Author: KYMA

Miriam Ordonez

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – An Arizona Western College (AWC) leader is being recognized on the national stage.

According to a press release, Sarah Herman, Director of Content Strategy and Development, has been named the 2025 National Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations.

The award, according to AWC, honors excellence and leadership in college communications. Herman was one of seven finalists nationwide after she first won the regional title last fall.

“Being named National Communicator of the Year is an incredible honor, but it’s also a reminder of what’s possible when storytelling meets purpose. At its best, higher ed marketing is about more than enrollment…it’s about belonging, representation, and helping people envision a future for themselves,” Herman expressed.

She’s spent more than a decade at AWC and helped lead key campaigns, including the launch of the college’s mascot, Mateo the Matador.

To learn more about Herman’s recognition, read the press release below.

Sarah Herman named National Communicator of the YearDownload

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) has identified the married couple who died in a fatal car crash.

YPD has named the couple as 72-year-old Ismael Castro and 69-year-old Raquel Castro.

The crash happened at around 2:30 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of East 32nd Street and Avenue 6E, according to YPD.

YPD says a 32-year-old woman was driving a 2016 Ford Explorer with her 18-month-old son inside. She was attempting to make a left turn onto Avenue 6E before crashing into a 2015 Nissan Rogue, driven by Castro.

According to Sgt. Lori Franklin, Public Information Officer for YPD, the woman and her son were taken to Onvida Health for minor injuries while the Castros died after they were also taken to Onvida Health.

YPD says alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, and the investigation is ongoing.

If anyone has any information regarding the crash, call YPD or 78-CRIME to remain anonymous.

Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The El Centro Fire Department (ECFD) has provided the latest details on the structure fire from over the weekend.

In a press release, the fire happened last Saturday before 6:00 p.m. in the area of W. Ross Avenue, near S. Third Street.

When fire crews arrived, ECFD says they “encountered a well-involved commercial structure with heavy fire conditions present.”

Because of this, ECFD says it escalated to a third alarm fire, “bring in additional personnel and resources,” with mutual aid being requested and received from the following agencies:

Brawley Fire Department

Imperial County Fire Department

Calexico Fire Department

Holtville Fire Department

Westmorland Fire Department

Courtesy: El Centro Fire Department

Courtesy: El Centro Fire Department

ECFD says firefighters contained and extinguished the fire, “preventing the spread to nearby exposures.”

No surrounding structures were impacted by the fire, and no injuries or deaths were reported, according to ECFD.

Courtesy: El Centro Fire Department

However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) is investigating a house fire which left one person injured and one cat dead.

The fire happened in the area of East Estrella Lane, near South Kennedy Lane, at around 12:30 p.m.

YFD said Yuma Engine 2 (YE02) was the first to arrive one where they found a single family home “with smoke and flames coming from multiple openings on the home.”

YFD says the occupants of the home had evacuated after they called 911, but said there was a small cat still inside.

YE02, according to YFD, then began to battle fire from the outside, but once additional fire crews arrived, they moved inside to battle the fire, which was then brought under control.

YFD says the homeowner was injured, treated and released at the scene. However, fire crews found the cat dead.

YFD says their Community Risk Deduction Division is investigating the cause of the fire.

14- House fire (estrella)Download

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) is investigating a head-on crash where two people died and two people were injured.

In a press release, the crash happened at around 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of E. 32nd Street and Avenue 6E.

YPD says a 32-year-old woman was driving a 2016 Ford Explorer westbound on 32nd Street, where it was “attempting to turn left onto Avenue 6E” when it crashed into a 2015 Nissan Rogue, driven by a 71-year-old man, heading eastbound on 32nd Street.

As a result of the crash, YPD says the woman and her passenger, a 18-month-old boy, were both taken to Onvida Health for minor injuries while the man and his passenger, a 69-year-old woman, were also taken to Onvida Health where they later died.

While alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, the investigation is ongoing, and YPD is asking witnesses or anyone who has video of the crash to call them at (928) 783-4421 or 78-CRIME at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A burst of color and community filled the Historic Yuma Theatre Sunday night as the 2025 Arizona Pride Tour returned to Yuma.

The show started at 7:00 p.m., and featured two local performers, Inky Oshanns and Poison Ivy Oshanns, along with performers from all across the southwest U.S.

For its third year in a row, it drew a packed crowd and an even bigger message.

The show is part of an annual tour which brings the “art of drag” to rural communities across Arizona.

This year’s event in Yuma sold over 230 tickets, prompting organizers to move into a larger venue.

