Author: KYMA

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Gila Ridge High School Student Council is hosting the Miles for Childhood Cancer 5K Walk/Run this weekend.

The event is taking place at Veterans Memorial Stadium Saturday at 7 a.m., and it is to raise awareness for childhood cancer.

During the event, runners are to wear yellow.

The cost to participate is $10 for students and $15 for the community, with the proceeds going to the AdvoKATE Foundation.

The event will go until 11 a.m.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local school pushed its students to pursue higher education earlier this month.

Crane Middle School hosted its “Shoot for the Stars” event on April 9, where more than 300 Chromebooks were given away to seventh grade students for the STEM program.

The goal was to create a pathway for kids to aspire a career in technology.

“They can start taking ownership of their learning, but also what pathways are open for them after they move on from crane middle school in to high school even college,” said Ryan Tyree, Principal of Crane Middle School.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Kristina Diaz with Onvida Health.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Jury selection for the trial of a Yuma man accused of shooting another man got underway Tuesday.

25-year-old Gabriel Taddei has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault in connection to a shooting near County 12th Street and East 40th Place in October of 2024.

The victim, who was a 29-year-old man at the time of the shooting, was taken to Onvida Health, and was treated with non-life-threatening injuries.

KYMA will have more coverage this week as opening statements are set to be delivered Wednesday.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Firehouse Subs is inviting the Yuma community to attend the Touch-the-Truck next weekend.

According to a press release, the event is happening at the Firehouse Subs, located at the Big Curve, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Courtesy of Firehouse Subs

Courtesy of Firehouse Subs

During the event, Firehouse Subs says the event will give families a chance to meet local firefighters face-to-face, climb aboard a fire truck and learn about the gear firefighters use to save lives.

In addition, the event coincides with International Firefighters Day, taking place Monday, May 4, 2026, honoring the courage, dedication and selfless service of firefighters around the world.

Courtesy of Firehouse Subs

To see who else is participating in the event, click here.

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Lauren Duffel

WARNING: Some of the details in this story are graphic. Viewer and reader discretion is advised.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Yuma man is taking the stand in day five of his murder trial Tuesday.

40-year-old Nicholas Harder is charged in the death of 57-year-old Anthony Jordinelli in May of 2023. He faces one count of premeditated first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated assault.

During the fifth day of the trial, Harder claimed Jordinelli attacked him first, and then he acted in self-defense.

“I said, ‘This is what you’re here for…you’re here to work, not watch porn and masturbate.’ He got real mad at me. Then, I walked to the kitchen to leave him alone for a bit, and I was trying to figure out how I’m going to get this hooked up. I went back into the bedroom to see if he was done doing what he was doing and to see if he was going to work or not. I saw him with my cigarettes and he blew up on me.”

Nicholas Harder

Harder said he asked Jordinelli to help him with some construction work, but Harder then said Jordinelli became upset and lunged at him.

“He lunged at me and I pushed him off of me,” Harder shared, claiming Jordinelli died as a result of Harder’s actions in self-defense.

The state attorney then cross-examined Harder about his testimony, with the attorney saying Harder had ten injuries on him while Jordinelli had “41 blunt-force groupings of injuries to him.”

The attorney also asked Harder why he didn’t call 911 if Jordinelli was attacking him, and Harder said, “I was afraid because the minute I turned my back, he would start attacking me again.”

KYMA will keep you updated on the latest developments on the trial.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Yuma restaurant owner has been named Arizona Small Business Person of the Year.

Alma Ornelas, owner of The Best Taquito, has some advice for small businesses just starting their journey.

“Be consistent, get involved with your communities, support locals, help each other and keep working hard for what they dream,” Ornelas expressed.

She also expresses gratitude to the community she’s served for their support.

“I just want to say thank you because to be honest, this award means a lot for me like I just mentioned, and it’s not just about me. It’s about everybody getting together,” Ornelas remarked.

Ornelas started her journey to success 17 years ago with just a food truck and a heart of service.

Ornelas described what the process of starting a business was like saying, “It’s a lot of long nights, a lot of hard work, be consistent…It hasn’t been easy obviously.”

