Local engineer students build car on campus with advanced machines

Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Local engineering students are building new projects with the help of advanced machines.

Northern Arizona University Yuma students have five CNC milling machines on campus. CNC stands for “Computer Numerical Control” and helps cut with precision.

“It knows where the actual material is, and it knows where the actual part is within that material. It just cuts it out. It does all the visualizing for you. All you have to do is program and program it where to cut and how to cut with the right tools,” said engineering student Leonardo Rojas.

Some students are using it to build parts for a car built entirely in house.

“This upper control arm and lower control arm are examples of what we would be sensing, as well as we have our knuckle right here in combination with our 3D printer.,” said engineering student Cesar Duarte.

The students say it’s a great resource on campus to learn industry skills.

“CNC machines are used for a whole variety of different things we make, especially with cars. The spindle, different pieces of the motor,” said engineering student John Beeler. “This would be a broad application to many different parts of different jobs.”

The students will be taking the car to compete in a competition in Washington in May of 2026.

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YPD offers tips to protect packages from being stolen

Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) says they are seeing an increase in stolen packages, and are offering tips to keep packages safe.

YPD says people should use an alternate delivery location, like their work, a neighbor’s house, or a “local pickup spot like an Amazon locker or UPS Access Point.”

Another tip, YPD says, is to request a signature confirmation in order to “prevent carriers from leaving packages unattended.”

YPD also says to install security cameras and motion-activated lights.

In addition, YPD says people should get a lockable drop box and put on their porch. This will allow “delivery drivers a safe place to leave packages,” and says to track their deliveries by signing up for delivery alerts to know when their packages arrive so they can bring it inside immediately.

Finally, YPD says people should restrict the package’s visibility by providing delivery drivers specific instructions on where to leave packages “to conceal them from view.”

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Crunch Fitness & Friday Night Muchies to host Black Friday Toy Drive

Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Black Friday isn’t all about shopping, it’s also about giving back.

This Friday in Yuma, Crunch Fitness & Friday Night Munchies will be teaming up to host their Black Friday Toy Drive.

The event will take place at Hyundai of Yuma on 32nd Street from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. 

Toys, as well as non-perishables, are greatly appreciated. There will also be tons of raffles, vendors, and special guests. 

Those who donate will be entered in a raffle for a free one year membership to the local gym Crunch Fitness. 

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Housing America Corporation and Toys for Tots hold toy drive

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Housing America Corporation is partnering with Toys for Tots to hold a toy drive through next month.

According to a letter obtained by KYMA, they will be collecting toys for kids living in their housing communities across Yuma County.

They are asking the community to donate a new and unwrapped toy for a child in need, and the toys can be dropped off at the following location and times:

Housing America Corporation, located at 130 N. State Avenue in Somerton.

Monday through Thursday: 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 8:00 a.m. to noon.

Cash donations are also accepted. The donation deadline is Friday, December 12.

Courtesy: Housing America Corporation

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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announce temple location in Yuma

Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The First Presidency of the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the location of the future temple in Yuma.

This will be the seventh “House of the Lord” announced for Arizona.

The Yuma Temple will be located on the corner of E. 36th Street and Avenue 8E. It will be a single-story structure with an additional building. Once built, it will be the western-most temple in Arizona.

Eight additional temples in Arizona are operating, have been announced, or are under construction in places like Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson.

To learn more about this, click here.

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Crossroads Mission’s Three Days of Thanksgiving underway

Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Tuesday, November 25 is the first day of Crossroads Mission’s annual Three Days of Thanksgiving.

Crossroads Mission hosted the first of three-day Thanksgiving.

Crossroads Mission CEO Mayra Garlit said they expected to serve 700 meals and deliver another 700 plates.

“We couldn’t do it without the Yuma community helping us and some people say, ‘well that’s not all the homeless’ but we open this up to the Yuma community,” said Myra Garlit, Crossroads Mission CEO.Some locals we spoke to said they’re thankful for having a place to celebrate thanksgiving.

“This is amazing, that’s when the community comes together. They don’t see race, creed or color we are all one under god,” said Bill Gonzalez, a Yuma local.

“I feel blessed from the creator and all the people who are working on his behalf and I’m glad I came,” said Thaddeus Garrett, another local.

The meals served were made possible thanks to the Yuma community and local businesses like Karnas Law that were part of the event.

