Author: KYMA

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Crane Elementary School District has increased the amount of pay for its employees by 2%.

“To know that you are valued as a person and valued as an employee makes a great difference,” said Neomi Pharmes, a seventh grade teacher at Crane Middle School.

This brings the minimum wage from $15.00 to $15.15.

New teachers at the district can now make $61,100 their first year.

Pharmes shares what this wage increase means to her.

“With the cost of living increase and those things that are happening to us on a daily basis, that helps us. It helps let us know that you see us and hear us, and you feel the thing that we go through daily,” said Pharmes.

Sheila Mendoza, the principal at Salida Del Sol Elementary School, says this wage increase makes it easier to retain some of their best teachers.

“We know we have some great staff and some great teachers, and for us to just be able to retain them and have competitive salaries, so that we can attract and keep them here,” said Mendoza.

The better pay also allows the teachers to invest more into their students as well.

“It helps us with the rewards and the things that we want to do for the children. They do amazing jobs. When we put a high ceiling on them, they actually try to meet that high ceiling, and sometimes they emet it and exceed it,” said Pharmes.

Since 2016, the Crane School District has increased pay for educators by 53% and and 42% for other non-classroom teachers.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Make-a-Wish grants a local teen’s Can-Am wish helped grant a local student’s wish.

Yuma local Rico Montemayor was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 13-years-old.

“I went blind in my left eye in the seventh grade, so they took me to the hospital at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital to have brain surgery. After that, I had six weeks of radiation. Four weeks in, I had my second brain surgery, and that’s when they nominated me for the Make-A-Wish,” said Rico Montemayor.

Montemayor wished for a four-door Can-Am that would give him and his brothers freedom of adventure anytime they chose.

“I grew up in the counties, so off-roading was everywhere, and I loved being outdoors and to off-road, so having a Can-Am of my own is very exciting,” said Montemayor.

Make-a-Wish says this year, they are working to grant more than 475 wishes in the state of Arizona. 

“The wish is really their time to just be a kid and to get to do what they love. And for Rico, that’s riding around in a Can-Am,” said Director of Project Wishes Mathew Wall.

As part of the wish reveal, Rico and his family got to tour the Dixxon Flannel Warehouse in Phoenix and got some free clothes and as well as their brand new ride.

Montemayor says he’s thankful to Make-a-Wish grants a local teen’s Can-Am wish and the Dixxon sponsor for making his wish possible.

Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma Fire Department is looking for some much-needed help from the City of Yuma.

The department voiced their concerns at a City of Yuma work session on Tuesday night.

A third-party consultant provided an in-depth presentation on the current issues and statistics YFD is facing.

The findings addressed issues with response times, aging equipment, staffing levels, and service demands.

Third-party consultants are experts fire departments use to improve fire safety practices and compliance with regulations.

“The third-party consultant was a tool to help the city identify the needs of the fire department, help council work on their budgetary issues, and overall, I think it was a success. It helps us better serve the community and that’s what we want,” says John Dunbar, a local firefighter and Union Officer.

Over 50 firefighters were in attendance.

The firefighters believe their message was well-received by the City Council.

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A program in Yuma could help you learn more about the plants in your garden, house plants, and trees.

The Master Gardener Program allows people to do a variety of things such as harvesting food for the food bank.

Members can also help out in the community garden, and the “U-Pick” events.

Bobi Kress, local Master Gardener, shares why she enjoys the program.

“Gardening in Arizona, that’s a whole different ballgame, and I needed help and I reached out and found Master Gardeners who were kind enough to come out and go through my garden,” said Kress.

The program starts on May 22 and ends on September 4, and will be on Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Eduardo Morales

Former Grand Canyon University track and field athlete returns to help develop high school students.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Mia Corners is back in Yuma coaching Kofa High School’s track and field team after competing at the Division I level.

Corners graduated from Gila Ridge High School in 2019.

During that time, she signed on to compete in track and field for Grand Canyon University.

While at college Corners suffered some setbacks as she suffered a torn labrum and ACL.

However, she made sure to turn these negative setbacks into something positive.

“Build myself up, build myself stronger, build myself up to be more confident and give back to the people who are injured around me,” said Corners.

Her positive mindset continued to open up opportunities for her.

She was selected for an internship with the NCAA, working on developing her leadership skills.

“I was just able to like experience so many things in the world that opened my eyes and I was like, ‘Wow! There’s so much out there that’s in my reach,” said Corners.

Corners embraced her newfound knowledge and decided to share it where her career started.

She returned to Yuma last summer and landed this job, and her athletes are happy to have her.

“It feels great. Honestly man, it feels amazing ’cause she’s an excellent mentor like I said, ‘She’s helped me through a lot, not only track, but my mental too. She’s helped a lot and I’m really grateful for her,” said Kalueb Haynes, a senior at Kofa.

For Corners, being back home is where she feels she belongs.

“I really do genuinely love being around these kids whether I’m teaching or coaching and I think the impact and the difference that I know I can make,” said Corners.

