KECY) - A mysterious boom was heard and felt throughout the the Foothills early on Friday afternoon "I was getting ready for work and my whole house shook," KYMA Anchor Scott Gross said "I thought there was a car accident outside my place but he heard it and felt it in his chest." Hundreds of people in the Fortuna Foothills experienced the same situation "I was getting my haircut in the Foothills and the whole building shook," Daniel Reyes said We reached out to the Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) who told us they took numerous calls on the situation KYMA-TV also reached out to the Yuma Proving Grounds and the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma both said they were not involved in any type of military training involving explosions Despite reports circulating online YCSO says they do not know where the boom came from or what it was They also say they are no longer investigating the issue what happened in the Foothills remains a mystery Eduardo Morales joined KYMA as a reporter in September 2023 Scott Gross joins the KYMA team as the Anchor KYMA KECY is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | FCC Applications | Jobs/Internships | Do Not Sell My Personal Information YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A 48-year-old man is dead after a shootout with law enforcement in the Fortuna Foothills David McKinney of Tucson was killed in an officer-involved shooting in the Foothills Marshals were attempting to serve him with an arrest warrant when gun fire broke out McKinney was wanted for a double homicide out of Tucson.  Neighbors in this quiet community are still trying to wrap their heads around what happened they harbored this gentleman," said an anonymous neighbor Thursday's aftermath shows scenes of a shootout with bullet holes riddled throughout the area on 37th Place shared a message for his neighborhood and those involved in causing the chaos "They are the ones that brought this pain to this neighborhood it's important for this neighborhood and everybody to understand the truth and that is these people are not victims This neighborhood is the victim and we will recover," said the anonymous neighbor "I saw all these police cars and they were pointing their guns and they were shooting I was like There's a real shootout on our street,'" said Bloom She says the neighborhood is always looking out for each other We're always just try to keep an eye on what's going on in this neighborhood I'm pretty sure we would report it," said Bloom No injuries to law enforcement officers or other community members were reported The Deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on modified duty Water and Sewer customers who live in the Yuma foothills will see an increase in rates following a 4-1 vote of approval by the Arizona Corporation Commission in October Foothills Utilities acquired management of the utilities in 2022 The company claims it has spent over $20 million upgrading plants and dealing with issues like low water pressure and sewer odors Yuma County Supervisor Darren Simmons has been meeting with area residents on the issue for months He says at the most recent meeting they met with the Foothills Utilities CEO in which he outlined the work done to improve systems The company serves nearly 30,000 customers Their rates for water will increase about 16 percent while sewer rates will rise about 60 percent Simmons spoke to KAWC about the rate increase and what he'll be watching for in the months ahead He noted that at his recent meeting residents seemed less angry than in previous meetings He hopes the recent improvements have addressed some of their concerns Those who have had a glimpse of Arizona will agree that it is among the most beautiful states in the nation and you have an outdoor scene like no other your retirement life here will strike the sweet spot between adventure and relaxation no retiree can afford to be a two-hour drive from a decent health facility discover below Arizona's eight best retirement towns ranked Just 30 minutes from Tucson and the first university established in the Arizona Territory charming town of about 21,000 residents that hardly witnesses any crime incidents You can catch a mood-lifting concert at the CPAC Community Performance & Art Center savor some calm and clarity at Desert Meadows Park or enjoy a round of golf at the nearby San Ignacio Golf Club If you want to bond with peers in the same age bracket you won't find a town that fits like Green Valley residents here have a median age in the low 70s a social landscape you will hardly find anywhere else Green Valley is incredibly budget-friendly Houses fetch a median sales price of just $277,833 although a retiree can quickly reach several hospitals in Tucson Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita often meets the healthcare needs of area residents Fountain Hills is small-town charm at its best With spots such as the Fountain Hills Theater which often shows some great productions — and Fountain Park — a swoon-worthy space with a shimmering lake and 18-hole golf course a retiree here has several venues for enjoying free time a nice spot to let a furry friend meet peers and enjoy a healthy dose of sunshine Is Fountain Hills affordable? A median price of $666,325 may not fit every pocket, but it is an excellent bang for the buck, especially considering what Fountain Hills offers. On healthcare access, both Scottsdale and Phoenix host excellent medical facilities including the award-winning HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix residents here have a median age of about 60 meaning you will easily meet and bond with similarly aged folks Oro Valley is beautifully nestled in the Santa Catalina foothills positioned just about 10 miles from downtown Tucson Catalina State Park provides more than 5,000 acres for hiking Naranja Park offers