Category: kyma-local-news

Lynette Niebla

CALIPATRIA, Calif. (KYMA) – Three top city leaders in Calipatria are facing a formal recall effort as a wave of political instability continues to rock city hall.

Mayor Michael Luellen, Mayor Pro-Tem Fred Beltran, and Council Member Jesse Rivas were all served with formal notices of intent to recall during a recent city council meeting.

The move marks yet another massive political shakeup for the city, which has recently grappled with a data center moratorium and the highly controversial firing of City Manager Laura Gutierrez.

The push for the recall stems directly from the council’s abrupt decision to terminate Gutierrez. While the council eventually backtracked and reinstated her, local residents say the damage to public trust has already been done.

“A lot of community members are upset at the fact that they went ahead and fired the city manager and then turned around and recanted it,” said Calipatria resident Beneranda Cooper, who served the letters of intention to the city clerk Friday. “There’s no transparency within the community. The community is being divided right now.”

Cooper noted that she felt compelled to take action to protect her neighbors saying, “I know I need to follow through, so I want to do this for the community because I feel like I’m a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves.”

The formal serving of the letters to the city clerk kicks off a strict legal process. Once the city clerk approves the paperwork formatting, organizers can officially begin circulating the petition city-wide.

Because Calipatria is a smaller jurisdiction, the threshold for a recall election depends on a specific percentage of local voters.

Organizers must successfully collect 380 signatures within a 60-day window for the petition to move forward to the county registrar and state for final ballot certification. Anyone signing the petition must be a registered voter and a resident of Calipatria.

Mayor Luellen has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the recall campaign or the allegations of a lack of transparency.

This story is actively developing. Check back with us for updates as the petition drive begins.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – Residents in Yuma County have raised concerns about a local biosolids operation, citing concerns about odors and flies.

AgTech opened its Somerton-area facility to media and elected officials, giving a tour of how the process works from start to finish.

Biosolids are the treated byproduct of wastewater processing and are commonly used as fertilizer on farmland under state and federal guidelines.

During the tour, company leaders explained how the material is brought in by truck, processed on site, and applied to farm fields used to grow crops such as alfalfa, oats, and Sudan grass for livestock feed.

Company leaders say the material is injected below the soil surface rather than left exposed, which they say helps reduce odors and limits conditions that can attract flies. They also said they use additional fly control methods as part of their operations.

Kevin Good, an operations manager with AgTech who says he has been with the company for 22 years, described the farm’s operations and crop production.

“Here on this farm, there is 6,000 acres of farmable area on a ten square mile property, and we’re growing Sudan, oats and alfalfa, and it’s all baled for animal feed,” said Good.

Daniel Jackson, AgTech’s Compliance and Operations Manager, explained how the material is handled once it arrives on site.

“What we’re looking at is a truck coming in and dumping the biosolids from San Diego. So he’s going to come to one of our bridges. They’re going to fill it with water, so it’ll loosen up the material. Then, they’re going to go and dump the material out,” said Jackson.

When asked about material coming from California, company leaders said the region does not have local synthetic or chemical fertilizer production facilities, and that farmers already rely on agricultural inputs sourced from out of state.

Jackson said the operation is conducted under state and federal guidelines and that biosolids land application is a common practice in Arizona and across the country.

“We’re just another farmer in the community. You know what I mean? And that’s all we want to be,” Good said.

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Dillon Fuhrman

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced new safety measures and procedures in regards to the use of bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, and other personal transportation devices at the Calexico Port of Entry.

Starting next Monday, bicycles, e-bike, scooters and similar modes of transportation not authorized for use on public roads will no longer be allowed to enter the U.S. through vehicle inspection lanes, CBP says.

CBP says this is to enhance safety for both travelers and CBP officers as well as to reduce the risk of crashes in high traffic vehicle processing areas.

However, those who travel using the devices will still be able to enter the U.S. through the pedestrian processing areas, “where they can be safely screened and processed.”

In addition, CBP is asking all travelers to plan accordingly, allow additional time for crossing the border and familiarize themselves with the new procedures before they arrive at the Calexico Port of Entry.

To monitor wait times at the Port of Entry, click here or download the Border Wait Times app for iPhone and Android.

To learn more about this, read the press release below.

2026-0608 CBP announces important change for bicycles, electric bikes, scooters at Calexico Ports of EntryDownload

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Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – A family is asking for justice after their loved one was killed in a hit and run in El Centro.

33-year-old Guadalupe Camarillo, who was hit and killed while crossing the street last month, was laid to rest over the weekend.

The suspect took off from the scene and was arrested days later, but was released on $75,000 bail and has yet to face formal charges.

The family says they did not find out about Camarillo’s death until five days after the hit and run because his body was in such bad shape that it took a long time to identify him.

