Author: KYMA

Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Labor Day is coming up on September 1 and locals are planning their travels.

Labor Day weekend is considered one of the busiest periods for travelers.

Hotels, car rentals and airplanes tend to be cheaper around this time, leading to crowding in airports and highways.

Many celebrate the national holiday that honors the dedication of American workers by traveling to spend time with their loved ones.

As Labor Day approaches, many locals are heading in and out of Yuma to spend quality time with their family and friends. The gas stations are seeing lower prices this Labor Day weekend.

“In Arizona, they’re a lot better than California. That’s where were headed,” says Bob Sprigs, a Yuma local who was on his way out for the holiday, and was taking advantage of the gas prices here in Yuma.

Gas prices in Yuma are lower than this time last year. According to AAA, prices are 40 cents cheaper.

Locals share where they’re traveling and what the holiday weekend means to them.

“Yeah with family, do a barbecue on Labor Day,” says Paul Pacheco, Yuma local.

For locals like Pacheco, Labor Day is more than just a day off, its a day of recognition.

“It celebrates the workers, working people, I’ve been a union worker in the past so, it is kind of an important holiday for me,” says Pacheco.

Other locals express gratitude for people who work, with Juan Villalobos stating, “I’m glad to all those hard working people that do really tough jobs for all of us.”

Remember to travel safely and enjoy the day off whether your spending time with family and friends or just sitting at home.

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Karina Bazarte

HOLTVILLE, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The City of Holtville has issued a state of emergency due to the damage caused by recent storms.

Imperial County was hit hard by Monday’s storms and residents are now facing the challenging aftermath.

The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) says about 4,000 customers lost power.

The California Highway Patrol says a total of five crashes were reported, including three big rigs that rolled over due to the high winds

One Holtville family was displaced after a tree feel on their home.

“It’s scary because my children could have been hurt like the tree could have killed practically my kids…They are two and four the ones that were here with me,” said an Imperial County local.

What saved them was their car was parked in their driveway.

To help the family, Click here for their GoFundMe.

The IID says people without power can go to a shelter at Westmorland Elementary School. 

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The mother charged with murdering her toddler was back in court Wednesday. 

20-year-old Angelina Vasquez and her boyfriend, 23-year old Miguel Garcia are facing three felony charges, including first-degree murder.

Vasquez was scheduled for her final management conference. Garcia will be in for a trial setting and a change of plea hearing.

Back in May, Yuma police found human remains at a home on 25th Street and Carolyn Way, close to Arizona Western College.

This was after Vasquez’ son, two-year-old Kano Aguerro, was reported missing back in March.

Both suspects will be back in court on October 1.

 

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent accused of sexual conduct with a minor was back in court.

31-year-old Ramon Marquez was informed he will be back in court on October 15 for a trial setting and change of plea hearing.

He’s facing 15 counts, including sexual intercourse, oral sexual conduct and sexual exploitation of a minor who is 16-years-old.

Back in April, Yuma police said they received information from CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility in regards to “inappropriate behavior involving one of their agents and a minor.”

After a brief investigation, Marquez was arrested in Wellton.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) is conducting DUI patrols on Yuma streets to encourage people to stay safe.

According to the National Safety Council, in 2023, 36% of fatalities involved an alcohol impaired driver during the labor day period.

YPD is doing its part to keep people safe with extra patrols that will be on the lookout for people driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

“If you’re going to drink, make sure you have a car to come pick you up, or utilize Uber [or] Lyft. I mean it’s worth the 20, 30 bucks to get a ride home then thousands of dollars in legal fees for a DUI,” said Officer Hayato Johnson from YPD.

Kristin Foree, a Yuma local, says she’s satisfied with what YPD is doing.

“I think it’s not a bad idea. I mean, it encourages people to make more responsible decisions over the holiday weekend. It keeps people safer and we have better options now with Uber, and it’s just a better it’s just a good idea I think in general,” says Foree.

YPD shares some consequences you can face if you’re caught drinking and driving.

“Usually with your first DUI it could be punishable by some jail time, or even fees and revoking your drivers license, so I mean if driving is your bread and butter, that’s how you get to work and make your money for your family, you might want to think twice,” Officer Johnson said.

