Category: kyma-local-news

Adrik Vargas

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – In South Yuma County, voters in San Luis, Arizona and Somerton showed up to help choose the leadership of their growing communities.

News 11 spoke with some of the candidates to get their reaction to the early results, and reflected on the issues they brought to voters.

María Guzmán is running for a seat on the Gadsden Elementary School District Board in San Luis, while Brian Lopez is hoping to bring a more data-driven approach to Somerton City Council.

“I also feel that social responsibility to do an excellent job because you guys are trusting me, and I need you your feedback,” Guzman expressed.

“I think the next chapter of Somerton is one that not only has a vision, but has a strategy and a plan,” Lopez added.

News 11 also reached out to San Luis mayoral candidates Matias Rosales and James Allen Jr., and while we have not heard back yet from Rosales, Allen said he wants to wait for official results before sharing a message with voters.

To keep up-to-date on these races, see below.

GADSDEN ELEMENTARY DISTRICT #32

4/5 | 80% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % LILIANA ARROYO 1,134 21%

MARIA GUZMAN RAMIREZ 1,088 20%

LUIS MARQUEZ 838 15%

BRIAN ALANIZ DE LA HOYA 827 15%

MARK CONCHA 709 13%

MARIA LUZ HOYOS 529 10%

MANUEL ROJAS 400 7%

5,525 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

SAN LUIS MAYOR

5/5 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % MATIAS ROSALES 1,397 53%

JAMES ALLEN_JR. 1,253 47%

2,650 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

SAN LUIS CITY COUNCIL

5/5 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % JAVIER VARGAS (i) 1,455 32%

OCTAVIO RAMIREZ 1,238 27%

LUISA ARREOLA 1,146 25%

RUBEN WALSHE_PERALTA 746 16%

4,585 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

SOMERTON CITY COUNCIL

3/3 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % LORENA DELGADILLO (i) 600 30%

BRIAN LOPEZ 479 24%

JUAN CASTILLO (i) 458 23%

VICTOR LOZANO 432 22%

1,969 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

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Joaquin Hight

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – A pilot has died after a deadly plane crash near Imperial County.

Cal Fire said the four-seater light aircraft crashed into a hillside in Ocotillo Tuesday at around 9:30 a.m. Pacific, killing the pilot.

They said the plane caught fire and completely burned after crashing into “Blow Sand Hill,” near Quarry Road.

Cal Fire also said the fire was contained and California State Parks will take over the investigation.

The pilot was the only person on board.

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Carolina Garcia

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – Two former Calexico mayors are leading the vote count in the City Council race.

Joong Kim is leading as he received 1,232 votes, amounting to 20% of the vote, and Camilo García is also leading after receiving 970 votes, amounting to 16% of the vote.

García started removing his campaign signs from streets and residential areas early Wednesday morning.

He is currently just four votes ahead of Blanca Morales, and said he will wait for the final results before declaring victory.

If he does win, he said he plans to work for the city without political divisions.

“And this is just the beginning. I know that, the difference right now, as far as, you know, the election results, you know, just a very, very thin margin. So we’re going to continue to work,” García expressed. “This is a year-round effort. Aside from the result, you know, that we will get whether I get elected, I get to go back to the council.”

The imperial county registrar of voters has 28 days to officially certify the election results.

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Jessamyn Dodd

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – Pioneers Memorial Hospital (PMH) in Brawley held its annual staff skills education event Wednesday.

Hospital staff brushed up on their nursing skills and infection control procedures, and the goal was to give staff a hands-on experience, rather than an online module.

“Every year we want to make sure our staff is competent and educated on any updated standards of care,” said Yesenia Magallon Heraz, educator at PMH. “Evidence-based practice changes every year, and so our policies and protocols always get updated. So we always want to make sure that those things are reinforced with our staff.”

The hospital said events like this help ensure both patient and staff safety.

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Connor Emery

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Candidates running for State Representative and State Senator for District 23, as well as candidates running for State Representative and State Senator for District 25, are sharing their reaction to the midterm elections.

For the State Senate race for District 23. State Sen. Brian Fernandez (D-District 23) is leading by 62% of the votes.

