Preliminary hearing for suspects tied to Jacob Sims murder underway

KYMA on February 25, 2026

Paul Vozzella

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The preliminary hearing for the suspects tied to the murder of a young man from Yuma started Wednesday.

During the hearing six defendants were in the courtroom, facing charges which include torture, murder, robbery, aggravated kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a crime.

These are all tied to the murder of 23-year-old Jacob Sims. His remains were found in Winterhaven in November of 2024.

“Today was a complete nightmare as soon as we get here to the courthouse,” said Jacob Sims’ grandmother Genia Sims.

Family members of Jacob Sims encountered issues upon arrival at the courthouse regarding clothing bearing the victim’s image.

The decision to allow such attire rests with the presiding judge at El Centro Courthouse, and Sims said she came prepared regardless of which judge was assigned to the courtroom.

“We already knew that this one judge – she doesn’t let you wear the T-shirts in the court room, and this was just the initial court appearance we had to do today,” she explained. “We were just gonna be in there for a little bit, and then they were gonna send us to a different courtroom with a different judge, and, so I had brought a zipper jacket to cover up my shirt, so that they wouldn’t see it, and then when they allowed us in the other court room to wear the shirt, then I just have to take it off. They wouldn’t even allow me to wear that jacket with the zipper.”

Proceedings were further disrupted when the hearing did not begin at its scheduled time. The session was continued to later in the day because defense counsel for all six defendants were not present in the courtroom simultaneously.

“It’s chaos in there,” said Sims. “Nobody’s ready. Nobody has their stuff together…I call it a circus act, because that’s exactly what it looks like in there. I mean, the prosecutors…they’re ready and everything – but it’s the defense attorneys that they’re just all over the place.”

Two Imperial County investigators were also called to testify. One investigator stated he responded to a report of a potential burned body.

He told the court that upon arrival he observed a fire pit that was still smoldering. He said he first saw wood in the pit and then discovered a corpse.

The hearing is scheduled to resume Thursday afternoon and is expected to run through Friday.

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Man accused of murdering missing teen appears in court in El Centro

KYMA on February 25, 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The man accused of murdering a missing teen appeared in an El Centro courthouse Wednesday.

Last week, 51-year-old Abraham Feinbloom pled not guilty in connection with the disappearance and death of 17-year-old T’neya Tovar.

Feinbloom was represented by his private attorney, Melanie Roe, who submitted a substitution of attorney to take over the case, which had previously been handled by the public defender’s office.

Judge Monica Lepe-Negrete oversaw the case and noted that multiple agencies, including the FBI may have discovery for both the District Attorney’s Office and the defense.

“It’s multi-agencies I believe, and even the FBI may have some discovery available so you all want some time to figure out your business and come back to court,” Judge Lepe-Negrete said.

Tovar’s biological father, Josh Carter, sat in the courthouse. After the hearing, he said he feels it is important to show up.

He thanked the outpouring of support from the community.

“We’re holding on as best as we can. We all holding on strong and I tell my friends and my family, and I’ll tell any of y’all, the support that I gather from y’all is what keeps me going strong and I’m here to keep y’all going strong as well,” Carter said.

Feinbloom is expected back in court on April 13.

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Imperial County Republicans hold State of the Union watch party

KYMA on February 25, 2026

Jessamyn Dodd

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – Republicans in Imperial County gathered for a watch party as President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Trump supporters met at Inferno, a bar and grill in Brawley, to socialize and mobilize for the upcoming midterms.

Attendees shared their thoughts on President Trump’s speech, which highlighted the economy, the border and election integrity.

“I think our president did a great job with the State of The Union. He talked about how he’s working really hard for the American people, bringing down inflation,” said Sayrs Morris, Secretary of the California GOP.

Trump also recognized the U.S. men’s hockey team, who were in attendance, as well as war heroes and victims of violent crime.

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ECH Yuma names winners of ‘Healthy Heart Coloring Contest’

KYMA on February 25, 2026

Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local health provider has announced the winners of an awareness campaign Tuesday.

