Category: kyma-local-news

Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Pioneers’ Museum in Imperial Valley is pulling clothing out of storage for the first time in more than a decade, revealing the region’s fashion and history through the people who wore it.

The new exhibit, Pioneers’ Style: Weaving Cotton, Culture, and Fashion Through the Ages, features pieces from a collection of about 3,000 garments, many dating back to the early 1900s.

Helping to curate the exhibit, Arizona State University student and Imperial Valley native Mia Higginbotham said she was especially drawn to a blue riding outfit.

“It’s from around 1906,” she said. “It’s a riding outfit that likely came with someone to the Valley before the Valley even existed.”

Each piece tells its own story. One bag, Higginbotham explained, traveled by train with a newly married woman moving to the Valley.

It was later passed down to her granddaughter, donated to an antique collection, and eventually given to the museum.

Choosing which garments to display wasn’t about style, Higginbotham said, but condition. Some items show the effects of heat, light, and time. Fading colors and brittle fabric highlight the challenges of preservation.

“This is an example of heat and light damage that causes discoloration or fading,” she said, pointing to a piece in the exhibit. “You can see it in the orange-yellow color. It also makes the fabric really brittle.”

Archivist Tyler Brinkerhoff said preservation is a key part of the museum’s mission.

“We’ll be transferring the items off of display into archival-safe boxes so that they’ll be here another hundred years to be able to put on display again,” Brinkerhoff said.

The exhibit is open to the public through late November.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Arizona Public Service (APS) recognized exceptional teachers Friday morning at Gila Ridge High School.

65 teachers from Yuma, San Luis, and Somerton were selected for the 2025 APS Supply My Class program. The program celebrates educators’ hard work and positive influence on students and the community.

Five Gila Ridge teachers were surprised and honored at their classrooms Friday. A few of them share their gratitude.

“I had no idea this was happening, and I’m really excited. I apply to it every year since I became a teacher, so I’m really happy I finally won,” said Gila Ridge teacher Lena Wilde.

“It was, surprising! It’s a nice surprise, too. It’s not a bad surprise, so yeah, I’m just excited that, you know, I get some funds for my classroom,” said Gila Ridge teacher Jesus Pena.

“We just want to make sure that we present ourselves and support our community and let everybody know that you can also get these $500 certificates as long as you apply,” said APS material coordinator Shannon Olson.

Each teacher received an award, goodie bag, and $500 virtual gift card to buy classroom supplies. Over 10,000 teachers applied and 500 teachers were randomly selected as winners from the state of Arizona.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Starting this Friday, September 26, a new Arizona age verification law will go into effect to stop minors from accessing adult websites.

The law requires websites to verify a user’s age before granting access. If the companies violate the law, they could face steep penalties, including fines of up to $250,000.

Arizona State Representative Nick Kupper (R-District 25) sponsored the bill and says the law will help protect kids.

“They’re going to be children who find ways around this and different things like that. However, the vast majority of children who may have currently been exposed to pornography are going to not be exposed now as early,” said Rep. Kupper.

Companies must get rid of the information entered by people afterwards, even though some question whether their information will be protected.

Arizona now joins more than 20 states with similar laws.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma City Council turned down an amendment requiring elevators for new multi-story buildings regardless of size.

On a three-to-three vote, the council did not pass codes requiring multi-story buildings less than three-thousand square feet to have an elevator or a lula.

The amendment would have only applied to future commercial buildings built.

Still, the council argued not many buildings met these requirements to begin with, and it would cost future building owners even more money to install.

Council member Chris Morris sent us a statement saying: 

“The City Council made the appointments for the board members that make up the Building Advisory Board, and I think it’s important that us as a council, that we try to follow those recommendations provided by those professionals.”

City Council member Leslie McClendon says that while she is disappointed in the vote, she is still grateful for the improvements the board has made towards ADA compliance.

“They did their due diligence in allowing Chapter 11 to go through with a little bit more of some stipulations to approve, improve, what we need moving forward, so I’m very happy,” she says.

But Alexis Liggett, a local mother of a disabled child, says she is disappointed the amendment did not pass.

