Category: kyma-local-news

Adrik Vargas

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Parents and Little League players gathered outside Calexico City Hall to demand safer, updated parks for the city’s children.

The rally, which took place before the City Council meeting, was sparked by concerns that many parks in Calexico are unsafe and unusable.

Families are urging city leaders to prioritize park improvements rather than removing or demolishing them.

Jessica Perez, President of the Calexico Baseball Network, spoke during the meeting, highlighting the consequences of the city’s current park conditions.

“Not only are there consequences for the children of Calexico that still don’t have safe parks, but it could also have severe consequences in our city,” Perez said.

City Council members acknowledged the concerns and mentioned that past planning decisions had complicated efforts to improve the parks. However, they reassured the community that they are actively working on solutions for the future.

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Residents across Yuma County, along with winter visitors, participated in the “Hands-Off” protest Saturday morning.

The protest, hosted by Yuma County Indivisible, happened at 9:00 a.m. on the corners of Fourth Avenue and 16th Street, near Sprouts and Del Sol Market.

This is the second protest this month where people across the country are responding to the Trump administration’s policies regarding healthcare, Social Security, civil rights, and more.

“We don’t want to slip into authoritarianism, and it’s a slippery slope for democracy. You have to stand up for democracy. For everybody,” said Darlene Erwin, one of the organizers of the protest.

According to Erwin, over 400 people attended the protest earlier this month, and said she was expecting over 100 people to attend Saturday’s protest.

Erwin also said they will be holding another protest next month. To learn more about the upcoming protest, click here.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Crane Elementary School District has increased the amount of pay for its employees by 2%.

“To know that you are valued as a person and valued as an employee makes a great difference,” said Neomi Pharmes, a seventh grade teacher at Crane Middle School.

This brings the minimum wage from $15.00 to $15.15.

New teachers at the district can now make $61,100 their first year.

Pharmes shares what this wage increase means to her.

“With the cost of living increase and those things that are happening to us on a daily basis, that helps us. It helps let us know that you see us and hear us, and you feel the thing that we go through daily,” said Pharmes.

Sheila Mendoza, the principal at Salida Del Sol Elementary School, says this wage increase makes it easier to retain some of their best teachers.

“We know we have some great staff and some great teachers, and for us to just be able to retain them and have competitive salaries, so that we can attract and keep them here,” said Mendoza.

The better pay also allows the teachers to invest more into their students as well.

“It helps us with the rewards and the things that we want to do for the children. They do amazing jobs. When we put a high ceiling on them, they actually try to meet that high ceiling, and sometimes they emet it and exceed it,” said Pharmes.

Since 2016, the Crane School District has increased pay for educators by 53% and and 42% for other non-classroom teachers.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Make-a-Wish grants a local teen’s Can-Am wish helped grant a local student’s wish.

Yuma local Rico Montemayor was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 13-years-old.

“I went blind in my left eye in the seventh grade, so they took me to the hospital at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital to have brain surgery. After that, I had six weeks of radiation. Four weeks in, I had my second brain surgery, and that’s when they nominated me for the Make-A-Wish,” said Rico Montemayor.

Montemayor wished for a four-door Can-Am that would give him and his brothers freedom of adventure anytime they chose.

“I grew up in the counties, so off-roading was everywhere, and I loved being outdoors and to off-road, so having a Can-Am of my own is very exciting,” said Montemayor.

Make-a-Wish says this year, they are working to grant more than 475 wishes in the state of Arizona. 

“The wish is really their time to just be a kid and to get to do what they love. And for Rico, that’s riding around in a Can-Am,” said Director of Project Wishes Mathew Wall.

As part of the wish reveal, Rico and his family got to tour the Dixxon Flannel Warehouse in Phoenix and got some free clothes and as well as their brand new ride.

Montemayor says he’s thankful to Make-a-Wish grants a local teen’s Can-Am wish and the Dixxon sponsor for making his wish possible.

Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma Fire Department is looking for some much-needed help from the City of Yuma.