The DUI detail began Friday night and end on Monday night.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Fostering Hope Yuma will be presenting the “Step Into the Story” conference aimed to help foster and kinship parents.

Steve Little, President of Fostering Hope Yuma says the idea behind the conference is if we looked at anybody’s life, they could point to somebody that stepped into the story and affected them in a way that that it brought them to the place they are now.

This conference aims to support those who support foster kids.

“There’s lots of organizations that support the kids and I am so grateful for them, but what happens with those parents who are the ones who come alongside them and says you’re doing a good job we’re so grateful that you’re here. This is a sacrifice for you and we want to be a part of it. That’s what ‘Step Into the Story’ is all about,” says Little.

The conference will take place at the Yuma Civic Center September 20.

If you’d like to sign up, you can head to FHYuma.com.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Most of us have experienced the pain of a sunburn, but there’s more severe condition many don’t people recognize, which is sun poisoning. It can even land you in the ER. 

Dr. Donald Hubbard, Medical Director and Emergency Medicine Physician at Exceptional Community Hospital in Yuma, says it can start from a just a minor sunburn and it can go up to severe sunburn.

“The one thing you notice with the sunburn is you’re gonna have pain and you’re gonna have red skin that can go from a mild irritation to a severe sunburn where you get blisters. It’s rare to get a 2nd degree burn from the sun, but it’s not impossible in. In rare circumstances you can get a 3rd degree burn from the sun,” he said.

Hubbard mentions preventative steps you can take in order to stay protected from the sun.

“Well, you know, people who work in the sun, you notice they wear long sleeve shirts and they wear hats that protect their heads and they usually have something protecting their neck. If you’re gonna be in the sun a lot I would recommend something like that,” he shared.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Colorado River provides water for farms and homes across the region, but dropping levels at Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam are raising questions about how reliable that supply will be.

The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission recently held the Colorado River Citizens Forum.

One of the main topics was the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. These reservoirs help control the flow of the Colorado River and provide water and electricity to millions of people.

Officials said the dam can only generate electricity if the lake stays high. If levels drop too low, backup pipes must be used. Those pipes do not generate much power and were not designed for long-term use.

Katrina Grantz, Deputy Regional Director with the Bureau of Reclamation, explained the purpose of the backup system.

“River outlet works are designed for when the power plant is not operational. For example, if there’s a power outage or our plant trips offline, we can still release water downstream to keep the river flowing,” she said.

Officials emphasized their top priority is keeping the dam safe and reliable.

Grantz said, “Our priority at Reclamation is to ensure that we are operating safely, keeping the dam reliable for the public and maintaining this infrastructure for generations to come.”

The meeting also discussed how changes at the dam and Lake Powell affect water supply for communities and farms along the Colorado River, including Yuma County.

Officials noted that total river system storage is down about six percent from last year and that even with decent snowpack, much less water is flowing into the reservoirs.

With Lake Powell and Lake Mead at low levels, local farmers and communities in Yuma County are keeping a close eye on the Colorado River.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Colorado Street Apartments are located at 1555 West Colorado Street in Yuma, Arizona. They’re located right off of First Street.

Denise Lopez with Housing America Corporation says there’s specific criteria to applying for the apartments.

“What we’re looking for it is these apartments are solely farm labor income. That’s one of the main criteria for these apartments. It is farm labor requirement,” she shared.

For more information, you can visit their offices.

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Adrik Vargas

HOLTVILLE, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Holtville remains under a state of emergency after several storms left dozens of homes without power.

Crews are still cleaning up the damage, and a temporary shelter has been opened for those affected.

The storms hit earlier this week, toppling trees and leaving many residents in the dark. The emergency declaration allows the city to bring in extra personnel and access funds to help families and restore services.

A shelter at Cornerstone Community Church is providing food and a safe place for those impacted.

“We have a couple homes that were hit by trees that they are looking for a place to stay. And so with this, the shelter should provide assistance for about 30 or 40 people,” said Alex Silva, Fire Chief with the Holtville Fire Department.

City leaders say generators and community support are helping residents while they work to fully restore power.

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