Author: KYMA

Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A tense barricade situation on the corner of Union Drive and 24th Lane came to an end after more than four hours, resulting in the arrest of a 33-year-old man now facing multiple domestic violence charges.

Nathan Daniel Newman was taken into custody after the Yuma Police Department (YPD) had a warrant out for his arrest following five charges from July. Officers eventually used explosives to breach entry points to the home where Newman had barricaded himself.

“[An officer] saw him go into [the residence], surrounded it, did call outs — everything we could to try to get him out,” said Sgt. Lori Franklin, Public Information Officer for YPD. “[The] S.E.T. team did what S.E.T. teams do. He was eventually taken into custody without any issues.”

The standoff drew a growing crowd of family members, friends, and neighbors, many of whom watched from behind police tape, anxiously awaiting the outcome.

“It’s hard to watch any family go through that, any person go through that, so watching the family behind the caution tape was difficult to watch, for sure,” said neighbor Vanessa Morales.

The large law enforcement presence added to the tension in the neighborhood. Despite the intensity, Morales said police handled the situation with care.

“There’s always concern when it comes to that many police officers,” she said. “But they handled it really well. Even though they were out here for quite a bit of time, I wasn’t too worried about the kids.”

His bond has been set at $10,000, and his next court hearing is scheduled for August 18.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A local organization will be hosting a fundraiser for support groups.

The Tortas for Transformation event is where locals can buy a sandwich meal for $10.

The event is planned to be held on August 22 at Fellowship Hall (1000 E 24th St).

A torta meal will include the torta itself, chips, japalenos and a coke.

Tickets can be purchased at the front desk.

Deliver is also available for those who order 10 or more tortas.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Greater Yuma Port Authority (GYPA) is working on some big changes to boost border economy.

GYPA wants to make crossing the border faster, help trade grow, and expand trade opportunities.

Tony Reyes, Yuma County Supervisor District 4, said, “In reality all of Arizona, all of Yuma is impacted by trade, trade with Mexico, Mexico is one of our biggest trading partners, the impact of that trade is felt a lot more in San Luis, but it’s felt in all of Yuma County.”

At a public meeting they discussed multiple initiatives to the Board of Supervisors.

Those include a proposed truck by-pass route, upgraded port technology, and a plan to be financially independent from the government.

The port technology upgrade would cost $240,000 and wound be funded by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

It’s also the first time in years they have been able to waive member contributions.

We spoke to Tony Reyes on the importance of these updates.

“Economic development, it’s one of those, it’s not really impacted as much by immigration as it is by trade, and trade is what we are trying to emphasize, and that’s why the Greater Yuma Port Authority is doing right now, bringing out those issues that people don’t talk about, don’t care about,” said Reyes.

The Port Authority meets monthly and welcomes public input.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – School Resource Officers (SRO) play a vital role in maintaining safety on campus and while they say the first week went well, they do have some concerns.

Cassandra Reed, an SRO, said, “We do ask that any parents and anyone that comes onto our school campus, that they are patient, follow the laws, it’s 25 mile per hour in pretty much most areas, if it’s not down to 15.”

Traffic around school zones is their number one issue with parents dropping off and picking up their kids.

Not only do school resource officers keep school campuses safe, they also serve as mentors to the students.

“The School Resource Officers, each of them are assigned to a specific school, and their just, their main purpose is to provide safety and security to the school campus, but not only that their role as a guide, i guess like a counsellor, provide guidance to the young kids,” said Hayato Johnson, Public Information officer for the Yuma Police Department.

I asked SRO Reed what it means to her to be a protector of our schools.

“I do absolutely enjoy my job. I enjoy coming to work everyday, talking to our students and our staff, building those positive relationships,” said Reed.

She explained how important her role is in creating a positive environment for students.

Reed emphasizes the importance of SROs on campus by saying, “Oh my goodness, I think it’s super important to have SROs in the schools. We defiantly implement a positive role model and I think that kind if closes the gap between schools and the community.”

Another reminder from SROs is to always be visual around school campuses, especially during drop off and pick up times, as children can dart out from almost anywhere.

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Karina Bazarte

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Two suspects are behind bars after they were caught driving a vehicle stolen out of Riverside, California, but that’s not all police found in the car.

Law enforcement says the two suspects claimed they did not know where the checks came from.

The Brawley Police Department (BPD) says a 24-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy from Coachella were arrested after one of their cameras captured a stolen BMW entering the city.

Police say they followed the car and stopped the suspects at a B Food Mart gas station.

