Author: KYMA

Connor Emery

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma City Council will canvas the votes from the primary election in July Wednesday, bringing new faces to the council. However, the one thing that hasn’t changed is their pay.

The pay for Yuma City Council and mayor is very low compared to other cities around Arizona.

Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls receives a yearly salary of $12,000 while City Council members get a salary of $3,600.

Mayor Nicholls said the pay is a little low but said it should not be the primary reason people should run for city council. 

“I don’t know anybody who has ran that was hoping for a big salary, and I don’t know anyone who heard the salary and decided not to run because of it. People generally want to get involved for their love of community, for their civic pride, for wanting to give back,” Nicholls said.

Yuma is a rare case where voters get to decide on the salary of the council.

Nicholls said some people aren’t aware of how low the pay is.

“I think people are unaware of what the level really is. Because when you talk to the average person and you tell them, they’re shocked,” Nicholls said.

The salaries for the City Council has not changed since the 1980s. The mayor’s salary has not been changed since the 1990s.

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Lauren Duffel

EDITOR’S NOTE: In a previous version of this article, we said the council meeting would move from Tuesday and Thursday to Monday and Wednesday, but the council does not meet on Thursday. The proposed change would move the meetings to Monday and Wednesday instead of Tuesday and Thursday.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma City Council held a work session meeting earlier Tuesday evening, where members discussed possible changes to how they meet moving forward.

Deputy City Administrator Jennifer Reichelt presented ideas that were first discussed during the council’s retreat back in April.

Some of the proposals would change the council’s schedule from a Tuesday-Wednesday format to a Monday-Wednesday schedule, giving members more time between meetings to review information and do research.

The council also talked about ways to improve community engagement.

Deputy City Administrator Jennifer Reichelt said, “I think our residents would love to engage more with the council outside of a formal council meeting, so were looking at ways we can create that forum.”

The council is expected to vote on the proposed changes at a later date. If approved, the new schedule and engagement efforts would likely take effect this fall.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Students at two Yuma Union (YUHSD) high schools got an unexpected change of plans on the first day of school.

Cibola and Kofa High Schools closed Tuesday due to an air conditioning malfunction, and were unable to hold in-person classes.

However, classes were moved online.

“We are always considering the safety of our staff and students, among other things, first and foremost,” said Eric Patten, Chief Communications Officer for YUHSD. “And when the temperatures reach a certain threshold on our campuses or in our classrooms, we are going to transition to off-site learning because it’s not a safe place to be.”

In an update on ParentSquare, YUHSD said the repairs have been completed, and Cibola High School will open as regularly scheduled Wednesday at 7:34 a.m.

However, YUHSD said Kofa will remain closed Wednesday to allow an “additional 24 hours for classrooms to reach safe and comfortable temperatures for staff and students.”

During that time, “all students will attend class virtually from home using the Canvas Learning Management System,” YUHSD said.

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Jessamyn Dodd

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Back to school shopping is in full swing in Imperial County, with families looking for deals on essentials. For many families, staying on budget amid rising costs keeps them looking for the hottest sales.

“Finding a lot of deals,” said Tara Malcomb, a lifestyle and fashion influencer who was shopping at the Imperial Valley Mall.

“The Children’s Place has really good sale. You get five shirts for $5. Dillard’s has a really good sale. Rack Room has. Choose buy one, get one 50% off. So they have a lot of great deals here at the mall,” she said

Some are noticing an uptick in prices this year, but still making sure their children have everything they need to succeed.

Malcomb is shopping for two kids, which can add up.

“Shoes, clothes, school supplies, backpacks, and I feel like prices have gone up,” Malcomb noted.

As for the kids, they have some thoughts on what they think is the coolest gear for the year.

“A pink backpack with bows that’s from JanSport,” Zoe Malcomb exclaimed.

For her fashion forward sister Maddy, she said, “Aesthetic clothes.”

As families are checking off their back to school supply list, the students are gearing up for their first day back. 

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Skylar Heisey

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A man accused of a deadly Yuma house party shooting had pleaded guilty, avoid a trial which was set to begin this month.

22-year-old Abraham Colin pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated assault charges.

The shooting happened in May of 2023 at a house party in Yuma, with prosecutors saying Colin and others arrived at the party with firearms, and Colin fired 21 shots.

19-year-old Danny Garcia and 20-year-old Ande Blackthunder were killed, and other minors were shot.

