Manoah Tuiasosopo
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – For the first time in nearly 40 years, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will take flight in the 60th Annual Yuma Airshow this weekend.
The elite demonstration team is made up of some of the most skilled pilots in the military.
This Saturday, they’ll be performing high-speed formations and precision maneuvers over MCAS Yuma.
Admission to the airshow is free, with the gates opening at 9 a.m.
Dillon Fuhrman
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – KCS Nerd Shack is hosting a Cards & Collectibles show this weekend.
The event is taking place Saturday at the Yuma Civic Center, located at 1440 W. Desert Hills Drive, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public, but if anyone would like to be a vendor for the event, click here.
To learn more about the upcoming event, click here.
Skylar Heisey
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Yuma man previously accused in a 2024 murder case has now been sentenced on several related charges.
A jury found Fernando Malta guilty Tuesday on multiple counts, including attempted arson of a structure and tampering with physical evidence.
Jurors found him not guilty on the victim-related charges tied to the murder of Eric Cruz, whose body was found near a canal in San Luis in June of 2024.
In court, the victim’s family members were crying as the verdicts were read.
Malta was sentenced to 1.5 years for attempted arson, along with two additional one year sentences for evidence tampering, which will run consecutively.
He also received four years of probation for misconduct involving weapons.
In a separate drug case, Malta was sentenced to nine years in prison, with credit for time already served.
Dillon Fuhrman
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The man convicted of sexually abusing a child under the age of five for more than ten years has been sentenced.
46-year-old James David Schultz was sentenced Monday to 17 years at the Arizona Department of Corrections.
He will also serve lifetime intensive probation once he’s released.
Schultz was arrested in December of 2023 following a months-long investigation after the Yuma Police Department after they received information referencing a delayed sex offense.
The victim was a child between the ages of four and 14 at that time, and Schultz was identified as the suspect.
During that investigation, YPD says they conducted a separate investigation regarding Schultz that was being linked child sexual abuse material.
As a result, Schultz was arrested for multiple felony offenses.
Last month, Schultz pled guilty to to sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.
Dillon Fuhrman
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma has issued a public notice regarding increased noise levels ahead of this weekend’s 60th Annual Yuma Airshow.
The notice, according to MCAS Yuma, says residents near the base may experience increased aircraft noises from Thursday, March 12 to Friday, March 13.
MCAS Yuma says their pilots will conduct “essential demonstration practices” ahead of the air show as they are critical for “ensuring a safe and exciting event” for the Yuma community.
The 60th Annual Yuma Airshow will take place at MCAS Yuma Saturday at 9 a.m.
Dillon Fuhrman
PHOENIX (KYMA) – A former Yuma Elementary School District employee has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $86,000 in public funds.
According to a press release from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Mercedes Brena, also known as Mercedes Ruiz, was convicted of two of the following felonies:
Misuse of public monies
Possession of a forgery device
“When public funds meant for the education of Arizona’s children are stolen or misused, there must be accountability,” said Attorney General Kris Mayes. “My office will always stand up for the students, families, and taxpayers who deserve their tax dollars being spent appropriately.”
Between November 2021 and October 2022, Brena was said to have used her role as a Human Resource Specialist to “steal from the district by forging and submitting fraudulent timesheets to a third-party payroll processing company, stealing money orders intended for the school, and using school district credit cards to purchase gift cards for personal use.”
Brena pled guilty to the charges last week, and her sentencing is scheduled for April 15 in the Maricopa County Superior Court, the press release says.
The press release says the plea agreement also includes a stipulated minimum restitution of $85,988.70.
To learn more about the case, click here.
Dillon Fuhrman
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) says David Argomaniz, a Yuma High School student, has been named a finalist for the Gates Scholarship.
According to a press release, “Argomaniz is among 1,500 students out of thousands of applicants nationwide to advance to the final interview” of the scholarship’s selection process.
“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as one of the 1,500 finalists nationwide, but I know there is still work to be done in this application process,” Argomaniz said.
YUHSD says those who receive the scholarship will get funding to “cover the full cost of attendance not already paid by other financial aid,” which may include tuition, fees, books, housing, food and other personal expenses.
The application process, according to YUHSD, includes “writing four essays on topics such as leadership,” as well as students listing the leadership and community services they participated in.