The department voiced their concerns at a City of Yuma work session on Tuesday night.

A third-party consultant provided an in-depth presentation on the current issues and statistics YFD is facing.

The findings addressed issues with response times, aging equipment, staffing levels, and service demands.

Third-party consultants are experts fire departments use to improve fire safety practices and compliance with regulations.

“The third-party consultant was a tool to help the city identify the needs of the fire department, help council work on their budgetary issues, and overall, I think it was a success. It helps us better serve the community and that’s what we want,” says John Dunbar, a local firefighter and Union Officer.

Over 50 firefighters were in attendance.

The firefighters believe their message was well-received by the City Council.

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A program in Yuma could help you learn more about the plants in your garden, house plants, and trees.

The Master Gardener Program allows people to do a variety of things such as harvesting food for the food bank.

Members can also help out in the community garden, and the “U-Pick” events.

Bobi Kress, local Master Gardener, shares why she enjoys the program.

“Gardening in Arizona, that’s a whole different ballgame, and I needed help and I reached out and found Master Gardeners who were kind enough to come out and go through my garden,” said Kress.

The program starts on May 22 and ends on September 4, and will be on Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Eduardo Morales

Former Grand Canyon University track and field athlete returns to help develop high school students.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Mia Corners is back in Yuma coaching Kofa High School’s track and field team after competing at the Division I level.

Corners graduated from Gila Ridge High School in 2019.

During that time, she signed on to compete in track and field for Grand Canyon University.

While at college Corners suffered some setbacks as she suffered a torn labrum and ACL.

However, she made sure to turn these negative setbacks into something positive.

“Build myself up, build myself stronger, build myself up to be more confident and give back to the people who are injured around me,” said Corners.

Her positive mindset continued to open up opportunities for her.

She was selected for an internship with the NCAA, working on developing her leadership skills.

“I was just able to like experience so many things in the world that opened my eyes and I was like, ‘Wow! There’s so much out there that’s in my reach,” said Corners.

Corners embraced her newfound knowledge and decided to share it where her career started.

She returned to Yuma last summer and landed this job, and her athletes are happy to have her.

“It feels great. Honestly man, it feels amazing ’cause she’s an excellent mentor like I said, ‘She’s helped me through a lot, not only track, but my mental too. She’s helped a lot and I’m really grateful for her,” said Kalueb Haynes, a senior at Kofa.

For Corners, being back home is where she feels she belongs.

“I really do genuinely love being around these kids whether I’m teaching or coaching and I think the impact and the difference that I know I can make,” said Corners.

While Corners hopes to lead Kofa’s track and field to success, she also hopes to inspire the athletes, as she was once in their shoes.

Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The City of El Centro hosted the annual Easter Eggstravaganza last weekend.

The City says they welcomed hundreds of families to the event, which took place April 12 at Bucklin Park.

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Children between the ages of two- and 14-years-old searched for more than 11,000 eggs during the event.

The event also had a Kids Zone, photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny, and local vendors provided food and beverages.

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

“The energy and excitement from the community was incredible,” said Mayor Pro Tem Sonia Carter. “Events like this bring people together and reflect the spirit of El Centro. I’m so proud to be part of a city that values family, tradition, and celebration.”

Adriana Nava, Community Service Director, gave praise to the staff and volunteers for putting on the event saying, “This year’s Eggstravaganza was a great success thanks to the hard work of our Parks and Recreation team. We’re thrilled to see so many smiling faces and grateful for the continued community support.”

EggstravaganzaPREngDownload

EggstravaganzaPRSpaDownload

Dillon Fuhrman

PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY) – A Yuma man has pleaded guilty Tuesday for failure to pay employment taxes, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office District of Arizona.

The Attorney’s Office says 61-year-old Philip Kevin Clark, the owner a water company in Yuma, admitted to taking nearly $400,000 from his employees’ paychecks for taxes he failed to pay to the IRS between 2017 and 2021.

Failing to pay employment tax can have a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine.

Clark is set to be sentenced in July 2025, the Attorney’s Office says.