Author: KYMA

Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma Fire Department (YFD) candidates are training every Saturday for eight weeks to prepare for the candidate physical ability test.

The test has eight tasks, including a stair climb, hose drag and forcible entry.

The test must be completed in ten minutes and 20 seconds or less and has a pass-fail rate of about 50%.

Currently, there are 89 candidates aspiring to become firefighters in Yuma.

Francisco Leon, the Public Information Officer for YFD, talked about why the test is an necessary step to becoming a firefighter.

“It’s important to ensure that we’re hiring the right people, the right candidates that are physically capable of doing the job. Firefighting’s a lot, it’s very physical strenuous work, especially here in Yuma in the heat,” Leon explained.

The candidates will complete the test at the end of this month.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local mother was placed in hospice care last week after battling pancreatic cancer for three years.

Amy Tutell was told ten days ago by her doctors that there was nothing else they could do and that she should chose quality over quantity.

Katrina Cushner, Tutell’s close friends says, “Amy is handling it like she’s handled the last three years, with grace, and she’s never complained.”

Both Tutell and her husband, Seth, were born and raised in Yuma and together they have two teenage boys.

Three years ago, Tutell was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has gone through many procedures and tons of chemotherapy, until recently being placed on hospice.

“We’ve just really been having to come together because like I said, she’s spent more time in the hospital than out of the hospital,” said Cushner.

Cushner says that it’s hard since Tutell’s husband still works and now, all the family wants is to spend time together.

“He is trying to spend as much time with her and the boys as we progress forward, and so I started the GoFundMe,” explains Cushner.

The family would like to thank the community for their continued support.

The GoFundMe has passed it goal of $25,000, but if anyone would like to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) responded to two separate calls in one week where an automatic fire sprinkler system controlled the fires, preventing further damage and injuries.

The first call happened Saturday, October 4 at around 2:20 p.m. at a business in the area of S. Florence Lane, near E. 33rd Place, according to YFD.

Upon arrival, YFD says crews saw smoke and “initiated a fire attack,” where firefighter entered the building and found a linen bin actively burning, but said a sprinkler system suppressed the fire, which extended to an additional bin.

YFD says crews contained the fire and no injuries were reported.

The second call happened early Tuesday morning, at around 4:00 a.m., at an apartment complex located in the area of W. 22nd Place and 35th Avenue.

Upon arrival, YFD says crews found a “single sprinkler head wetting down charred debris on a rear patio,” and says there wasn’t an fire nor damage inside the apartment.

In addition, no injuries were reported.

033 Alsco and El Dorado Sprinkler SavesDownload

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Abraham Retana

UPDATE (12:39 PM): Tadeo de la Hoya was in court Tuesday where he is facing one count of unlawful flights.

He pleaded not guilty and will be released from jail sometime later on Tuesday. However, no bond was set.

De la Hoya will be back in court on Thursday.

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) says the San Luis, Arizona vice mayor was arrested Monday for fleeing from law enforcement.

According to YCSO, Tadeo de la Hoya was booked for felony unlawful flight following an incident which happened last month. We’re still working on confirm the exact details of that incident.

De la Hoya is still in custody as of Tuesday morning. No word on when he will be seen by a judge.

KYMA will keep you updated on this developing story.

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Abraham Retana

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA) – Starting this week, people in San Luis, Arizona will start receiving their ballots for the special election in November.

There will be a couple of items voters will decide on.

San Luis, Arizona voters will have their say on Proposition 434.

If approved, Prop 434 would eliminate the salary, trip allowances and benefits for City Council members, including the city mayor. It would save the city almost $500,000.

Mayor Nieves Riedel says with that money, the City could continue running a program that it already cut.

“These programs are so important for Parks and [Recreation] to keep the young kids young adults, keep them entertained and off the streets or us getting 8,700 dollars to take ‘trips’ that are no need for that,” said Mayor Riedel.

Mayor Riedel said this proposal was denied twice by the council members in the past, but now it’s up to the voters to decide.

According to the Yuma County Recorder’s Office, more than 12,000 ballots will be sent by mail this week.

