Category: kyma-local-news

Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Board of Supervisors approved additional funding for the Imperial County Fire Department (ICFD) during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting.

Several members of the public and the firefighters union spoke during public comments, urging the board to take action and vote on more funding for the department.

The firefighters will now have additional funding they need for more staff and equipment to the tune of over $1.2 million total for overtime.

Before the vote, the firefighters pled their case.

“How are we still talking and doing the same process over and over again?” asked Timothy Morales, a firefighter with ICFD. The department had been fighting for more staff and funding for several years.

“It’s like bad business. It’s like we haven’t learned from the mechanic that tells us our car’s fixed, but we keep on going back to the same mechanic because it keeps breaking down,” he said.

Following the meeting, members of the department shared they were grateful they now have funding to fill 14 vacant positions.

“So all of us are really excited. We’re happy,” said Daniel Martinez, President of the Imperial County Firefighter’s Association.

“We need the workforce to grow and get back to our normal level, which is gonna give us the relief and the rest that we need. So I know a lot of them are happy about that,” Martinez said.

He added, “I was informed by one of the supervisors that our hiring process is gonna be expedited. It’s normally a five-month process, but since we’re so low in numbers, it’s gonna be expedited.”

The board also approved funding for PPE, clothing, and necessities for the firefighters, who say relief is in sight.

“It’s gonna take us a couple of months to get to that point where we know for sure that we’re gonna be going home after every shift. Right now, it’s important for us to keep each other motivated and just know that we do have a a light at the end of the tunnel,” Martinez explained.

The supervisors reiterated their support for the firefighters who put their lives on the line every day.

Supervisor John Hawk said, “I would just say that I think that all of us as supervisors stand with the fire department.”

“The seven-and-a-half years that I humbly served on this board, I’ve supported the department 100%,” Supervisor Jesus Escobar said.

Ryan Kelley spoke, stating, “I would like to see us give full attention that we need to to the fire department.”

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Jessamyn Dodd

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County officials confirmed the first local case of huanglongbing (HLB), a destructive bacterial citrus disease, following a state-verified sample in late July.

Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Rachel Garewal and Deputy Nelson Perez explain that the disease causes asymmetrical yellowing of leaves and poor fruit development.

“It’s going to be an asymmetrical yellowing or an asymmetrical modeling of across the leaves,” Garewal said. “Later symptoms are going to be kind of just general yellowing, like all of the new shoots are going to come out yellow. You’re going to get thickened veins, irregularly shaped fruit. The fruit will be kind of asymmetrical.”

Perez said that they are surveying a two-mile buffer zone near the Mexican border to monitor for infected trees.

“We survey two miles from the border with Mexico, two miles into the U.S., and we check all the sites that have citrus hosts,” he said.

“I would say that we’re somewhat surrounded by the disease and by insects too. I would say Mexico has had it in the past. Some of the other counties around us have HLB and HCP. San Diego and LA, Orange, Riverside, all those counties around us have it,” Perez said.

To prevent further spread, authorities are implementing a 250-meter survey radius around the infected site while urging residents to manage the Asian citrus psyllid insect.

The state CDFA will be coming around and doing treatments in the Calexico area soon. But if a homeowner wanted to do their own  insecticidal treatments, they could do so as long as they were doing so safely with products that they purchased legally.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Fewer migrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, but migrant deaths in the Arizona desert are increasing.

According to data tracked by Humane Borders, 73 migrants have died in Arizona so far this year, including 19 in July.

Humane Borders Executive Director Octavio Fontes says increased border enforcement has pushed some migrants into more remote areas, where extreme heat and other desert conditions can become deadly.

Fontes says monsoon season can also create additional dangers, including flooding and changing desert washes that can cause people to become lost.

Humane Borders’ map shows 4,505 migrant deaths recorded in Arizona since 2000. Fontes says the actual number could be higher because some people who die in the desert are never found.

The organization expects the number of deaths this year could reach about 120.

Fontes says he hopes policymakers look beyond the statistics and consider the human lives behind the numbers.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – More than two and a half million acres have now burned in the Cascades region of Oregon, and one local woman was there helping with disaster operations.

