Category: kyma-local-news

Abigahil Padilla

SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – With the Arizona primary election happening next week, KYMA is introducing a candidate running for Somerton mayor.

Jose Mena has lived in Somerton for more than 30 years.

Mena says his platform focuses on listening to residents, strengthening city departments that are short-staffed, and promoting economic growth by creating new jobs and retaining the city’s workforce.

“I see that a lot of people actually start here and they leave to a bigger department.” Mena explained. “I understand some of that, but then, why not try to look for something to retain our employees here and try to have departments with employees that plan to retire in our local community?”

Mena is running against current Mayor Gerardo “Jerry” Anaya.

The Arizona primary election is Tuesday, July 21, 2026, and early voting is now underway. To find out where you can vote, click here.

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Skylar Heisey

UPDATE (2:56 PM): The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office says Ramsey McNeal was found dead, and next of kin was notified.

He was 55-years-old.

2026-55-Missing-Person-Mcneal-Ramsay-UpdateDownload

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) is asking the public’s help in locating a missing person.

YCSO says 55-year-old Ramsey McNeal of San Diego was last seen Tuesday, at around 7 p.m., near the boat ramp at Mittry Lake.

McNeal, according to YCSO, left the area on foot, leaving his phone, medications and personal belongings behind, and he may be suffering from a mental health condition.

YCSO describes McNeal as an African American, around six-foot, one-inch tall, weighing 250 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes.

He was last seen wearing brown camouflaged pants, a long white sleeve shirt and water shoes.

If anyone has information regarding McNeal’s whereabouts, call YCSO at 928-783-4427, 78-CRIME to remain anonymous, or visit YCSO’s website to submit an anonymous tip.

PR-2026-Missing-Person-Mcneal-RamsayDownload

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Lynette Niebla

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – A touching act of kindness from inside the secure walls of a local detention center is bringing warmth and hope to Imperial County youth facing difficult times.

Female residents at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility (IRDF) recently traded their regular routines for crochet needles, handcrafting and donating 100 colorful blankets to the Betty Jo McNeece Receiving Home in El Centro.

The initiative is shedding light on the profound human stories and compassion unfolding within the facility.

The Betty Jo McNeece Receiving Home serves as a temporary shelter and vital safe haven for local infants, toddlers, and teenagers who have experienced neglect, abuse, or abandonment.

Receiving 100 handmade blankets provides a major boost to the facility’s mission of comforting children during their most vulnerable moments.

“I feel like every time we get kiddos, any small gestures count,” said Nohemy Saldana, Social Worker Supervisor at the receiving home. “Any type of little support gives that little extra comfort.”

Because children can arrive at the shelter at any time under unpredictable circumstances, having a steady supply of resources is crucial for the staff.

“It’s very unpredictable…the amount of children that we serve or the ages of those children,” explained Pablo Cerda, Program Manager. “So we have to be prepared for any age, any gender of child. So those donations do help us.”

While the residents navigate their own complex legal situations and short-term stays, facility leaders state that community-focused projects like this offer the women a powerful sense of purpose and a meaningful way to connect with the outside world.

“The individuals that are at the regional facility, they have other things that they could probably be doing or worrying about given the situation that they’re in,” Cerda said. “And so, that they’re able to do something like this for us…it means a lot.”

Shelter administrators strive to make the transition into the foster care system feel as safe and welcoming as possible.

“We try to make the home as homey and as welcoming as possible for our children, whether they’re infants, toddlers, or teenagers,” Cerda noted. “And that type of a gift really helps to achieve that goal for us.”

Crucially, these handmade items are not just temporary loans. They ultimately become the personal possessions of the youth. For children entering foster care in a moment of crisis, having a blanket of their own to keep makes a world of difference.

“Blankets are a great resource because we do try to give the blankets out to them,” Saldana said. “Whenever they leave, those are among the few items that they get to take with them.”

The vibrant, stitched yarn serves as a tangible reminder to the children that they are not alone.

“To show the kids that there’s support, even though sometimes they might not feel it at the moment,” Saldana shared. “I mean, there’s always someone out there that does care.”

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) is hosting the Yuma 9/11 Heroes Run 5K Run/Ruck/Walk event later this year.

The annual event is taking place Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Colorado River State Historic Park at 6:30 a.m.

This year’s run will mark 25 years since the 9/11 attacks while also honoring first responders who serve our community.

During the event, law enforcement agencies, first responders, and military personnel will be in attendance.

The event will go until 9 a.m. To learn more about the upcoming event, see attached files below.

Yuma 2026 911 Heroes Run Flyer – Schedule of EventsDownload

2026 TMF 9-11 Heroes 5K Yuma GENERAL PLAN & ROUTEDownload

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The search for City of Yuma’s next administrator is now underway, and city leaders want to hear from the community.

The search comes as Acting City Administrator Jay Simonton is planning to retire in March of 2027, the City says.

The City Administrator is said to serve as the “chief executive officer of the City of Yuma, overseeing the City’s day-to-day operations and implementing the policies and direction established by the City Council.”

As the search begins, the City says they are encouraging Yuma residents to take a brief survey, which is open now through Friday, July 24, 2026.

“We have 110,000 residents, and they all have a different perspective on life, the things they’re struggling with, and the things they like,” said Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls. “There’s no other way to gauge that except to elicit that information from the public.”

The survey, according to the City, is being facilitated by Mosaic Public Partners, their executive search consultant, and “responses will be collected anonymously and shared with” the Yuma City Council.

To participate in the survey, click here.

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma City Council members approved an agreement Wednesday night that would keep school resource officers (SRO) at four Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) campuses through 2029.

