Category: kyma-local-news

Lynette Niebla

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – As the November 3 election approaches, longtime Imperial County resident and former city employee Michael Morales is launching a campaign for the El Centro City Council.

Morales brings a unique blend of municipal experience, labor union leadership, and community service to the race. His platform centers heavily on economic relief, systemic collaboration, and challenging the city’s current direction.

Morales’ deep ties to El Centro include a decade of service as a city mechanic, giving him firsthand knowledge of local public works and infrastructure.

He later transition to a leadership role with the Teamsters Union, serving as a union steward and later as a business representative.

According to Morales, his extensive history handling labor laws, navigating city and county government regulations, and understanding public sector management equips him with the precise tools needed to break through bureaucratic gridlock.

“I don’t think the status quo is working,” Morales stated, explaining his decision to enter the political arena. “I want change, and now that I’m retired, if change isn’t coming, then it’s up to me and the residents to make that change happen. That’s why I’m stepping up.”

Morales is zeroing in on the heavy economic burdens weighing down Imperial Valley families, noting that local government must step up to alleviate the impacts of inflation.

“We’re all being crushed by these high costs of rent, gas, groceries…you name it,” Morales said. “People are living paycheck to paycheck. So, I believe it is the responsibility of city government to see how we can bring relief to the individuals of this community.”

To address quality-of-life concerns, Morales has proposed a concrete list of local community initiatives. His main campaign priorities include:

Implementing an affordable city childcare center. Establishing a community garden and co-op store to ease food costs. Expanding developmental resources for youth to safely grow. Prioritizing crime prevention and local substance abuse treatment resources. Upgrading aging city infrastructure.

A major pillar of Morales’ strategy relies on bridging the gap between historically divided sectors. He credits his diverse background with showing him how private businesses and government entities can work hand-in-hand rather than against each other.

“That is my focus…is to bring government and city entities, private businesses, and nonprofits together to find solutions to raise the quality of life for the residents of El Centro,” Morales emphasized.

Beyond his career experience, Morales has put that philosophy into practice as an active leader and volunteer with ten local non-profits across the Valley.

He maintains that true civic leadership can only happen if council members are actively engaging with their constituents.

“I think it’s vital. That’s the way you learn, that’s the way you gain knowledge is by listening to the community and knowing what they want, what their concerns are, what they’re going through,” Morales said. “I don’t have all the answers…but I’d love to learn.”

El Centro voters will have a direct opportunity to speak with Morales about his platform ahead of the election.

He will be hosting a community meet-and-greet event on Thursday, October 8, at Rosa’s Plane Food in El Centro. The event will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – OneAZ Credit Union is picking up the tab for customers at Creation Coffee in Yuma.

The free coffee event is taking place at the coffee shop, located at 2607 S. Fourth Avenue, Tuesday, October 13, from 9 a.m. to noon, or until it covers $2,000 worth of coffee.

This is part of Pay It Forward Day during the fourth annual Arizona Credit Union Week, which runs from October 12 through October 16.

OneAZ is one of 18 credit unions in the state taking part in the statewide celebration of “People Helping People” through acts of kindness, volunteer service and financial education.

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Jessamyn Dodd

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – A four-legged member of the El Centro Sector is helping Border Patrol agents deal with the emotional demands of their job.

Meet Syble, a five-year-old poodle who is a critical incident response canine.

Unlike other dogs at the Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP), Syble is not trained to sniff out people or drugs. She’s trained to provide emotional support.

“She was showcased at the Border Patrol Canine Academy in El Paso, Texas. We liked what we saw and it’s a happy ever after,” Agent Leonardo Regalado told News 11 in an interview.

Regalado also serves as Syble’s handler.

She helps reduce anxiety and gives agents and their families a chance to decompress and cope with trauma and job-related stress.

It’s especially important, as CBP reported, around 81 suicide-related deaths between 2016 and 2025.

“We’re just peers. We try to help again our agents, our employees, our families in any type of crises, critical events to help them process that,” Regalado said.

“We know that life is hard. There’s a lot of trials and tribulations that come with it, and all we want to do is help our peers through those tough times,” he said.

Syble is not only there for the hard days, she’s also there for the lighter moments, always at the side of Regalado.

“24/7 we’re we’re tied at the hip. I’m responsible for grooming, feeding, care after hours, weekends, but I love it. It’s totally worth being able to to be teamed up with a canine like she is,” Regalado said.

While Syble spends most of her days at the headquarters, she does go to school career days, presentations, and she has even traveled on airplanes to visit Washington D.C. and other parts of the country.

At night and on weekends, she goes home with her handler.

“I’d like to thank our management team, from our DHA secretary to the commissioner and our bborder patrol chief that has seen the foresight and the value of these canine partners,” Regalado stated.

“[Because] our agents are our greatest assets and I feel that this team helps better take care of them on duty, off duty during crisis events, and during happy events because we don’t always do just do crisis stuff. We’re always there at school presentations, at promotion ceremonies,” he explained.

