Category: kyma-local-news

Carolina Garcia

CALEXICO, Calif. (NBC, KYMA) – Two people were arrested following a pursuit that ended at the Calexico Port of Entry.

A truck reported stolen in Los Angeles was spotted in Imperial County early Tuesday morning, with the El Centro Police Department (ECPD) trying to stop the vehicle, but it went into the City of Calexico.

The Calexico Police Department (CPD) carried out a special operation to stop the driver at the port of entry.

The driver crashed into a barrier and attempted to run away, but was arrested, along with another driver who was in the vehicle.

“They continued southbound in an attempt to reach Mexico. Once it reached the port of entry…they lost control, and it hit a barrier. At that point, the driver of the vehicle attempted to flee into Mexico. But he was quickly detained by Calexico police officers and taken into custody,” said Acting Lt. Miguel Carbajal with CPD.

This was part of a joint operation involving CPD, ECPD, the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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Andrea Turisk

SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – Seven people remain in the hospital Thursday after a serious crash in Yuma County.

The Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department (SCFD) responded to the crash, which happened in the area of Somerton Avenue and County 14th Street, involving two vehicles Wednesday before 4 p.m.

“When we arrived, we found two vehicles…a total of seven patients. Due to the extent of their injuries, and the multitude of patients, we needed to call for mutual aid,” said Chief Javier Hernandez with SCFD.

It is then that they called in the San Luis Fire Department, Yuma Fire Department and Rural Metro for help.

A total of seven people, including three adults, two children and two infants, were taken to Onvida Health.

“The two patients that we transported which was an 11-year-old female and an eight-year-old male patient to my understanding were flown to a Phoenix area hospital due to the extent of their injuries,” Chief Hernandez shared.

The crash is still under investigation. If anyone has information regarding the crash, call the Yuma County Sheriff’s Department at (928) 783-4427, call 78-CRIME to remain anonymous, or visit YCSO’s website to submit an anonymous tip.

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Abigahil Padilla

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA) – Another Goodwill store opened in Yuma County Thursday as a grand opening of a second Goodwill store was held in San Luis, Arizona.

The new Goodwill is located on Main Street in San Luis.

Community members gathered early to celebrate and take advantage of special opening day deals while dozens of residents attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, local leaders and Goodwill representatives highlighted the importance of the new location as the store will provide affordable shopping options while also creating job opportunities for locals.

“We are very excited to bring a second Goodwill store to the San Luis community, right here on Main Street. We know that our first store is very popular, and with this second location, you will have even more opportunities to shop, donate, and be part of the community,” said Lea Graham, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Goodwill.

With the new store, Goodwill says it will continue its mission of empowering individuals and strengthening the local economy.

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Abraham Retana

WELLTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Wellton Police Department (WPD) says one of their officers is still on modified duty following an officer-involved shooting earlier this year.

On January 16, the officer responded to a call where one person was attacked with a hatchet.

WPD says when officers arrived, a 37-year-old woman charged at an officer with the hatchet, and says the suspect ignored commands, leading the officer to shoot the suspect.

The woman died at the scene.

“It’s the standard protocol with an officer involved in a shooting is that the officer will be place on a modified duty status pending the final outcome for Yuma County Attorney’s Office,” said Detective Nathan Hammond with WPD.

The independent investigation was done by the Yuma County Incident Response Team as they reviewed officer-worn body camera footage, witness statements and physical evidence.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Jeff Brady, the man who drowned while saving two boys last year, has been posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism earlier this week.

According to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, Brady is one of 18 people who risked “serious injury or death, or were killed, saving or attempting to save others in acts of extraordinary heroism.”

Brady, who moved from San Diego to Yuma two months prior to his death, was posthumously awarded the medal for trying to save his girlfriend’s nephews from drowning during an outing at Martinez Lake last July.

The Hero Fund says Brady struggled to stay afloat while saving the boys, and says once the boys were rescued, Brady went underwater and did not resurface.

While the boys were being evaluated by first responders, local agencies, including the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, found and pronounced Brady dead.

In addition to the medal, a GoFundMe was set up following his death to not only help his family, but to honor Brady’s memory.

The GoFundMe has a goal of $120,000, with nearly $110,000 raised so far. If anyone would like to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA)- Kidney stones are a common reason people visit the emergency room. Mitzi Pacheco, nurse practitioner from Exceptional Community Hospital in Yuma explains what kidney stones are what should people do if they have them.

“Many people describe the pain as one of the most intense pains they’ve had experienced. Symptoms may include sharp pain in the back or side, nausea, vomiting, and blood in the urine. If they are experiencing severe flank pain, vomiting, fever, or difficulty urinating, you should definitely seek emergency care,”

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Jessamyn Dodd

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – A new book on the history of Calexico, covering 1930 to 1969 is now available at the Calexico Cultural Center.

