Category: kyma-local-news

Joaquin Hight

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The City of Yuma is looking at new ways to respond to mental-health related calls.

The Yuma City Council observed a presentation for the co-response unit, which included members of the Yuma Police and Fire Departments.

The program would send a specially trained officer and a mental-health clinician to certain calls, such as welfare checks, or someone in a crisis.

“They go out into the community and, anybody who’s having a crisis situation, they go and deescalate it, and then they provide resources, and get the person the help they need,” said Officer Raul Fiveash with the Yuma Police Department.

If approved, the unit could roll out as a pilot program sometime next year.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Ballet Yuma is bringing a brand new addition to this year’s 31st Annual Nutcracker production. For the first time ever, they’re introducing a sensory-friendly performance designed to make this holiday tradition accessible to all.

There will be three classic performances plus a fourth sensory-friendly performance at McBride Auditorium at Snider Hall at Yuma High School December 12-14.

“Many times there are parents of children who don’t feel their kids might be able to come to the Nutcracker if they’re a little wiggly, or if they have any type of special needs or anything like that, so we just want to make it all inclusive,” said Ballet Yuma artistic director Emma M.K. Cong.

They say a private donor helped make it all possible and share what it includes.

“Our lights are not going to be all the way dimmed. They’re not going to be all the way off. Our music’s going to be down a little bit. I’m taking out some of the explosions that we have on stage, and we’ve also rented an extra room that we have filled with sensory-friendly toys if kids need to step out for a moment,” said Cong.

Ballet Yuma is also showing gratitude to our military families.

“We partnered with MCAS their EFMP program, Exceptional Family Members Program, to sponsor 90 children’s tickets to families that really are in need of this, and we just thought it was a great way to honor and give thanks and gratitude to our military families,” said Ballet Yuma administrative assistant Alexandria Urias.

Here’s the event schedule & ticket prices:

Friday, December 12 at 7:00 pm

Tickets: $20.00, $25.00, $30.00

Saturday, December 13 at 10:30 am

Tickets: $20.00 “sensory friendly”

Saturday, December 13 at 3:00 pm

Tickets: $20.00, $25.00, $30.00

Sunday, December 14 at 1:00 pm

Tickets: $20.00, $25.00, $30.00

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Andrea Turisk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Help us keep locals warm this holiday season as the 13 On Your Side Blankets from the Heart Drive is happening this week.

The annual event is taking place Friday, December 5, at the Yuma Palms roundabout from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

We will be accepting new or gently used blankets, coats, socks, pants, and anything else that can help keep someone warm. We will also be accepting cash donations.

All proceeds will go towards Crossroads Mission.

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Eduardo Morales

UPDATE (2:28 PM): The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) responded to a fire that burned down a trailer Monday morning.

The fire happened on Second Street, near Avenue A, in the backyard of someone’s home.

YFD says there was one person home, but they were not injured.

After extinguishing the fire, YFD was able to confirm that the trailer did burn down, along with what appears to be a shed, but it is too badly damaged to tell.

Jennifer Garber, a neighbor, saw the fire and shared what she witnessed.

“When my other client came outside, like, I got all ash like on the jackets and then, when we were driving off, that’s when we saw the smoke up in the air that it was she neighbors house,” Garber explained.

YFD says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

UPDATE (9:13 AM): According to a reporter on scene, the fire was on Second Street, near Avenue A.

The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) says a shed caught on fire.

The reporter on scene says both YFD and Rural Metro are on scene.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Fire Department (YPD) is responding to a palm tree fire Monday morning.

According to a reporter on scene, the fire is happening in the area of E. Main Canal Road, near Avenue A.

KYMA will have more information as it becomes available.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – An event to help locals is being held in December.

The K9 Officer Partner Support Foundation is hosting Hams for Heroes at the Yuma Foothills Walmart.

Ham donations will be going towards locals.

You can donate on Monday, December 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Locals gathered Monday evening to show support for indigenous women who have either gone missing or who have been murdered.

They highlighted cases such as Challistia Colelay and Emily Pike.

Roxanne Barley, who organized the event, says her and others are tired of not having answers.

“We have to save ourselves, we have to reach it from the bottom and pull ourselves up, and by doing so, I hope just to inspire someone to say, ‘Okay. Enough is enough. Now is the time to do something. Now is the time for action,'” Barley says.

She says she’s putting herself in those people’s shoes.