Jillian Attaway, the Community Disaster Program Specialist for the Yuma-La Paz County American Red Cross, spent two weeks in Bend, Oregon.

During her deployment, she worked with the Burns Paiute Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the Umatilla Tribe. She helped provide a safe place for local tribes affected by the fires.

“Each day, I worked with emergency managers from each tribal entity, making sure they had everything they needed to be supported by the Red Cross and also to be able to open shelters if needed independently. We did a lot of supply drops to make sure people with pets had support, as well as people with intellectual disabilities,” Attaway said.

The American Red Cross says it opened 25 shelters, provided over 1,400 overnight stays and served over 14,000 meals and snacks in 16 different cities impacted by the western wildfires.

Attaway says the most rewarding part of her deployment was building strong relationships with local staff and volunteers.

“We knew that we were leaving the region, the local staff, and volunteers really healthy relationships that we had worked really hard on the two weeks that we were there making sure they had the appropriate contacts, they knew who to call if there was another wildfire, and making sure they had what they needed to continue on,” Attaway said.

From Yuma to Oregon, Attaway says the mission was the same, helping communities stay safe, supported, and ready in the face of disaster.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) said a teen has been arrested after he allegedly stole a vehicle.

YPD received reports a vehicle stolen “sometime during the night,” which happened in the area of W. Second Street and S. Ninth Avenue, at around 7:20 a.m. Tuesday.

At around 10 a.m. that day, YPD said the Quechan Police Department (QPD) found the stolen vehicle and followed it to an apartment complex in Somerton.

The vehicle, according to YPD, then crashed into a palm tree near the apartment complex, located in the area of Somerton Avenue, with the suspect, identified as a 16-year-old boy, seen running to the complex.

This prompted QPD to set up a perimeter and “an active search for the suspect ensued,” YPD said.

Before noon that day, the suspect was taken into custody, and YPD said a firearm, cash and other crime-related evidence was found after a search warrant was served.

The teen was booked into the Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center for several felony offenses, and YPD said the teen “is being actively investigated for additional felony cases” that happened within the City of Yuma.

Courtesy: Yuma Police Department

YPD would like to thank QPD, the Somerton and San Luis Police Departments, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Border Patrol Yuma Sector for their help.

If anyone has information regarding the case, call YPD at 928-783-4421, or 78-CRIME at 928-782-7463 to remain anonymous.

Stolen vehicle 26-64164Download

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Skylar Heisey

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – There is an update in the case against a Yuma man accused of sexually abusing a child.

Ethan Kotlinski, 29, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his attorneys are now raising an insanity defense.

Kotlinski is scheduled to appear in court on September 16 to discuss what his doctors have determined about his mental state.

Kotlinski and his wife, Amanda, were arrested in March in connection to allegations involving a 13-year-old child.

Amanda, 31, is also facing charges in the case.

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Lynette Niebla

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The City of El Centro hosted a virtual community town hall to provide transparency and answer resident questions regarding Measure T, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase headed to the November 3, 2026, general election ballot. 

If approved by voters, the measure would increase El Centro’s total transactions and use tax rate from 8.25% to 8.75%, generating an estimated $8.4 million annually in locally controlled revenue for the city’s General Fund. 

City officials explained that the cost of providing daily municipal services continues to climb due to inflation.

“The cost of providing basic municipal services continues to increase,” said Mario Renteria, Public Information Officer for the City of El Centro. “Simultaneously, the city’s primary ongoing funding source, sales tax, is projected to level out and dip slightly. While the city holds emergency reserve funds, those savings are not intended to pay for daily operational costs.”

El Centro currently holds $38.7 million in reserve funds, but leadership reiterated that these savings are strictly set aside for emergencies, natural disasters, or major economic downturns—not daily staffing or maintenance.

By law, 100% of the funds generated by Measure T must stay in El Centro. The state and county governments are legally prohibited from redirecting or taking any portion of the revenue.

If passed, the $8.4 million generated annually could fund general city services, including:

Public Safety: Preserving rapid 911 emergency medical responses, preventing crime, and keeping fire stations fully staffed.

