, guardian or caregiver must accompany children in the water,” and says there will be lifejackets available as well as “participation is limited to two children per adult.”

In addition, there will be food vendors on site, and cabanas will be available to rent, with the small cabana costing $15 per hour and the large cabana costing $25 per hour.

Courtesy: City of El Centro

The admission is $5. For more information about the upcoming event, call (760) 335-4550 or email aquatic_center@cityofelcentro.org.

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

Floating Egg Hunt PR EngDownload

Floating Egg Hunt PR SpaDownload

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Water management in Yuma is getting a high-tech upgrade as local irrigation districts turn to automation to better control and conserve Colorado River water.

At the Yuma Agricultural Center, water officials recently gathered for a specialized training event focused on automated gate technology, tools designed to improve precision and efficiency across irrigation systems.

The new technology allows districts to monitor and adjust water flow in real time using advanced software.

By providing a constant stream of data, the system helps operators deliver water more accurately while reducing waste, an important step as water resources across the West face increasing pressure.

Local leaders say the benefits go beyond conservation. Automation is also changing day-to-day operations, allowing workers to track conditions and respond to issues without needing to be physically present in the field.

For districts like the Bard Water District, the shift represents a major evolution from traditional, manual systems to smarter infrastructure that can operate more independently.

As challenges tied to water supply continue to grow, officials say adopting technology like this will be key to improving efficiency and protecting resources for the future.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A man was arrested after the victim called about stalking, according to Yuma Police Department (YPD).

YPD says the stalking began about six years ago on an online app called Discord.

The victim ended contact with the man she was talking to, but the suspect’s behavior became disturbing, according to YPD.

The 19-year-old suspect was identified as Filip Lipinski, a U.S. citizen living in Denmark, and was recorded to have flown to Yuma on three different occasions starting from January 2022.

Reports say Lipinski was sighted following the victim and her sibling in Yuma.

According to YPD, Lipinski moved to the Yuma area in fall of 2025.

On Friday, March 27, 2026, police officers and FBI agents arrested Lipinski and searched his apartment with the use of a warrant.

Lipinski is facing seven counts, including three felonies.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call YPD at (928) 373-4700 or 78-CRIME to remain anonymous.

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Marcos Icahuate

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Three vehicles crashed on SR-98, west of I-8, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP).

On March 30, 2026, at about 9:35 p.m., three vehicles crashed on SR-98.

The driver of a Toyota Highlander was traveling westbound and drove onto the direct of lane of a BMW motorcycle traveling eastbound.

The vehicles crashed, causing the driver of the BMW to be thrown into the path of an Acura RSX traveling westbound on SR-98.

The rider of the BMW was pronounced dead on scene, while the drivers of the other vehicles had minor injuries.

CHP says the rider of the BMW was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, and the other drivers wore their seatbelts.

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