Category: kyma-local-news

Lynette Niebla

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Brawley City Council will hold its regular meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. to debate a proposed one-year temporary moratorium on large-scale data centers and related municipal code amendments.

The discussion comes amidst a growing regional conversation about the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure.

The meeting will take place inside the City Council Chambers. located at 383 Main Street.

The proposed 12-month freeze is intended to give city planners and officials the necessary time to review and update the Brawley Municipal Code.

This ensures future tech developments align with the city’s zoning laws, power grid capacity, and community aesthetic without overwhelming local resources.

The agenda item follows a distinct regional shift, fueled by a ripple effect from neighboring Calipatria’s recent approval of a public hearing for its own regulatory pauses.

As nearby jurisdictions move to evaluate the resource, environmental, and infrastructure impacts of massive data facilities, Brawley leadership is leaning toward a similar time-out.

The public will have the opportunity to speak on the data center moratorium during the designated public comment portion of the agenda.

Community members, business owners, and stakeholders are encouraged to voice their opinions, support, or concerns directly to the council before any official vote is cast.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local construction company helps local students to finish a year-round project.

Students from Fourth Avenue Junior High School of Yuma turned a conex box into an office.

Pilkington Construction advised kids on how to install the electric system, windows and build the walls.

The goal is to encourage students to pursue a career in construction.

“This could be a career for them for later in life with exposure they are getting now,” said David Cullison, 4th. Ave. Jr. High construction teacher.

This was the first construction project at Fourth Avenue Jr. High and they’re looking forward to have more similar projects in the next school year.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – One of the biggest back to school events is looking for sponsors.

The City of Yuma is asking local businesses, community clubs and anyone who can donate school supplies to fill up 2,000 backpacks for the 2026 Back to School Rodeo happening on July 11.

Any school materials are welcomed.

“We are trying to look for notebooks one subject red, one subject blue, red, blue folders, erasers, pencils, school sticks anything we can do to stuffed up those backpacks,” said Brissa Garcia, City of Yuma Events Coordinator.

You have until the end of June to make your donations. You can find more information here.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Arizona Public Service (APS) is seeking a 14% rate increase this year, following an 8% increase in 2022 and 2024, and locals say they are opposed to APS’ rate increase.

“I don’t like it, it’s hard enough, you know,” said Dawn Rico-Angermeier, a local.

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) held a public hearing for Arizona residents to share how the proposed rising energy costs are impacting their households.

One Arizona resident, Charity Jenkins, shared how this increase will impact her.

“We will be starving if they do this. We will no longer be able to afford the basics at the grocery store anymore if they do this,” Jenkins explained.

APS says they’re focused on doing their part to keep costs down as much as possible, but Arizona residents are fearful of this proposed increase and call out APS for being greedy.

Jenkins added, “Martin Luther King said it the best: ‘Silence becomes deadly. At a point to stay silent is to become part of the problem. If you speak out it lets everybody know there is a problem. We need to let them know this is a problem. Greed is a problem.'”

The Arizona Corporation Commission will make a final decision this fall on how much rates will go up.

If you are opposed to the rate increase, you can submit comments online anytime via the commissioners’ website.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) has welcomed a new Director of Public Works, and she is no stranger to the installation.

Donnett Brown began her career at YPG in 2008 as an Environmental Protection Specialist. Now, after years of leadership and environmental work, the Marine Corps Veteran has achieved what she says was always her longterm goal.

“It’s always been my end goal to be Director of Public Works,” Brown said. “When I started here, I said, ‘I want to be DPW director.’ The DPW is the workforce of YPG.”

As Director of Public Works, Brown oversees the installation’s infrastructure and facilities to help ensure the post operates safely and efficiently.

Her department is responsible for maintaining utilities, buildings, roads, and other essential services across the massive proving ground.

“I didn’t realize how much we do until you’re in the seat,” Brown said. “Until your AC is broken, until your utilities go down. It’s essentially running a small city within the City of Yuma. It’s a vast installation of over 830,000 acres, slightly bigger than Rhode Island. It’s a lot.”

Brown said one of her top priorities is supporting her staff and making sure they have the resources needed to support YPG’s mission.

She also hopes to encourage young professionals interested in higher education and leadership roles. Brown said education helped shape her own career and advises students to be strategic when pursuing their goals.

“Pick a program area when you go into college because it’s expensive,” Brown said. “Start off with community college, find where you want to go, but pick an area where you can take care of yourself financially and then use that as a stepping stone to pursue your passion.”