The agreement assigns one Yuma police officer at Yuma, Kofa, Cibola and Gila Ridge High Schools. Their focus would be campus safety and building positive relationships with students.

“I think the approval tonight just really gives that assurance that we’ve got committed officers,” said Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls. “We got a contract, a contract is an obligation right. And so, we’re going to make sure that we have the officers where we need them into the future.”

Officers will stay with each school for a minimum of two years. The proposed agreement will run though June of 2029, with YUHSD providing funding from the program each school year.

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Andrea Turisk

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA) – The San Luis Police Department (SLPD) received a federal grant to help fight human and drug trafficking.

Operation Stone Garden is a grant that will help enhance border security and assist local agencies. The money allows SLPD to partner with Border Patrol and help out with all border-related crimes.

“If there’s any human trafficking and narcotic trafficking…we’ll help out as well our stone guard units will respond,” said Lt. Alan Guevara with SLPD. “If Customs and Border Protection has drugs or warrants, we’ll help out.”

Through the grant, SLPD received more than $900,000 that goes towards overtime, mileage and equipment needed to assist in different border operations.

Lt. Guevara says through this fiscal year’s grant, the department received a new 2026 Chevy Duramax equiped with things they need.

“It’s very helpful because when we’re operating, we’re always by the border,” Guevara explained. “We need four-wheel Frive vehicles and vehicles like [the Chevy Duramax] that’s able to tolerate being there with Border Patrol upon request for our assistance while keeping a perimeter of the area.”

Armando Arzate, a San Luis, Arizona resident, says grants like Operation Stone Garden are necessary. This way, he can continue feeling safe at home like he does right now.

“There’s more efficiency and faster service than in other places,” Arzate expressed. “You can find problems anywhere, but they really do make the effort to maintain peace and security for citizens.”

As operations continue, SLPD wants to ensure the community Operation Stone Garden doesn’t impact regular police services, and they will continue to keep the city safe.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – When temperatures climb into the triple digits, staying inside starts to become a norm, but what happens when customers aren’t going outside to shop?

For some local businesses, summer means slower days and fewer customers, but for others, it’s one of the busiest times of the year.

Nicole Millis, who owns Kiwi’s Distinguished Pet Goods on Main Street in Downtown Yuma, says, “As temperatures rise, foot traffic slows down, especially compared to the busy winter visitor season.”

“Everyone notice a downturn in business during peak summer hours and peak summer heat…the heat also always keeps people indoors, which i don’t blame them for,” Mills explained.

Meanwhile, Vernon Smith, who owns Chillzz Frozen Yogurt on Fourth Avenue, says aside from the evening rush, business can be a bit unpredictable during the summer months.

“The pattern has been when the sun goes down, and the people come out, we get ready for a rush in the evening around that seven, 730, 8:00 time,” Smith explained.

His approach is keeping things as cool and comfortable as possible for customers.

“They like the AC. We have a little outdoor seating area as well as Moo’s. They have a great outdoor seating area over there as well,” Smith said. “But you know, certain people, the young crowd likes to hang out outside. But most people, they like to come in here. I’ll keep it nice and chilly.”

Whether it’s a slowdown or a summer boost, business owners say adapting to the heat is just a part of life in Yuma.

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Jessamyn Dodd

EDITOR’S NOTE: For part one of The Valley’s Forgotten, click HERE. For part two of The Valley’s Forgotten, click HERE.

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Can advances in technology help solve a cold case murder?

“With the rise of AI, it may be even helpful to look into those kind of things that are helpful to reconstruct crime scenes. So those kind of things we’re looking into and that might be a possibility,” Imperial Police Deprtment Detective Daniel told KYMA.

We asked Imperial County’s District Attorney George Marquez about AI, and he said his office is currently in the process of purchasing new AI technology.

“So the advantage that’s going to have, for example, in cold cases, when we have maybe a mountain of evidence and maybe there’s something that we missed, it’s going to be able to analyze it for us, it’s going to be able to summarize it for us, and it’s going to be able to tell if a suspect, that a person’s lying,” he explained.

The family of Josue Arviso Lopez is still searching for answers. Lopez was murdered on September 20, 2020 in Brawley. He was shot near the cross streets of Leonard and South 11th Streets.

There have been no leads, no arrests, and no reward.

“No justice has been served for him,” Melanie Saiza, the mother of Lopez’s children told KYMA.

Lopez leaves behind a grieving family and two children.

“He was a good father. I mean, his, that’s all he ever talked about was his kids,” she reflected.

“Everybody loved him. He would help anybody out. And I just feel like justice should be served for him,” Saiza added.

Right now, there are still no answers, and the case remains unsolved. If you have any information about this case please contact the City of Brawley Police Department and the office of the District Attorney.

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Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The City of El Centro says they are temporarily closing Bark Park next month.

The closure, taking place Monday, August 3, 2026 through Monday, August 24, 2026, is for annual maintenance.

This will include installing a water fountain in the small dog area, grass reseeding, allow turf time to grow and recover, insect-control spraying and other routine maintenance.

Courtesy: Google Maps

The closure will also allow “staff to complete the work safely while giving the grass sufficient time toestablish without foot or pet traffic,” the City said.

In addition, the maintenance efforts is to help “preserve the park’s landscaping and provide a safe, healthy and enjoyable environment for pets and their owners.”

Bark Park is set to reopen Tuesday, August 25, 2026. To learn more about the closure, read the press release, written in English and Spanish, below.

BarkParkMaintenancePREngDownload

BarkParkMaintenancePRSpaDownload

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