Category: kyma-local-news

Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY)- Seniors across the Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) are being recognized for their accomplishments as they prepare to graduate.

For a handful of local high school seniors, the recognition comes after years of dedication both inside and outside the classroom.

Two seniors from Cibola said this moment is more than just an honor, it’s a chance to inspire others.

Two students from each of the districts six high schools were chosen for a campaign highlighting the students involvement in a wide range of programs.

Cibola senior Ryan Dusek says this honor means the world to him: “It means everything ’cause I feel like I’m inspiring others as well to put in that hard work a dedication and push themselves to be their best.”

The students were nominated by staff and selected through essays and interviews. They represent a wide range of experiences, from academics and arts, to leadership and career programs.

YUHSD Chief Communications Officer Eric Patten says it’s important to refocus the attention on the great things students are doing saying, “People can refuse their attention on the great things the students are doing in our community and will do in the future in our community if a great benefit to the campaign.”

And while each students story is unique, they all share one goal: to graduate ready for whatever comes next.

Hennessy Padilla, a Cibola high school senior says, “I know that whatever I choose I’m gonna excel in what I do and I’m gonna bring back good into my community.”

The campaign will run through the summer and each student will be honored on their campuses in the fall.

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Adrik Vargas

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – San Diego State University (SDSU) Imperial Valley hosted the Transborder Rhythms Festival, a community celebration of Mexican and Chicano music, culture, and pride.

The event featured local performers, including student musicians and dancers, and was organized by SDSU Visiting Professor Hector Peralta.

Peralta says the festival was about more than music, it was about connection.

“We can only actually do that in a sustainable way by creating joy and by creating meaningful experiences that restore our spirits and energy,” Peralta said.

He hopes the festival helps keep Mexican and Chicano traditions alive by passing them on to the next generation.

“The theme comes from the way Mexican, Chicano, and Chicana artists have transcended all sorts of boundaries, borders, and rhythms,” Peralta said.

The event left a lasting impression on students like William Lim Nuńez, who says it reminded him of where he comes from.

“Just like what we’re about, from the clothing to the dancing to the music,” Nuńez explained.

He says the energy in the room was contagious: “It got me going, it got me dancing in my seat!”

And he hopes the campus keeps this energy going adding, “I feel like we need more events like this, for sure.”

The festival highlighted the power of joy, culture, and music to bring people together.

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Adrik Vargas

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) -A solemn ceremony in El Centro on Friday night honored 49 law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in Imperial County, dating as far back as 1920.

The annual Imperial Valley Law Enforcement Memorial drew families, officers, and community members to the steps of the county courthouse.

The event included a motorcade, a 21-gun salute, a flag folding ceremony, and a moment of silence. All paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“There’s a lot of challenges that we face on a daily basis,” said Sgt. Aaron Curiel. “And one of those is paying the ultimate sacrifice of passing away in the line of duty.”

El Centro Mayor Sonia Carter was in attendance, sharing her condolences and support for families in mourning.

“This is a wonderful moment for us to express how concerned we are for the families of El Centro that have lost their loved ones,” Mayor Carter said. “It’s very important that we stay focused and help the families grieve, the grieving never stops.”

She also offered a message for the wider community: “I really hope that people leave with the message that it can be any one of us, so please always show your love.”

The event served as a powerful reminder of the risks law enforcement officers face, and the strength of the community that stands behind them.

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Abraham Retana

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – One child has died so far this year in the U.S. after being left in a hot car.

It’s why Imperial County and the El Centro Fire Department (ECFD), along with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), joined forces to bring awareness to this issue.

First responders and health officials say under no circumstance should a child or a pet remain inside a vehicle unattended.

“Since 1998, 1,000 children in the U.S. have died from pediatric vehicle heat stroke. In 2024, 39 children lost their lives this way, so far in 2025, there’s only one death nationwide,” said Battalion Chief Eduardo Ainza of ECFD.

The extreme heat in the Imperial Valley can kick up the temps in a vehicle by more than 20 degrees in a matter of minutes.

It’s even more dangerous for children, as their body temperature can increase up to five times more than an adult.

“I would say is more of a threat here simply because of our climate here. Fortunately, we have not run across at yet this year, but it’s one of those issues that we got to raise awareness because it could so deadly and it happens so quickly,” said Battalion Chief Ainza.

And keep this in mind.

“The message in summer time is just take an extra second look to the backseat, is there anything on the backseat that I need to attend to…It’s mainly with children but also with pets. You can’t leave pets unattended,” said Capt. Ernesto Ruedas of CHP.

If you happen to see a child unattended in a car, call 911 immediately.

People who leave a child in a vehicle can face serious consequences.

“You can see child endangerment even manslaughter, most of these cases they are not on purpose people don’t leave a child in a vehicle unattended especially in this heat,” said Capt. Ruedas.

To prevent deaths from heat stroke, don’t leaving your kids in a car, even if the air conditioning is on.

Check the back seat every time you leave, and always keep the keys out of the child’s reach.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Local students put their mechanics knowledge to the test.

Middle school students from San Luis, Somerton and Yuma participated in a race featuring radio-controlled cars.

The goal is to motivate kids to pursue a career in mechanics.

“It gives them the opportunity to learn about mechanics adjustments for suspensions and this is something they can do in the future as a career so it gives them a start for that future and that career,” said Walter Flores, Somerton Middle School instructional strategist.

