Category: kyma-local-news

Dillon Fuhrman

IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) has awarded over $1.1 million in grants to 20 schools in the Imperial County.

According to a news release obtained by KYMA, this is part of their Grants for Energy Modernization in Schools (GEMS) program, which launched earlier this year.

IID says the GEMS program are a part of their “commitment to support energy efficiency in education,” with public, private and charter K-12 schools being encouraged to apply for this competitive grant to upgrade their heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, enhancing learning environments, reducing energy consumption, and cutting operational costs.”

“This is an exceptional way to give back to the community that not only supports education, but helps reduce energy demand through the use of energy-efficient equipment,” said IID Board Chairwoman Gina Dockstader. “We are pleased to support schools in creating more comfortable environments for students and educators.”

IID says the grant distribution totals to $1,120,000, with eight applicants receiving $35,000 for single-site projects while 12 applicants will receive $70,000 for multiple qualified sites.

Imperial’s Faith Academy School, who is a $35,000 grant recipient, will use the grant to “replacement of three rooftop air conditioning units, which will better cool all classrooms while reducing energy demand,” according to Cindy Bruce, principal of the K-Eighth Grade school.

“The new units will help the classrooms be more conducive to study, improving the educational process, helping our students concentrate more on their school duties,” Bruce said.

Meanwhile, Central Union High School, who is a $70,000 grant recipient, will use the grant “to replace multiple outdated air conditioning units at four of its school sites, saving on ongoing energy usage,” according to IID.

“Partnering with the IID on this and other projects is a huge benefit to the school district, the students, and our community by maintaining safe and efficient facilities,” said Jeff Sturdevant, Director of Facilities, Maintenance & Grounds. “We look forward to our ongoing partnership with the IID.”

The Imperial County Office of Education (ICOE) also echoed similar statements, with Chief Operations Office Antonion Romayor Jr. saying:

“ICOE is delighted to be a recipient of the Grants for Energy Modernization in Schools. The $70,000 in funding will replace aging HVAC units at multiple Calexico, Brawley, and El Centro school sites. We thank the Imperial Irrigation District for their continued strong partnership and for supporting our students and teachers.”

The $35,000 GEMS grant recipients include the following:

Magnolia Union Elementary School District

Faith Academy School

Westmorland Union Elementary School District

St. Mary’s School

Seeley Union School District

Mulberry Elementary School District

Meadows Union School District

McCabe Union Elementary School District

The 70,000 GEMS grant recipients include the following:

Heber Elementary School District

Brawley Union High School District

San Pasqual Valley Unified School District

Central Union High School District

Calipatria Unified School District

ICOE

Brawley Elementary School District

Holtville Unified School District

Imperial Unified School District

Coachella Valley Unified School District

Calexico Unified School District

El Centro Elementary School District

“Funds will be distributed upon each school’s successful completion of their approved projects,” IID says.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Several vehicles were broken into across Yuma, and the two suspects police say are responsible are still behind bars as of Monday.

The break-ins happened in local neighborhoods such as La Mesa, Saguaro, Sheffield, and Ocotillo Estates, with police saying thousands of dollars worth of items and money were stolen.

“On July 9th, they were basically booked into the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office for third degree burglary charges, theft of credit card, fraudulent use of credit cards. When they were arrested, they were found in possession of most of those items to include other items that were stolen from vehicle’s and two handguns that were also stolen,” said Hayato Johnson, Public Information Officer with the Yuma Police Department (YPD).

YPD has identified the two suspects as 35-year-old Enrique Rios III and 37-year-old Clarita Carr. Rios was charged with 20 felonies and six misdemeanors while Carr was charged with 19 felonies and six misdemeanors.

One local, Donny Robinson, said it’s an invasion of privacy adding, “Breaking into a car, that’s like breaking into somebodies house. I mean, if you need something that bad just go ask for it.”

YPD would like to remind residents to never leave your vehicle unlocked.

“Lock your car doors when you leave. Roll up your windows. Make sure if you have valuables inside, you hide them,” Johnson shared.

Rios’ bond was set for $295,000 while Carr’s bond was set for $195,000. They’re both back in court on Tuesday.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

WELLTON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A house fire broke out in Wellton, which a viewer says sparked a townwide power outage.

According to the viewer, the house fire happened between San Jose and South Arizona Avenue at around midnight.

The viewer said the fire blew out a nearby tower transformer, causing the entire town’s electricity to be out.

KYMA reached out to the Wellton Fire Department to confirm, and are waiting to hear back if any injuries were reported and how long the town went without power.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Locals got the chance to donate blood this weekend as Elks Lodge #476 held a blood drive Saturday.

The event, which was in collaboration with Vitalant, took place at the lodge’s meeting room from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Elena Mejia, the chairperson of the Elks Lodge #476 Blood Drive, says 90 to 95% of the blood collected in Yuma County stays in the county.

“We are a rural area. We only had the one hospital. Now, we have a couple of other ones going up in the Foothills. And the hospital now, our main hospital is building one in San Luis, and it helps the community because we don’t have anything else close to us,” Mejia explained.

Mejia says Elks Lodge #476 is the second blood drive contributor in Yuma County, with Onvida Health being the first and St. John Neumann Catholic Church being the third.