ARIZONA STATE SENATOR – DISTRICT 23

4/4 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % BRIAN FERNANDEZ (i) D 26,818 62%

MICHELLE ALTHERR R 16,299 38%

43,117 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

Over in the State Representative race for District 23, State Rep. Mariana Sandoval (D-District 23) and Emilia Cortez are both leading by 31% of the vote respectively.

ARIZONA STATE REPRESENTATIVE – DISTRICT 23

4/4 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % MARIANA SANDOVAL (i) D 24,051 31%

EMILIA CORTEZ D 24,006 31%

MICHELE PEÑA (i) R 15,015 20%

GARY GARCIA_SNYDER R 13,593 18%

76,665 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

Meanwhile, State Sen. Tim Dunn (R-District 25) is leading in the State Senate race for District 25 by 56% of the vote.

ARIZONA STATE SENATOR – DISTRICT 25

2/2 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % TIM DUNN (i) R 39,054 56%

LAURA HUBER D 31,230 44%

70,284 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

At the same time, State Reps. Michael Carbone (R-District 25) and Nick Kupper (R-District 25) are leading in the State Representative race for District 25 by 35% and 33% respectively.

ARIZONA STATE REPRESENTATIVE – DISTRICT 25

2/2 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % MICHAEL CARBONE (i) R 35,302 35%

NICK KUPPER (i) R 32,971 33%

TIFFANY BYRNE D 31,527 32%

99,800 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

Reporter Connor Emery will have reaction from the candidates later this evening.

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Lynette Niebla

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Candidates running for Districts 1 and 5 on the Imperial County Board of Supervisors are sharing their reaction to the midterm elections.

In the District 1 Supervisors race, Enrique Alvarado is leading by 63% of the vote while the incumbent, Jesus Escobar, has 37% of the vote.

IMPERIAL COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS – DISTRICT 1

12/12 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % ENRIQUE ALVARADO 2,163 63%

JESUS EDUARDO_ESCOBAR (i) 1,268 37%

3,431 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

Meanwhile, in the District 5 Supervisors race, Patricia Lizarraga is leading by 52% of the vote while the incumbent, John Hawk, has 48% of the vote.

IMPERIAL COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS – DISTRICT 5

93/93 | 100% Precincts Candidate Party Votes % PATRICIA LIZARRAGA 1,684 52%

JOHN HAWK (i) 1,547 48%

3,231 total votes Updated: 2026-11-04 05:23:27 pm

Reporter Lynette Niebla will have candidate reaction later this evening.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The American Kennel Club said the majority of websites advertising dogs for sale are puppy scams. They offer popular breeds with fake pictures, discounted prices and undisclosed fees.

On social media, dozens of websites on Facebook and Instagram show puppies, kittens, and all other types of animals for sale. While scammers have shifted a large percentage of their outreach toward social media over the last several years, the scam operates the same as those run through websites.

Once someone has stumbled upon a scam website or social media page, their risk of losing money begins to rise. Websites often look legitimate or are clones of actual pet sellers, helping scammers increase their aura of legitimacy.

On social media, scammers use multiple profiles to leave fake, glowing reviews of their animals for sale.

Once a buyer reaches out, the perpetrators will often use a fake screening process to judge whether a buyer is a suitable owner to increase their appearance of legitimacy.

If a potential owner asks to see the animal, they will receive many pictures, but the fake seller won’t ever allow them to visit in person or over video chat. Instead, they promise to ship the animal as soon as the purchase is completed.

Once money changes hands, often through an online payment service like Zelle or Venmo, the trouble begins.

BBB ScamTracker showed a California woman reserved a puppy for $200, paid another $150 for paperwork, then $300 for vet fees. On delivery day, $359 spent for a crate deposit and $150 for insurance. She lost $1,000.

An Arizona woman says she paid to have her puppy shipped but says they kept asking for more and more money. She lost $2,100.

Before trusting any business, check out reviews, complaints and for trusted Accredited Businesses at BBB.org and visit BBB’s Scam Tracker.

Check out all BBB scam warnings at joeknowsbetter.com.

Pet scam red flags:

· Popular breeds are available for incredibly low prices.

· The seller refuses to meet in person or take a video call.

· Extra charges for cages, vaccinations and other shipping costs.

· The word “teacup” is used in an advertisement.

· High-pressure tactics are meant to make the buyer think the animal will be harmed.