Infrastructure: Repairing local streets, fixing potholes, and funding vital infrastructure maintenance.

Community Spaces: Keeping public areas and neighborhood parks clean and safe.

Local Economy: Retaining and attracting local businesses while addressing homelessness.

A major point of discussion during the meeting was the impact on consumer wallets. Officials emphasized that everyday necessities are entirely exempt from the proposed tax, meaning groceries, rent, and prescription medications will not be taxed.

Instead, the tax will apply primarily to retail goods, general consumer purchases, dining out, and auto sales.

The city’s daily population swells to nearly 75,000 residents and shoppers, putting an ongoing demand on local streets and emergency response teams.

“Because El Centro is a commercial hub of the region, visitors and out-of-town shoppers who shop and dine here will contribute to maintaining the local services and roads they use,” Renteria said.

This model is intended to capture revenue from non-residents who utilize city infrastructure, thereby taking some of the financial strain off local taxpayers.

To address voter questions regarding transparency and proper public spending, Measure T includes strict fiscal accountability mandates built directly into the ballot language.

If adopted, the city is legally required to undergo mandatory annual independent financial audits and issue public spending disclosures to ensure full transparency.

The city has launched an online Measure T Budget Calculator on its informational webpage. The tool allows residents to enter a single purchase amount or their estimated monthly taxable spending to see the exact difference between the current 8.25% rate and the proposed 8.75% rate. For example, on a restaurant bill of $20, Measure T would add exactly 10 cents.

For more information regarding the ballot language, a list of frequently asked questions, or to access the budget calculator, visit the official City of El Centro Measure T Page.

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Jalen Fong

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The City of El Centro is continuing work on its 2026 Street Overlay Project, applying asphalt on several streets starting Tuesday, August 25 through Thursday, August 27.

Drivers traveling through the affected areas should use caution, follow posted traffic control signs and directions from construction crews, and allow additional time for possible delays.

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Residents are also asked to avoid parking vehicles within active construction areas to allow crews to complete the work safely and efficiently.

For a full list of where the affected area are in the city, read the press release, written in English and Spanish, below.

StreetOverlayProjectPREngDownload

StreetOverlayProjectPRSpaDownload

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – State Rep. Michael Carbone (R-District 25) is attending the Yuma County Republican Party’s monthly meeting Tuesday.

The meeting is taking place Tuesday, August 25, at the Yuma Community Food Bank from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., with check-in starting at 5:30 p.m.

State Rep. Carbone, who is running for reelection, and Chris Larson, who is running for the Yuma Union High School District Governing Board, are serving as guest speakers.

Reporter Lauren Duffel will have the full story later this evening.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, CNN) – Locals across Yuma County are sharing their reaction to Dolly Parton’s passing Tuesday.

In a post to social media, Parton’s family said she died peacefully at her home in Nashville.

The news came after Parton recently missed the opening of a new ride at Dollywood due to ongoing health issues.

A rescheduled Las Vegas residency was also canceled due to what she called “health challenges.”

She wrote more than 3,000 songs over her half-century-plus career. These include “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.”

She also ventured into films, starring in 1980’s “9 to 5,” co-starring with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, 1984’s “Rhinestone,” co-starring with Sylvester Stallone, and 1989’s “Steel Magnolias,” co-starring with Sally Field and Julia Roberts.

Parton was also one of the country’s most beloved philanthropists, with her library program gifting more than 300 million books to children around the world.

In addition, her numerous scholarship donations and programs stand alongside her efforts to help residents in the U.S. South in the wake of natural disasters.

In Yuma County, some residents are devastated by the news of her passing, saying she was one of a kind.

One resident, Mariana Jensen, said she has been listening to Parton all of her life, and is shocked by the news.

Jensen watched her for years, saying Parton was one of the most influential women in the world to her.

“Well, I’m 84 so as long as she has been around Ive been a fan…she’s done so much for so many people with Dollywood and all of her charities and its very sad to see that she is gone. We all will miss her, I’m sure,” Jensen expressed.

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