While Syble is the only emotional support dog here in El Centro at the moment, CBP said they hope to expand their program over the next few years

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Lynette Niebla

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The El Centro Library is inviting Imperial Valley residents to come together, honor, and remember their deceased loved ones by participating in its annual Día de los Muertos Community Ofrenda, located at 1198 N. Imperial Ave.

The tradition is centered on celebrating the lives of family members and friends who have passed away. Through the community altar, the library aims to provide a shared space for residents to honor their heritage and reflect together.

Community members are encouraged to submit a photograph of a loved one who has passed away. The library is collecting submissions from now until Friday, October 9.

In-Person: Photos dropped off at the library must be framed and no larger than four-inches by six-inches. By Email: For residents who cannot drop off a physical copy, the library is also accepting digital photograph submissions via email.

The community ofrenda will remain on display throughout the month and will be open for public viewing until November 2 during regular library hours.

“I do have a couple of my family members up there as well, so this is particularly special for me and a couple of my coworkers,” said Melissa Limon, El Centro Library Operations Supervisor. “We asked the community what they would like to see at our library, and this is one of the topics they selected. We know it’s a tradition that is huge in this community, so this is our introduction, and we hope it is very special to everyone.”

In addition to the ofrenda, the library has announced a lineup of free public events to celebrate the fall season:

Halloween at the Library: On Wednesday, October 14 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., the library will host an afternoon of festive games, seasonal crafts, prizes, and more. Children’s Costume Contest: As part of the Halloween festivities on October 14, a costume contest will be held at 4:45 p.m. for children 14 years old and under. Día de los Muertos Movie Day: On Thursday, October 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the library will host a special holiday movie day featuring a screening of Disney’s “Coco.”

Both the Halloween and movie day events are completely free to the public.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Arizona@Work hosted their annual Yuma Community Job and Education Fair at Arizona Western College (AWC) Wednesday morning.

The fair had over 50 employers, 12 community resources, and educational institutions on site like Northern Arizona University, AWC and Grand Canyon University.

The purpose of the event is to connect employers with job seekers.

“The whole goal is to take advantage of those services…theres no cost to attend you have an opportunity to work find out what type of jobs are available even if it’s just a career path trying to explore you have an opportunity to talk to an employer and talk about what that job might entail,” said Nidia Herrera, Executive Director at Arizona@Work.

Herrera said the event gives the community the resources to see what kind of jobs are out there, even ones that might not be listed online.

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Dillon Fuhrman

SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is hosting the Somerton Passport Fair later this month.

The event is taking place Tuesday, October 27, at Somerton City Hall, located at 143 N. State Avenue, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

It’s open to first-time applicants and those who need their passports renewed. While walk-ins are welcome, registration is recommended.

For information about the upcoming event, click here.

Passport Fairs Fall 2026 (1)Download

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Connor Emery

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The trial continues for one of the murder suspects tied to a fatal Yuma house party shooting that happened in May of 2023.

Aden Arviso, 23, is on trial, facing two counts of first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated assault.

During the trial‘s third day, the girlfriend of Ande Blackthunder, who was one of the victims killed in the shooting, took the stand.

While she was being questioned, the witness said when she entered the backyard, she saw an unknown man with a gun.

When the defense asked why the gun didn’t cause her to leave immediately, she said, “I just didn’t think much of it. I know a lot of people own guns…and that maybe he was just trying to be a security guard or something. But I didn’t see it as a problem.”

The witness recounted being with Blackthunder at the party right after he was shot.

“Ande was on the floor. And he told me to call 911. That’s when I was trying to get down to see where he was bleeding from. There was a gun on the floor and I tossed it. I didn’t know whose gun it was but I moved it,” the witness said.

The witness also recounted that she was only at the party for less than ten minutes before shots were fired.

More witnesses are expected to take the stand Thursday.

The other suspect in the shooting, Abraham Colin, 22, was sentenced to serve 20 years for the murder charge, and an additional ten years for the assault charge consecutively, after pleading guilty back in August to second-degree murder and aggravated assault charges.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma received presidential recognition for their performance during the 2025 fiscal year.

The presidential award recognizes the outstanding and innovative installation management and support to its departments missions.

“This is basically one of the best air stations in the Marine Corps right the work that happens here at [MCAS] Yuma is very important its gonna signify. It’s gonna change in the future Marine Corps Aviation, right the work that happens here is impact and not Yuma in the community, but the Marine Corps as a whole,” said Sgt. Maj. Luis Galvaz, MCAS Command Senior Listed Advisor.

The 2026 Commander-in-Chief’s annual award was given to MCAS for installation excellence.

Some of their accomplishments include managing 1.2 million acres of training ranges, supporting major joint exercises like two weapons and tactics instructor courses, and reducing mishaps by 37% while on operational missions.

MCAS received a trophy, an installation excellence flag, a certificate from the department of war and even a letter from the president.

