Yuma Sun
Balloon launch is aborted on first day of festival following surprise wind burst
Spirits were high on Friday morning as pilots and passengers prepared for liftoff on the opening day of the 36th annual Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival, until an unexpected and fierce gust of wind sent two balloons into nearby light poles,...
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STEDY adding barbering, construction management programs next year
Southwest Technical Education District of Yuma announced that, in response to inquiries from the public, it will be adding two new programs for sophomore and junior high school students in Yuma County: barbering and construction management. According...
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Yuma honors veterans with parade
Crowds of Yumans lined 4th Avenue on Wednesday, Nov. 11, for the Yuma Veterans Day Parade. Beginning at 9 a.m. and finishing at 11 a.m. at American Legion Post 19, located at 2575 S. Virginia Drive, the parade honored service members from the past,...
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From the military to the medical field
Service can take many forms. For two doctors at Onvida Health, it meant years serving in the United States Navy. That service shaped not only the course of their lives but their approach to caring for patients in their current careers in the healthcare...
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Retired fire captain still serving as sheriff search and rescue volunteer
After serving for 25 years, Phillip Dayton retired as a captain from the Pioneer Fire Protection District in El Dorado County, California. He came to Yuma five years ago and became a volunteer for the Yuma County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team. “I...
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Lifeguard honored for heroic rescue
The Town of Wellton recognized lifeguard Eduardo Garcia with the Lifeguard Heroism Award during the Nov. 3 Town Council meeting for his quick actions in saving a swimmer’s life during the 2026 pool season. Shasta J. Baughn, general manager of...
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Yumans head to the polls
Yuma County voters headed to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for the general election, with 10 vote centers open across the county. Some citizens chose to cast their votes earlier by dropping off their ballots at designated drop boxes.
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The Resistance Reality
Local agricultural experts and field decision-makers gathered at the University of Arizona’s Yuma Agricultural Center on Oct. 27 for a Pest Control Advisor Field Day. The educational event brought together regional growers and PCAS to review ongoing...
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Halloween fun in Yuma County
Families celebrated Halloween on oct. 31 at events hosted by Saddles of Joy the American Legion and a Mesa Del Sol neighborhood party. Visitors at Saddles of Joy interacted with horses, goats, turkeys and turtles, with children receiving treats to...
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Halloween & Vets
For the third year, residents of the Arizona State Veteran Home in Yuma handed out Halloween candy to kids a little bit early, on Thursday. There was more than enough candy, thanks to volunteers. Rick Black, who ran the Yuma Breakfast Club for 3½...
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Dr. Linda Elliot Nelson on giving back to her hometown
From education to healthcare, and many things in between, Dr. Linda Elliott-Nelson has spent her time in Yuma dedicated to improving the lives of everyone in the community. A Yuma native herself, Elliott-Nelson felt drawn to the town, particularly...
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Dolores Huerta, influential labor leader, feminist and civil rights icon, dies at 96
Dolores Huerta, the legendary labor organizer whose advocacy improved conditions for migrant farm workers in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and persuaded presidents to do more for women’s equality and immigrant rights, died Wednesday. She was...
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Grijalva consults with students on bid to cut higher education tuition
Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva met here with college-level students in Somerton to seek their input on a proposal aimed at increasing access to community colleges, technical institutions and twoyear tribal colleges. The representative for Arizona’s...
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Light the World Giving Machines coming to Yuma
If someone was told that Yuma went up against New York City and Tokyo and won out, they would probably be shocked. Thanks to the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 2895 S. 8th Ave., Yuma did just that when it was selected to...
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Partner Day: First responders visit Mohawk Valley School
The Wellton Fire Department joined fellow public safety and community organizations during Mohawk Valley School’s Community Partner Day, giving students an up-close look at careers in emergency services. Firefighters shared information about daily...
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Mayors’ Bicycle Ride
The 10th edition of the Mayors’ Bicycle Ride brought together residents and officials from communities throughout Yuma County and neighboring San Luis Río Colorado in the traditional ride of more than 25 miles, celebrating unity across the region. On...
