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Lynette Niebla EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Brutal triple-digit temperatures in Imperial County are driving a severe public health crisis, pushing local emergency rooms to their limits. New data released by local health tracking systems reveals that since March, extreme environmental heat exposure has triggered 210 cumulative heat-related illness cases, leading to 206 emergency department
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Jessamyn Dodd CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County officials confirmed the first local case of huanglongbing (HLB), a destructive bacterial citrus disease, following a state-verified sample in late July. Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Rachel Garewal and Deputy Nelson Perez explain that the disease causes asymmetrical yellowing of leaves and poor fruit development. “It’s going to be
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Adrik Vargas YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Fewer migrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, but migrant deaths in the Arizona desert are increasing. According to data tracked by Humane Borders, 73 migrants have died in Arizona so far this year, including 19 in July. Humane Borders Executive Director Octavio Fontes says increased border enforcement has pushed some
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Connor Emery YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Federal officials announced over the weekend that there will be major cuts to water deliveries to the Colorado River for the next two years. The Department of Interior has approved a new plan that will reduce the water deliveries by 1.2 million acre feet each year between Arizona, California
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Andrea Turisk CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – A residential citrus tree in Calexico tested positive for an incurable plant disease. The disease is called called huanglongbing (HLB) that infects and kills all citrus tree varieties. This is the first detection of the deadly citrus tree disease in Imperial County. HLB can be spread by a small pest called
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Adrik Vargas IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Crews across Imperial County are working to repair damage left behind by storms that moved through the valley. The storms brought strong winds and heavy rain, knocking down power poles and leaving thousands without power. The storms also brought winds of up to 70 miles per hour, along
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Lynette Niebla IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Multiple bridges across Imperial County remain under a state of emergency due to compromised integrity. Local officials are aggressively pursuing an $8.5 million grant through the federal Bridge Investment Program to fund major replacements and repairs. The structural crisis is heavily impacting the community, causing restricted farming routes,
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Dillon Fuhrman IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) says they are “experiencing scattered power outages in several areas” Wednesday. In a post to Facebook, the areas include Calexico, Heber and Holtville, and said the outage is related to the “storm moving through the region.” IID said crews are responding and inspecting
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Jessamyn Dodd IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Lithium Valley is back in the spotlight Tuesday after the Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted on a program for workforce development and tax incentives. The board passed the motion on the LiNC Program 3 to 2, with Supervisors Martha Cardenas Singh and Jesus Escobar voting no. The
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Jessamyn Dodd CALIPATRIA, Calif. (KYMA) – Voters in Calipatria could soon decide the political futures of three city council members. It began when a vote to fire Calipatria City Manager Laura Gutierrez took place. It has now escalated into an effort to recall Mayor Michael Luellen and Council members Jesse Rivas and Fred Beltran. The
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Jessamyn Dodd IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – A commercial truck driver was arrested in Imperial County on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). The arrest happened this past Tuesday on Highway 111 and Schartz Road. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in El Centro, they responded after receiving reports of a reckless tractor-trailer
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Jalen Fong CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – Federal law enforcement officers seized cocaine worth more than $20 million at the Calexico Port of Entry. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said 366 packages of cocaine, weighing 1,002.13 pounds, was hidden in the floorboards of a commercial truck and attached flatbed trailer. The driver of the truck
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Jessamyn Dodd EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The City of Imperial, along with the Sierra Club sued the County of Imperial, over a proposed hyper-scale AI data center. They argued the county issued a Notice of Exemption for a grading permit before the planning commission could complete their report, and that the county illegaly approved
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Lynette Niebla IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County residents are sharing their reaction to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) signing Senate Bill (SB) 169. SB 169, which Gov. Newsom signed into law earlier this month, is to expand the state’s digital drivers license program. The bill, according to the governor’s office, is said to raise
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Jessamyn Dodd EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Residents joined in as part of a nationwide anti-data center protests Saturday in El Centro. A recent survey by Gallup shows that 48% of Americans oppose AI data centers. Protesters say this is an issue for everyone, regardless of party affiliation. “It’s definitely a nonpartisan issue. It’s going
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Lynette Niebla IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he is suing the City of Calexico. The lawsuit, in conjunction with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Newsom Administration, alleges the City of Calexico failed to comply with the state’s Housing Element Law. The Housing Element
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Jalen Fong IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – A lawsuit against a nonprofit organization accusing them of civil defamation has been dismissed Thursday in court. The Imperial County Superior Court granted a special motion, essentially dismissing a lawsuit against Comite Civico del Valle (CCV) and Luis Olmedo, its executive director. The court determined the lawsuit, filed
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Lynette Niebla IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – A tense, multi-layered contract dispute is unfolding in the Imperial Valley as newly unionized geothermal power generation workers at CalEnergy accuse their multi-billion dollar parent company of bad-faith bargaining and employee retaliation. The standoff puts front-line machinists and plant operators against BHE Renewables, a division of Berkshire Hathaway
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Lynette Niebla IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County recorded a completely clean slate in California’s latest annual hate crime audit, reporting zero bias-motivated events, offenses, victims, or suspects last year. The local data stands in sharp contrast to a complex statewide report released last week by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, which revealed a
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Lynette Niebla IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is warning Imperial County residents to prepare now for extreme weather as the summer monsoonal storm season gets underway. Officials state that severe summer weather patterns, which typically run through early September, can bring sudden risks to the region, including high winds, localized
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