“October 8th is the first day to start voting. Give it a day or two because even the first day by the time the ballots are printed they are mailed out it will take a few days to the people to receive their ballots,” said David Lara, Yuma County Recorder.

The General Election will be on Tuesday, November 4.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – We have a nice and calm start to the week. We have dry conditions, calm winds, and sunny skies. Highs are in the low 90s which is cooler than normal. Our overnight lows will be in the low and mid 60s. We may even get some shower chances starting Thursday.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will warm slightly above normal across south-central Arizona starting Tuesday. Cooler temperatures are forecast to arrive late this week, falling below normal across the region by Sunday.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – If you live in Yuma, you’ve probably noticed an increase in military aircraft buzzing through the sky lately, and for one day only, locals got a chance to see that action up close.

On Monday at 6:00 p.m., The Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) Course conducted a Foreign Humanitarian Assistance exercise in Yuma.

That means the aircraft landed in a local neighborhood, practicing how to deliver aid in response to crises overseas.

The main landing zone is Kiwanis Park near Eighth Street and S. Magnolia Avenue.

Military personnel dropped off supplies and equipment as part of the training.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma City Council adopted a resolution Monday morning to oppose the permanent transfer of Colorado River Water to the town of Queen Creek, Arizona as the proposed transfer stands.

This project was proposed in 2018 with the Arizona Department of Water Resources’ opening comment at that time.

“We lose these fights, these are the fights that end the way of life in Yuma, or any of these smaller communities along the river,” said Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls.

At first, it recommended moving over 1,000 acre feet of water from Yuma to Queen Creek per year, but now it is up to 2,000.

The council urges those in charge to consider the socio-economic and environmental impacts this could have.

“Rural Arizona would be up for sale along with that water because of the dramatic return on investments investors would be getting if this deal goes through,” said Mayor Nicholls.

The city is instead proposing an alternative where these transfers only happen if there is enough water and electric power for everyone.

The City’s Deputy Attorney Rodney Smith says this would also affect the electricity availability coming from Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

“The hydro electric power off of both of those dams is getting to the point where there’s not enough pressure, not enough water in the system to adequately produce the electricity we need for our community or really the whole of Arizona,” Smith says.

Mayor Nicholls shares how this can impact agriculture as well.

“That puts up all agricultural, all river communities, pretty much more valuable to be sold, then they are to be existing communities,” said Mayor Nicholls.

Despite the city’s resolution, the department of water resources still has to consider whether or not to continue with the project.

If you would like your voice to be heard on this, click the link HERE.

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Skylar Heisey

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Trial dates were set last week for a Yuma man accused of killing an elderly couple in May of last year.

21-year-old Romeo Jay Arellano faces seven felonies, including two counts of premeditated first-degree murder, for the deaths of 82-year-old Manuel Marquez and 79-year-old Patricia Marquez.

His other charges include burglary in the second degree, theft of means of transportation, taking the identity of another person and theft of a credit card.

His trial is set to begin on October 21.

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Karina Bazarte

UPDATE (11:30 AM): The El Centro Police Department (ECPD) has provided updates regarding the officer-involved shooting from over the weekend.

According to a press release, it happened at around 6:30 p.m. Sunday after ECPD received reports of a stolen vehicle.

Upon arrival, ECPD says they found the stolen vehicle in a parking lot behind a business located in the area of E. Main Street and S. Dogwood Road.

While officers tried to talk to the people inside the vehicle, ECPD says that’s when the officer-involved shooting happened.

ECPD says the driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and says the Imperial Valley District Attorney’s Office took over the investigation.

The investigation is ongoing.

Press Release – OIS 100525Download

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The El Centro Police Department (ECPD) is investigating an officer-involved shooting which left one person dead.

According to ECPD, it happened at around 7:00 p.m. Sunday in the area of E. Main Street and S. Dogwood Road.

ECPD says they received a call about a stolen car that was found. Upon arrival, a driver tried to run over a responding officer, which was when the shooting happened, and one person was killed.

KYMA will keep you updated on this developing story.

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