Category: kyma-local-news

Jessamyn Dodd

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (NBC, KYMA) – The three men who accepted a plea deal for being involved in a robbery were sentenced in Imperial County.

Emmanuel Contreras, 25, and Ernest Martinez, 23, received the same sentence of three years in state prison while Elijah Roberts, 24, was sentenced to two years due to the fact he’s serving three years in a separate case.

The three men accepted a plea deal last month for taking part in a violent robbery, which left one person hospitalized.

Veronica Henderson, Contreras’ attorney, said he received credit for 352 days served.

Depending on how prison officials calculate the credits, Contreras could serve about one more year if they qualify him for time off for good behavior.

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Lauren Duffel

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to encourage screening and remind people to pay attention to changes in their health.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than two million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

Julie Dance, a certified nurse-midwife specializing in women’s health at Onvida Health, said annual wellness visits are an opportunity to discuss breast health and recommended screenings.

She also encourages people to contact their health-care provider if they notice a change or something doesn’t feel right, rather than waiting for their next appointment.

Yuma resident Claudia Rodriguez knows how important it is to speak up. At 32, she didn’t expect to have breast cancer, especially without a family history of the disease.

After a co-worker encouraged her to get checked, Rodriguez was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. She underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy, with support from her family and partner.

Rodriguez now shares her experience to raise awareness and encourage others to check their health.

Breast cancer survivor Lori Roy also turned her experience into a way to help others. Diagnosed in 2018 at age 48, Roy documented her journey through poetry and writing. That work became her book, “Four Stages,” which explores diagnosis and surgery, treatment, recovery, and grief and acceptance.

Both women urge people facing cancer to seek support and be kind to themselves. Their stories also carry a shared reminder: If something doesn’t feel right, reach out to a healthcare provider.

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Adrik Vargas

YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma residents will soon have a new way to support local nonprofits through the Giving Machines, coming to the city for the first time.

The red kiosks work like vending machines, but instead of buying something for yourself, you can choose items to donate to people in need.

The machines are part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Light the World campaign. Donations will benefit four local nonprofits: Amberly’s Place, United Way of Yuma County, Safe House and the Food Bank.

Mallory Edgar, Executive Director of United Way of Yuma County, said the event is an opportunity to raise awareness about the work local nonprofits do.

Supervisor Jonathan Lines said the project makes it easier for people to give back to their neighbors during the holiday season.

The Giving Machine will be at Yuma Palms Mall in front of Harkins from November 16 through November 29.

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Connor Emery

WINTERHAVEN, Calif. (KYMA) – The San Pasqual Valley Unified School District hosted its red ribbon walk to kick off red ribbon week.

The “Hero Walk” involved students from elementary to high school to share the importance of staying drug free, and the school district hopes these messages can influence students throughout red ribbon week and in the future.

“So those little messages, I hope, start when they’re small and it carries on as they get older so that they know, like there’s other options out there. There’s healthier ways to express when things happen in your life,” Adina Alvarez, the school district’s community liaison said.

Students had signs and heard from key speakers in the high school gym that drugs are not the answer.

Superintendent Richard Cordero said this walk shows students that not every hero wears a cape.

“Well, I think it’s important for people to realize why things are happening and the importance of just saying no to drugs and how drugs really affect people. I think this week’s events or activities that are scheduled, just a constant reminder to the student that they’re important,” Cordero said.

One student, Reva Barley, shared saying the important takeaway she got is that drugs can ruin the special moments with people close to you.

“I think it’s important because drugs can ruin your life and ruin the moment that you can’t get back with people. And I think staying drug free is the important thing to do,” Barley expressed.

Another student, Genavecia Denard, who was leading the walk emphasized signs of peer pressure when it comes to saying no to drugs.

“Being peer pressured to do drugs is actually not good. And I would actually encourage people to say no. And even walk away from that and that you can always say no, even if it doesn’t make you look cool or anything,” Denard remarked.

The school district said this walk is part of a long-time tradition.

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Andrea Turisk

WELLTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – Yuma Association of Realtors (YAR) and the Town of Wellton are celebrating the completion of a new playground slide.

The new playground slide, located at Butterfield Park, was made possible through an over $7,000 grant from the National Association of Realtors.

YAR members, Town of Wellton representatives and community partners came together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completed project.

For the Town of Wellton, the new slide represented another opportunity for families to enjoy one of the community’s recreational spaces.

Wellton Press ReleaseDownload

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Wesley Williamson

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Get ready for a spooky good time! Keller Williams is set to host a Trick or Treat event at the Keller Williams office in Yuma.

This free event is open to the public and will be held Friday, October 30, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Keller Williams Yuma office, located at 2553 E. 24th St., the day before the Halloween holiday.

Bring the kids and bring the family for all the trick or treating fun!