“My brother was so severely injured that they weren’t able to identify him. They had to do fingerprints on him. That’s why it took some time to find out about the incident which was five days later,” said Sarita Camarillo, the victim’s sister.

The family is asking anyone with information to contact the El Centro Police Department.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help with expenses. It has a goal of $5,500, with over $3,600 raised so far.

If anyone would like to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The defendants charged in the torture and murder of a Yuma man in Winterhaven were back in an Imperial County courtroom Monday.

42-year-old Gabriel Mills Sr., 21-year-old Gabriel Mills Jr., 35-year-old Daniel Martinez and 21-year-old Sadie Hiatt faced Judge Monica Lepe-Negrete for a scheduled pre-trial hearing.

They were arrested following the November 2024 murder of 23-year-old Jacob Sims, and have pleaded not guilty back in March of this year.

The case was continued because the defense is still waiting for additional evidence to be turned over to them from prosecutors.

The defendants are expected back in court on July 21 for a possible trial setting hearing.

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Dillon Fuhrman

SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) has issued a notification regarding a Level 3 sex offender in the Somerton community.

YCSO says 47-year-old Harrison Jody told them he is living in the area of E. Spring Street, near Columbia Avenue, in Somerton.

Jody is described as six-feet tall, weighing 200 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes, and is not wanted by YCSO at this time.

In February of 2013, Jody was found guilty of one count of sexual abuse in the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, where he was sentenced to lifetime probation, YCSO says.

However, in December of that year, Jody’s probation was revoked and he was sentenced to serve over two years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, with credit for 302 days for pre-sentence incarceration, according to YCSO.

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

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) has issued a notification regarding a Level 3 sex offender in the Yuma community.

YCSO says 72-year-old Jose Quintero-Cervantes told them he is living in the area of S. May Avenue, near the West Main Canal, in Yuma.

Quintero-Cervantes is described as five-feet, five-inches tall, weighing 220 pounds, has white hair and brown eyes, and is not wanted by YCSO at this time.

In October of 1991, YCSO says Quintero-Cervantes pleaded no contest and was found guilty of one count of attempted molestation of a child in the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, where he was sentenced to one year in the Maricopa County Jail, followed by lifetime probation.

However, in January of 1994, his probation was revoked and he was sentenced to serve 10 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections with credit for 452 days prior to sentencing, according to YCSO.

In June of last year, Quintero-Cervantes pleaded guilty to one count of attempted failure to register as a sex offender in the Yuma County Superior Court, and was sentenced to 36 months of supervised probation.

However, in October of that year, he pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender in the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, was sentenced to 15 years of supervised probation and is under the supervision of Yuma County Adult Probation.

Quintero-Cervantes is considered a Level 3 sex offender with a high risk to reoffend.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – As the nation marks the anniversary of D-Day, Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is remembering its role in preparing Soldiers for one of World War II’s (WWII) most significant operations.

During the war, thousands of troops trained in the Desert Southwest, including at Camp Laguna, which was located within what is now YPG.

Seven of the 20 divisions that trained in the region later took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Yuma also contributed to the war effort through equipment testing. The Army’s M2 Treadway Bridge and improvements to the Bailey Bridge system were tested here before helping Allied forces advance across Europe.

Today, YPG remains the last active Army installation in Arizona connected to the historic Desert Maneuver Area.

Officials say the site’s legacy lives on through the Soldiers who trained in the desert and helped secure victory during WWII.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Freedom Library is hosting A Special 250th Independence Day Celebration next month.

The event is taking place at the Historic Yuma Theatre, located at 254 S. Main Street, on Saturday, July 4, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon.

During the celebration, attendees will learn about the history of the Declaration of Independence as well as listen to very well-known actors read the document.

Attendees will also learn about what happened to those who signed the document, as well as learn about Yuma’s connection to the Declaration of Independence.

The Freedom Library says those who attend will have the opportunity to win of their scholarships, and the event is free to attend.

Yuma Insurance, Church for the City, Green Tree Grocery Outlet, Middle School MBA and Air Central Heating & Cooling are sponsoring the celebration.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The 26th Annual Castaneda Chaos Golf Tournament is happening this weekend.

The annual event is taking place Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Desert Hills Golf Course, located at 1245 W. Desert Hills Drive, at 7 a.m.

During the tournament, there will be prizes for first, second and third place, along with prizes for nearest to the pin and longest drive, and lunch will be provided.

The cost to participate in the tournament is $100, and proceeds from the tournament will go to the Kings Wrestling Club.

For more information about the tournament, call Sal Castaneda at 928-210-6638, Manuel Castaneda at 928-580-0627, Rafael Castaneda at 928-503-4840 or Chuy Ibarra at 928-446-8880.

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