Category: kyma-local-news

Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Arizona Department of Transportation is working on a project to improve Highway 95 near the Yuma Proving Ground.

The department is looking at implementing roundabouts at the intersections of Imperial Dam road and Aberdeen road.

“This is a project about improving safety, and handling the growing amount of traffic that we see in the area,” said Garin Groff, a spokesman for ADOT.

They will also be widening the intersection of Martinez Lake Road while also making pavement improvements to this section of the highway.

A representative from ADOT explains why they are making these changes.

“For the amount of vehicles and the types of turns and movements that we see in the area, and we find that the roundabouts really are the best option for the way the traffics flows and the volume of traffic,” Groff says.

YPG says they understand that these improvements bring some major positives, with some short-term adjustments.

“In the long-term the improvements will improve safety on the road which will be very beneficial to the YPG workforce, in the shorter term I expect there’ll be lane restrictions and so on,” YPG public informations officer Mark Schauer said.

YPG shares some of the changes they had to make to help facilitate the upcoming improvements.

“To temporarily move the two large artillery pieces that have straddled the intersection of Imperial Damn Road and Highway 95 since 1963 and move temporarily YPG’s welcome sign at that same intersection,” Schauer says.

Construction is expected to begin to in early 2026 and last about 14 months.

Click here to follow the original article.

Andrea Turisk

WELLTON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Town of Wellton is taking extra precautions and prepping for potential storms.

According to a post on Facebook, sand and sandbags will be available for Wellton residents starting Thursday, September 4.

Sand will be delivered and placed in the town’s empty property located at Los Angeles Avenue and Helen Street, just west of the bank, for residents to use in filling sandbags.

They’ll be available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Click here to follow the original article.

Karina Bazarte

WINTERHAVEN, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The boyfriend of a woman found dead near Senator Wash in Imperial County has been arrested in connection to her murder. 

On September 2, 2025, the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office issued a no bail arrest warrant on 56-year old James Hill Tuesday night in Yuma.

The man was found and arrested on the same day on First Avenue in Yuma and is being extradited to Imperial County, according ICSO.

A woman was found dead in Winterhaven, according to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO).

On June 30, 2025, ICSO deputies were alerted of a dead body in the area of Ferguson Road near Senator Wash in Winterhaven, California.

The body was identified as 34-year-old September Lee Weisinger from Winterhaven.

On September 2, 2025, an arrest warrant was issued for a 56-year-old man from Yuma, Arizona.

The man was found and arrested on the same day on First Avenue in Yuma and is being extradited to Imperial County, according ICSO.

Details are limited.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call ICSO’s Criminal Investigations Division at (442) 265-2021

Click here to follow the original article.

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Two teams from Kofa High School’s Law and Public Safety Program won SkillsUSA National Championships back in June.

According to the Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD), “More than 6,500 students from across the country participated in the competition in Atlanta from June 24-27, 2025.”

YUHSD says six Kofa students, Akemi Lopez Bejarano, Kayly Saldana Topete, Sophia Rocha, Kassandra Pantoja, Emily Valtierra, and Amani Montiel, were crowned champions “in their respective occupational health and safety categories.”

“Nationals wasn’t just about the medals or the competition, it was about the growth I found in myself, the bonds I built along the way, and the realization that I am capable of more than I thought,” KHS Law & Public Safety student Emily Valtierra said. “It’s an experience I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, and I’ll always be grateful for the people who helped me along the way.”

In addition, six other students participated in the “crime scene investigation and career pathway showcase competitions,” where they were placed in the top 10.

“Kofa High School students are consistently winning national championships across several categories and showing the nation that the Yuma Union High School District offers elite CTE programs throughout the district.” KHS Law and Public Safety Teacher Eric Frost said. “These achievements not only highlight the strength of Kofa’s Law and Public Safety program but also demonstrate the talent, commitment, and excellence of the students representing our community on a national stage.”

To learn more about this, read the press release below.

PR – KHS Law & Public Safety National Champions.docx (1)Download

Click here to follow the original article.

Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma County Board of Supervisors recently approved two contracts to help the Recorder’s Office preserve over 150 years of records, with the two contracts totaling to more than $1 million.

The board approved a contract with Kofile Inc. for indexing services and another with Tyler Technologies for image conversion, and the project is being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, and does not use taxpayer dollars.

County Recorder David Lara shares why this is necessary for the historical documents.

“We’re just waiting for the billing to be finished, and we could bring back those documents, they are historical documents and we have to preserve them, but this way because their digitized, anybody can look at them and the documents will be saved,” Lara explained.

The public will be able to access the searchable collection by next summer.

Click here to follow the original article.

Skylar Heisey

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The man who crashed his pickup truck into a Border Patrol checkpoint in Yuma had his sentencing rescheduled.

67-year-old Rogelio Sanchez will appear in court again September 30 to receive his sentence.

Sanchez agreed to a plea deal of one count of attempted aggravated assault during a change of plea hearing back in July.

The crash happened in October of 2023, injuring two Border Patrol agents.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – One person is dead after a two-vehicle crash near the intersection of Avenue 7E and Highway 95 Tuesday morning.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed with KYMA that the crash occurred around 11 a.m. and involved a car and a motorcycle.

DPS says the motorcyclist is dead and that there were no other injuries.

The roadway is now open again.

We will bring you the latest updates on this report as soon as it is provided for us.

Click here to follow the original article.

Karina Bazarte

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – Plans to renovate the Imperial County Airport are in motion thanks to a new grant.

The Federal Aviation Administration gave the grants to 72 California airports, including Imperial County Airport.

The airport received almost $300,000 from the FAA.

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors says although this is just the first phase of enhancing the airport, they have several improvements in mind.

“Not only the airport portion where you have your air, the airstrip and the taxiways, but we also have a terminal. That is a bit dated, but we would like to upgrade our terminal area to include a nice lounge, maybe a café so we’d like to work on those improvements. Our parking lot needs some more done,” said Supervisor Peggy Price of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors District 3. 

Supervisor Price says the planning phase will begin as soon as the County finds out when the funds arrive.

The Calexico International Airport also got a grant from the FAA. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of daily life for many, but concerns are growing after a California teen’s death was linked to an AI chatbot.

Lawmakers in California are pushing a bill that would require chatbots to flag warning signs such as suicidal thoughts and connect users with real help.

The legislation aims to add safety measures as more people navigate how AI fits into their lives.

In Yuma, students and families are sharing how they use AI and what concerns them. Some local students say AI has helped them tackle stress and stay motivated.

Lia Rios, an education major at Arizona Western College, said, “It really can help with mental health, when you’re, like, feeling like down or unmotivated or anything. You can always go towards AI, it’s really helpful, actually, because you can always ask for, like, a tip or ask it what would you do?”

While lawmakers debate new rules, many here say the focus should be on using AI responsibly and taking advantage of the good while staying aware of the risks. Still, some grandparents are skeptical.

Dora Echevarría said, “I think it keeps them from socializing in real life, it makes them isolate and I don’t like that, it can be damaging.”

AI can also be a helpful tool for students learning how to teach or explain things to children.

One education major shared, “For children, you can ask AI to give them examples when you don’t know what to do. I’m an education major and whenever I don’t know how to say something towards little kids, I say, ‘Hey AI, how can I explain this if I were explaining it to a small kid?’ It’s really helpful, actually.”

The California bill could add new safety measures, but locals here are already finding ways to use AI carefully and protect their mental health.

Across the community, people are learning how to use AI responsibly while keeping an eye on the risks.

Click here to follow the original article.