While Corners hopes to lead Kofa’s track and field to success, she also hopes to inspire the athletes, as she was once in their shoes.

Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The City of El Centro hosted the annual Easter Eggstravaganza last weekend.

The City says they welcomed hundreds of families to the event, which took place April 12 at Bucklin Park.

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Children between the ages of two- and 14-years-old searched for more than 11,000 eggs during the event.

The event also had a Kids Zone, photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny, and local vendors provided food and beverages.

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

“The energy and excitement from the community was incredible,” said Mayor Pro Tem Sonia Carter. “Events like this bring people together and reflect the spirit of El Centro. I’m so proud to be part of a city that values family, tradition, and celebration.”

Adriana Nava, Community Service Director, gave praise to the staff and volunteers for putting on the event saying, “This year’s Eggstravaganza was a great success thanks to the hard work of our Parks and Recreation team. We’re thrilled to see so many smiling faces and grateful for the continued community support.”

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Dillon Fuhrman

PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY) – A Yuma man has pleaded guilty Tuesday for failure to pay employment taxes, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office District of Arizona.

The Attorney’s Office says 61-year-old Philip Kevin Clark, the owner a water company in Yuma, admitted to taking nearly $400,000 from his employees’ paychecks for taxes he failed to pay to the IRS between 2017 and 2021.

Failing to pay employment tax can have a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine.

Clark is set to be sentenced in July 2025, the Attorney’s Office says.

Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) -A Yuma man is behind bars after being linked to numerous car and house burglaries in the Fortuna Foothills.

The suspect was specifically targeting the Mesa Del Sol neighborhood.

We share why this type of activity is out of the norm for the area.

The Mesa Del Sol neighborhood which is usually a calm and peaceful part of town. The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) says that might be what compelled the suspect to try his luck.

“He was seeking easy targets. Opportunities to take items from vehicles, out of homes, and anything that was available to be taken,” says Tania Pavlak of YCSO.

The Sheriff’s Office reports that when they arrested 40-year-old Miguel Angel Soqui this past Saturday, tey discovered stolen property including the car he was driving and missing construction tools.

Regardless of how peaceful the neighborhood is, YCSO advises people to double check their belongings.

“We recommend people to make sure their vehicles are locked. Especially any type of tools, if you’re using your vehicle for any work-related matter because those items were the items that were targeted,” shared Pavlak.

One resident says he’s keeping his guard up.

Robert Torres says “I have the Ring App, and I get a lot of updates that they’ve been missing a lot tools and packages. Make sure you put them in there safe and get some cameras. They work good,”.

The Sheriff’s Office thanks the community for submitting tips that led to this successful criminal arrest.

One resident says the neighborhood has always been tight-knit.

“A lot of people that live on this street are winter visitors. When they take off, they let me know. I’m pretty cautious in the first place. It’s a great neighborhood,” RC Owen shared.

Soqui is being held at the Yuma County Jail facing more than ten felonies and a bond of $127,000.

If you were a victim or you have any information on this case call 78-crime to remain anonymous.

A man was found and suspected to have made multiple robberies in the Mesa Del Sol area, according to Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO).

YCSO says on Saturday, April 12, deputies were given a tip about a stolen vehicle and found the vehicle in the area of E. 47th Lane near E. 48th Street.

The man inside the vehicle was identified as 40-year-old Miguel Angel Soqui.

Soqui was arrested for the following, according to YCSO:

Burglary and theft

Criminal damage

Criminal trespass

Violation of parole

Possession of dangerous drug

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Possession of weapon by prohibited person

Possession of weapon in drug offense

YCSO says Soqui had stolen property for previous burglaries, including the vehicle he was in.

Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) –  It’s tax day, and with tax season upon us, so are tax scams.

“Tax scams are big right now because the deadline is here to file you taxes and scammers know that people may be panicking and try to take advantage of that,” said Joe Ducey, Better Business Bureau consumer protection expert.

Ducey says three common types of tax scams to look out for are IRS impersonation, tax identity theft, and email phishing scams.

“The first one is saying you owe a certain amount of money and you didn’t pay it, and there are penalties involved if you don’t pay it now, and they may threaten you. The IRS doesn’t do that. The second thing is that you have a refund coming…and they need your bank account information to process the payment and put it in your bank. That’s not true. Both of those are big scams,” said Ducey.

Ducey warns locals that the IRS contacts you the old school method through a letter in the mail, so do not answer any emails, texts, or social media messages requesting personal or financial information. He shares a few other tips to avoid scams, including check websites carefully, watch for bad grammar, and when in doubt, contact the IRS directly if you think you’re a victim and gave your information out.

“I would contact the IRS first through the IRS.gov. I would also contact the Federal Trade Commission through FTC.gov. And I would also check your credit report. You can do that AnnualCreditReport.com and that may be something that you do in the future to see if anyone’s opened accounts in your name,” said Ducey.