Local Politics · Imperial County
At its Tuesday, October 27 meeting, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors received a Surface Mining Reclamation Act update from Benchmark Consultant principal Bruce Steubing and Director of Planning and Development Services Jim Minnick. The county oversees more than 30 surface mines producing sand, gravel, gypsum, and gold across all four corners of the county. Steubing reported that the abandoned Picacho gold mine is in forfeiture proceedings after operators failed to file required reports following a 2021 notice of violation, and that the Western Mesquite gold mine is amending its reclamation plan to include additional claim areas east of Highway 78. Action items on these mines are expected to return to the Board before year's end.
Local Business · El Centro, CA
The Center for Business Advancement programs of Southwestern College is coordinating a Small Business Expo on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the MLK Pavilion, 770 Park Avenue, El Centro. The event connects local entrepreneurs with corporate buyers, government procurement representatives, commercial lenders, and regional business support organizations including the San Diego & Imperial SBDC Network, the APEX Accelerator, and the Women's Business Center. Panel discussions will focus on securing city, state, and federal government contracts, accessing capital, and obtaining small business financing. Registration is open online at bit.ly/SBXImperial2026.
Community News · El Centro, CA
The City of El Centro is seeking residents, business owners, property managers, and community leaders to join a working group advising staff on the Heart of El Centro Master Plan; interested participants must submit an online interest form by Nov. 12, 2026. Separately, registration opened Sept. 1 for the Dirtdevils I.V. Community Baseball Club's specialized program for children ages 3 to 16 with Down syndrome, autism, and other disabilities, running Jan. 4 through June 2027 in Imperial or El Centro. The Imperial Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce presented Edgar Macias with its October 2026 STAR Award at the Imperial Valley Mall on Thursday for community outreach through programs including "Yo También Canto" and "Yo También Canto Kids."
Community brief · Brawley, CA
Brawley placed 11th among 336 California cities in Maison Law's newly released California Halloween Safety Index, earning a Danger Score of 4.76 and becoming the only Imperial County municipality to land in the Top 25. The study evaluated population-adjusted crash and crime data across five factors: seasonal crashes, alcohol-involved seasonal crashes, pedestrian-involved seasonal crashes, multi-year crash rates, and October violent and property…
Community brief · El Centro, CA
Imperial Valley Advanced Imaging (IVAI) has opened a new outpatient diagnostic imaging center at 1500 S. Imperial Avenue in El Centro, offering X-ray, ultrasound, and DEXA bone-density imaging to patients across the Imperial Valley. The facility, led by Chief of Operations Rojian Lira and Medical Director/CEO Dr. Sohaib Tariq, reports it has been operational for approximately two weeks and is actively enrolling new clients. IVAI accepts self-pay…
