Category: kyma-local-news

Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A renovation project is approved by the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, paving the way for a bigger presence of law enforcement in South County.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) will have a permanent substation in Gadsden next to Gadsden Park. The price tag of the project is over $300,000.

“The building was used as a rural metro station and deputies often stopped there to use it as substation there as well,” said Tania Pavlak, PIO for YCSO.

The renovation work will include demolition, a bulletproof lobby, plumbing, electrical, new lighting and security and access control system.

YCSO says this is a much needed facility to give better service to the South County communities

“We are having substations all over Yuma county. That district will now have an area available for the public to come in and speak to the deputies. The deputies will have an area where they can stop do their reports, so it’s very important for us to have a permanent presence there,” said Pavlak.

The renovation project will start this year is expected to be completed early 2026.

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Adrik Vargas

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The award will honor one city resident and one city employee whose behind-the-scenes efforts make a meaningful impact in the community.

Mayor Sonia Carter said the idea came from seeing the many people who work quietly, without recognition, but play an important role in keeping the city moving.

“Just seeing different departments around the city, and going to the back of them, and you see there’s a whole lot of people back there that you just don’t know,” Mayor Carter said.

Nominations are now open through September 1 at 5 p.m.

Anyone can submit a nomination, though nominees must either live in El Centro (for the resident award) or work for the city (for the employee award).

Each nomination must include a short description of how the individual embodies the spirit of a “quiet servant.”

More information and nomination forms can be found on the City of El Centro’s website.

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Abraham Retana

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A retirement community gets a major face lift.

The Desert Rose Retirement Community says its renovation had a price tag of over $1.8 million. The refresh and the design upgrades were made for safety and comfort for its senior tenants.

“The entire interior of the building is renovated so our dining rom was reimagined, all our common areas spaces. We got 10 new flatscreen tvs installed around the community, we got a new bistro area, new living room area. A reimagined chapel, a full fitness center,” said Rodger Hulbert, Desert Rose Executive Director.

Desert Rose is a 115-unit apartment complex located on 14th Avenue near 16th Street in Yuma.

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Adrik Vargas

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – El Centro residents lent a hand to youth in need at a special fundraiser Friday night.

Access to Thrive hosted an art sale and back-to-school supply drive at The Den from 7 to 10 p.m.

Proceeds from local artists’ work will help support Kevin, a teen recovering after a hit-and-run last month. The event will also collect backpacks, pencils, and other school supplies for children in the CASA program.

“Every kid wants to go to school with a new backpack,” said organizer Ashley Contreras. “I want to make sure as many kids as possible can experience that.”

Organizers say the night is about lifting up kids who need it most, whether through supporting Kevin’s recovery or giving foster children a strong start to the school year.

To support Kevin who is in recovery, you can visit here. If you want to support Access To Thrive in their mission to help at risk youth, you can follow them here.

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Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The El Centro Police Department (ECPD) says they arrested a man after he entered the Imperial County Administration Building with a firearm Friday.

According to a press release, officers were conducting a welfare check at around 11:00 a.m., regarding a person who was “believed to be under the influence of an unknown substance and in possession of a firearm” in the area of W. Orange Avenue and 23rd Street.

During that time, ECPD says they received an “additional call regarding a man who had entered the Imperial County Administration Building,” located in the area of W. Main Street and N. 11th Street, with a firearm.

With officers learning that both calls involved the same person, ECPD says they quickly responded, “safely detained the suspect,” identified as a 57-year-old man from El Centro, and “secured the firearm with the assistance of county staff.”

ECPD says the man was acting erratically and was making “made statements about having additional firearms” at his home, prompting them to acquire a warrant to search the house, where they found and recovered additional firearms.

The man was booked into the Imperial County Jail, and ECPD says there was no “indication that this incident involved a targeted victim or threat.”

In addition, ECPD says their Investigations Bureau took over the investigation.

If anyone has any information regarding the case, call (760) 352-2111, visit ECPD headquarters in person, or reach out through their social media platforms.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Members from the Yuma City Council will be making their way to Phoenix for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.

Highly elected officials such as state senators and Governor Katie Hobbs have been known to stop by from time to time.

The conference is a three-day brainstorming event for city leaders to bounce ideas off of each other and collaborate on ways to improve their cities.

“We share with a lot of other communities, but then we get an opportunity to learn from each other and explore ideas that you know we may or may not have the time to sit down and think about ourselves,” said Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls.

The conference discusses some hot button issues such as AI, economic development, and Arizona’s water future.

City Council member Art Morales says he has been hearing a need for daycares from locals, so he has decided to use the conference as an opportunity to find some answers.