“I didn’t realize how many younger people become homeless or suicidal because their parents disown them for being who they are. And since I retired, I started learning that, helping Miss Nature and everything, it’s a beautiful thing,” said Terri Hall, Miss Nature’s father.

Last year, KYMA spoke to the executive director of Miss Nature LLC, who said the tour would branch out of Arizona, stopping in Blythe, California, with additional plans to venture out to New Mexico and other states.

Organizers says they’ll be back again next year, bigger and better than ever.

Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Firefighters across the Imperial Valley are battling an active building fire Saturday.

According to the El Centro Fire Department (ECFD), the fire was reported before 6:00 p.m. at a former home improvement center and lumber yard located at Ross Avenue, near Third Street.

ECFD says 27 firefighters from seven different agencies throughout Imperial County, including them, responded to the fire, along with the El Centro Police Department, Red Cross and an EMS team.

ECFD says no injuries reported, and crews are expected to be on scene for several more hours to battle the fire.

KYMA will keep you updated on this developing story.

Samuel Kirk

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The City of El Centro is currently undergoing a series of road construction projects aimed at improving safety and accessibility for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Crews are working on multiple intersections across town as part of two major infrastructure improvement efforts: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Project and the Cycle 5 Active Transportation Program (ATP) Improvements.

The upgrades include new traffic signals, enhanced crosswalks, and better access for people with disabilities.

According to city officials, these improvements are especially focused on making it easier for pedestrians to travel safely near schools, parks, and high-traffic areas.

Abraham Campos, Public Works Director for the City of El Centro, said, “There is a lot of construction going on in improving pedestrian facilities, making it easier and safer for folks to walk and get to different locations — especially around schools and parks and getting directions to those sites.”

Currently impacted intersections include:

Ocotillo Drive & Allen Drive

Ocotillo Drive & Waterman Avenue

Imperial Avenue & Pepper Drive

Imperial Avenue & Holt Avenue

Imperial Avenue & Barbara Worth Drive (demolition begins this week)

Campos also urged residents to remain alert near construction zones: “Be careful, follow traffic directions. We’re looking to keep everybody safe. The contractors are doing their job with traffic control — we’re asking the public to be careful and respectful of the traffic workers as well.”

Construction is expected to continue over the next several weeks. Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes when possible.

Samuel Kirk

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – El Centro is getting ready to celebrate community, food, and culture with the return of Fiesta del Valle Flavor Friday.

The free event runs from 4 to 10 p.m. this Friday, April 11, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sports Pavilion parking lot.

It will feature local food vendors, live entertainment, and a beer garden — all aimed at supporting small businesses while giving the community a fun night out.

Organizers say the festival is timed perfectly with the weather.

“I wanna be able to create a Friday event during the good weather here in the valley,” said Geraldo Antonio, event organizer and owner of Antonio’s Baja Catch 22. “It gets hot — we want to do stuff, and we love to eat and we love to drink.”

City officials say events like this are part of an ongoing effort to boost local business and build community pride in El Centro.

Samuel Kirk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – New federal Medicaid payments are headed to Arizona, and health care leaders say they could offer much-needed relief for hospitals serving high numbers of low-income patients, including those in Yuma County.

At Onvida Health, President and CEO Dr. Robert Trenschel said the additional funds are a welcome boost, but warned they don’t solve the root problem.

He emphasized that Medicaid plays a crucial role in rural communities like Yuma, where the majority of patients rely on it for coverage.

“If you cut Medicaid, you cut the whole system,” Dr. Trenschel said. He explained that Medicaid isn’t just a low-income program. It’s the foundation that supports hospitals’ ability to treat everyone, including those with private insurance.

Nearly half of Yuma County’s population, around 85,000 people, is enrolled in Medicaid, and Trenschel said that without the program, Yuma Regional wouldn’t be able to sustain its current level of care.

Not everyone agrees with how the federal government is handling the funding.

Yuma resident Ron Dauzenroth said he’s concerned about waste. He pointed to his wife’s four-decade career with the federal government, and the experiences of friends who’ve also worked in government, as evidence that inefficiency is common.

“My wife worked for the federal government for 42 years and said there was just so much waste in it,” Dauzenroth said. “We’ve got three friends who have moved down here and they all worked in the federal government—and they all believed there was just so much waste. And I gotta believe there’s some in Medicaid and Medicare as well.”

The state’s temporary funding bump came after the Arizona Legislature authorized a new reimbursement model earlier this year. Hospitals like Yuma Regional, which serve large numbers of Medicaid patients, are eligible for supplemental payments aimed at closing the gap between treatment costs and what the state reimburses.

While the funding may help stabilize services for now, Trenschel said a long-term commitment to Medicaid is essential to keep rural hospitals from falling further behind.