Brown also credits mentorship as a major factor in her success and encourages others to seek guidance from experienced professionals.

“It’s critical to seek out people where you want to go that are already there and ask them, ‘How do I get there?'” Brown said.

Brown says she is excited for the challenge ahead and looks forward to continuing to learn while working alongside her team at YPG.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Friends of the Lower Colorado River is asking the community’s help in cleaning up beaches along the Colorado River.

According to a press release, the event is taking place at Gateway Park Saturday, May 30, 2026, with the volunteer group arriving at 6:30 a.m. and check-in starting at 7 a.m.

During the event, the organization says there will be two cleanup efforts, with some volunteers loading up and heading to the California side while the other volunteers remain at Gateway Park.

The organization says they will be working with the Quechan community to cleanup highly used areas of the river.

“Our river is the lifeblood of this community, but it needs our help,” said David Sanchez for Friends of the Lower Colorado River. “I was glad to meet with the Tribal Council to work on this issue together. As a community, it is important to remember important outdoors concepts such as Pack It In & Pack It Out if there isn’t a garbage can near by.”

The organization is asking volunteers to wear study shoes, and says the cleanup supplies and water will be provided, along with Visit Yuma, who is sponsoring the event, providing coffee and donuts to the volunteers.

For more information on the event, or on how to get involved, click here.

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Jessamyn Dodd

WESTMORLAND, Calif. (KYMA) – Locals in Westmorland are reacting to a three-alarm fire tearing through an abandoned home in Westmorland spreading to next door properties.

The fire happened at around 3 a.m. Sunday in the area of C Street, near the Westmorland Community Presbyterian Church.

When the Westmorland Fire Department (WFD) realized the extent of the fire, the following fire agencies were called to help them:

Imperial County Fire Department

El Centro Fire Department

NAF-El Centro Fire

Brawley Fire Department

Calexico Fire Department

Holtville Fire Department

Centinella State Prison

Calipatria State Prison

Calipatria Fire Department

“It was a second alarm, we hit a third alarm because next door, with a resident in there actually caught on fire also. So, we had fire on all areas of the building. Everywhere, we were trying. We had engines in the alley trying to stop it as much as we could, but the wind wasn’t in our favor,” said Chief Cesar Zarate with WFD.

A resident in the home on the other side of the fire was evacuated, and Social Services were called to help her with finding a safe place to go.

Chief Zarate says they were able to save the prayer area of the church, but the rest of the building was not spared, and the wind was very powerful, causing the fire to spread rapidly.

“It’s been a vacant lot next to the church for many years. An abandoned home that we knew, you know, this was our biggest fear and it happened. All of our social hall, and other buildings and Sunday school classrooms are all gone,” said Carrie Augusta with the Westmorland Community Presbyterian Church.

Church members and Westmorland Fire Marshal Jesse Zendejas say they have been reporting the abandoned property for years, and nothing has been done.

“The city, other official building officials, fire chief have determined that this property was a fire hazard and a nuisance so we wanted to get it cleaned up. And it’s been at least for the last five years we’ve been asking them to clean it up,” Fire Marshal Zendejas shared.

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Lynette Niebla

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – Dozens of immigration reform advocates, faith leaders, and impacted families converged on the Imperial Regional Detention Facility Saturday for the day-long “Encuentro Convergence 2026.”

Organized by the Imperial Liberation Collaborative, the event protested systemic harm, medical neglect, and unsafe conditions at the ICE prison.

The mobilization featured a morning prayer vigil, community testimonies, and educational workshops detailing conditions inside the facility.

Participants also aimed to raise $2,000 for detained individuals’ commissary funds and rallied support for state Senate bills SB 941 and SB 942.

The day concluded with a faith procession along the U.S.-Mexico border and Border Friendship Park to demand increased accountability, higher oversight standards, and the eventual closure of the facility.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Rural Metro says they found an abandoned vehicle fully submerged in a canal over the weekend.

According to a post on Rural Metro’s Facebook page, the vehicle was found in the area of Eighth Street and Avenue D at around 8:15 a.m. Sunday.

Upon arrival, Rural Metro says crews found a vehicle fully submerged in the canal “with an unknown number of injuries or occupants.”

Rural Metro says crews remained on scene and waited for the vehicle to be removed from the canal to be further assessed.

Courtesy: Rural Metro

Once the vehicle was removed, Rural Metro says crews determined the vehicle to be abandoned.

The cause of the crash and the driver’s whereabouts are unknown, according to Rural Metro.

Courtesy: Rural Metro

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