“I already have a meeting with somebody when I’m up there from ‘First Things First’ to just bounce ideas and figure out what we can do from a local level to help employers provide an opportunity for their employees to either come back to the workforce or go back to school,” Morales says.

The event will take place next week from August 19-22, cancelling Yuma City Council meetings for those days.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – 19-year-old Noah Illingsworth suffered through a blood aneurysm that burst earlier this year.

Since then, she has had three surgeries and is still trying to recover.

Now, Melissa Miller is a local who is donating her commission from selling candles to help Noah recover.

“I knew I had to help someway, and through my candles, that’s the way of helping that I’m able to…so, it really makes my heart happy just knowing that I’m able to help out and do something good for the community,” Miller says.

If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe, you can click on the link HERE. Meanwhile, you can go to buy some candles from Miller on her FaceBook page HERE.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The U.S. government has officially added the Mexicali Valley region to its list of high-risk travel destinations due to a sharp increase in violent crime.

The decision comes after months of rising criminal activity in the area, which lies just south of the U.S.-Mexico border near Yuma, Arizona.

“We’ve always known that there’s been challenges in the Mexicali Valley,” said Jonathan Lines, Chairman of the Board for the Border Security Alliance and Yuma County Supervisor. “They’ve actually found quite a few assets of the cartels in those areas over the past four months. So I’m grateful the government has taken the precautions to warn people about those areas.”

According to Lines, more than 500 assassinations and murders have occurred in the past four years within a 60-mile radius of Yuma, underscoring the scale of violence in the region.

The travel advisory has sparked mixed reactions among American citizens. Some, like Stephen Craig, say the warning is justified and are changing their behavior accordingly.

“I’m more cautious about going into Mexico…very much more cautious,” Craig said.

Others, like American citizen Dave, haven’t experienced any problems and are puzzled by the warning.

“It’s the first time I’ve been down here and I’ve had no issues; it’s been perfect. I don’t understand why the government would do that,” he said.

Despite differing opinions from travelers, local officials say the move is necessary to prioritize safety.

“We’re very much in support of this administration’s crackdown to provide a more focused national security effort…to keep the trafficking, both human and narcotics, out of the region,” Lines said.

As tensions along the U.S.-Mexico border continue to rise, officials urge travelers to stay informed and cautious when considering trips to areas under heightened advisory.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A tense barricade situation on the corner of Union Drive and 24th Lane came to an end after more than four hours, resulting in the arrest of a 33-year-old man now facing multiple domestic violence charges.

Nathan Daniel Newman was taken into custody after the Yuma Police Department had a warrant out for his arrest following five charges from July. Officers eventually used explosives to breach entry points to the home where Newman had barricaded himself.

“[An officer] saw him go into [the residence], surrounded it, did call outs — everything we could to try to get him out,” said Sgt. Lori Franklin, YPD Public Information Officer. “[The] S.E.T. team did what S.E.T. teams do. He was eventually taken into custody without any issues.”

The standoff drew a growing crowd of family members, friends, and neighbors, many of whom watched from behind police tape, anxiously awaiting the outcome.

“It’s hard to watch any family go through that, any person go through that, so watching the family behind the caution tape was difficult to watch, for sure,” said neighbor Vanessa Morales.

The large law enforcement presence added to the tension in the neighborhood. Despite the intensity, Morales said police handled the situation with care.

“There’s always concern when it comes to that many police officers,” she said. “But they handled it really well. Even though they were out here for quite a bit of time, I wasn’t too worried about the kids.”

His bond has been set at $10,000, and his next court hearing is scheduled for August 18.

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Eduardo Morales

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma County is looking for input as it considers changing over 40 acres at the intersection of Highway 95 and Martinez Lake Road to add some potential new buildings.

The property owner has requested a specific land use designation, and are proposing a mix of usage.

“They’re proposing retirement community/planned unit development, it’s not specific for a type of housing such as site built homes…It’s just a mix of residential and commercial uses,” said Maggie Castro, Yuma County’s Planning and Zoning Director.

Yuma County has 60 days to allow people to voice their opinion on the matter.

Chelsea Haukom, and her family regularly vacation to the Lake, says she is in favor of adding some more things to the area.

“I think it would be really cool because between Martinez Road and Fortuna. It’s such a long stretch, so I think putting in a convenience store and possibly a gas station would be huge for the people that live out here,” Haukom says.

She is also happy the county is taking the peoples voice into account.

“I think the residents that live out here definitely should have a voice, the people out here definitely need to have a say in it you know this is there land too, so I think they should all go to the board meeting and put there opinions out there,” Haukom said.

The public meeting will take place on September 4, at 6 p.m. at the Department of Development Services Building.

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