Category: kyma-local-news

Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Keller Williams Realty Yuma is hosting a real estate training event next week.

The event, titled “Triple Your Business and Love Your Life,” is taking place Wednesday, January 14, at The Kress, located in Downtown Yuma, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

According to Keller Williams, the event is designed for real estate professionals and business professionals to help them achieve actionable strategies for “business growth, leadership, leverage, and long-term success—while maintaining balance and fulfillment.”

In addition, Jason Abrams, Head of Industry and Learning for Keller Williams International and host of the MREA Podcast, is serving as the event’s special guest.

Registration is now open, and it costs $25. To register for the event, click here.

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Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A local Veteran is recovering after being struck by a car. 

Retired Army service member Karla Roche was struck by a vehicle last month at the Quechan Casino.

Roche suffered multiple broken bones, damage to her teeth, and received stitches to her face and mouth.

The 58-year-old Veteran is now recovering but still in need of surgery. 

She says once fully healed, she plans to return to her passion which is connecting fellow Veterans with service animals.

Roche, who has two service K-9’s of her own, is also a certified dog trainer. 

She has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for some medical bills. To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Local lawmakers across Yuma County are sharing their reaction to to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro following a large-scale strike against the country over the weekend.

The Pentagon says President Donald Trump gave the order to arrest President Maduro just before 11:00 a.m. Friday.

Troops from 20 military bases and 150 U.S. aircraft took part in the mission, which saw an elite strike force arrive at President Maduro’s compound around 1:00 a.m. Saturday.

After arriving in New York Saturday night, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in a New York courtroom Monday where they both pleaded not guilty.

In a post to X Saturday, Arizona State Rep. Nick Kupper (R-District 25) said, “I think that this will likely be a net benefit for the people of Venezuela & the people of America. However, I’m not sure it was carried out in the most ethical way. I would rather we do things the right way to get the correct result, rather than just do things the way we want.”

Xanthe Bullard, Chair of the Yuma County Democratic Party, released a statement Saturday regarding the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest. To read the statement in full, see attached file.

YCDP Condemns President Trump’s Unconstitional Action In VenezuelaDownload

Arizona State Sen. Brian Fernandez (D-District 23) says he’s not completely against it, but does not agree with the way it was done.

“I think that the problematic part of this is not seeking congressional approval, this is something that there are consequences to this, and I think that the president should have taken those consequences into account,” Sen. Fernandez expressed.

Meanwhile, Yuma County Supervisor Jonathan Lines is fully on board, saying Maduro had it coming.

“I appreciate President Trump following up on that it has been reported that he was manufacturing narcotics for the United States and we could see those trucks, I mean those boats full of narcotics that were being taken out,” Lines explained.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A GoFundMe has been created to help a Yuma man who has been paralyzed following his surgery two years ago.

According to the GoFundMe’s organizer, Nicky Hurtado was involved in a serious crash back in 2002 that required surgery, and said he had lived with no issues for nearly 20 years.

However, in 2021, the organizer said there were complications from the original injury which began to resurface, and had to undergo another surgery in 2024 that was related to the 2002 crash.

Following that surgery, Hurtado experienced paralysis from the chest down and limited functions to his arms and hands, leading to another surgery in 2025, the organizer said.

As of now, Hurtado is currently receiving specialized care at Craig Hospital in Colorado as, according to the organizer, it is one of the “top five spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation hospitals in the world,” and his days consist of seven to eight hours of intensive therapy.

This includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, and life-skills classes “designed to help him adapt to life with a spinal cord injury,” the organizer said.

However, the organizer added, “While this care is critical and is truly a blessing, it has created a significant financial burden,” saying Hurtado’s family is traveling from Arizona to visit him.

According to the organizer, the GoFundMe was created to help cover medical costs, travel and lodging, lost income, and more for when Hurtado comes back to Yuma.

The GoFundMe has a goal of $1,300, with only $1,030 raised so far. If anyone would like to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Rural Metro Fire says a man was injured after being entrapped in a chemical mixer Sunday.

According to a post on Facebook, it happened at Gowan Milling, located in the area of E. County Eighth Street, at around 8:20 a.m.

Rural Metro says a “coordinated response involving fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and hazardous materials teams were initiated” due to the nature of the facility, which “handles regulated materials.”

This prompted the Yuma Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team/Technical Response Team and Onvida Health personnel to respond to the area.

Courtesy: Rural Metro

Upon arrival, Rural Metro says, “Crews established incident command, secured the area, and implemented safety protocols to protect both responders and facility personnel.”

