PHOTO GALLERY: Rain falls in Imperial County
Marcos Icahuate
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial Valley residents felt the rain fall on Thursday night.
Yuma County improving protecting public funds
Madeline Murray
YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma County is currently working to prevent fraud cases like the one in Santa Cruz County, where the former treasurer stole more than $38 million.
After the case in Santa Cruz County, Yuma County conducted a fraud assessment that that showed no weaknesses in the system, but did suggest some improvements.
Ian Mcgaughey says, “[It] did not reveal any alarming weaknesses, but did identify several areas where we can tighten up our processes. Those recommendations have been shared with the appropriate departments and offices, and follow up in underway.”
Those improvements include implementing a new law that gives the state auditor access to all county bank records.
State auditors will be able to review policies and procedures, improve staff training, and oversee every federal dollar spent.
Yuma County Vice Chairman Jonathan Lines says the county takes protecting public funds very seriously.
“Being involved in public service we want to make sure that the public has faith in the system and the officials that have been elected to operate on a city, county, or state level,” says Lines.
With the improvements being implemented, one financial services department employee identified a fraud attempt by email.
Lines describes a time a where a finacial services employee caught an attempt at fraud through their email.
“A biweekly check from one of the county employees to be deposited into that account, and the person processing who received that email, went back and traced it, and determined it was somebody trying to scam the system,” says Lines.
Lines stays it’s necessary to look for anything suspicious.
“Be aware of anything out of the ordinary such as an email asking somebody to open up a new account and deposit it,” explains Lines.
The Financial Services Department would like to remind everyone that fraud prevention is a countywide effort and to always be alert.
Sand bag stations available in Imperial County
Marcos Icahuate
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – With potential rain fall in the Imperial Valley, nine self-serve sand bags stations will be available.
The stations are in the following locations:
Station 1 & 4 – 2514 La Brucherie Rd
Station 2 – 1078 S Dogwood Rd
Station 3 – 1862 W Evan Hewes Hwy
Station 5 – 112 CA-78
Station 6 – 1157 Imperial Hwy
Station 7 – 8071 Luxor Ave
Station 8 – 518 Railroad Ave
Station 9 – 2256 Cleveland Ave
Sand bags can also be found at stations in Ocotillo, Palo Verde and Salton City.
You can find the list as it updates here.
Yuma High to induct 2025 class into Hall of Fame
Marcos Icahuate
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma High Athletic class of 2025 will have several events for their induction into the hall of fame.
The Yuma High School (YHS) Hall of Fame currently has 142 individuals inducted, with five individuals, one team and four representatives joining them.
Individuals in the hall of fame include athletes, coaches and Friends of Athletics.
The following events are planned:
Friday, October 17
Meet and Greet at Lute’s Casino | 4-6:30 p.m.
Inductees at YHS Game Kickoff | 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 18
Induction ceremony at YHS cafeteria | 12:30 p.m.
Presentation of inductee plaques | 1:30 p.m.
The following are getting inducted:
5 INDIVIDUALS
Al Alvarez | Coach-1965-1974 Football
DeeDee Baumgarner | Coach- 1985-2010 Swimming
Yolanda Biebrich | Athlete- Grad.1982 – Volleyball/Basketball/ Softball
Jerry Gaillard | Athlete- Grad.1978 Football/ Track
Tom Hurt | Coach-1988-1992 Football
TEAM
YHS 1941-42 Girls Tennis Team | Arizona State Champions
COACH – Elizabeth Rose
TEAM MEMBERS
Katherine Burger Opaline Liles LaVerne Stanton
Verda Rae Donkersley Ruth Ann Lipscomb Maxine Weiss
Norma Dale Hyatt Louise Raley
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
ALSCO
Lute’s Casino
4th Ave Gym
Mr. G’s
Chelada Fest to be held in Somerton in October
Marcos Icahuate
SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Chelada Fest is planned to be held in Somerton.
The UTV Off Road Showdown Chelada Fest will be at Somerton Main Street on October 18, starting at 4:30 p.m.
There will be live music by Kamacho, Los Cadetes de Linares and Ravines.
A chelada contest, food and free kids area will also be there.
Suspect arrested for ghost gun in Brawley
Karina Bazarte
BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – A man was arrested in Brawley after police found a ghost gun along with ammunition and drugs in his car.
A 27-year old man was arrested last Friday after Brawley police noticed he was driving aggressively.
Officers stopped the suspect and noticed the license plate did not match the vehicle.
That’s when the officers K-9 unit discovered a few grams of methamphetamine on the suspect and underneath the drivers seat a nine millimeter ghost gun.