Under the plea agreement, Colin will serve 20 years for the murder charge, and an additional ten years for the assault charge.

He will also serve a period of probation after his release.

A second suspect in the case, 22-year-old Aden Arviso, is still scheduled to go to trial in September. Arviso is accused of second-degree murder in connection to the shooting.

Colin’s sentencing is scheduled for August 28.

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Lynette Niebla

IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA) – The Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business of Imperial County (COLAB) and the Imperial County Registrar of Voters hosted a Candidate Training Workshop Monday.

The workshop took place at the Ag Center, located at 485 Business Parkway in Imperial, at 5:30 p.m.

COLAB said the workshop was for those who are interested in seeking to run for office in Imperial County, whether at the school, city or county level.

The following topics during the workshop included:

Becoming a candidate, where Imperial County Registrar of Voters Linsey Dale explained candidate eligibility, filing requirements, nomination documents, important deadlines and more.

Campaign finance, where Adriana Murillo Kirby, with Kirby Business Solutions, discussed campaign finance and reporting requirements, recordkeeping, required forms and common financial mistakes candidates should avoid.

Lessons from the campaign trail, where Imperial County Supervisor Martha Cardenas-Singh shared her firsthand perspective on deciding to run, developing a campaign plan, fundraising, building a campaign team, reaching voters and transitioning from candidate to elected official.

“When you run for elected office it’s really confusing and there’s a lot of deadlines,” said Shelby Trimm, Executive Director of COLAB. “So what we like to do is just bring in the people who know about the deadlines…people who have ran before and really just go over that with them and really break it down.”

She said seeing the community step up brings her immense optimism for the region’s future leadership.

“Just looking at everyone in the audience and hearing the questions that they’re asking but also the input that they’re giving, it just gives me a lot of confidence for Imperial Valley that we are going to have a lot of good elected officials in office,” Trimm explained.

If you plan to run for office but missed the workshop, you can find more information here.

Press Release- 8.3.26Download

Candidate Training Flyer- 2026Download

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Skylar Heisey

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Yuma man has pleaded guilty to sexual assault in a case involving a woman over the age of 60.

39-year-old Ricardo Meza will spend more than five years in jail after accepting a plea agreement.

The Yuma Police Department said the case started as a delayed sex offense report from May of last year.

Investigators said the victim knew the suspect by the alias “Ricky” before he was identified at Meza.

Meza was arrested in February of this year and was originally facing sexual assault and burglary charges.

As part of the plea agreement, Meza will also have to register as a sex offender for life.

His sentencing is scheduled for August 13.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Yuma Army Veteran is being recognized for going above and beyond in two sudden emergencies, while at work at the Arizona State Veterans Home.

Anthony “Tony” Becerra, a recreational therapist at the Arizona State Veterans Home in Yuma, recently received the Above and Beyond Award during the Arizona Health Care Association’s annual convention.

Becerra was honored for his quick thinking and heroic actions during two separate incidents that helped protect both staff and residents.

In 2024, Becerra helped extinguish a fire in the facility’s resident smoking area before it could spread, preventing what could have become a much larger emergency.

Earlier this year, he again sprang into action when a staff member suffered a serious medical emergency.

Working alongside a registered nurse supervisor, Becerra helped perform CPR, contributing to efforts that saved the employee’s life.

Before joining the Arizona State Veterans Home full-time, Becerra began as an activities volunteer in 2024. He later earned his Certified Nursing Assistant certification and recreational therapy certification before joining the staff full-time.

According to the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, Becerra has built a reputation for consistently stepping up wherever help is needed and often goes beyond the responsibilities of his position.

Yuma Home Administrator David Barrientos praised Becerra’s dedication, saying his selflessness reflects the values of the Arizona State Veterans Home and the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – The 2026-2028 Cocopah Tribal Council was sworn into office last month.

Chairwoman Sherry Cordova, Vice Chairman Neil White and Council members Florence Fitch, Wynnie Ortega and Jennifer Townsend were all reelected, according to the Council.

Left to Right: Council member Jennifer Townsend, Council member Florence Fitch, Chairwoman Sherry Cordova, Vice Chairman Neil White and Council member Wynnie Ortega. Courtesy: Cocopah Tribal Council

The election took place July 10 on the West Cocopah Reservation in Somerton, the Council said, adding that “elections are held every two years.”

To watch the livestream of the swearing-in ceremony, click here.

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