“It feels really good giving back to the community putting our part on that I know a lot of people don’t have families don’t have funds or for whatever reason can’t have thanksgiving we are happy to part of making that happen,” said Carolina Barrios, Karnas Law marketing manager.

The thanksgiving celebration continues on Wednesday with roast beef on the menu and Thursday with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner including turkey.

The meals are served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Avenir Financial donates 125,000 meals to the Yuma Community Food Bank

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Just three days away from Thanksgiving, Avenir Financial donated 125,000 meals to the Yuma Community Food Bank.

They say that with the recent government shutdown, SNAP recipient benefits on hold, and the holiday season, they wanted to give back to the community.

According to the Department of Economic Security area code 85364 has the highest SNAP participants in the state of Arizona with over 20,000.

“When your community is hurting, you need to step up one of our motos is to uplift our members and our community, and so we when we saw that need we knew we had to do something,” says Jeff Byrd, a communications relation officer from Avenir.

Andy Robinson, the food bank CEO, says this couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Oh, it’s made all the difference, it’s bridged the gap in a lot of ways, it’s just a situation where we didn’t know if we were going to have the funding, or be able to provide enough food,” said Robinson.

The Yuma Community Food Bank shares a message to those in need of a Thanksgiving meal while also having a message to those who are able to donate.

“We’re here like we’ve always said, we’re here for you if you need, come. We’ll take care of you, we’ll get you something, we’ll make sure you don’t leave hungry,” Robinson says. “Please give what you can, everything that you give. People, give in, we’re going to make sure it goes right back out there to the people who need it.”

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El Centro volunteers send care packages to troopers

Manoah Tuiasosopo

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – In this week’s Military Matters report, a group of dedicated volunteers in El Centro are supporting our troops this holiday season.

In an annual effort led by American Legion Auxiliary Unit 25 volunteers, alongside Boy Scout Troop 40-70, packaged and shipped over 90 care packages to deployed U.S. troops Sunday.

Inside the troop packages are items like playing cards, handmade crafts from local students and other small comforts from home.

The organizer thanks the community and says small donations play a big role in letting service members know they’re not forgotten during the holidays.

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Crossroads Mission Annual Christmas

Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Christmas Ball is December 6 at the Civic Center.

The doors open at 5:30 and serving begins at 6:00 PM.

Tickets are $65 and you can buy them on the Crossroads Mission website or the City of Yuma website.

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Family of teen killed in El Centro speaks out

Karina Bazarte

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – There is a memorial is dedicated to 14-year-old Mike Jimenez, known to his friends and family as Moso, outside where the teen was shot and killed by the El Centro Police Department (ECPD).

The mother of the teen, Alma Serrano, says she won’t stop fighting until she brings justice for her son.

“‘You’re coming back.’ That was the last thing I said and he said, ‘Yeah, I love you,’ and that was it…by 6:30 he was already deceased,” said Serrano.

On October 5, Jimenez went out to see his friends and later became involved in an incident with ECPD, who shot him multiple times.

“That was murder that was not self-defense…you shoot someone to move them down to stop them from doing something. You don’t shoot my son three bullets in the face blow his head off,” said Serrano.

Serrano says she has not seen the body cam video released by ECPD last week.

“I don’t think any mother wants to see something like that as well as my attorney said that it was edited, so when I am ready to see the video, I’ll be ready in court to see the full video, not parts of it…I want to see the full video,” said Serrano.

However, the sister of the teen, Jasmine Moreno, says she saw the video when it was released. They both think the shooting was uncalled for.

“I heard more than 12 rounds you know, I’ve studied the video my own way and everything, and I just think it was overly excessive. They did not try to deescalate anything. When I seen how the cop cars where position, I was thinking he wasn’t going to go anywhere,” said Moreno.

This past weekend, family members and friends gathered for a walk to demand justice for Jiménez, for his mother and her legal advisors. 

“We are here to put pressure on the investigating agencies to do so in an independent way…to have a truly investigation and if not, we are planning on civil justice of our own we will be filing a tort claim,” said Tim Scott, the family’s attorney.

Meanwhile, the family says they will continue to hold rallys and raise awareness for Jimemez.

“We are still going to stand strong for my son, and we are not going to stop we are just not going to stop,” said Serrano.

“I miss him so much. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him. I always passby his room and I look and he is not there,” said Moreno.

We reached out ECPD, but they told us they won’t be commenting at this time. 

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