They also said they isolated power to affected areas, conducted air monitoring and took precautionary measures in order to address potential exposure concerns, and said, “technical rescue resources were utilized to assist with a complex extrication.”

Rural Metro says the man was treated on scene, and was then taken to the hospital for further treatment, and says, “The incident was contained within the facility.”

The investigation is ongoing.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma Community Food Bank will receive 40,000 pounds of food from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A full semi-truck of food from the church will arrive on January 6.

The truck will contain over 40,000 pounds of shelf-stable goods, including flour, peanut butter, pasta, canned vegetables, oats, beans, hot cocoa and meat.

Over the next year, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will send out 250 semi-trucks of food to all 50 states to celebrate the birth of our country.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The “Winter Lettuce Capital of the World” expanded its horizons to a multitude of vegetables to locals and visitors during the Yuma County Cooperative Extension’s U-Pick event Saturday.

The event took place at the Yuma AG Center, located at 6425 W. Eighth Street, at 9:00 a.m.

There was a variety of items during the event like cauliflower, lettuces, beets, Napa cabbage, and radishes.

Janine Lane, a member of the Cooperative Extension, spoke about how they benefit from U-Pick events.

“It shows people how the agriculture is actually growing out in the field, and it’s really fun when families come out here with their kids because then, you know, the kids are more likely to eat the vegetables that they pick that morning,” Lane explained.

The event lasted until 11:00 a.m.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – As the clock ticks down to the start of 2026, residents of the Desert Southwest may be welcoming the New Year under cloudy skies and light rain.

After experiencing precipitation on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the region saw rain return again today, with additional showers expected Wednesday night and into the early hours of New Year’s Day.

The drizzle persisted throughout the day, signaling a wetter-than-usual transition into the new year for the area.

While rain disrupted some holiday plans during Christmas, it appears to be having little effect on New Year’s Eve activities in Yuma.

Many locals and visitors say they are proceeding with their celebrations as planned.

Monique Pollon, who is visiting the area, said the weather has not altered her evening plans.

“As far as our plans, we still plan on being in the pool tonight…rain or no rain,” she said.

David Harrison, who is spending the holiday visiting family, echoed a similar sentiment.

“Not at all,” Harrison said when asked if the rain had changed his plans. “We’re going out to dinner, and since my mom lives here, we’ll probably be in bed by nine o’clock.”

Despite the gloomy skies, optimism remains high as residents look ahead to the coming year.

Harrison added that he is enthusiastic about what lies ahead, saying he believes 2026 “is going to be a great year.”

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – In order to avoid being scammed, one local says you have to educate yourself on how to avoid scams and do the research.

“There’s always places you can go to get research, to find out like what scams are out there, and like things you should look out for in a scam, and all that kind of stuff,” says Jason Bates, Yuma local.

Bates shares one way he protects himself from scams.

Bates adds, “Me personally, like I don’t every take a call coming in, if someone calls me or texts me and says hey come do this deal or we got this thing, and I can’t verify that that information is coming from a place I know, I just don’t even respond.”

The Yuma Police Department (YPD) shares how you can avoid falling victim to these scams.

“Don’t give any personal information over the phone, over the computer, if you have social media account try to protect yourself and your information there as well, just pay attention,” says Officer Hayato Johnson, Public Information Officer for YPD.

YPD says these scammers are reaching out by email or phone calls, trying to get your personal information.

The scammers are targeting anyone, but mostly people with lots of money or those who have a huge savings account.

Officer Johnson adds, “Every year this happens where there’s lottery scams that come around, people claim their with the lottery division, they claim you won some money and they want some personal information, so they get you paid.”

Anyone who believes they may have been targeted by a scam should report it to law enforcement.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Three hours and eleven minutes into the New Year, Onvida Health welcomed its first baby of 2026 with the birth of a baby boy named Raul.

Weighing six pounds, Raul was delivered at the hospital early in the morning. His mother, Aurelia Villa, said the moment was overwhelming and filled with emotion.

“It’s something you can’t describe…It’s something very exciting,” Villa said following the birth.

The name Raul carries deep meaning for the family.

Villa explained that the name honors close relatives, saying, “It’s my dad’s and my brother’s name.”

Raul’s arrival also coincided with another special family celebration. Villa noted that her grandmother shares the same birthday as the newborn.

“It’s my grandma’s birthday today too. She said that it’s her present,” she said.

To celebrate the occasion, labor and delivery nurses at Onvida Health put together a gift basket for Raul, as well as for the first baby girl born at the hospital in the New Year.

The staff joined the family in welcoming the newborn and celebrating the start of 2026.

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