While the lodge sees more than 35 people donating blood during the winter time, Mejia says between 25 to 35 people donate blood at the lodge during the summer.

For those who donate blood between May 23 to September 7, they can enter to win a 2025 Volkswagen Taos.

If anyone missed out on this weekend’s blood drive, Mejia says the lodge is holding another blood drive happening on October 18.

To sign up for that blood drive, and other blood drives happening in Yuma County, click here.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The man accused of running over a 21-year-old on New Year’s Day had his plea deal once again rejected in court, and his case will now head to new judge.

45-year-old Alfredo Enriquez Flores is accused of running over 21-year-old Esteyan Medel on New Year’s Day.

Flores pled guilty to one count of manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident involving death.

Judge Roger Nelson rejected the plea deal for the second time in as many weeks.

His case will now be handed over to a new judge.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – One of the suspects involved in a bicycle hit-and-run back in April may soon receive a plea deal from the state.

24-year-old Israel Preciado is facing two counts of tampering with physical evidence and obstructing criminal investigations or prosecutions.

He, along with 20-year-old Yancy Antonio, are accused of being involved in a hit-and-run which left 48-year-old Eric Martinez hospitalized.

During Thursday’s hearing, the state said they intend to present a plea offer to Preciado before his next court appearance.

He will be back in court on August 14 for a final management conference.

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Samuel Kirk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A newly formed soccer club in Yuma is using the power of teamwork to give back to local students.

Yuma FC, a nonprofit soccer organization founded by local mothers in March, held its first community fundraiser Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Keegan Field near Kennedy Park.

The event brought together more than 20 youth teams from across the area, each playing one game as part of the club’s “Back to School” initiative.

But instead of entry fees, each athlete was asked to donate $5 worth of school supplies. All donations collected will be given directly to Carver Elementary School.

“We wanted to offer free soccer to the parents who can’t commit to a big travel team,” said Lesly Morr, one of Yuma FC’s founders. “We were already coaching, and we decided to build a local club that’s affordable and focused on the community. So far, the feedback has been amazing. The parents love it.”

Yuma FC currently consists of five teams ranging from under-5 to under-11. With help from sponsors, the club has made participation free for all its young athletes, removing financial barriers and opening the door to both sports and leadership development.

“Our mission is to not only teach soccer, but life skills,” Assistant Coach Amber Kelly added. “We want our athletes to grow as servant leaders, starting by giving back to the community that raised us.”

The organization hopes to continue expanding and hosting events that connect athletics with meaningful service.

The event lasted until 10:00 p.m.

For more on Yuma FC or to find out how to get involved, visit their Facebook page.

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Samuel Kirk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A local back to school event in Yuma gave families a head start on the new school year, providing free supplies, vaccinations and valuable resources for students and parents.

The 14th Annual Back to School Rodeo took place Saturday at the Yuma Civic Center, running from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The free event included backpack giveaways for the first 2,000 students from kindergarten to the 12th grade.

Families also connected with local educators, youth organizations and student clubs.

“District One loves coming out every year. We’ve been attending for many years. We get to engage with upwards of 200 families, which is really exciting, and we get to meet families and students from outside our district too, so it’s a great way to connect,” said Christine McCoy with Yuma School District One.

With strong community support and a big turnout, participants say they hope to see this event continue in Yuma for years to come.

KYMA is a proud sponsor of the event.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – We depend on them to keep us safe but sometimes they need help too.

This is why a new Chaplain Support Program is coming to our area to help our local law enforcement and first responders.

The new service will provide emotional and spiritual support to the Yuma Police Department and the Yuma Fire Department (YFD), their families, and members of the public during times of crisis.

David Padilla, the Public Information Officer for YFD says, “It’s no secret that our firefighters and our law enforcement officers encounter traumatic events.”

Research shows that anxiety and depression among first responders is significantly higher than that of the general population.

That’s why YFD Fire Chief Dustin Fields developed this new service in order to assist these professionals who deal with these issues.

“We need more support and firefighters and police officers are under a lot of stress and having that chaplain to come by and talk to them or give them places or avenues to get some help, it’s going to be very helpful,” Fields shared.

The team will be made up of volunteer chaplains who’ve received specialized training to address the unique challenges and characteristics of first responder issues.

Additionally, they’ll be accessible to the community for help during their trying times.

“They probably will respond to emergencies like big fires or big incidences and be there in a support role, whether that’s helping with water or helping the families get resources,” Padilla explains.

Fields adds, “It’s a win-win. It’ll help the Fire Department, the Police Department, and the community because it will add more capacity to help the community.”

YFD says the service will start rolling out within the next few weeks.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) says two people have been identified in serial burglaries.

The suspects were identified as 35-year-old Enrique Rios III and 37-year-old Calrita Carr.

YPD says the suspects attempted several vehicle burglaries in the following areas:

Sheffield Estates (Civic Center area)

La Mesa Manors

Ocotillo Estates

Saguaro Estates

Rios and Carr were arrested on July 9 and booked for the following felony charges:

Third-degree burglary

Theft of credit cards

Fraudulent use of credit cards

During a search of the stolen vehicles and the suspects’ home, investigators found stolen property, guns, drugs and other evidence that YPD hasn’t disclosed.

The investigation is ongoing.

YPD encourages anyone with information on this case to call (928) 783-4421 or 78-CRIME at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.

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