Category: kyma-local-news

Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The man who was arrested for robbery, posted bail and was then arrested again as he was leaving jail appeared in court Wednesday in Imperial County.

24-year-old Emmanuel Javier Contreras faced a judge, alongside his co-defendants, in a violent robbery case, which left the victim hospitalized.

According to the complaint, Contreras, Elijah Roberts and Ernest Martinez used a handgun while allegedly committing the crime, which is a felony in the state of California.

Contreras was also arrested with resisting arrest.

The cases were combined and the preliminary hearing has continued for later this month.

“In the interest of judicial economy, the three of us who represent the three co-defendants, who came in earlier to the case, agreed to continue the preliminary hearing,” said Veronica Henderson, defense attorney.

The suspects are due back in court next Wednesday. To read the complaint in full, see attached file.

05062026_Complaint_Download

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Fort Yuma Quechan Fashion Show is happening next month, and the Yuma community is invited to attend.

The fashion show, happening Saturday, June 20, 2026, at the Paradise Event Center, located at 450 Quechan Drive in Yuma, at noon.

Courtesy: Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe

During the event, there will be food and drink vendors, raffles, designer showcases, live music and entertainment and more.

The fashion show will go until 5 p.m. For a complete schedule of events, see attached image below.

Courtesy: Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe

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Marcos Icahuate

WINTERHAVEN, Calif. (KYMA) – A walk to bring awareness is planned to be held locally.

The 1st Annual Mental Health is Real Awareness Walk will be on May 27 at Quechan Diabetes Walking Park (401-483 Quechan Road).

Hosted by grief coach Kelley Hammond and clinical counselor Sarah Chavez, the event is meant to bring awareness about mental health.

The free event will also include free food and raffles.

The walk is planned to last one mile.

Sign ups start at 5:30 p.m.

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Dillon Fuhrman

SALTON CITY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) has conducted an investigation after finding a body in Salton City.

According to a press release, ICSO was called to the area of Plaza and Panorama Avenue Sunday before 8 a.m.

Upon arrival, ICSO says deputies found the body and “noted the scene to be suspicious in nature,” prompting them to call their Investigations, Scientific Investigations and Coroner’s Units, who then took over the investigation.

ICSO says the victim was identified as 34-year-old Pedro Montes Jr. of Salton City, and says next of kin was notified.

The investigation is ongoing, and ICSO says no further information will be shared at this time “to ensure the integrity of the case.”

If anyone has information regarding the case, call 442-265-2046.

ICSO_Press Release_Homicide InvestigationDownload

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NBC News

(NBC, KYMA) – Oscar-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning singer Cher turns 80-years-old Wednesday.

Cher was born Cheryl Sarkisian in El Centro, California in 1946. She left school and home at age 16, taking acting classes and dancing in nightclubs for money.

Cher became a star through her singing, ultimately recording number one hits in seven different decades, with songs like “I Got You Babe,” “Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves,” “Strong Enough,” “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Believe.”

She then lit up the silver screen, winning an Oscar for her performance in 1987’s “Moonstruck,” where she co-starred with Nicolas Cage.

On TV, Cher hosted a popular variety show with her then-husband Sonny Bono called the “Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” that ran for three years in the 1960s, earning her a Golden Globe Award.

With all her accomplishments, Cher has become an American icon like unlike any other.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – As college students gear up for a new school year with tuition payments and supply purchases, it’s also a good time to stay alert to common scams targeting students.

Understanding how these schemes work can help students protect their finances and personal information.

Whether you are starting school away from home or have young students who may be vulnerable to such scams, BBB recommends watching out for these financial scams before heading into the new semester:

Impostor scams. Impostor scams can take on many forms. One tactic used to get a student’s personal information is a phishing email that claims to be from the school’s “Financial Department.” Messages via text or email may appear, instructing the student to click on a link provided in the email and log in with a student username and password. If a student follows these instructions, the username, password, and other personal information could be given to scammers.

Fake credit cards. Offers to apply for your first credit card are tempting to many students. Not only could this create credit problems down the road due to unchecked spending, but some deals could be phony offers designed to access personal information. Research the offers from the credit card flyers and the banking institutions before applying. Review the BBB tip on credit card scams.

Too-good-to-be-true apartment listings. It’s hard not to jump on a convenient apartment so close to campus, especially if it advertises affordable rent. It’s tempting to hand over credit card information online to lock in a great spot, but it’s always worth seeing the apartment in person before a money transfer. This also applies to Craigslist and social media ads appearing to be from other students looking for roommates. Read more about rental scams.

Identity theft. It’s a good idea to start practicing healthy money habits, and one such habit is regularly checking your credit report for unusual activity and possible identity theft fraud. The official government website to do this for free is annualcreditreport.com. Read BBB’s article on how to know if someone stole your identity.

Scholarship and grant scams. Be wary of phone calls from companies guaranteeing they can help reduce loan payments or offer a hefty grant. Searching the company’s name online could bring up scam alerts or negative reviews from other consumers. Read reviews and complaints about the company at BBB.org and contact the school’s financial aid office for advice and help regarding financing your education. Scholarship scams can affect college students even after graduation. Read our tips on scholarship scams.

Check your student loan options only through your Federal Student Aid account at studentaid.gov.

Test preparation scams. Scammers pretend to be companies that can help students pass exams, but once students correspond with the company, the scammers use the messages to blackmail the students into sending funds out of fear of being expelled for cheating. Always read reviews on BBB.org and visit BBB’s Scam Tracker to look up a potential scam.

As tech-savvy as current college students can be, a surprising number of scams reported to BBB’s ScamTracker are from students who learned their lesson too late. One of the best ways to protect your personal information and finances is to stay alert and aware of new scams. Use BBB’s Scam Tips to learn the latest scam trends and read local reports of specific incidents.