The Arizona Business and Education Coalition is planning to have more events to involved more students from other schools in Yuma County.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – More questions than answers following a newborn found in a hotel trash can.

KYMA spoke with Yuma Police Chief Thomas Garrity about the case and he shared a few things authorities are asking for during their investigation.

The case is still in the early stages.

Chief Thomas Garrity is asking the mother of the child to step up.

“What I am asking for is the mother to come forward, come talk to the detectives. You may need medical help, we are here to assist you with medical help,” said Garrity.

Garrity says there are ways to give a baby away without putting the child in danger.

“We have safe harbors at all the hospitals, at every fire station and every adoption agency, and even if you have to come to the police department just to say, ‘I don’t know what to do,’ we have the resources for the people who are in this position,” Garrity explained.

Garrity is also asking the community to be patient with this case and the results of the investigation. He says to beware of false donations sites.

“We are working with multiple agencies and multiple resources to find those answers. There will be things come out online and I want to caution the community on who they donate to and please only donate to the reputable organizations that they know,” explained the chief.

The case remains under investigation.

If you have more information, call YPD or 78-CRIME to remain anonymous.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma Border Patrol recently dismantled a temporary processing facility. They say there was no longer a need for it since they are seeing historically low numbers of crossings.

Border Patrol says the facility was set up in 2021 due to the high number of people illegally coming across the border.

“The original purpose of that facility is temporary detention, so we were holding them there until they were taken to the next step of the immigration process,” said Yuma Sector Border Patrol Agent Fidel Cabrera.

At the time it was dismantled, the facility had a holding capacity of a little over 1,300 people.

“At our peak, during that time frame, the 2021 to 2024, we’re arresting approximately 1500 people a day which are our hard sided facility are not capable of holding,” said Agent Cabrera.

They say dismantling the facility also saves a lot of money.

“The facility here in Yuma was costing approximately $16 million a month, and the benefits of it being gone…we have our agents being able to deploy out to the field and conduct law enforcement operations,” said Cabrera.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Invenergy held a ribbon cutting Friday for a new solar power and battery energy storage center bringing clean and reliable energy to Yuma.

Yuma Solar is Invenergy’s 1st solar energy facility in Arizona, and its 11th project to successfully complete development in the Copper State. APS is purchasing the power from the technology to better serve customers.

“Projects like this help to ensure that, you know, the cost of power is reliable, affordable, clean, so no emissions coming from all of this and stable, so it’s there exactly when you need it,” said Paul Burman, Invenergy Director of Renewable Development.

The center has 70 megawatts of solar energy and energy storage. It brings power to 21,000 American homes and plans to invest $30 million directly into the community.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Over 6,000 troops and personnel have been sent to the border for more security by the Department of Defense.

This includes the Roosevelt Reservation, which is a 60-foot-strip stretching over 600 miles through Arizona, California, and New Mexico.

170 miles of the land in New Mexico has been transferred to the DOD.

Local Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Justin De La Torre sharing on Wednesday how beneficial it is to have military backup.

“Now we’re actually able to deploy those soldiers out to remote stretches of the border and they’re bringing technology with them in areas where we previously did not have technology,” Chief De La Torre says.

Yuma County Board of Supervisor Tony Reyes feels this much support is excessive.

“If you dare to do something that is related to national security, that makes some sense, but if it’s there to help with illegal immigration, let me tell you: There isn’t much to help with so to me this is just overkill,” Reyes said.

While fellow Board of Supervisor Jonathan Lines is in favor of the military presence.

“I think that anytime we can augment those numbers, it serves as more of a deterrent to the cartels and to people who would be the bad actors pushing people and narcotics into the United States,” Lines says.

According to the CBP website, around around 11,000 migrant encounters were recorded in March of this year, which is below the 189,359 number from last year.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A local father saved his seven-year-old daughter from a dog attack while walking her to school.

He spoke with reporter Manoah Tuiasosopo and takes us through this terrifying experience.

David Fleck says, “When that dog came at her up on its feet and opened his mouth, her whole head would’ve went in his mouth.”

It was a usual Monday morning at a quiet RV park in the Foothills when neighbors woke up to the sound of gunshots.

Fleck says it was frightening and close call, sharing, “You got to understand, this all happened in a matter of, what, 3-4 seconds.”

Fleck was walking his daughter to her bus stop when from around the bushes came a ravaging pit bull.

“That dog lunged up, I’m not going to shoot my gun into the air, so I kicked it as hard as I could, and I was wearing my boots,” Fleck shared.

Fleck says the animal just finished killing a neighborhood cat and was on a rampage.

He fired a warning shot into the ground but says that only invigorated the dog.

“You see that hole right there? That’s where I took the next shot. The dog moved; I just grazed it. I was trying to get its heart; I didn’t want it to suffer. The kill shot, the third shot, was right here. It went into the dog; the dog gave up. It went over there under that van and died,” Fleck explains.

Following the incident, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) and Animal Control ruled the killing as a justified act of self defense and defense of another.

Fleck reiterated “This little girl means everything to me.”

An unofficial watchman of the neighborhood, Fleck’s says he’s sorry he had to do it, but would do the same if the child were someone else’s.

He says this all happened the day before he finalized the adoption of his little girl.

“I would’ve done it for, not just my daughter, but their daughter, and their son. I’m a foster parent. I almost lost her the day before I adopted her. That was scary.”

The owner of the dog is still unknown.

If you any information, please reach out to YCSO.

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