Category: kyma-local-news

Moses Femino

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA) – The City of San Luis is encouraging community members to take part in a local effort to protect and preserve the desert environment this weekend as part of its “Revive and Thrive” campaign.

The Second Annual South County Desert Cleanup will focus on areas impacted by illegal dumping, with volunteers working together to remove trash and help keep the landscape safe and visually clean for residents.

City officials say efforts like this, not only improve the environment, but also serve as a reminder of the importance of reporting illegal dumping when it is seen.

“We want to keep our desert beautiful, we want to keep it clean and we want to make sure it’s safe for everybody,” Francia Alonso, the City of San Luis Public Information Officer, said. “Even though it’s undeveloped land, it’s nature, it’s there, it’s for the public so helping to make sure it’s clean.”

The cleanup is scheduled to take place Saturday beginning at 7 a.m., with volunteers meeting at 10th Avenue and Torres Street.

From there, participants will focus their efforts on the area between Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Los Alamos Street.

Organizers are encouraging anyone interested in participating to show up and help support the community-wide effort to keep South County clean.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Live jazz filled the air Thursday night as Arizona Western College and Kofa High School students took the stage for the Village Jazz Series.

Highlighting local talent and creating a bridge between high school and college musicians.

Both jazz bands delivered energetic performances in an outdoor setting at the Yuma Palms Regional Center.

Giving families a chance to enjoy music under the stars while showcasing the growth of Yuma’s jazz scene.

For the student musicians, the event was more than just a performance. It was an opportunity to connect with the community and inspire the next generation.

“We get to show our talent and how much we’ve worked towards this for the people of Yuma County,” Maximiliano Campos, a third-year music major at Arizona Western College, said. “They get to see it and they get to enjoy it as much as we do.”

Lorenzo Paredes, a first-year music major at Arizona Western College, said performing alongside Kofa High School students highlights the strength of local music programs and opens the door for younger musicians to continue their education at Arizona Western College.

“I feel excited too, cause it also shows me how talented high schools are with music,” Paredes said. “And it also shows them that we, AWC here, we have a jazz program. Pretty good one too so if they want to join next year, they can.”

Kofa High School opened the concert, with Arizona Western College closing out the two-hour performance.

The Village Jazz Series is set to wrap up its 2026 run next Thursday.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) is this week, and a gathering was held Thursday night to highlight the focus of honoring survivors and protecting victims’ rights and services.

The event recognized victims and honored the work of victim advocates.

NCVRW, created in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan from the 1970s victims’ rights movement, highlights and advances legal protections and support for crime victims who had long been overlooked by the justice system.

Mark Martinez, chairman for the Victim Rights Committee, said, “It’s a way to share the awareness of the advocacy that’s available to them if they become a victim. It’s also a way to celebrate our survivors, to bring them together and remind them that you are still being supported. We just want to provide a dinner or meal for them so we can all fellowship together and enjoy our time together.”

The gathering honors all victims of crimes to show them that they are not alone or forgotten.

Amberly’s Place Executive Director Tori Bourguignon spoke at the event and emphasized the importance of recommitment to victim support.

“It’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week,a time to honor survivors, those we’ve lost, and recommit ourselves to the work we do,” Bourguignon said. “The healing has to come from support, from using the resources that are available, from digging deep to finding that courage and resilience on days when you don’t think that you’ve got it. On the darkest days, reaching out so that you can continue to realize that you’re never alone and that there will always be one of us in this room to stand beside you. That’s the work of advocacy every day when the rest of the world isn’t looking. This profession gives us an opportunity to leave people better than when we found them, and that is what draws me back in the door day after day, year after year.”

Advocacy work is essential to the fabric of the community, providing critical support and a light at the end of the tunnel.

If you, or someone you may know, is in need of support or would like to volunteer, please visit the Amberly’s Place website for more information.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) is sharing new information following a standoff in a local neighborhood that lasted nearly three hours and led to one person being taken into custody.

A heavy police presence shut down part of a Yuma neighborhood Thursday afternoon as officers responded to a standoff near 17th Avenue and Colorado Street.

YPD confirmed officers were searching for a suspect from an alleged aggravated assault that happened earlier in the week.

“Earlier in the week we had an aggravated assault that occurred between two individuals,” Officer Hayato Johnson, an officer on the YPD Public Affairs Unit, said. “And yesterday, some of our detectives were able to locate the suspect for the assault. So from there, we went to the residence, did a call out and we were able to take one into custody without any further incident.”

A loud explosion was heard just before 4 P.M., which was a tactic deployed by YPD to try to get individuals to cooperate and exit the residence.

Police could be heard over a loudspeaker calling for the suspect to come out. Telling them they were surrounded and to exit with their hands up and unarmed.

Shortly after the explosion, a woman exited the home. A man was later seen coming out of the residence as well

Several police units remained in the area after the individuals left the home. Officers shortly thereafter cleared the scene, while forensic teams and investigators stayed behind to continue processing the residence.