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Onvida rolls out cutting-edge robotic system for joint replacement surgery
Onvida Health has been using robots to aid in surgical procedures for several years, but now the hospital has rolled out a new platform, which has seen limited release across the country, that assists surgeons with joint replacement surgery. While it...
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Trail to Leadership
In the annual Trail to Leadership Award Luncheon Thursday, two people were honored for what they brought to Scouting. Harold Maxwell and Pastor Vince Harman, on behalf of Christ Lutheran Church, were recognized at the Yuma Elks Lodge. Harold...
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A Spook-tacular Day of Fun and Treats
Rural Metro Fire had a spook-tacular time joining families at The Strong Beginnings Project Trunk or Treat on Saturday. Firefighters enjoyed being part of the community celebration, sharing treats and helping create a fun and festive atmosphere for...
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STARS align at Price Elementary
James D. Price Elementary School is expanding opportunities for hands-on science learning through the Smithsonian STARS (Scientists Taking Astronomy to Rural Schools) program, receiving a telescope to help students explore astronomy and the wonders of...
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Sen. Kelly fetes SW Early College Academy for ‘overcoming adversity’
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly paid a visit to Southwest Early College Academy on Monday, Oct. 19, to congratulate the school on being named among the Top 10 schools worldwide in the Overcoming Adversity category of T4 Education’s 2026 World’s Best School...
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2026 Fall Fest Demolition Derby
Jason Torres, driving Car No. 227, outlasted the muddy competition to win Sunday’s demolition derby during the fifth annual Fall Fest 2026 at the Yuma County Fairgrounds. Visitors also enjoyed carnival rides, games and concessions throughout the weekend.
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Beer Run raises funds for Territorial Prison
Prison Hill Brewery teamed up with the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area to host the 3rd annual Prison to Prison Beer Run, which raised funds for the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park. “It’s designed to be a fun fundraiser for the...
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Hobbs addresses affordable housing during Yuma stop
To highlight the need for low-income and affordable housing, Gov. Katie Hobbs on Friday afternoon visited an apartment complex currently under construction in Yuma. Vistara is a federal Low-income Housing Tax Credit project awarded through Arizona...
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Domestic Violence Awareness Walk
The Child and Family Crimes Unit from the Yuma Police Department hosted the 4th annual Domestic Violence Awareness Walk on Wednesday. Amberly’s Place joined first responders and law enforcement agencies from across Yuma County in the effort to bring...
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Arizona opens first federally funded EV charging stations, including site in Wellton
Arizona’s first three electric vehicle charging stations built through a federally funded program designed to create a nationwide network of fast chargers are now open, including a location in Wellton that will serve motorists traveling Interstate...
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Brewing trust in San Luis
San Luis residents gathered with members of the San Luis Police Department on Oct. 7 at Walmart for National Coffee with a Cop Day, an event designed to strengthen connections between law enforcement and the community. With support from Walmart,...
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Top Gear
Officers of the Yuma Police Department Traffic Unit showcased their riding skills on a regional stage during the 24th Annual Terry Bennett Memorial Motorcycle Training Competition hosted by the San Diego County Motor Officer Association on Sept. 19....
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Hualapai activists oppose proposed lithium mine in walk through Yuma
Chants, rattles and bells were part of a ceremony to bless and cleanse Hualapai activists as they continue a 1,200-mile walk across Arizona to draw attention to mining on tribal lands. Last Monday, dozens of families, elders and teenagers gathered at...
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Back to our Roots
On a cloudy but beautiful Saturday morning, downtown Yuma was filled with chanting, dancing and cheers as the 2026 Quechan Indian Days Parade commenced with the theme of “Back to our Roots.” Celebrated the second week of every October, the parade made...
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Community canvas: Somerton Art Festival
The Somerton Art Festival brought the community together on Oct. 1, 2026, for a celebration of creativity, featuring local artists, live painting, performances, food vendors and family-friendly activities.
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Gila Ridge selected as finalist in competition to win field upgrade
Gila Ridge High School students walked out to the school courtyard for their lunch break to a lot of pink. T-mobile pink to be specific. Pink shirts, beanies and other items were given away to the students in celebration of being selected as one of 40...