Exceptional Community Hospital (ECH) Yuma reward three Dorothy Hall Elementary School students for their outstanding work on the “Healthy Heart Coloring Contest.”

They received baskets full of goods and sent a positive message to children.

“We have Kayla, Zaida and Gael who were the winners. The kids need to learn because when they get to be a little more mature habits already formed to understand early that how important heart health is,” said Lisa Brazeel, Marketing and Community Liasion for ECH Yuma.

ECH Yuma is planning on having similar events every month to bring awareness of healthy habits starting at a young age.

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Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend welcomes Jennifer Graham as new chief operating officer

KTVZ on February 25, 2026

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend have announced Jennifer Graham as the organization’s new chief operating officer. The organization said Wednesday that Graham will oversee club operations and programming to support safe and high-quality experiences for local youth and families.

The appointment comes as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend seeks to expand its programs and services to more youth in Central Oregon. Graham will manage the systems and staff necessary to facilitate the club’s growth in the region.

Graham is a longtime Central Oregon resident, with a background as a youth-focused nonprofit leader. A former elementary school teacher, she has experience working with families at both the classroom and systems levels. She has been recognized locally for her leadership and previous contributions to youth initiatives throughout the region.

Most recently, Graham served as youth programs manager at East Cascades Works. During her time there, she led regional initiatives that connected youth across urban, rural and tribal communities to various opportunities and support.

Graham said she looks forward to working with the local community.

“I’m honored to join Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend and support the incredible work already happening here, and I’m excited to work alongside this team and community to reach more youth and strengthen programs,” Graham said.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend CEO Michael Baker said Graham’s experience will be vital to the organization’s growth. Baker noted that the club is preparing for a period of growth and expansion into neighboring areas.

“I am so excited to work with Jennifer,” Baker said. “She brings a wealth of experience to her role and is going to be instrumental in helping our organization serve more members, more often with deeper impact. Jennifer is going to be critical to our successful expansion to other communities in Deschutes County that desperately need our services.”

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Recap of the 20th Annual Southwest Ag Summit

KYMA on February 25, 2026

Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – In this week’s Home Grown report, Yuma’s agricultural community gathered for the 20th Annual Southwest Ag Summit, a three-day event showcasing the future of farming in the desert.

The summit brought together farmers, industry leaders, and researchers to tackle the biggest challenges facing the region.

This includes labor shortages and concerns over Colorado River water levels.

Visitors experienced high-tech demonstrations like drones being used for crop dusting, and specialized machines performing precision weeding and thinning.

The event highlighted how automation is helping farmers stay efficient as traditional labor becomes scarce.

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Local environmentalists oppose Bureau of Land Management Director nominee

KESQ on February 25, 2026

Gavin Nguyen

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Environmental groups are voicing concerns over the Trump administration’s pick to lead the Bureau of Land Management.

Steve Pearce is a former representative from New Mexico and was nominated by President Trump late last year. A nomination hearing in the Senate took place early Wednesday morning, with a vote expected to take place within the next couple of weeks.

Cactus to Cloud Institute, a local nonprofit, has taken to social media to encourage followers to contact their local representatives to oppose his nomination.

In a post to Instagram, the group called Pearce an opponent of public lands, writing in part:

“The administration has nominated former New Mexico Representative and longtime public lands opponent Steve Pearce, aka Sell off Steve, as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director. Their intention could not be clearer: they are trying to accelerate the sell-off of 245 million acres of YOUR public lands.”

News Channel 3 also reached out to local representatives Raul Ruiz and Ken Calvert to learn more about what they’ve heard from constituents, and to see if they have an opinion on Pearce’s nomination. Neither representative will be involved in Pearce’s nomination, which will be handled in the Senate.

Stay with us to hear more of their thoughts and to learn more about Pearce’s history with public lands. 

If you would like to see the full archived webcast of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee’s hearing with Pearce, you can find it here, or click on the image below.