The book delves into the tales of people who lived, worked, and made history in the city.

Jimmy Dorantes, a native to Calexico, said he wanted to highlight the unseen heroes of the southern most part of the Imperial Valley. The book tells the stories of locals, from hometown sports heroes to war heroes.

“People that go unheard of. A lot of people don’t know about, but they made a difference nation-wide,” he said.

One goal of the book is to take the reader back to a time where Calexico was a small desert town where everyone knew their neighbors.

Jimmy Duron, from the Calexico Arts Council, explained, “What this book is about is having those people share their stories with their children, grandchildren, or whomever and bringing them to what Calexico was.”

The team spent roughly one and a half years sifting through photographs, conducting interviews, and fact-checking stories.

“You have to fact check everything. Make sure that their story, their historical story is actually correct. And once again the picture process is who owns that picture,” Duron said.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – State data shows a sharp decline in SNAP enrollment across Arizona over the past year.

According to the Department of Economic Security, a little over 500,000 people received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in January. That’s about a 40% drop compared to the same time last year.

Senior Policy Analyst Kyle Ross with the Center for American Progress says the decline is part of a broader trend.

“SNAP recipients in Arizona has fallen by nearly 400,000 participants over the last year alone, with the large majority of that coming after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July of 2025,” said Ross.

Ross points to new requirements and administrative changes as key reasons behind the drop. He says staffing shortages and longer wait times have made it harder for people to apply for or stay on benefits.

Last December, Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) announced more than $7 million to help SNAP offices hire temporary staff and upgrade technology to speed up processing.

Meanwhile, local residents say the cost of groceries has not gone down.

“It’s for sure harder now to afford groceries,” said one Yuma resident.

Ross says SNAP enrollment is likely to continue declining over the next year.

State data shows that trend may already be continuing, with enrollment dropping from January to February both statewide and in Yuma.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – One local Yuma High School student is making a scientific impact on a national level.

Eniah Endriga shares how her project might even help keep your backyard safe from fires.

“Those three invasive weeds, red brome, buffelgrass, and stinknet, I want them to know that these invasive weeds really cause great harm, so if they have that in their backyard, or in their house, I think it’s best to remove them from there,” says Eniah Endriga, National STEM Champion.

She also gives advice to her fellow peers and other students interested in the stem field.

“To reach out to people because you could have these many ideas in your head, but if you don’t talk about it, or if you don’t reach out to others who could potentially help you, that idea won’t be executed,” says Endriga.

Endriga is one of thousands of students nationwide who submitted a project last year for consideration in this year’s National STEM Festival, and her wish came true as she was selected as a finalist and named the sole 2026 National STEM Champion from Arizona.

“Really, really good. I’m so excited. I was not expecting it,” expresses Endriga.

The National STEM Festival is a nationwide initiative designed to inspire and challenge students of all different ages to create solutions in key STEM fields.

Endriga’s project analyzes the impact of forest fires and the spread of invasive weeds.

“Eventually, I, with the help of my mentor from the U.S. Forest Service, created management solutions to reduce that invasive weed spread,” says Endriga.

In her project, she used mapping, ecosystem stress analysis, and species identification to track how plants can spread across burn sites, causing wildfires to burn faster and hotter.

“I was actually looking at the list of finalists in my state, and there was ten people, and so, to be chosen as the only one representing Arizona is honestly a great honor,” says Endriga.

Endriga’s hard work will be sending her to Washington D.C. in June to present her project on a national stage.

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Dillon Fuhrman

UPDATE (5:43 PM): The Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department (SCFD) has provided an update regarding the crash on Somerton Avenue.

According to SCFD, the crash happened before 4 p.m., and it involved two vehicles, with one vehicle rolling over.

Courtesy: Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department

Courtesy: Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department

Upon arrival, SCFD says crews found two vehicles with severe damage and multiple people injured, with a total of seven people, three adults, two children and two infants, being taken to Onvida Health in critical condition.

SCFD says due to the number of people injured, they request help from the San Luis Fire Department, Yuma Fire Department and Rural Metro.

Courtesy: Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department

Courtesy: Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department

In addition, SCFD says Border Patrol help in “providing initial first aid” to the victims while they, along with the Somerton Police Department help in traffic control.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, according to SCFD, remained on scene to investigate the crash.

Press Release2026, March 25Download

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office is on scene of a crash Wednesday evening.

According to a reporter on scene, the crash happened in the area of Somerton Avenue and County 14th Street.

Our reporter says no lanes are closed and both vehicles are on the shoulder, and deputies told our reporter some people were taken to the hospital.

KYMA will keep you updated on this developing story.

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