“If it was me in that situation, I would want my loved ones to look for me, I would want someone to look for me and fight as hard for me as my loved ones are doing. As long as these people are still missing, people are going to fight up, and stand up and unite together,” Barley said.

She also describes how everyone can do their part to help.

“Try to look for details, new details, new information. If you see something say something, it means something to the family, it means something to the loved ones that’s missing, it means something to everyone so please do your part,” Barley says.

Roxanne and others are working to create more movements to bring answers for those who are missing.

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Skylar Heisey

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A mishap led to a truck crashing into an automotive shop in Yuma.

The driver of the truck says he crashed into Accurate Automotive Attention, located in the area of 15th Street and Third Avenue, after his foot slipped off the brake pedal.

The crash happened Monday afternoon, and the building and vehicle suffered some moderate damage.

However, no one was injured.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) put a grant to work over Thanksgiving weekend to keep holiday roads safer.

Four deputies worked a special traffic detail from Thursday through Saturday, focusing on speeding, aggressive driving, red-light running, and impaired driving.

The effort is aimed to reduce crashes and injuries during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Locals said they appreciated the extra patrols. Mary Stephenson said, “Then there’s less chance of people having accidents and, you know, being harmful to others.”

The detail had results: Zero DUIs were issued, though deputies handed out 15 traffic citations over the three days.

Winter visitor Ron Wan added, “They’re a deterrent. Yes. Their presence does cut down on crime. So if somebody is thinking about it, they’re going to look and see them. They’re going to want to go elsewhere.”

Stephenson said, “It’s safer for the people, you know. It’s just I think it’s a good idea to make the police presence out there.”

YCSO says it’s considering running similar traffic details around Christmas and New Year’s to keep holiday travel safer for everyone.

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Karina Bazarte

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The City of Imperial says it’s aware of plans for a 950,000 square-foot data center to come to Imperial County.

Last week, the City of Imperial shared information about a large-scale date center complex that could be built in the area of Aten Boulevard and Clark Road.

In the Facebook post, the City shared that the County of Imperial has approved or is in the process of finalizing the project.

“I think the County needs to give us an explanation. What was the reasoning behind this? What was the thinking process, the logic behind saying this is the perfect ideal site right? [I] have seen all over the news that these just bring harm to communities, ‘specially to the people close by,” said Francisco Leal, an Imperial County resident.

Many locals on social media expressed their concerns, including one local who would be right next to the center.

“These facilities create a lot of contamination, air pollution, they create also noise pollution and not just the kind of noise that you can hear but also the noise that you can feel…vibration,” said Leal.

A local activist who share this project would be bad for Imperial County. 

“We are talking about 24 computer center that are notoriously famous for using an insane amount of water in a desert region like us. They’re always telling us that we gotta take care of our water and conserve water because we only help so much with the Colorado River, but then they go ahead and bring industries of our water intensive, so like it doesn’t make sense,” said Gilberto Manzanarez, founder of Valle Imperial Resiste.

He also says a petition has been created to bring more attention to the issue.

The Imperial Irrigation District says it’s also aware of the project and is encouraging residents to understand the growing interest in data centers.

We reached out to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors and we are waiting to hear back.

To find both petitions, click here for the first and here for the second.

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Danyelle Burke North

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Locals celebrated the completion of the Yuma County Administration Services building Monday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The approximately 100,000 square foot three-level building is located in Downtown Yuma.

Everything from the colors on the floors to the murals on the wall represents key parts of Yuma County.

“There’s a blue floor, a green floor, and an orange floor. The blue floor’s for the Colorado River. The green is for our military and our agriculture, and our orange’s for our beautiful sunsets, and so, each floor is color coded,” said Yuma County Supervisor District 5 Lynne Pancrazi.

A wooden scale replica of the USNS Yuma was unveiled on the first floor. The space brings eight departments all under one roof.

“So I think that it’d be convenient and easier for our residents to come and do business with the county,” said Yuma County Board of Supervisors District 1 & Chairman Martin Porchas.

Chairman Porchas shares more on the price tag.

“The final numbers…there was over $50 million. I think that went into between 52-53, but it’s a great building. It’s a building that we’re going to have here for over 50 years,” said Porchas.

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors held their first meeting in the new space. They dedicated the new auditorium in recognition of Eugene Francis Sanguinetti.

He was a community leader and business pioneer who made early and lasting contributions to Yuma County.

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