Category: kyma-local-news

Lynette Niebla

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Local candidates for the Imperial County Board of Supervisors are holding their breath as election results continue to trickle in.

With ballots still being tallied, the outcomes of these high-stakes local races remain entirely up in the air. 

In the District 1 race, candidate Enrique Alvarado is riding a wave of early optimism. While he currently leads the pack, Alvarado is stopping short of celebrating just yet.

He noted that his phone has been ringing non-stop with calls from eager supporters.

“A lot of people have been reaching out within the community and congratulating me,” Alvarado said. “Being the way that I am, I still let them know that I’m still waiting for the results and hopefully that we get that 50%. If not, then we are ready for November also.”

Alvarado’s campaign focused heavily on promises to tackle local infrastructure, incoming data centers, and Calexico healthcare. While he is prepared for a potential November runoff, he is ultimately keeping his eyes on a January swearing-in to begin delivering on those plans.

“Hopefully when the day comes when I get to be sworn in…I will be out in the community speaking to people and meeting with people and ensuring that the district is represented,” Alvarado added.

Meanwhile, District 5 is turning into a tense waiting game. Incumbent John Hawk was seen putting up “Thank You” signs for his voters, fighting hard to retain his seat on the county board.

Hawk credits his strong, lifelong ties with the residents of Holtville for helping him secure his early lead.

“I think the other cities when they understand the relationship we have with people you’ve known all your life, they say, ‘You know, if he’s respected there, he’s probably respected here,'” Hawk said.

Like Alvarado, Hawk hopes his early lead will cross the fifty percent plus one threshold required to win the seat outright. However, if the margins do not hold, he expressed total confidence in moving forward to a runoff. He also shared mutual respect for his challengers.

“My two opponents are pretty good to work with, honestly,” Hawk noted. “We get along, we chat, and I think whoever wins, we’re going to support one another.”

Hawk’s campaign has focused heavily on bettering the economy, boosting infrastructure, and supporting agriculture.

Candidates on both sides remain on high alert as the Imperial County Registrar of Voters updates the tallies.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A well-known Yuma doctor is behind bars facing three felony charges, and is now part of an investigation launched by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Dr. Irfan Fazil is currently being held at the Yuma County Jail on a bond of $50 million.

He’s facing three counts:

Theft from a building or control of property

Illegal control of an enterprise

Fraudulent schemes

The charges are dated July 1, 2025.

He was booked June 3 at the Yuma County Jail. 

We reached out to the Attorney General’s Office regarding the arrest and they shared a statement with us.

“This action was taken as part of an ongoing investigation by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Dr. Fazil’s arraignment will be scheduled in the coming days,” said the Attorney General’s Office.

On his website, Doctor Fazil says he’s been in private practice at bio family clinic in Yuma for more than 15 years.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local nonprofit is giving Yuma-area teachers an opportunity to enhance their classrooms through a new community-driven grant program focused on sensory learning resources.

Strong Beginnings has opened nominations for its Sensory Classroom Community Contest, which will award funding to teachers for sensory equipment and other classroom tools that support students of all abilities.

According to the organization, the grants are made possible entirely through donations raised during its Autism Walk and contributions from local sponsors.

“This is the first community-centered grant where we’re involving the community to be able to nominate the teachers,” Mandie Gillmor, Strong Beginnings Operations Manager said. “Get involved, really rally behind and show that support.”

Community members can nominate their favorite teachers, and educators are also encouraged to nominate themselves. The goal is to help classrooms obtain resources that create more inclusive and supportive learning environments for students.

Nominations are open through June 7. After the nomination period closes, the top 15 nominees will advance to a community voting round.

Nine teachers will ultimately receive grants ranging from $400 to $1,000 to purchase sensory equipment and classroom materials.

Strong Beginnings says the program is a way to give back to local students, teachers and families while recognizing the support the nonprofit has received from the community.

More information and a link to submit a nomination can be found here.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz.(KYMA) – The Yuma Valley Aquatic Center is set to reopen this weekend.

Renovations started last November and wrapped up earlier this year, and the pool will reopen on Saturday.

We spoke with the mayor to find out what renovations were made on the pool deck.

“On the Valley Aquatic Center we were originally just redoing the plaster and fixing up some of that. As we got into it, there were some filters that needed to be replaced and a diving board and some other drain work that needed to be put in,” Mayor Douglas Nicholls of the City of Yuma said.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma man convicted of murder has been sentenced after being found guilty of multiple counts.

40-year-old Nicholas Harder has been sentenced to 71 years in prison and will serve his terms consecutively.

He was found guilty of second-degree murder as well as being found guilty on all four counts of aggravated assault.

The victim, 57-year-old Anthony Jordinelli, was found dead on the shower floor of a home east of Somerton.

The verdict comes less than a week after closing arguments took place following a weeks long trial, where several people, including Harder, gave testimonies providing details about the crime.