Some nearby residents say this circumstance has been happening more frequently this year.

“This is probably the third or fourth time since I’ve lived here that this has happened,” Julie Cross, a local said. “The house behind me also had the same thing and we were asked to leave our house because they said we were not safe.”

Other neighbors told KYMA they were not aware of any suspicious activity leading up to the standoff.

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Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The First Amendment Coalition has filed a lawsuit on behalf of freelance investigative reporter Joey Scott, seeking the release of records related to the county’s dealings with federal immigration agencies.

The lawsuit was filed after the county refused to provide documents requested by Scott under the California Public Records Act.

According to the complaint, Scott submitted records requests while reporting on the the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s activity in Imperial County.

One request sought financial documents from 2018-February 2026, including contacts, purchase orders, invoices, and statements. A second request sought emails discussing the use of county facilities to house prisoners and youth detainees.

County officials reportedly declined to provide the requested records, citing the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Comity doctrine as reasons for withholding the information.

The Supremacy Clause State states that courts and officials are bound by the Constitution and federal laws, overriding any contrary provisions in state law.

Attorneys with the First Amendment Coalition argue that the county cannot refuse to disclose public records simply because federal agencies may prefer the information remain confidential. California residents are entitled to transparency regarding local government actions and financial relationships.

“The fact that you can get those records potentially from another agency is not a legal ground to decline to release them.So we sent a letter to the county. Did not receive a response to that. And that’s why we went ahead and filed a lawsuit,” David Loy, Legal Director of First Amendment Coalition told KYMA in an interview.

“This is the first time I have ever encountered an agency citing a supremacy clause in any of my public records request,” Scott told KYMA.

Loy said this is a matter of transparency.

“Every time the Public Records Act is enforced, the public will benefit. The public interest is served,. Transparency is the oxygen of accountability at all public levels,” he said.

He said the county has started releasing some documents following the filing of the suit, and he hopes will continue to cooperate.

Scott noted that there are some documents, particularly those regarding minors, that he understands may not be able to be released, due to privacy and protection.

“Whatever gets released here in the future will help clarify and clear up what’s going on in Imperial County,” he said.

Scott said that outside of journalists, the public has access to this type of information, and citizens have the right to request them.

As the parties move forward, and more documents are released, Loy hopes that the case will resolve itself, and no further actions are needed.

“Technically the government has, I think 30 days from when the complaint is formally served to file a formal answer. We may potentially extend that time if things are moving in a positive direction,” Loy said.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local welding program will be taking part in a major welding education initiative. 

“Weld Like a Girl” is among 76 schools from 26 states chosen by Airgas for the 2026 academic year.

Shanen Aranmor, owner of Weld Like a Girl, said many participants have pursued welding careers.

“Some of them have chosen welding. We’ve got several people who have gone on full-ride scholarships to pipeline welding schools and now they’re working in the industry. We have other people that are trying to figure out how to navigate their path,” she explained.

The Airgas national welding program has empowered over 16,000 students from more than 190 schools nationwide.

Weld Like a Girl is an empowerment project that makes welding accessible to everyone in the community.

“We really try to be as inclusive as possible. Welding is one of the vehicles you can use for empowerment, even if you’re not trying to teach someone a trade, just teach them that they can do something that they think they couldn’t do,” Aranmor said.

The program teaches community members of all ages, even elementary students.

Third grader Luna said, “My favorite part is having fun and like making stuff.”

Teaching the younger generation to weld is important for the future of the trade.

William Crittenden of Weld Like a Girl explained, “It’s extremely important now because the shift is a lot of older welders, tradesmen in general who have been in the industry for years and years, are starting to retire and there’s no one to fill those positions. Within the next few years we are going to have a huge gap of trained professionals and it’s going to impact just about everything in the economy.”

Skilled tradesworkers are the backbone of the economy and society, responsible for building many things we use every day.

For more information on how to get involved in welding programs, you can visit the Weld Like a Girl website.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Opening statements began Wednesday in the trial of a Yuma man accused of shooting another man during a neighborhood confrontation on October 24th, 2024.

25-year-old Gabriel Taddei is facing two count of aggravated assault, including use of a deadly weapon, in connection to the shooting near County 12th Street and East 40th Place.

During opening statements, Taddei’s defense acknowledged he approached the victim with a gun, but argued he acted in self-defense.

Defense attorney, Joshua B. Tesoriero, claims Taddei had been run over during the encounter and feared for his life.

“It wasn’t just a random evening on October 24th, that Gabe decided he saw [name of victim] and he wanted to shoot him,” Tesoriero said.

However, prosecutors pained a different picture. Saying the incident began when the victim drove to his girlfriend’s home.

“The night of October 24th, 2024. [name of victim] drove over to his girlfriend’s house to check on his cats that were there,” Cameron Curtis, Deputy County attorney, said. “And he didn’t even make it out of his car.”

The defense pushed back, arguing the shooting was not random and emphasized their claim of self-defense.