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After Recent Storm Damage, Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Crop Beginning to Enter Peak Season

KEYT on February 25, 2026

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – After sustaining damage from recent storms, the Santa Maria Valley strawberry crop is rebounding and ready to begin its all-important peak season.

“You always start off on a high note, which is we have water in the ground, water in the reservoirs, so we’ll be able to irrigate,” said Satellite Farms owner Randy Sharer, who has farmed the Santa Maria Valley for more than 40 years.

“The precipitation always helps. Rain is pH neutral, so you always begin at a balanced note within your soil profiles, so we’re really optimistic on, what the year looks like for the berry industry.”

While last week’s rain storm has helped in many ways, it also came with some negative impacts too, especially the hail that fell throughout the valley according to Sharer.

“We had, conditions at the end of last week where a hail storm came up the Santa Maria River, really affecting all the crops that we had in the ground, specifically the strawberries,” said Sharer. “Strawberries are not a fortified product. Very light damage really creates an issue, so the damage we had to strip all that fruit off and then just wait for the next push of fruit cycle to make what we can get to the market.”

Sharer indicated the storm damage pushed production at this farm back about two to three weeks.

“There’s a lot more green than reds (berries), said Sharer. “But we’re just now being at the end of February, just getting into the strawberry harvest here along the Central Coast. This is just the beginning of the season, so for the next months you will have fresh strawberries in the markets that you’ll be able to enjoy starting from us starting next week all the way through America’s 250th. By July is when we start to ramp down here along the east side of the Santa Maria Valley. We will be providing consumers with an outstanding product that will actually serve their needs.”

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Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents arrest cartel smuggling scout

KYMA on February 25, 2026

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a cartel smuggling scout last week.

According to a press release, the arrest happened Wednesday, February 18, 2026, in the Sierra Pinta Mountains, located within Yuma County, and was in coordination with Yuma Air Branch of Air and Marine Operations (AMO).

CBP says Yuma Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division were investigating cartel scouting activities responsible for the movement of undocumented migrants “through the Wellton Station area of responsibility.”

CBP also says, “Cartel scouts use vantage points to keep track of law enforcement movements,” and says with the arrest, this will interrupt the cartel’s ability to observe and monitor the movement of Border Patrol and AMO in the area.

Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

“The arrest of this dangerous smuggler is a perfect example of a unified border enforcement team working together to achieve a successful law enforcement outcome,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle. “These ruthless transnational criminal organizations have no regard for human life, and the dismantling of these cartel networks ensures a secure border that increases the safety of agents and our communities.”

While searching the area, CBP says the agents found food supplies, sustainment equipment and a solar panel that indicates an extended scouting mission.

The suspect, according to CBP, was taken to the Wellton Station to be processed, and said he will be “referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the State of Arizona for prosecution and for eventual removal proceedings.”

Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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Indianapolis man charged with 3 felonies after chase that ended in Interstate 70 crash

KMIZ on February 25, 2026

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Indianapolis man was charged Wednesday in western Missouri’s Lafayette County after a chase that ended with a crash on Interstate 70 in Cooper County.

Sawnen Wah, 18, was charged with second-degree assault on a special victim, aggravated fleeing a stop, first-degree vehicle tampering and driving without a license, a misdemeanor.

Wah was driving a Honda Civic that had been reported stolen out of Nebraska during the chase and crash, which brought traffic to a standstill in western Cooper County on Tuesday afternoon. Wah had driven away from a state trooper who tried to stop him at Oak Grove, according to a probable cause statement.

The chase reached high speeds, with Wah going nearly 100 mph after spike strips had deflated his driver’s side tires, the statement says. Wah almost lost control several times, troopers claim.

An Odessa police officer’s hand was injured by a spike strip as Wah drove through it, the statement says..

Wah lost control after hitting another spike strip near the Blackwater exit. The car rolled, and Wah was thrown from the vehicle. He was taken to University Hospital to be treated for his injuries, then taken to the Lafayette County Jail after his release late Tuesday, the statement says.

The crash stopped traffic temporarily in both directions.

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