Category: kyma-local-news

Connor Emery

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma City Council is holding a meeting Wednesday evening, taking on the topic of biosolids.

City Council members will discuss biosolids removal with a potential contract renewal at AgTech.

Biosolids has been a growing concern in the community, with some residents wanting AgTech to stop operating in Yuma.

Tyler Woodman, the owner of Lemon Grove, posted to social media, urging residents to attend the meeting to make their voices heard.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) is conducting an impaired driving enforcement detail during the Labor Day weekend.

In a press release, the enforcement detail will take place from Friday, September 4, to Monday, September 7.

YPD said officers will be patrolling the streets of Yuma looking to stop and arrest drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In addition, YPD said they will “actively enforce traffic laws, get impaired drivers off the road, raise public awareness about the dangers of impaired driving, and” save more lives on the roadways.

YPD also recommends those celebrating Labor Day weekend to follow the following steps:

Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin!

Before drinking, please designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.

If you’re impaired, use a taxi, Uber, or call a sober friend or family member.

If you happen to see an impaired driver on the road, don’t hesitate to call 911.

In addition, if you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

To learn more about this, read the press release below.

Labor Day DUI Detail 2026Download

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Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – An Imperial County student is facing multiple charges after police said he was caught with illegal items on school grounds.

Authorities said 18-year-old Rashaan Sanders had ammunition and cannabis on campus.

Sanders is charged with felony possession of ammunition, as well as felony possession of a large-capacity magazine.

He also faces misdemeanor charges for possession of ammunition on school grounds and possession of cannabis.

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Jessamyn Dodd

CALIPATRIA, Calif. (KYMA) – A man was arrested for allegedly stealing a vehicle early Tuesday morning.

According to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO), deputies spotted a vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 111, near English Road in Niland, before 5 a.m.

ICSO said deputies conducted a license plate check which confirmed the vehicle was stolen, prompting them to perform a traffic stop, but the vehicle did not stop, leading to a chase.

The vehicle eventually pulled into a Circle K gas station in Calipatria, where the driver, identified as a 19-year-old man from Chiriaco Summit, California, was arrested, ICSO said.

The driver was then booked into the Imperial County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and failing to stop to an emergency vehicle.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – A program in Imperial County is helping law enforcement better communicate with residents who have autism, anxiety, or other communication challenges.

The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) rolled out the Blue Envelope Program in 2024. The program is designed to make encounters safer and less stressful.

Participants can keep important documents inside the blue envelope, along with information about their communication or sensory needs.

The blue envelope, lanyard, bracelet, sticker, or pin, alerts law enforcement that a person may need more support or accommodations during interactions.

The program is free and voluntary, and does not create a registry.

It is already being implemented in surrounding counties like San Diego and Riverside.

Blue Envelope packets are available through ICSO in El Centro, as well as police locations in Holtville, Brawley, and Winterhaven.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – So what are the biggest scams taking the most money right now?

We took their BBB Scam Tracker complaints for one recent month, crunched the numbers and found a lot of people losing a lot of money.

Most common scams: Online purchases/counterfeit products. Scammers fake legitimate brands, offer high end goods at big discounts.

Protect yourself by checking business names at bbb.org and run an online complaint search before buying. Better yet, stick with known stores.

Also common, phishing scams. Don’t click on urgent links. If it’s a bank security issue or charge you don’t recognize, only contact through your account.

Those were the most common scams, but these took the most money.

Investment scams, #1 by far. Scammers contact through accidental text messages or social media and build trust over time before introducing fake cryptocurrency or gold futures trading platforms where the victim’s money is taken.

Don’t know the person? Never trust them with your bank information.

Other big money taking scams we’re seeing, online purchases and home improvement-upfront money scams.

Go to bbb.org to check out contractors before hiring, and if there’s high pressure to get your money now, take a step back.It’s usually a scam.

BBB’s most recent Riskiest Scam Report takes an in-depth look at the biggest scams overall and how to avoid them: https://bbbmarketplacetrust.org/riskreport/

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

Check out BBB scam warnings at joeknowsbetter.com.

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Connor Emery

El Centro, Calif. (KYMA) – “The early bird gets the worm.” That is what the Southwest Eagles are living by as they continue to reshape their football program.

While most high schools kids are sleeping this early, the Eagles are beating the heat and their recent struggles.

Coach Bo Seibel continues to reshape the program and has higher expectations for his team this season.

“We want to win games. That’s not been a thing here for a little bit. But we saw it week one. One thing our team is always going to bring is we got heart. You know we’re not always going to be the biggest team we’re not going to be the strongest team, but I promise you’re going to have the most heart and can win a lot of games with heart and discipline,” Seibel said.

Southwest won their season opener for the first time since 2017 but that’s just the beginning says senior Adrian Jauregui.