In addition, YUHSD says those who apply for the scholarship must be:
A high school student
Pell Grant-eligible
A U.S. citizen or permanent resident
In good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent.
Scholarship recipients will be announced on April 20, 2026. To learn more about this, read the press release below.
PR – Yuma High student selected as finalist for Gates Scholarship (1)Download
Adrik Vargas
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – As temperatures rise in Arizona, the Arizona Game and Fish Department say people may start seeing more rattlesnakes.
They say rattlesnakes are usually active from March through October, but warmer spring days can bring them out even earlier. In the spring, they are often out during the day, though hotter temperatures make them more active at night.
The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) says some of the rattlesnake calls it responds to come from West Wetlands Park.
“A couple times a year, we’ll get a call for a rattlesnake there,” said Francisco Leon, Public Information Officer for YFD. “We show up, safely remove it, and take it out to the desert.”
Visitors at the park say the warning signs about rattlesnakes don’t worry them.
“They’re scared of humans,” said Dario Arzuaga, a frequent walker at the park. “As long as you don’t step on them or mess with them, they won’t bother you. Just watch where you’re going, and if you see one, don’t get close.”
Leon shared safety tips for anyone who encounters a rattlesnake.
“Leave it alone. Just go on with your day…Don’t mess with it. Don’t get near it.” he said.
He also gave advice in case of a bite saying, “Don’t try to suck the poison out. Remove any jewelry or anything to reduce the swelling…Call 911 and we’ll show up on scene, and we’ll begin medical interventions.”
Officials say most rattlesnake bites happen when someone tries to handle or disturb the snake. The best way to stay safe is to give rattlesnakes space and pay attention to where you step.
Danyelle Burke North
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma Fire Department responded to over 400 emergency service calls in the last week. Of those service calls, 13 were fire calls including an RV and home fire.
They say common fires they see are bathroom ventilation fan fires and backyard or patio fires from a heavy fuel load.
“What happens is people leave those fans on. They let them run for hours and eventually when they get dirty, they seize up, and that heat eventually create a fire, and those fires can spread into the attic and the fire spreading to the attic we have a bigger problem,” said Yuma Fire Department Public Information Officer Francisco Leon.
They recommend inspecting ventilation fans and cleaning them monthly to prevent fires. They say to also inspect electrical cords and make sure they don’t have any damage.
“If cords are plugged in, never leave them underneath a mat or put anything on top of them. They can build heat and eventually it can cause a fire as well,” said Leon.
With the city neighborhood clean up coming up, they say it’s a good time for locals to do spring cleaning, remove clutter, and put trash in their front yard for city pick up.
“A good piece of advice I’d give people is to grab things that you don’t need anymore. Put them out front. Just clear some of that clutter, reduce the fuel load in your backyard- the side of your home,” said Leon.
Jessamyn Dodd
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial Valley Republican Party has released its list of endorsements of local candidates.
The committee is backing three of the following candidates they say will fight for the region’s priorities in Sacramento:
Art Hodges for State Senate District 18
Denis Bilodeau for California State Board of Equalization District 4
Jeff Gonzalez, who is running for re-election for Assembly District 36.
For these candidates, priorities for this election cycle includes agriculture, border security, economic development and healthcare access.
“What we’re really excited about with our three Republican candidates that we’ve endorsed so far, is that they are the common sense, solution oriented folks that can represent everyone in Imperial Valley,” said Sayrs Morris, Secretary of California GOP.
The party says the endorsements are meant to help voters better understand where local candidates stand as election season ramps up.
“This is you know an important area for California and I think it’s important that these candidates that are running for statewide office, they do their due diligence, they find out what the needs our for our community, and they come down here and they campaign and they get in front of our residents and they talk about what their plans are for the state,” Jason Jackson, a member of the central committee for the republican party told KYMA.
Taxes are also a key talking point on the campaign trail in Imperial County, with many decisions being made at the state level impacting Valley resident and businesses.
Morris said she hopes to see more seats flip red during the election.
“”We are ready to flip our senate seat, and Board of Equalization, folks, that is so important for the state. They set so many standards that have to do with taxes and Denis Bilodeau has the experience to make common sense reform for all of us,” she said.
