Author: KYMA

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Arizona Western College (AWC) is hosting the “Decade of Transformation” event next month.

According to a press release, the event is taking place Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at the Schoening Conference Center from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

AWC says the event is to look back on the campus’ past ten years while also looking ahead for the next ten years.

There will also be a fireside chat with Dr. Daniel Corr, who will reflect on his role as College President, and is moderated by Dr. Kristina Diaz, President of the Onvida Health Medical Group.

“This event is a chance to hear how the college has been transformed, through the efforts of our faculty and staff, to be more responsive to community needs. Dr. Corr’s vision has touched every corner of the college district, and our students benefit,” said Lorraine Stofft, Vice President of Advancement and Executive Director of the AWC Foundation.

“We’ll also take a peek at what’s on the horizon for Arizona Western as Dr. Corr nears retirement and Dr. Reetika Dhawan prepares to step into that leadership role,” Stofft added.

If anyone is interested in attending the event, click here. To learn more about the event, read the press release below.

You’re invited-AWC marks decade of transformation with community eventDownload

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Normally they’re fighting fires. Now they’re part of a different type of boom.

For the third time in the last four years, the Yuma Fire Department (YFD) had several firefighters who just added new members to their family.

There’s 13 firefighters a part of the Yuma Fire Department who’ve had babies within the last year.

“Besides being a firefighter, we also have a family, so besides our fire family, we have, you know, our family at home,” said father & YFD firefighter Victor Garcia.

The fire crew and their minis gathered for photos in front of Fire Station #1, Engine #1, representing the new babies all under one-years-old.

Dads like Garcia say it’s great to be bonded with his teammates because they can walk through fatherhood together.

YFD saw a baby boom back in both 2022 and 2024, and after this year, they’re expecting more growth in the years to come.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local event is celebrating America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

The Arizona Traveling Museum will be on Tuesday, February 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Colorado River State Historic Park.

This free event is a special one-day experience filled with fun events.

See a replica of the Liberty Bell, watch Arizona’s story with immersive activities and share your voice through the Dear America, Love Arizona postcard activity.

There will be fun for the family, live entertainment, photo ops and food vendors.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – As if dating wasn’t difficult enough already! Cryptocurrency scams target people on popular dating sites and apps, such as Tinder. Don’t let your quest for love blind you to red flags.

How the scam works

You “swipe right” on an attractive man or woman on a dating app, and the app instantly matches you with them.

After starting up a conversation, the alleged mate quickly takes the conversation off the platform and to a texting app, such as WhatsApp or WeChat.

Once on the texting app, the scammer starts talking about how they have a family member who is a successful cryptocurrency investor.

This person has inside trading information that could make you rich! Your new love interest encourages you to take advantage of this “exclusive opportunity.”

All you need to do is deposit money in a cryptocurrency trading platform. But once you make a deposit, the money is gone forever.

Or, you may be asked to pay large fees or meet certain minimum balance requirements to withdraw funds. Your new “love” blocks you on all platforms and stops replying to your messages.

In a recent BBB Scam Tracker report, a consumer shared that they met the scammer on Tinder and talked on WhatsApp.

After gaining the consumer’s trust, the scammer introduced them to investing in gold via dcmmarkets.com in addition to Coinbase.

The consumer reported that when trying to withdraw funds after the investments took place, the app’s customer service told the consumer they must pay 20% in fees.

“The fraudulent platform investment opportunity is often designed to appear legitimate and usually produces artificial gains to keep me engaged in the platform, and I started depositing more funds. However, when I felt he was pushy for more funds, he offered to deposit 30,000.00 and added it to my account in the OTC. That is why I believed him, but I told him to stop when he asked for more. I wanted my money back and could never withdraw my funds from the site. The customer service said I had to deposit 20% more to a different account for hefty fees. Before withdrawing my funds, he asked me about his money and threatened to sue me,” the consumer said.

In another BBB Scam Tracker report, the consumer stated meeting the scammer on Tinder and continued their relationship on WhatsApp.

The scammer introduced the consumer to forex trading where initial small investments yielded returns, leading to larger deposits totaling over $84,000. When attempting to withdraw funds, the site demanded $60,213 in taxes.

Partial payments were made, but further funds were requested. The site became inaccessible, but customer service on WhatsApp remains active. The consumer suspects the entire operation, including Raymond, is a scam.

One victim also reported to BBB Scam Tracker that after talking to a woman on Tinder, she persuaded him to invest on a fake trading cryptocurrency platform.

When he tried to withdraw his money, the funds were automatically reversed back into his account. The feature was allegedly a “system security” to help prevent money laundering.

The victim was then told the account needed to have a minimum balance of $3,000 before he could withdraw funds. After trying several times, the victim was unable to recoup his money.

Protect yourself from this scam

Never send money or personal information to someone you’ve never met in person. If they continue to pressure you to invest on a crypto trading platform, research the investment platform first.

Communicate on the dating app. If a love interest appears to be in a hurry to get off the dating app to an unsecure chat app, that is a red flag.

Ask specific questions about details given in a profile. A scammer may stumble over remembering details or making a story fit.

Research the dating profile. Many scammers steal photos from the web to use in their profiles. Conduct a reverse image lookup using a website like tineye.com or images.google.com to see if the photos on a profile are stolen from somewhere else. Search online for a profile name, email, or phone number to see what adds up and what doesn’t. Report what you find to the dating app.

Be wary of fast-moving relationships. Scammers often rush to build trust and move the conversation off dating platforms to private channels like WhatsApp or email.

Verify investment opportunities. Research any trading platform or investment opportunity independently. Look for reviews, warnings, and whether the platform is registered with financial regulatory authorities.