“I recognize that substantial changes are being made to improve accessibility and I’m really grateful for that, but at the same time these updates are really just kind of catching us up to barriers that shouldn’t exist today,” Ligget said.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local school is without a building after flooding from the recent storms. Positive Expressionz is a micro school in Yuma that serves children with disabilities and special needs.

For the past two and a half weeks, students have been without a classroom because of flooding damage. Money continues to be spent for things that are essential, but with no building, no students can attend, meaning no funds are coming in.

“Not only was the building physically devastated, but it also impacted not only the lives of ourselves because we were out of work, and we weren’t able to see these wonderful children every day,” said para professional Michael Acosta. “But it also devastated their lives as well as their parents’ lives because now they’re out of that service as well.”

The school set up a GoFundMe to help secure a safe new building and replace damaged materials. If you’d like to help, you can find the GoFundMe here.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – After winning the seat for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, Adelita Grijalva had a strong message for the Trump administration.

“We reject the MAGA agenda, and we will hold this administration accountable,” she said.

Grijalva received almost 70% of the vote, currently totaling over 61,000 votes.

She beat out Republican candidate Daniel Butierez who received about 30% of the vote, getting over 26,000 votes.

Grijalva says she already has plans for when she takes office. 

“On my very first day in office, I will be the deceive 218th signature on the discharge petition to force the vote on the release of the Epstein files,” Grijalva says.

Meanwhile, some Yuma locals have mixed reviews about election’s outcome.

“I’m not very happy about it. I think it would have been better if we had had a Republican that was able to win because I’ve had some issues with Grijalva before,” said Yuma local Joanne Schickle.

“I think that, being Democratic myself, that’s a good thing, so whenever I hear of any Democrat winning anything, I’m all for it,” said Josh Hudgens, another Yuma local.

The Yuma County Recorder’s Office says almost 9,000 turned in their ballots, which amounts to a local voter turnout of about 15%. 

Yuma County Recorder David Lara shares why it’s important to come out and vote.

“If you don’t vote, don’t complain. That’s how you voice your complaints and it’s sad but this happens nationwide…It’s not just locally here, so that’s one of the things I’ve been trying to do since I got elected as recorder is bring up those numbers,” Lara said.

Grijalva is taking the seat of her father, the late Congressman Raul Grijalva.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) says San Luis High School is closed Wednesday.

YUHSD says the school is without air conditioning due to “a problem with the chillers at the school.”

As a result, YUHSD says all students will attend class from home through the Canvas Learning Management System.

During that time, students are to visit each other courses through Canvas check assignments, instructions, and updates from their teachers, YUHSD says.

YUHSD says they will update all parents with the status of school for Thursday through ParentSquare and the district’s social media accounts.

In an update later in the day, YUHSD said San Luis High will be closed Thursday, September 25.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A new beer event returns to Yuma County.

The second annual Prison to Prison Beer Run is set for October 18, 2025. Locals are invited to dress as criminals and go for a beer run.

Check-in and early festivities began at 8:30 a.m. at Prison Hill Brewing Co. (278 S. Main St.).

Registration is $65 and participants must be at least 21 years of age.

Proceeds will be going towards Yuma Territorial Prison Museum.

You can register here.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) released a notification about a sex offender living in Yuma.

33-year-old Aaron Castillo is living in the area of E. 38th Place and S. Avenida Compadres in the Foothills.

He’s described as 5’4″, 165 pounds, black hair and brown eyes, and is not wanted by YCSO at this time, according to a press release.

Castillo pled guilty to two counts of attempted child molestation in the Yuma County Superior Court on June 6, and was sentenced to five years.

He is considered a Level 3 sex offender with a high risk to reoffend.

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Marcos Icahuate

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – A fun Halloween event is planned to be held in El Centro.

The City of El Centro Parks and Recreation is hosting Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 24, 2025 at Stark Field (830 S. 4th Street), starting at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Families are invited for a night of candy, music, games food vendors and more.

This annual event has activities for children such as a hay ride, a “Trail of Terror,” and a costume runway.

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