“Everyone wants to win right so I feel like that’s what we want to do especially coming off that two and eight season we’re hungry for some wins. We’re trying to win the league this year so I feel like we could do this with the team we have we’re capable of doing that,” Jauregui said.

This is year two under coach Seibel, and he is bringing more discipline and energy to the squad.

“We got the guys rolling right after last season. So we started off the season weight training in November. In the beginning we had to fight some numbers after a couple weeks. We had up to about 50 guys in there so we’ve been training, we’ve been working since last November and then we’re a 365 year program,” Seibel said.

“So we give them a couple weeks off here and there but we went all the way through until spring ball and then spring ball to summer and then summer to here so the guys have been putting in work they’ve been showing up.”

Early morning practices can be good wake up calls for the players.

For senior wide receiver Leonardo Valenzuela, he’s making every moment count.

“It’s been going great. You know we’ve been practicing putting in a lot of work. For preparations, I’ve been taking every single rep and practice seriously and I focus on the little things,” Valenzuela said.

A new season can also bring lots of challenges. Jauregui says though coach Seibel is a lot more tough on the field, it has made him want to be a better person off the field. 

“It got a lot harder. He got more on us because he believes us, he loves us. That’s his way of showing love to push to our limits to become winners in not just a football game, but in life.”

Southwest starts the season 1-1 but they look ahead of their week three matchup against Central in the El Centro City Championship on Friday.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Arizona farmers are facing a growing threat from the diamondback moth, a destructive pest that can damage broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other brassica crops across the state.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture has implemented mandatory inspection requirements for transplants entering Arizona as officials work to prevent infestations from spreading to local fields.

The pest has been detected as a concern in Yuma, Maricopa and La Paz Counties. Its larvae can chew irregular holes into plant leaves, tunnel into crop heads and stunt plant growth, potentially reducing both crop quality and marketable yields.

Agricultural officials say out-of-state transplants can serve as a pathway for the pest to enter Arizona.

Under Administrative Order 2603, transplants must be inspected by California authorities within 24 hours before leaving the state.

Once the plants arrive in Arizona, growers must immediately notify the Arizona Department of Agriculture to arrange a second inspection.

Where growers are located determines which state office they should contact. Producers in Yuma County and southern La Paz County should work with the Yuma County Office for their required arrival inspections.

Growers in Maricopa County and northern La Paz County are directed to contact the department’s Phoenix office.

Officials say following the new inspection requirements is critical to preventing the diamondback moth from becoming established in Arizona’s agricultural fields.

The goal is to protect the state’s brassica crops, which include vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, and help limit the economic impact of the pest on Arizona growers.

Farmers and growers can find additional information about Administrative Order 26-03 and inspection requirements here.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – YCAT is giving riders a chance to help the community while getting a free ride.

Through Saturday, September 5, riders can pay their YCAT fare with a canned food donation benefiting the Yuma Community Food Bank.

The “One Can, One Ride” promotion is part of Hunger Action Month.

YCAT says even a small donation can make a difference when the community comes together.

Riders can bring one can for each ride. There is no limit on how many cans they can donate.

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Connor Emery

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The co-founder and president of a local car club passed away recently after battling cancer.

Gill Ruiz, 63, brought a lot of history to the community as he was a well-known figure for car shows. 

Ruiz was the co-founder and president of Mi Vida Car Club. He was a beloved man in the club and also among the community.

Club Vice President Conrad “Lefty” Robles knew Ruiz for over 30 years and says everyone was impacted by Gill.

“We all had such a close connection to him whether we knew him for 30 plus years or you met him just a couple years ago. He just had that kind of an impact on people. All around, just a great person. Anybody who met him had walked away with something from him and that’s why right now, it’s a very difficult time for all of us,” Lefty said.

The car club was originally founded in Globe, Arizona, but Ruiz moved to Yuma to build the club there.

Robles also says Ruiz brought the club to life.

“In the words of our founder Anthony: He gave it the name, but Gill gave it the fame because Gill’s dedication to the club is unmatched. It’s something that he just dedicated his whole life to,” Robles said.

For member Robert Sanchez, he only knew Ruiz for a short period before passing away, but said Ruiz was a huge impact on him despite being a new member.

“Right away, we kicked it off. It was like an older brother that you never had. He made you feel welcome. He made you feel at home, he made you feel inclusive, included in whatever it was you were doing,” Sanchez said.

Robles and Sanchez also shared the biggest lessons Ruiz left for them.

“The biggest lesson that I learned from him is his leadership style. I mean, he would go out to all the car shows all over the southwest from San Diego to Tucson. I mean, he traveled a lot,” Sanchez said.

“I say his kindness because he had this way of teaching you without teaching you just by example leading and without you, even knowing, even though after he’s gone, he left certain things in order so that we are able to do better and grow from it,” Robles said.

Mi Vida and other car clubs in the state will do a final ride this Saturday by the old K-Mart to honor Ruiz’s life.

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