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WTI in action
Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-27 was held at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, and featured seven weeks of advanced aviation training hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1). The course emphasized operational...
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KIDS Cuddlekit Closet hosts Fuddle Fun Run
KIDS Cuddlekit Closet hosted its annual Fuddle Fun Run last Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, at HL Suverkrup Elementary School. The event, which supports the charitable work done by the organization, featured a 1-mile run for kids ages 13 and under with various...
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Marines train at park and school
With dust kicking up in the air, helicopters carrying Marines landed at Kiwanis Park on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. It was part of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course, which the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma hosts twice a year. Spectators at the...
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Yumans turn up for Tacos and Tunes
The City of Yuma hosted the 5th annual Tacos and Tunes Festival on Oct. 3 at the Desert Sun Stadium. The event brought together several food vendors and live music performers to entertain throughout the evening. The event also hosted dozens of classic...
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‘I’m living proof that early detection saves lives’
Breast cancer survivor Genevieve Machado, a nurse practitioner at Onvida Health, continues to undergo longterm treatments to keep her cancer in remission. To spotlight Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place in October, Machado shared what it...
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Creating better interactions between first responders and children with autism
Vanessa Rodriguez considers her 7-year-old daughter, Violet, to be her “miracle baby.” Rodriguez struggled to have kids again for a long time, and then Violet came along. When she was a toddler, though, Violet began having many health issues,...
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Amberly’s Place kicks off Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Yuma County
Amberly’s Place joined law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical personnel Tuesday to launch Domestic Violence Awareness Month, an annual effort aimed at raising awareness about an issue advocates say continues to affect thousands of...
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MCAS holds open house on PFAS testing
If you live near the Marine Corps Air Station and get your drinking water from a private well, the Navy and Marine Corps may offer to test it for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known by the acronym PFAS. To inform the Yuma public of this...
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Dean’s three-day tour champions high-tech desert ag and student success
The newly appointed Charles-sander Dean of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, completed a comprehensive three-day tour of Yuma this past week, highlighting regional academic achievement, listening to...
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Dolly Day happy hour raises funds and supplies for Crossroads Mission
Keller Williams Realty Yuma hosted a Dolly Parton Happy Hour on Friday, Sept. 25, at Sage and Sand. The event both paid tribute to country icon Dolly Parton while also raising money and supplies for Crossroads Mission. “The event was really, really...
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Drone vendors vie for contracts at YPG during Falcon Peak event
An event dubbed Falcon Peak 26.2 brought together several companies to Yuma Proving Ground, each competing for government contracts in the expanding field of unmanned drone systems, which has become an increasingly prevalent factor in conflicts, both...
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Remembrance Day
At the annual Prisoner of War/missing in Action Remembrance Day, held at the Yuma Elk Lodge on Friday, Elk leaders took turns remembering them. The remembrance meant a little more to Bob Clark, a member of the Elks. Clark’s friend, Oren Fulton, who...
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State-of-the-art project moving along
Progress continues on the upcoming Health Careers Center, a facility that aims to offer state-of-the-art education and training to students entering the healthcare industry. This joint venture between Arizona Western College and Onvida Health, which...
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Celebrating Mexico’s Independence in Yuma
More than 1,200 people joined the celebration of the 216th anniversary of Mexico’s Independence at the Yuma Civic Center on Tuesday. The event, organized by the Mexican Consulate, featured an artistic program with live music by Los Tenores Cachanillas,...
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About 3,000 Marines return to Yuma for training
If you hear some more noise in the skies above Yuma during September and October, it is probably because the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course is back in town for the second time this year. The first course of 2026 was completed in April. The WTI...
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Free falling
Joint-forces students attending the Military Free Fall School are reaching new heights as they qualify in advanced high-altitude insertion techniques at one of the Army’s toughest advanced courses. The Military Free Fall School, located at the U.S....
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Fathers, daughters bond at ball
The City of Yuma hosted a Father-daughter Ball on Saturday, Sept. 12, for girls in pre-k through 6th grade and their fathers. The semi-formal dance at the Pivot Point Conference Center featured refreshments, music, lights and a lot of fun for those in...