File a complaint with the California Attorney General’s Office and Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Always read reviews on BBB.org and visit BBB’s Scam Tracker. More scam warnings at joeknowsbetter.com.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Students at Valley Horizon Elementary School in Yuma recently stepped into a new kind of classroom experience through a virtual reality field trip program created by Arizona nonprofit organization Act One.

The program combines technology and education to expose students to art and culture in an interactive way.

Using virtual reality headsets, students were able to experience a 360 degree visual and audio journey designed to immerse them in art and creativity. Teachers say the experience connects with students because it uses technology they are already familiar with and enjoy.

“Technology is something that our kids understand,” said Eloisa Arviso, a teacher at Valley Horizon Elementary School. “They’re surrounded by it, so it’s a way we can bring the outside world to them in a way that they understand and that they like.”

Students shared excitement about the experience and what they learned from it.

“It was cool. I really liked it. I learned a lot,” one student said.

Another student explained the lesson they took away from the virtual experience, saying, “It doesn’t matter what you paint as long as you express your true self and express your feelings.”

Arviso said the program provides opportunities students may not otherwise have because of school budget cuts.

“We no longer have access to art and music the way we used to before,” Arviso said. “That is why I contacted Act One for this experience.”

The virtual reality field trip experience, also known as Arts Immersion, is designed to provide access to students regardless of income level or geographic location.

The nonprofit organization travels to schools throughout Arizona, often focusing on Title I schools that may not have art programs or access to advanced technology.

“Act One’s main goal is to make art accessible,” said Sydney Ruby, an Act One virtual reality specialist. “One of our biggest ways of doing that is through our virtual reality experience where we travel to schools all throughout the state and bring the experience to the kids.”

The program launched in 2021 and has since reached nearly 50,000 students across Arizona.

Ruby said the experience is meant to inspire students and encourage them to pursue their goals.

“I think it mainly inspires them to pursue their dreams and really learn that even though the doors may not be open for them now, there is a way for them to open them themselves,” Ruby said.

Teachers and organizers say the program continues to resonate with students by exposing them to artists and ideas they can connect with personally while encouraging creativity and self expression.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma’s spring melon season is facing a significant agricultural challenge this year as an early and aggressive virus outbreak spreads through local fields, threatening cucurbit crops across the region.

Agricultural experts say unusually warm winter temperatures are largely to blame, creating ideal conditions for virus-carrying pests to survive and multiply earlier than normal.

According to experts with the University of Arizona Yuma County Cooperative Extension, the region also did not experience a hard frost this season, something that typically helps eliminate harmful insects and reduce plant disease pressure heading into spring.

Christopher Detranaltes, a plant pathology associate with the University of Arizona Yuma County Cooperative Extension, said the lack of a hard freeze has had a direct impact on crop health and virus spread.

“The problem with that is that the earlier that the infections occur on the melons, the harder it is for that plant to put on sugar, and so it’s going to be very difficult to get sweet melons this year. There’s no cure for a viral infection on melons. The best thing that can be done is preventative measures,” Detranaltes said.

With fewer natural temperature controls this winter, silverleaf whiteflies have thrived in the region. These insects are a known vector for plant viruses and are now spreading infection through melon fields much earlier in the growing season than typically seen.

The outbreak is primarily impacting cucurbit crops, which include cantaloupes and other melon varieties grown throughout Yuma’s agricultural fields.

Experts say the timing of infection is especially critical, as earlier transmission limits the plant’s ability to properly develop sugars, potentially affecting both crop quality and yield.

They emphasize that prevention and early management remain the most effective tools available to growers, as there is no cure once a melon plant is infected with the virus.

The Yuma Plant Health Clinic at the Yuma Agricultural Center continues to offer diagnostic services to help growers identify virus activity and manage pest pressure as the season continues.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The trial of a Yuma man who shot a man in a neighborhood is being retried after a hung jury.

On Tuesday, the defendant, 25-year-old Gabriel Taddei, was back in court for a retrial. Taddei was accused of shooting the 29-year-old victim back in October of 2024.

The defendant was offered a plea deal, but rejected it and the trial is moving forward.

Jury selections are being decided.

Taddei will face charges again of aggravated assault with a firearm and aggravated assault.

We will have a camera in the courtroom and will keep you updated as the trial unfolds. 

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Jessamyn Dodd

EDITOR’S NOTE: In a previous version of this article, we wrote that the Board of Supervisors will vote again on the lot merger needed for the proposed data center. They have not determined that a vote will occur.

Chairwoman Peggy Price gave direction to CEO staff to bring back Data Center Guidelines for consideration by the Board of Supervisors on June 2.

Supervisor Maria Cardenas-Singh requested to bring a Resolution on June 2 regarding putting in safeguards when talking about large scale projects to include the Date Center. (Board member Reports/Announcement).

Supervisor Escobar, requested modifications to Board Rules relating to the order the Board may bring an action back to the Board (under item 17).

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial County Board of Supervisors continues to hear public comments on a planned data center.

Several residents stepped up to the podium during the public comments part of the meeting Tuesday to voice their concerns over the data center.

Some called for transparency, while others demanded action.

One resident pointed to a recent environmental study by Next Ten, an organization focused on environmental studies that highlight’s the County’s water scarcity and long term sustainability.

“The Imperial Valley is 3.8 out of five in vulnerability. 3.8 and we’re five out of five in water scarcity. Bringing a data center in is the worst possible thing you can think of,” said Jake Tison, an Imperial County resident.

These issues are expected to return in future meetings as community pressure grows.

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