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Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Mayors’ International Bike Ride celebrated its 10th year Saturday, bringing cyclists and communities together across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The free, family-friendly event began at Desert Hills Golf Course in Yuma, taking riders through communities including Somerton, Gadsden and San Luis before offering participants the opportunity to cross into Mexico and finish in San Luis Río Colorado.

More than 500 riders registered for this year’s event, which brought together cyclists, mayors and elected officials from across the 4FrontED region.

Martin Porchas, chairman of the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, was mayor when the first ride took place. He said the event has grown beyond what organizers initially expected.

“It’s a good event that it brings the whole county together, plus our neighbors across the border,” Porchas said. “I remember we were probably about 100 [riders] when we the first year that we did it. We were excited. We knew it was going to grow, but we didn’t actually, you know, think that it was going to grow this big. But it’s been great.”

What began with approximately 100 riders has developed into a regional tradition focused on bringing people together across city and international borders.

The 10th anniversary highlighted the event’s continued growth and its role in showcasing the communities that make up the Yuma region and its neighboring communities in Mexico.

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Wesley Williamson

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Four Yuma High School swimmers broke two school records, while Cibola High School athletes delivered several standout performances at the 2026 Saturday Night Fever Swim Invitational in Chandler Saturday.

Yuma High freshman Marcus Hancock, junior Roman Jacobo, and seniors Alonzo Fierro and Antonio Fierro set a new school record in the 200-yard medley relay, finishing in 1:59.58, topping the previous mark by more than four seconds.

The same foursome then broke the school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay, posting a time of 1:43.91 to beat the previous record by more than three seconds.

All four swimmers are baseball players for Yuma High coach Nick Johnson who joined the swim team to build strength and conditioning ahead of baseball season.

Under head coach Rebecca Treas, the group has shown significant improvement throughout the season as it looks toward a potential state championship appearance.

Meanwhile, the Cibola Raiders competed against a field of more than 30 teams at the invitational, with several swimmers turning in impressive performances.

The boys 400-yard freestyle relay team of Raul Grado, Luis Lopez, Bert Michel and Carlos Aguilar dropped approximately six and a half seconds from its seed time. The team is hoping the performance will be enough to qualify for the state championships.

On the girls side, Eleanor Hauck placed third in both the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly.

Lilly Nguyen finished seventh in the 100-yard butterfly and fourth in the 100-yard backstroke, while Madeline Hauck placed ninth in the 50-yard freestyle. Bailey Dusek also finished 11th in the 200-yard individual medley.

Cibola swimmers continued to make progress throughout the meet, including Olivia Angulo, who dropped more than four seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke to strengthen her chances of qualifying for state. Nicole Lukacinsky also delivered a strong performance in the 100-yard backstroke.

With their regular-season meets complete, the Raiders will now wait for the remaining qualifying results to determine which swimmers advance to the state championships.

The top 40 individual swimmers and top 30 relay teams qualify for the state meet, scheduled for November 6-7 in Mesa, Arizona.

For both Yuma High and Cibola, the invitational provided an opportunity to measure progress against strong competition as swimmers look to finish their seasons on a high note.

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Dillon Fuhrman

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma Police Department (YPD) said a man was arrested last week for an alleged fraud scheme.

YPD said they received a report of fraud from a local business back in July of this year.

The business told YPD they suspected a former employee stole over $1 million “through the unauthorized purchasing of mechanical parts from 2024 through mid-2026.”

During the investigation, YPD said their detectives “discovered approximately $2.8 million dollars was spent without authorization on merchandise which was later sold at a greatly reduced price on eBay and through direct delivery with payments through PayPal to individuals located throughout the Hemisphere.”

As a result of the investigation, YPD said they arrested a 40-year-old man Wednesday, October 21.

YPD also said the man was then booked into the Yuma County Detention Center on multiple felony charges, which includes trafficking in stolen property, theft and fraudulent schemes. He is being held on a bond of $200,000.

The investigation is ongoing. If anyone has information regarding the case, call YPD at 928-783-4421, or 78-CRIME at 928-782-7463 to remain anonymous.

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Wesley Williamson

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Multiple people were injured after a rollover crash in Yuma Saturday morning. 

According to a press release by YPD, speed and intoxication appear to be a contributing factor in the crash.

The crash happened at 8:30 a.m. in the of Fourth Avenue and 18th Street, near Chevron.

YPD said a Honda driven by a 19-year-old man crashed into the rear of truck and then hit a curb, causing the car to roll onto its side and slide into another vehicle that was waiting to exit the Chevron parking lot.

The driver of the Honda was taken to Onvida Health and then flown to a Phoenix area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The people in the other vehicle were taken to Onvida Health where they were treated and released.

There were no other reported injuries.

YPD encourages anyone with any information about this case to call 928-783-4421 or 78-CRIME at 928-782-7463 to remain anonymous.

Injury Collision 1800 Blk S 4th Ave 26-80046Download

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