Ornelas now has two full service locations, one in Yuma and one in San Luis, Arizona.

“When you do something that you really love, and you work hard for it, I mean everything is possible,” Ornelas remarked.

When she started her business she wanted to bring her culture to Arizona and build opportunities for others.

“Being able to share all this and also to create a better life, also opportunities for all the people that are around me, and of course, for future generations,” Ornelas further expressed.

Now, Ornelas will be heading to Washington D.C. to be honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – It was a Havana night in Yuma and it was all for a good cause.

The Healing Journey celebrated 15 years of service by hosting Havana Nights.

The gala helped raise funds for the local non-profit, which provides trauma informed care, therapy, counseling and mentoring.

They would like to thank every single sponsor for helping this event come to life.

A special thanks to Veronica Shorr, Pauline Villa, Susan James, Jennifer Steinberg, Emilia Cortez-Sharkey and Jesus Fuentes.

Thanks to sponsors Regional Center for Border Health Foundation, Allo, El Charro, Quechan Indian Tribe, Avenir Bank, Onvida, Yuma Aiport, Pilkington Construction and Valerie Donnelly, Edward Jones.

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Jessamyn Dodd

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The El Centro Public Library is celebrating National Library Week with activities for all ages.

The library kicked off the week by handing out free comic books to visitors, donated by Rene’s Comics and Sports cards in El Centro on Main Street.

The event aims to encourage reading and brining more families through the library’s doors. Staff says comics are a great way to spark interest in young readers.

“A lot of kids come and say, ‘You know, I don’t like reading.’ And then I’ll say, ‘Oh okay, so you don’t like comic books? Oh, is that reading?'” Library Director Carla Mason told KYMA.

Keeping the fun going through the week, the library is hosting a resource fair, library bingo, and a favorite staff contest.

“You get to look at our staff members and decide- which one do you think is the friendliest? Which one is the most knowledgeable? Which one is your circ desk favorite? The circulation desk and that kind of thing and vote on them and see who the winners are at the end, so that’s pretty cool,” said Mason.

Free events and programs are scheduled throughout the week and through the summer. Information and schedules can be found on the library’s website.

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Jessamyn Dodd

EDITOR’S NOTE: The suspect’s name is Diego Joe.

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – An El Centro man accused of threatening the developer of a planned data center was arraigned Monday and is now facing felony charges.

22-year-old Diego Joe is charged with making criminal threats which is a felony, along with a misdemeanor charge of cyber harassment.

Joe is accused of posting threats to data center developer Sebastian Rucci in a local Facebook group.

Imperial County says investigators with the Sheriff’s Office contacted Rucci, who reported being in fear for his safety.

Joe was arrested last Thursday near the El Centro Library and is being held on a $20,000 bond.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma’s only off-lease dog park is temporarily closed as the city begins a series of safety improvements expected to last about four weeks.

The closure at the Bark Park began Monday, with the city engineering department saying the work is necessary to address structural concerns involving an aging wall on the property.

“The wall went up when the subdivision was originally built back in the 70s, 80s,” David Wostenberg, the City of Yuma Director of Engineering, said. “So it’s quite old and on top of that, it was built a little bit greater spans than what is recommended.”

Because of the heavy equipment required for the repairs, the park will remain fully closed throughout the duration of the project.

The shutdown leaves many local pet owners without a popular gathering space. Regular visitors say the park plays an important role in the community.

“Not all days are busy but most of the week are busy, this park,” Ricardo Contreras, a local man said. “I believe it’s so important.”

While the temporary closure may be an inconvenience, the city says the project also presents an opportunity to complete additional upgrades throughout the park.

Crews are working on repairs and improvements aimed at enhancing the overall experience for both pets and their owners.

“We are doing other stuff at the park at the same time. The Parks Department is making some much needed repairs and improvements on their side,” Wostenberg said. We want to make sure we get it built properly, built right. And that it will last a lifetime for the homeowners.”

The city is asking for patience from the community as construction continues over the next several weeks.

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