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Lynette Niebla

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Genaro Lemus, 23, returned to an El Centro courtroom for his third pre-trial conference.

Lemus faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the shooting death of 43-year-old Steven Angulo earlier this year.

The preliminary hearing for Lemus has been postponed yet again as his legal team navigates severe delays in receiving critical discovery documents, including missing state autopsy reports.

Defense Attorney Veronica Henderson noted that the gravity of the case requires a meticulous review of all incoming files, a process severely bottlenecked by state administrative timelines.

“Given the nature of the charges, we’re just gonna have to wait a bit longer,” Henderson said, adding that her client is experiencing growing frustration with the lack of horizontal movement in the case. “It’s not necessarily the fault of any attorney…it just isn’t there. California autopsies take forever.”

The timeline has been further complicated by recent enforcement actions. Sheriff’s deputies successfully extradited a second suspect in the case, identified as Nathan Matthew Garnica.

During the latest proceedings, the judge granted a motion to consolidate the legal tracks, agreeing to hear both Lemus and Garnica’s cases together moving forward.

The addition of the co-defendant introduces new legal angles that the defense must now actively investigate.

“It took a long time for the second defendant to be brought to our court and I have to look at that angle also,” Henderson stated.

Lemus remains held in custody behind bars on a no-bail status pending further judicial determinations.

Both Lemus and Garnica are scheduled to appear back in court together on July 8.

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Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Once again, Imperial County saw low voter turnout for the California Primary Election. The Imperial County Registrar of Voters’ website is showing a voter turnout of only 13%.

One voter says low turnout is expected in a region like the Imperial Valley, and said she dropped off her mail-in ballot at a voting center on election day to make sure her vote was counted.

“I think that it’s pretty common when to have a low voter turnout…when you don’t have like a presidential election,” Stacey Browning told KYMA.

“I do think since it’s just the primary, I think more people will come out in the actual election in November, hopefully,” she added.

As for the front runners in the Imperial Valley races and early results, Browning said said she wasn’t too surprised at the leads.

“I think that they are what I expected. Just based on all of the information that I have seen before and early polling,” Browning explained “It’s exactly how I expected it to be so far.

Our newsroom also spoke toNyah Geraldo Rutlidge, a 20-year-old local Imperial Valley College student who said the only reason she did not vote in the primary election, is because she recently moved to the Valley and is not yet registered to vote.

“I’m not currently a resident because I just moved, but I do plan on becoming a resident. I’m happy to council meetings to attend and listen, and I can’t wait to vote in the future,” she said.

Election officials encourage eligible voters to register early, stay informed about upcoming elections. 

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Yuma man will receive probation after he pled guilty for aggravated assault.

Earlier this year, 24-year-old Saul Angulo Hale was accused of hitting a victim and a light pole with his car near Gila and First Street.

Hale initially fled the scene, but turned himself in two days later.

“For the reason stated on the record it is ordered that you are placed under 36 months of probation beginning today’s date,” said Judge Claudia Gonzalez

Hale pled guilty to count one of aggravated assault after facing three separate charges of hit-and-run and criminal damage.

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Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – As temperatures rise, and grass and brush dry out, fire officials in Imperial County remind residents to take simple steps to help prevent fires this summer.

It only takes one spark to start a fast moving fire. The fire department says a small fire can double in size every minute, so leave the fireworks to the professionals.

Officials also recommend clearing dry weeds around homes, making sure campfires and fire pits are completely put out, and never leave a barbecue unattended.

“One thing we always stress is when you grill, grill 10 ft away from anything flammable, so your house, any decking, any brush, anything flammable, helps us, helps you, saves everybody in the long run,” Imperial County Fire Department (ICFD) Fire Engineer Daniel Jauregui told KYMA.

The fire department encourages residents to have an emergency bag ready to go in case of an evacuation, have a family meeting place, and test smoke alarms frequently.

“Little kids, the elderly have a meeting point out front. Out front, we always see the mailbox when we come in, we’re gonna stop somewhere where a mailbox should be, or the driveway, and we’re able to talk to somebody. ‘Hey, is everybody out of the house?’ So we say the front of the house, preferably, so we can get a head count,” Jauregui explained.

These simple steps can help you and your family stay fire safe this summer. 

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Constipation is common, but in some cases it may signal a more serious medical condition requiring emergency care.

Leala Martinez, nurse practitioner with Exceptional Community Hospital in Yuma, explains warning signs people should never ignore.

“Many cases of constipation improve with fluids, diet changes, or over the counter treatments, but severe symptoms should always be taken seriously. You should head to the emergency room if constipation is accompanied by a severe abdominal pain, vomiting, inability to pass gas, fever, abdominal swelling, blood in stool, or worsening weakness. These symptoms may be related to bowel blockage, infection, or inflammation, or other serious GI conditions,” says Martinez.

ECH Yuma is open 24/7 with low wait times. If anyone experiencing symptions of constipation, go to the ER.

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