Yuma Sun
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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Chamber announces new director
The Yuma County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday announced a public policy specialist and former journalist as its new executive director. Newly appointed Ben Smithwick, who is originally from Connecticut, has been a frequent visitor of Yuma for years...
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AWC Fall Student Art Showcase
The art students at Arizona Western College have put together a Fall Student Showcase, featuring paintings, drawing, sculptures and other forms of art in a gallery that is open to the public. “This Showcase is a great chance to get a glimpse at what...
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Arizona’s ESA debate reveals a deeper question: What is education for?
Editor’s note: This article is the final part of a collaborative project with 13 Arizona newsrooms covering two important topics in education. It’s being offered in partnership with KAWC and can also be read or heard on KAWC.ORG and 88.9 FM. The...
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YPG employee and her pets bring dog lovers together for Pack Walks
Darcy Broom is the executive assistant to Yuma Test Center’s Commander by day, and the rest of the time she’s mom to two doodles who have become social media celebrities. In 2000, Broom picked up her first doodle Oakley, on a whim from a local family...
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Marines and Navy sailors go thrifting
Marines and Navy sailors, along with their families, can go through a lot during their service. Moving constantly, rigorous training and deployments come with the job and can put a strain many aspects of their lives, whether it’s financial, housing,...
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Deep Dive
Editor’s note: This article is part of a collaborative project with 13 Arizona newsrooms covering two important topics in education. It’s being offered in partnership with KAWC and can also be read or heard on KAWC.ORG and 88.9 FM. Arizona has spent...
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Monsoons finally reach Yuma
Yuma County residents enjoyed a rare rainstorm with thunder and lightning Thursday morning. Despite the brief appearance of monsoon weather, temperatures continued in the triple digits. with mostly sunny and clear skies for the rest of the day.
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Ex-bio Family Clinic employees seek pay, unemployment benefits
Editor’s note: This article is being offered in partnership with KAWC and can also be read or heard on KAWC. org and 88.9 FM. When a Yuma doctor was arrested earlier this summer on multiple charges of theft and fraud, left behind were employees who...
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Cab charred, load saved
Flames destroyed the cab of a semi-trailer, but firefighters saved its load after extinguishing the blaze Monday night. At about 7:45 p.m., the Rural Metro Fire Department responded to a report of a semi on fire in the area of eastbound Interstate 8...
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Joe Orduño Park’s soccer field to be rehabilitated
San Luis, Ariz.- The Joe Orduño Park soccer field is expected to be rehabilitated by the final month of the year under a project whose contract was approved Wednesday, Aug. 12, by the City Council. Councilmembers approved a proposal from the Parks and...
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Youthbuild students bring encouragement and aid to children at orphanage in S.L.R.C.
San Luis, Ariz.students from the Ppep-youthbuild program continued their tradition of bringing aid and encouragement to children at the Bethel shelter in San Luis Río Colorado. On Aug. 7, members of Youthbuild Group 24 visited the shelter and brought...
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Ensuring Arizona’s water future
Arizona, along with California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah, relies heavily on the Colorado River for its water needs. Without the river, places like Yuma wouldn’t have the access to water re‑ quired for its agricultural...
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Exhibition reception held at Yuma Art Center
The Yuma Art Center hosted a gal‑ lery exhibition Friday, Aug. 14, show‑ casing work from three artists across several mediums, including acrylic painting, photography and sculpture. One of the featured artists, Lucy Baker, said the day felt special...
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San Luis seeks to boost commercial growth along César Chávez Blvd.
The San Luis city government wants to boost commercial development along Cesar Chavez Boulevard by promoting the rezoning of 29.8 acres and the auctioning of stateowned land in that corridor. On Wednesday, the City Council gave initial approval to...
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The major issues concerning Arizona voters this election
What issues most concern voters in Arizona? No two people may give you the same answer, but people may be more likely to agree on issues than you may think. Each election cycle, the Center for the Future of Arizona, a nonprofit, nonpartisan...
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It’s official: Democrat Hobbs chooses ex-republican Mayor Giles as her running mate
PHOENIX – Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has picked a Republican-turned-independent to be her running mate in a tough reelection campaign, setting up a bipartisan ticket as voters elect the state’s first lieutenant governor. Hobbs’ selection...
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What is an Innovation District?
The Yuma City Council on Tuesday approved spending $270,000 to form a partnership that will help develop and implement the future Yuma Innovation District. The vote came after several residents asked for clarification about what the project actually...
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Together Across Generations
Editor’s note: This article is being offered in partnership with KAWC and can also be read or heard on KAWC.ORG and 88.9 FM. According to the Arizona Department of Health Ser‑ vices, nearly 1 in 5 Arizo‑ nans was 65 or older. Francisca Castillo, a...
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‘Public safety comes with a price’
Amid concerns about privacy and the scope of the Flock camera network used for surveillance in San Luis, Police Chief Nigel Reynoso and Mayor Nieves Riedel said the system has helped solve crimes and locate people in danger. During a presentation to...
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Jessie’s Closet asks for help to support Yuma’s foster children
As schools across Yuma County begin classes for the new academic year, many families are feeling the pinch in the checkout aisle when it comes to school supplies. This is especially true of foster families, but one resource that has been helping to...
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Yuma Catholic welcomes nearly 600 students for largest opening day yet
Editor’s note: This article is being offered in partnership with KAWC and can also be read or heard on KAWC.ORG and 88.9 FM. Wednesday, Aug. 5, marked the first day of classes at Yuma Cath‑ olic High School – and its largest opening day yet, with just...
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Ceremony marks opening of South County Transfer Station
Yuma County leaders, staff and community members gathered Wednesday morning for a ribbon‑cutting cere‑ mony to celebrate the opening of the new South County Transfer Station, located at 5563 W. County 19th St. in Somerton. The station official‑ ly...
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Yuma High School begins 2026-2027 school year
Yuma High School, part of the Yuma Union High School District, opened its gates to students for the 2026‑2027 school year on Tuesday, Aug. 4. “There’s just been great energy coming through registration and the open house, so it’s a great group of new...
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First day of school
Yuma Elementary School District One officially began classes on Monday, Aug. 3. At OC Johnson, new and re‑ turning students arrived ready to start the new school year. Principal An‑ gela Logan shared in the enthusiasm: “The first day of school is the...
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Youthbuild highlights positive impact on communities
San Luis, Ariz. – The impact of PPEP’S Youthbuild program is not only educational but also extends to community service and helping those in need. Group 24 of the PPEP program has com‑ pleted numerous service projects benefiting Somerton residents,...
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From 16mm film to smartphone apps
The Yuma radio dial abruptly fell quiet over recent months, but local broadcast veteran Don Dinwiddie is turning the volume back up–completely bypassing the traditional broadcast tower to do it. Dinwiddie has officially launched The Heat, an innova‑...
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Car club partners for Miracle Treat Day
What’s better than enjoying a Dairy Queen Blizzard while seeing some cool cars? If you are saying “what” in your head right now, then you probably weren’t at the Dairy Queen located at 11280 S. Fortuna Rd. on Thursday, where Unfazed Street Crew paired...
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Tech company Beam Global relocates manufacturing operations to Yuma
Beam Global, a company that builds renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicle charging stations, is moving its San Diego manufacturing operations to Yuma. The new campus consists of two adjacent industrial buildings located at 653 and 655 E....
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‘Born in San Luis’
The Regional Center for Border Health’s New Vida Birthing Center is ready to welcome the first baby whose birth certificate will read “born in San Luis.” “Vida” means “life” in Spanish. A reception was held this morning to unveil the facility, located...
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