News 11 spoke with one of the senior listed advisors about what this award means to the base.

“It is significant for the hard work that everybody in station has done to include the marines themselves but a lot of the workforce of civilians and all the work they’ve done with last many years that I’ve been here. It is very very neat to see them recognized by the Commander-in-Chief super important award,” Sgt. Maj. Galvaz explained.

Galvaz said they want to thank the civilians and Marines who work on the base, because they would not have received their award without their hard work.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – If you are adding or changing your Medicare or Healthcare.gov coverage during open enrollment, watch out for unsolicited calls claiming to “help” you find the best deal.

Unfortunately, scammers see this open enrollment period as a chance to trick people out of money and personal information. Open enrollment for Medicare runs from October 15 through December 7 (Medicare). 

BBB Scam Tracker frequently receives reports of scam calls and texts pretending to be from Medicare.

In a recent report, one person shared, “They called to have me sign up for a new Medicare card. I declined. They have been persistent in their calls to me and my husband.”

In another report, the target reported that a caller pretended to be an agent “asking if I got a new updated Medicare card in the mail. He then verified my name and mailing address. Then he wanted me to get my old card and read off info to him, such as the date on the lower right side of the card. When he asked me to read my card number, I told him I cannot.”

Another consumer reported being targeted through a text message and shared the following: “I received a text saying that my health benefits were about to expire and I needed to call the number to renew. Then, the representative told me I had to pay and my bank had to verify with them…That’s when I knew it was a scam.”

If you stay on the line, these callers allege they can enroll you in a better plan than what you currently have, according to Scam Tracker reports.

This new plan is cheaper, and you can keep all the same services. To get started, all you need to do is provide some personal information, such as your Medicare ID number and your Social Security number.

No matter how good the deal sounds and how convincing the caller seems, don’t do it! The call is a scam, and sharing personal information will expose you to identity theft.

Tips to avoid open enrollment scams

Selecting a health insurance plan can be challenging and complex. Be on the lookout for common red flags:

Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Healthcare.gov and Medicare provide legitimate help for determining which plan is right for you. These people — sometimes called Navigators or Assisters — cannot charge for their support. If someone asks you for payment, it’s a scam. You will also need to contact them on your own. They will not call you first.  Be wary of free gifts and “health screenings.” Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers you free gifts or other special deals. Never sign up with a broker who offers you an expensive sign-up gift in exchange for providing your Medicare ID number or additional personally identifiable information. Other times, brokers offer free “health screenings” to weed out people who are less healthy. This technique is called “cherry picking” and is against Medicare rules. Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare ID number, Social Security number, health plan info, or banking information to anyone you don’t know. Go directly to official websites. If you want to make changes to your healthcare plan, go directly to Medicare.gov, Healthcare.gov, or your employer’s health insurance provider. Don’t click on links in suspicious messages. Contact your employer directly. If you receive an unexpected email about benefits policies, ask your employer about it before you click on anything to make sure it’s legitimate.

Before trusting any business, check out reviews, complaints and for trusted Accredited Businesses at BBB.org and visit BBB’s Scam Tracker.

Check out all BBB scam warnings at joeknowsbetter.com.

If you are unsure whether a call or offer is from Medicare or you gave your personal information to someone claiming to be with Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it.

If you suspect fraud when signing up for ACA coverage, go to HealthCare.gov or call the Health Insurance Marketplace call center at 800-318-2596.

Get more tips from BBB on avoiding healthcare scams and learn the signs of impostor scams. If you’ve been the victim of a scam, please report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. Sharing your experience can help others avoid falling victim to similar scams.

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Connor Emery

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Rotary and Boys and Girls clubs unveiled their new AZ-Youth-Force Center Tuesday. 

“You are on the road to success.” That is the motto of the new center. The center is possible thanks to a $4,000 grant the Rotary Club received.

They also matched it with contributions and volunteer hours totaling it at $20,000.

“There was just a half railing up here and so they weren’t using it fully. We worked with the staff here at the Boys and Girls Club to really identify the needs of the project. So you can kind of look around and see the improvements, but we turned it into a space that’s actually usable with a full enclosed wall,” Jennifer Reichelt, president of the Rotary Club said.

AZ-Youth-Force is originally from Phoenix, but the program will allow Yuma teens to try new internships that can help build their future career. 

“What we found is that it really helps our teams develop those essential skills they need to be successful in any career, and it helps them actually connect the dots between education and the workforce. And they’re all paid internships. So more importantly it’s helping them take care of themselves and their family,” Josh Stine vice-president of external affairs of the Boys and Girls Club said.

When the Boys and Girls reopened in 2022, there were only about 30 kids. Now there are over 200.

“The teen program that we’re trying to grow right now will make it possible for us to really give the teens space for them to do resumes, mock interviews, as they prepare to join the workforce industry,” Rowena Regalado, Branch Director for the Yuma Boys and Girls Club, said.

Rotary members and volunteers spent five Saturdays renovating the space.

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