Public Safety · Imperial County
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved a Local Emergency proclamation on Tuesday, October 13, following Tropical Storm Rachel's weekend impact. Deputy Chief Cedric Cesena reported multiple rescues across the county, including locating two missing individuals north of Plaster City after at least 16 hours and supplying 750 gallons of water to roughly 20 stranded residents in Ogilby. A breach at the West Side Main Canal released substantial water, with the Imperial Irrigation District working on repairs. In Brawley, increased flows on the New River raised concerns for Eager Park and Cattle Call Park and Arena, with an estimated 12-inch water-level rise and about 1,500 acres of farmland saturated; heightened levels were expected to persist for approximately five days.
Local Business · Imperial County
The Imperial Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce is seeking six local businesses for a Haunted House Booth Competition on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at Westmorland City Park (201 S. F St.), starting at 6 p.m., with registration closing Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. The California Energy Commission has launched a $5 million Food Production Investment Program offering grants of $2.5 million to $5 million for energy efficiency and decarbonization projects at food processing and postharvest facilities across Imperial County. Arizona State University researchers are surveying Imperial County farmers on water access, land-use pressures, and agricultural decision-making in the Colorado River Delta region. The Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association, with the Imperial County Farm Bureau, launched a voluntary Produce Pinning Map on Google Maps to help growers coordinate field usage with sheepherders.
Community News · Imperial County
The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors approved take-or-pay relief periods for 2026 agricultural water users under Section 8.1 of the district's Equitable Distribution Plan, allowing up to 7% of accepted apportionments (averaging 0.40 acre-feet per acre) to be offered through the Clearinghouse during designated late-2026 periods. Separately, the Brawley Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint Friday, Oct. 16, from 8 p.m. to midnight at an undisclosed city location, funded by a Cannabis Tax Fund Grant. Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez (R-Indio) hosts two free community events in Brawley on Oct. 16: a morning coffee at Cafecito Bar and an evening town hall at the American Citizens Club. The First United Methodist Church of El Centro will hold its Paws and Claws Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring pet adoptions, live music, and free hot dogs for the first 50 attendees.
Public Safety · Imperial County
The Imperial County District Attorney's Office has secured a $212,500 grant from Sun Community Federal Credit Union to fund a three-year deployment of an AI-powered criminal investigative platform by Closure Intelligence, Inc., effective Oct. 6, 2026 through Oct. 5, 2029. The software will transcribe, translate, organize, and analyze case evidence including police reports, jail communications, search warrant returns, and scanned files for deputy district attorneys. DA George Marquez arranged the private funding partnership to bypass county fiscal constraints, and the Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved the agreements. The technology rollout complements recent staffing additions, including four new paralegals and a post-bar law clerk program.
Community News · Calexico, CA
Linda Lara-Jacobo, an SDSU Imperial Valley assistant professor in public health based in Calexico, was named one of Latino Leaders magazine's 101 Most Influential Latinos of 2026 in the science category. Her recognition highlights her environmental health and toxicology research focused on the Imperial Valley–Mexicali borderlands, including studies of water quality in the Tijuana River and New River. Lara co-founded SDSU's Binational Border Research Lab for Environmental Health and collaborates with researchers at Mexico's Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC). She also recently received the American Association for the Advancement of Science's 2026 Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science.