BBB tips to avoid pet scams:

· See pets in person before paying any money.

· Set up a video call to view the animal.

· Conduct a reverse image search on photos attached to ads.

· Research the breed to determine the average market price.

· Check out a local animal shelter for pets to meet in person before adopting.

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Jessamyn Dodd

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers said their work at ports of entry goes beyond inspecting vehicles and cargo.

From narcotics and human smuggling to counterfeit goods and agricultural threats, officers are working to prevent illegal and potentially dangerous items from entering the country.

During an exclusive tour of port operations, officers demonstrated some of the inspection methods used to identify suspicious vehicles and shipments, including commercial trucks.

Sidney K. Aki explained that CBP officers use specialized equipments and trained canines to alert for potental threats.

Threats include narcotics, smuggling, and human trafficking. Agricultural products carrying potentially harmful pests or diseases, and counterfeit merchandise are also among the concerns.

These tools include density meters that help identify unusual areas inside vehicle panels and cargo, as well as inspection scopes used to examine hard-to-reach space

“Once we do identify these threats, we take individuals in custody and further the investigation. And how we do that is through a collaborative approach,” Aki told News 11 in an interview.

“Our Homeland Security Task Force, which is a combination of all federal, state, and local from HSI, DEA, FBI, state and local police sheriffs and police departments all working together in investigating, interviewing, identifying leads and associates with regards to how we combat these threats coming into our country,” he explained.

Threats include narcotics, smuggling, and human trafficking. Agricultural products carrying potentially harmful pests or diseases, and counterfeit merchandise are also among the concerns.

On October 22, a large shipment 866 pounds of liquid methamphetamine was discovered in a truck trying to enter through the Calexico East Port of Entry.

“The truck, it arrived with an empty trailer with the intention of coming to the United States, probably pick up a, a load from the US and bring it back. During the primary interview, officers identified the need for this truck to go secondary for a further examination,” Aki remarked.

Aki said one of the tanks had fuel in it, but the other one showed something different.

The driver, a U.S. citizen, is now facing charges of alleged narcotics smuggling.

Funding has also played a role in expanding border security efforts. Aki credited the One Big Beautiful Bill with providing more resources for infrastructure, technology and personnel.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill did provide us a huge amount of funding with regards to border security. And we can see that right now with regards to a lot of individuals in the previous years past,” Aki explained.

Aki pointed to a sharp decline in nationwide border encounters, citing approximately 2.1 million encounters in fiscal year 2024 compared with a little more than 400,000 in fiscal year 2025. That’s a decrease of roughly 80%.

For officers working at the ports of entry, the goal is to identify threats before they make their way into American communities.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – Reps. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) are sharing their reaction to winning their respective reelection victories.

Rep. Grijalva defeated Daniel Butierez Sr. (R-Ariz.), keeping her seat in Congress representing District 7, while Rep. Gosar defeated Danielle Sterbinsky (D-Ariz.), keeping his seat in Congress representing District 9.

Following her victory, Grijalva posted to social media saying, “Thank you, Southern Arizona.”

At the same time, Gosar took to social media writing in part, “I am deeply honored that the people of Western Arizona have once again placed their trust in me to represent them in Congress.”

Districts 7 and 9 represent parts of Yuma County.

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Dillon Fuhrman

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, NBC) – NBC News projected Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) will keep his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

As of Wednesday, Rep. Ruiz had more than 69,500 votes, amounting to over 64% of the vote.

Meanwhile, his opponent, Joe Males (R-Calif.) had more than 38,455 votes, amounting to nearly 36% of the vote.

Following his victory, the congressman issued the following statement:

“There was one big winner last night, and it wasn’t a political party or a politician. It was the American people.

The American people won because we now have a Congress that will fight to end corruption, reduce the price of gas and groceries, and ensure that everyone has access to affordable health care. The American people won because we now have a Congress that will stand up for families, not billionaires.

The job won’t be easy. Donald Trump has already vowed to veto legislation that doesn’t line up with his twisted priorities of making himself and other billionaires even richer.

But we will fight him at every turn and hold him accountable for his self-dealing. And hopefully, Trump and his cronies have learned that the American people are watching, and the people are making their voices heard.”

Ruiz represents District 25, which covers all of Imperial County, and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

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