For more information

Learn about money mule scams on the Federal Bureau of Investigations website. Also, read about a romance scam that tricked victims into sending CARES Act money.

If you’ve been the victim of a scam, please report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Your report can help others to stay alert and avoid similar scams.

Check out BBB’s cryptocurrency tips and learn how to protect yourself from cryptocurrency scams. Read BBB’s tip on choosing a dating service.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Marcos Moore is an experienced agronomist who focuses on making sure how to make the most out of water in agriculture by pushing salt away from the produce.

He explains that salt damages the plant by dehydrating and stunting the crop.

Moore is teaching farmers how to use water to push this salt away.

“We want to be able to use the water quickly and get it across the field as quickly as possible and the different irrigation systems or different irrigation schemes will affect salt mitigation,” says Moore.

Moore’s main message is to master moving the water to save your harvest.

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Marcos Icahuate

SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local event is planned for locals to find information on becoming home owners.

The Housing America Corporation (HAC) will host the First Housing Community Fair on Thursday, February 19 starting at 9 a.m. at the HAC office (130 N. State Avenue, Somerton, AZ).

Local agencies will be on site to talk about housing, counseling services and USDA loan pre-approvals.

Families are encouraged to come by to learn and stay for free food and prizes.

“Our goal is to connect families with the resources they need for safe, decent, and affordable housing,” said Yolanda Galindo, Executive Director of Housing America Corporation. “This fair is about education, connection, and empowering families with the tools they need to achieve stable and healthy housing.”

For more information, you can call HAC at (928) 627-4221.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A motorcyclist had serious injuries and was flown to a Phoenix hospital, according to the Yuma Police Department (YPD).

On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at about 6:57 a.m., officers were called about a crash in the area of South Avenue 3E.

YPD says a 21-year-old man on a Honda motorcycle was traveling westbound on Avenue 3E when he crashed into the back of a Toyota Scion.

The 25-year-old man in the Scion was stopped in traffics, according to YPD.

The motorcyclist was taken to Onvida Health and later flown to a Phoenix hospital in serious condition. The driver of the Scion had minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital.

YPD says speed appears to be a factor.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call YPD at (928) 783-4421 or 78-CRIME to remain anonymous.

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Skylar Heisey

SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is making a point to be a visible presence in Yuma County, holding regular office hours to ensure residents know help is available and where to find it.

“I think it’s really important for us to establish that we’re going to be a presence here in this community on a regular basis,” Rep. Grijalva said. “Trying to utilize all of the staff that we have to get resources out was something that I committed to during the campaign.”

For many constituents, those services have already made a lasting impact.

One local resident said, “Adelita is constantly giving us information on immigration issues, renewing passports, and passing important updates along.”

Beyond local services, Grijalva also voiced concerns about federal immigration enforcement.

“The Department of Homeland Security’s budget is 20-30 times what it was last fiscal year,” she said. “They’re ramping up a presence and hiring a lot of people who arguably don’t have the training or background. Our local law enforcement should not be immigration enforcement.”

She noted that most communities in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District have made that commitment.

Grijalva emphasized that her office is focused on being a reliable resource for residents, a mission that is already paying off.

Office hours are held every four weeks at Somerton City Hall.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – To celebrate Black History Month, we are highlighting different community leaders who are making a difference. This week, we recognize and shine a spotlight on El Centro City Council member Sonia Carter.

Council member Carter is currently serving on her first term. She’s the only African-American City Council member in the Imperial Valley.

“I’m strongly for the people by the people. The people are why we do this. We keep pushing for them,” said Carter.

The mother and El Centro native wears many hats in the community. She’s worked with the El Centro School District for nearly three decades.

“That inspired me to work for the PTO, and I did that as far as being the president of the PTO, and that inspired me of leadership,” said Carter.

She says one of her favorite memories with the city was serving as the former mayor.

“It gave me the inspiration that I can do anything because I didn’t stop. Seven days a week I served the people, and that’s because I wanted to…not because the city pushes you to. It’s because you want to. And you see the needs and the desires of the community and what you can do to help them and inspire them. I’m all for it,” said Carter.

She’s held three statewide leadership roles with Cal Cities and was recently appointed to the League of California Cities Public Safety Policy Committee.

Carter is also an advocate for her church and says she’s passionate about volunteerism. In addition to her faith, she says she couldn’t do it all without her team.

“My colleagues, we’re a team of five…a strong team of five. And it takes all of us decision making to get everything done,” said Carter.

Her team shares the same gratitude

“It’s nice being on a team with council member Carter because she leads with heart and vision. She genuinely cares about the city, and that shows in how she approaches decisions and projects. Having someone who is both committed and supportive makes the entire team stronger and helps us move forward together for the good of El Centro,” said El Centro Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Camarena.

For those interested in joining similar leadership roles, Carter shares some words of advice.

“The advice that I have is stand on the leadership that you’re given. When people talk to you, listen. When they discipline you, take that discipline. When they try to inspire you, take it. Don’t sit up here and knock people or try to backpedal as far as what you don’t want to do. Take it and go with it because leadership is important and it’s not easy. But in order for you to get somewhere and be in a leadership position, you’re going to have to deal with discipline. And if you cannot have somebody disciplining you, it’s not going to work for you, so my best advice is take the criticism and go with it,” said Carter.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local event to ride in the desert is planned for late February.

The 2nd annual Desert Trail will be on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at the Carefree Village Resort (3900 S. Ave. 8 1/2 E).

The event supports local veterans and first responders.

Lunch will be provided and a drawing will take place.

The ride is planned to last three hours, starting with sign-ups at 9:30 a.m.

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