“His explanation was that he uses it for protection, he is a fieldworker so sometimes out in the mountains, so he says he uses it for protection against animals,” said Omar Garcia, Brawley police detective.
Officers also discovered several bullets inside a sock, along with a magazine.
It was later determined the car the suspect was driving was not stolen, and it was towed from the scene.
The suspect is currently being held at the Imperial County Jail and is facing six charges, including possession of a ghost gun.
Pedal across Yuma County during the 9th Mayors’ International Bike Ride!
Jalen Fong
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Join the City of Yuma and other municipalities across the Desert Southwest and Mexico as they come together for a family-friendly event.
The 9th Mayors’ International Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, October 25th.
This event, founded by City of Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls and leaders from 4FrontED, aims to unite the different communities in our area and highlight our region.
The ride will begin at the Yuma Civic Center and will include stops at Cocopah Korner, Somerton City Hall, Friendship Park in Gadsden, and Montezuma Park in San Luis.
The ride will conclude with a celebration at Benito Juarez Park near San Luis Rio Colorado’s City Hall.
Mayor Nicholls shares why is it important that people take part of this bike ride and we he hopes they take away from it.
“Life is more about working together,” said Nicholls. “We have more things in common than we do apart, so that’s that’s important, but also very much promoting our regions.”
Bicyclists of all ages and levels are welcome. Participants under 18 must have a parent/guardian accompany them on the ride. The ride is free to attend.
You can register to participate on the City of Yuma website HERE.
The ride will begin at 8 a.m.
IID members meet with Calexico and Holtville communities following Tropical Storm Mario
Dillon Fuhrman
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Members of the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) met with Calexico and Holtville communities this week to emphasize “swift action and community engagement in the wake of Tropical Storm Mario.”
According to a press release, IID Division 4 Director Karin Eugenio and IID General Manager Jamie Asbury “joined residents at community gatherings in Calexico and Holtville City Halls to provide updates and hear directly from those affected.”
IID says the storm brought damaging winds, heavy rain and flooding, which “toppled nearly 100 power poles impacting service to customers across Imperial Valley’s south end.”
Courtesy: Imperial Irrigation District
Courtesy: Imperial Irrigation District
“I know how disruptive this has been for families, businesses, and schools,” said Eugenio. “Tropical Storm Mario hit hard — but IID’s crews are on the ground, working tirelessly, pole by pole, to safely bring the lights back on. Our community has been heard, and I am committed to making sure Holtville and Calexico are prioritized for the stronger, more resilient system we need.”
“Our crews were in the field as soon as the storm cleared and will not stop until every customer’s power is restored,” Asbury said. “At the same time, IID is acting now to strengthen the system for the future. These storms are striking with greater frequency and intensity, and we are committed to investing in the infrastructure and redundancy needed to protect our communities. We are here, we are listening, and we are acting.”
To learn more about this, click here.
Arizona sees rise in obesity rates
Danyelle Burke North
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A recent study reports a rise in obesity rates in Arizona. According to the Invigor Medical study, adults in Arizona ages 55-64 saw the steepest increase of more than 9% growth rate from 2013 to 2023.
Onvida Health says over the last decade, around 30-32% of people struggle with some form of obesity in Yuma County. They say factors include inability to get out due to the heat, socio-economic status, and diet.
“30-32% are struggling with some form of obesity, and that can range anywhere from your mild obesity to your more morbid obesity. But we want to get every single patient out and about walking, moving, making small dietary changes that you know slowly but surely become habit in their daily lives,” said Onvida Health family nurse practitioner Marybel Gonzalez.
Obesity can contribute to chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.Onvida Health encourages people to get 30-45 minutes of daily exercise.
New waste facility coming to South County
Adrik Vargas
YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – South County residents will soon have a new option for waste disposal.
Yuma County is planning to build its first solid waste transfer station in the area, aiming to make trash disposal more convenient and cut down on illegal dumping.
The facility will be located on County 19th Street and sit on a 10-acre parcel of land provided by the Bureau of Reclamation. It will feature 30 large bins to collect household waste, appliances, and heavy metals.
“There’s been a lot of illegal dumping out in the area,” said Santos Guerrero, Deputy Director of Yuma County Public Works. “There should be no reason for people to be dumping trash on the desert when we have this transfer station that you can dump free as long as you’re not commercial.”
The site will be free to all county residents and is expected to open in late spring or early summer of 2026.
Local residents say the project is a welcome step.
“People should be more conscientious about their trash, and instead of just throwing it away they should be putting it into dumpsters,” said Bob Lutes, a local.
Until the South County transfer station opens, officials encourage residents to continue using other transfer stations across Yuma County, including the North Gila site.