According to the state, Taddei approached the victim’s vehicle and fired a shot through the windshield, striking him in the shoulder and fracturing his right arm.

The victim, who was a 29-year-old man at the time of the shooting, was taken to Onvida Health and treated for the injuries he sustained during the shooting.

Prosecutors also described video evidence they say shows the moments leading up to the shooting, including the victim attempting to back away from the confrontation.

“You get a chance to see that. You can see [name of victim] car back up as he tries to get away,” Curtis said. “You see the car door open, right. And you see that gunshot go right through the window of his car.”

Jury selection took place Tuesday, and there are six additional dates set.

KYMA will keep you updated as the trial progresses over the next several weeks.

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Lynette Niebla

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – As Imperial County temperatures climb to triple-digits, so do electricity bills, taking a toll on local families and business.

The hottest summer months are just around the corner, but now, community members can breathe a sigh of relief.

This year, customers of the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) will receive an approximate 12% of bill credits refunded on their 2026 monthly electricity bills.

“The credit is going to be from June to September but our customers will see it from July to October because our billing system is always a month behind,” said Moises Cardenas, Public Information Officer for IID. “Different customers will see different savings depends on their usage.”

Under this plan, approved by the District Board of Directors on Tuesday, roughly $48.4 million, that was saved in 2025, will be distributed to customers.

“What we like to say is that it was more collection in 2025. So, after getting that number, the board decided to give that money back to the customers to make sure it’s back in the customers pockets,” Cardenas shared.

2025 was a lower-than-expected cost year. That’s due to cooler temperatures, reduced customer demand, and decreased fuel and purchased power expenses.

It’s not the first time we see this action be taken by the IID. Just last year, summer bill reductions were put in place by an $81 million allocation. 

“This is the second consecutive year that this is coming out. Our IID Board is working on a plan so that it can automatically happen to bill credits to customers without waiting for a board action,” Cardenas expressed.

In the meantime, in order to continue seeing reduced prices in your electricity bills, Cardenas suggests other ways you can save.

“The easy ones are not to be using power during peak times from 4 to 9 p.m. Don’t use your laundromat, set your AC at 78 degrees. However, especially for low-income customers, it’s also very important to look into our other programs,” he explained.

IID offers a multitude of programs that customers can apply for to receive other types of discounts on their monthly bill. 

To learn more about this, click here.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Bitcoin ATM machines or kiosks are popping up at more and more convenience stores and gas stations.

The ATMs are an easy way to buy and sell crypto, but scammers have found there’s also a way to take thousands from unsuspecting consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission says during the first half of 2024, the average loss people reported was $10,000.

Much of the money is taken through “imposter” scams. Scammers call and pretend to be a government official with a fake citation or something you owe.

They could pretend to be your bank with a security issue that requires you take money out of your account and deposit it in a new, clean account. Scammers could use the old “tech” scam and notify you that there’s a virus on your computer only they can solve, if you call them.

In most cases, they lead you to a nearby Bitcoin ATM, tell you to pay the fine or deposit the money there. That money ends up in the scammers account.

Bitcoin ATMs allow speedy, anonymous cash-to-crypto transactions that are irreversible and are very hard to trace.  There have been few if any regulations to stop it.

States like Arizona and California are changing that.

Arizona now requires the ATMs to have warning signs. Daily deposits are capped at $2,000 for new users. If you’ve been scammed and report it within 30 days, you can get a refund. Check out the Arizona Attorney General’s crypto ATM/kiosk regulations HERE.

California requires warning signs and limits all daily deposits to $1000. Check all of the California Attorney General’s crypto ATM/kiosk regulations HERE.

If you’re told to withdraw cash and deposit it in one of these ATMs, it’s a scam. No legitimate person will ask you to pay a debt or fix a problem by putting money in these ATMs.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) always advises never responding to texts, computer pop-ups or calls.  If you’re told there’s a problem with an account, like your bank, only go into your account to check and communicate.

Also, don’t answer any calls that aren’t in your contacts. Important people will leave messages while scammers will not.

Check out all the latest scams and tell us what you’re seeing through the BBB Scam Tracker.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Fort Yuma Rotary Club is encouraging local high school seniors to submit their applications before time runs out for its annual scholarship program. The scholarship aims to help students pursue college or trade school opportunities.

The scholarship provides financial assistance to graduating seniors while also recognizing academic achievement and community involvement.

Club members say the goal is to invest in students who demonstrate both strong performance in school and a commitment to serving the community.

“Our goal is to have at least one recipient from every high school here in town,” Brendon Evans, the Fort Yuma Rotary Club Scholarship Chair, said. “Plus, we’re also hoping to get at least one recipient for the charter schools and or home school sector also because we know there is a decent community of that here in town too.”

Applications are currently being accepted, but the deadline is quickly approaching. Students interested in applying must submit their materials by Saturday, April 25.

The Fort Yuma Rotary Club says the scholarship program is part of its ongoing commitment to supporting local youth, investing in the future workforce and leadership of the community.

To apply for the scholarship, click here.

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