“An inventory search was later conducted in the vehicle which they located over $28,000 in cashier checks,” said Interim Cmdr. Mark Cano.

BPD say the two suspect claimed they did not know where the checks came from.

“The subjects made allegations that they didn’t know that the cashiers checks were in the vehicle and they also claimed that the vehicle that they had gotten permission to take the vehicle which was stolen,” said Interim Cmdr. Cano.

The 24-year old suspect is being held at the Imperial County Jail, while the 16-year old suspect is being held at the Imperial County juvenile hall.

They are both being charged with conspiracy possession of a stolen vehicle and check fraud.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – From long work days to tough workouts, energy drinks have become a go-to for many people trying to boost their stamina, but they may be doing more harm than good, especially in our desert heat.

Dr. Donald Hubbard, Medical Director and Emergency Medicine Physician at Exceptional Community Hospital, says there are many hidden dangers when it comes to energy drinks.

“Energy drinks have a lot of different ingredients and a lot of them are proprietary to the different brands, but the main thing they have is caffeine. Caffeine is can be helpful, but energy drinks tend to have a lot of caffeine. I think anything is good in moderation. I wouldn’t say absolutely don’t ever drink an energy drink, but it probably doesn’t need to be the only thing you drink throughout the day,” says Dr. Hubbard.

Hubbard says its especially important to watch you caffeine intact because it can make your heart rate go up.

“When we see people in the emergency room that have drank several energy drinks, what we usually see is a rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure,” explained Hubbard.

Hubbard also mentions symptoms that suggest you may need to be seen.

“I would say if you start to get real jittery, you start to get anxious, if you notice your heart is pounding, those are signs that you may want to get seen,” he said.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A renovation project is approved by the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, paving the way for a bigger presence of law enforcement in South County.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) will have a permanent substation in Gadsden next to Gadsden Park. The price tag of the project is over $300,000.

“The building was used as a rural metro station and deputies often stopped there to use it as substation there as well,” said Tania Pavlak, PIO for YCSO.

The renovation work will include demolition, a bulletproof lobby, plumbing, electrical, new lighting and security and access control system.

YCSO says this is a much needed facility to give better service to the South County communities

“We are having substations all over Yuma county. That district will now have an area available for the public to come in and speak to the deputies. The deputies will have an area where they can stop do their reports, so it’s very important for us to have a permanent presence there,” said Pavlak.

The renovation project will start this year is expected to be completed early 2026.

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Adrik Vargas

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The award will honor one city resident and one city employee whose behind-the-scenes efforts make a meaningful impact in the community.

Mayor Sonia Carter said the idea came from seeing the many people who work quietly, without recognition, but play an important role in keeping the city moving.

“Just seeing different departments around the city, and going to the back of them, and you see there’s a whole lot of people back there that you just don’t know,” Mayor Carter said.

Nominations are now open through September 1 at 5 p.m.

Anyone can submit a nomination, though nominees must either live in El Centro (for the resident award) or work for the city (for the employee award).

Each nomination must include a short description of how the individual embodies the spirit of a “quiet servant.”

More information and nomination forms can be found on the City of El Centro’s website.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A retirement community gets a major face lift.

The Desert Rose Retirement Community says its renovation had a price tag of over $1.8 million. The refresh and the design upgrades were made for safety and comfort for its senior tenants.

“The entire interior of the building is renovated so our dining rom was reimagined, all our common areas spaces. We got 10 new flatscreen tvs installed around the community, we got a new bistro area, new living room area. A reimagined chapel, a full fitness center,” said Rodger Hulbert, Desert Rose Executive Director.

Desert Rose is a 115-unit apartment complex located on 14th Avenue near 16th Street in Yuma.

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Adrik Vargas

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – El Centro residents lent a hand to youth in need at a special fundraiser Friday night.

Access to Thrive hosted an art sale and back-to-school supply drive at The Den from 7 to 10 p.m.

Proceeds from local artists’ work will help support Kevin, a teen recovering after a hit-and-run last month. The event will also collect backpacks, pencils, and other school supplies for children in the CASA program.

“Every kid wants to go to school with a new backpack,” said organizer Ashley Contreras. “I want to make sure as many kids as possible can experience that.”

Organizers say the night is about lifting up kids who need it most, whether through supporting Kevin’s recovery or giving foster children a strong start to the school year.

To support Kevin who is in recovery, you can visit here. If you want to support Access To Thrive in their mission to help at risk youth, you can follow them here.

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