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Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes Run
Residents from across Yuma County showed up to support military families and honor first responders at the Travis Manion Foundation’s 9/11 Heroes Run on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Amongst the attendees were several firefighters rucking in their gear,...
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Memorial Stair Climb
Firefighters, law enforcement officers and community members gathered early Friday morning for the city’s annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, held from 6 to 7:30 a.m. as a tribute to those who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist...
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9/11: 25 years later
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, changed America – and the world – leaving behind painful memories of that day. Now, 25 years later, those memories are forever etched in the minds of Yuma County residents. In this edition, the Yuma Sun shares...
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Soldiers walk, ruck and run to ‘never forget’
As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the ways to “Never Forget” and honor the lives lost in the attacks on Sept. 11 grow. For the soldiers and first responders at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, a memorial walk and ruck-and-run event on Sept. 9...
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Firefighters mark 25 years of 9/11 tribute as tradition passes to the next generation
For the past 25 years, now retired Yuma Fire Captain Paul Evancho has spent one morning every September placing hundreds of American flags on the lawn in front of Station No. 2. Each flag represents a first responder who died on Sept. 11, 2001 – 343...
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Feds step in
With the current 20‑year Colorado River operating guidelines set to expire at the end of this calendar year, the federal government has seized control of the river’s immediate future. Following more than two years of deadlocked negotia‑ tions between...
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New sheriff’s volunteers ready to serve
Fourteen new Civilian Volunteers have officially joined the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, stepping forward to dedicate their time, skills and energy to serving the community. The 2026 Volunteer Academy graduates will support the Sheriff’s Posse,...
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Wounded Warrior Dove Hunt
Dove hunting season brings hunters from all over to the Yuma desert. One event has brought together a special group of hunters to Yuma County almost every year since 2016: veterans. The Wounded Warrior Dove Hunt, created by Kent Inglett and Scott...
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Firefighters battle attic blaze on Corona Drive
Fire crews extinguished a house fire Friday afternoon after flames spread into the attic of a home in the 1000 block of East Corona Drive. The Yuma Fire Department was dispatched at about 1:45 p.m., and firefighters arrived to find smoke and flames...
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Yuma realtor Rebeca Melgoza gives back with volunteering, and her career
There are many reasons someone could give for why they moved to Yuma. More sunshine, easier access to several big cities like San Diego or relocating because of a military career. For Rebeca Melgoza, it was simple: the cost of living. Originally from...
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AWC student chosen for national award
Arizona Western College student Hector Zepeda has been selected as the national winner of the 2026 Emerging Leader Award, presented by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Expansion Industrial Training and Assessment Center. The award recognizes first-year...
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Dove hunt season opens in Yuma
Tristan Anderson shoots at a dove Tuesday morning at his group’s base camp just off South Avenue 20E., near The Muggins Mountain Wilderness, as dove season opened in Yuma. Read about the Andersons’ outing and see more photos in Sports,
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Running for the River
The Colorado River is at a crossroads right now, noted Mina Guli, Australian environmental activist, ultramarathoner and the CEO of Thirst Foundation. Upper and Lower Basins states that use the river are fighting over their allocations, she pointed...
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Yuma nurse looks back at 45 years in the field
Medicine is a fastpaced industry with new breakthroughs continually expanding the bounds of care and health for patients. For nurse case manager Frieda Madrigal, who is celebrating 45 years working at Onvida Health, those changes are something...
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San Luis celebrates Grandparents’ Day
Senior citizens in San Luis were honored by Actívate, a program of Comité de Bien Estar, as part of Grandparents’ Day celebrations. The honorees enjoyed music, food, gifts and raffles during the event held Saturday, Aug. 22, to commemorate the holiday,...
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Binational Training
A group of 18 firefighters from various emergency response agencies in San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico, participated in the Binational Firefighter Training held in San Luis, Arizona, a course focused on protocols for the prehospital stabilization of...
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Yuma changed his life, now he is giving back
With a Marine Corps Air Station located here, Yumans are no strangers to Marines. MCAS, in a large way, is a huge part of the fabric that makes up the community. For retired U.S. Marine Corps Major Dale Dumo, however, the opposite was true. A...
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