just about everything one can dream of You can sit here and watch time glide — or meet friends and people-watch houses in Oro Valley fetch a median sales price of $472,333 This price point comes with access to the Oro Valley Hospital a winner of the Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award a retiree will find a social scene that fits like a glove If you have ever dreamt of retiring at a place like Palm Springs it is time you considered Fortuna Foothills which is known for its whitewater rapids; the nearby Cibola National Wildlife Refuge a nice spot for connecting with nature in multiple ways; and Fortuna Lake where an empty nester will enjoy catching some nice-sized bass houses in the Yuma area — where Fortuna Foothills is located — fetch a median price of $306,333 one of the best price points in the entire state residents here have a median age of about 62 which means Fortuna Foothills is essentially a retirement community It is a 2023 recipient of the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery Award beautiful walking and biking paths — and quiet and safe neighborhoods — Sahuarita is a dream retirement destination With Tucson less than half an hour’s drive to the north an empty nester here enjoys fantastic access to big-city amenities you have the Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita at your doorstep and the nearby Banner University Medical Center in Tucson Banner University Medical Center is a 2025 winner of the Stroke Care Excellence Award the social scene here comes with a touch of oomph and pizzazz which offers a unique look into the Cold War Add that to the handsomely maintained San Ignacio Golf Club and you will start to get an idea of Sahuarita’s retirement appeal houses in Sahuarita fetch a median sales price of $360,800 which is enticingly affordable by Arizona standards safe spot to live your sunset years away from the fast lane a retiree here is not in the middle of nowhere You will be teeing away your afternoons at the Wickenburg Ranch Golf Course WWTP known to offer an elite golfing experience that would impress all kinds of golfers you can occasionally mingle with hummingbirds at the Hassayampa River Preserve — or enjoy a high-octane rodeo at the Everett Bowman Rodeo Arena If under the weather, the highly ranked Wickenburg Community Hospital is right in town. It has been serving area residents since before the Great Depression years the most exciting part about Wickenburg is that residents have a median age of about 64 meaning the social support network here is unmatched Although Zillow does not indicate the median sales price of houses in Wickenburg the median listing price is $602,167: Nothing outrageous If your heart dances at the mention of the word “outdoors,” you should pay attention to Sedona artsy community tucked away in Arizona’s northern Verde Valley region It may not be the most beautiful thing about retiring in Sedona especially when the evening sun hits the red rocks curating a scene that is sizzling and electrifying in equal measure You have the pine-speckled Coconino National Forest in your backyard and the magical Walnut Canyon National Monument you have the Verde Valley Medical Center in Cottonwood which has been providing excellent healthcare to area residents since 1971 houses in Sedona fetch a median sales price of $956,125 Apache Junction provides retirees with lots of conveniences enjoys the best of both worlds: access to the amenities of a big city and the relaxing quietude of a small With the Lost Dutchman State Park in your backyard whose rugged gorgeousness is quite a pleasure to explore an empty nester here does not lack adventure pleasure spots Avid or wannabe golfers have the Gold Canyon Golf Course which features a delightful mix of wide and narrow fairways — and most importantly — incredible views the same is true of the nearby Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club If you are worried about healthcare access Banner Goldfield Medical Center is right in town including the Arizona Spine and Joint Hospital a frequent winner of the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement Award a retiree here will easily meet and interact with peers in the same age bracket The median sale price of houses in Apache Junction is $369,083 just what any empty nester will want to jump at a retiree will struggle to find public land open to hunting one of the best territories in the world for outdoor adventure Arizona would still leave first-time visitors completely blown away The trick is to be close to desirable amenities including good hospitals and shopping venues Ready to explore some unbelievably beautiful dioramas of nature or Oro Valley — the Top 3 on our list of the eight best retirement towns in Arizona photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com in the Mesa Del Sol neighborhood in the Fortuna Foothills a garage fire quickly spread to a parked car in the driveway Thanks to quick-thinking neighbors and a heroic passerby "There was a lady outside screaming for help so I just did what I had to do," began Colin Savage Colin Savage says it was a split-second decision that relied on instinct and courage that's all that matters to me," Savage continued Rural metro Fire responded to the scene Wednesday afternoon The fire started in the home’s garage and quickly spread outside Alex Juardo said neighbors alerted the homeowner who was cooking at the time and unaware of what was going on.  Juardo was working on a house across the street and describes the scene we were just—we didn't go near it," Juardo explained "We just saw what looked like a family walk out and kept our distance from the house." Colin Savage believes the way he was raised played a big role in his response "You never know what's going to happen to someone else Especially with how my parents brought me up—it's treat others how you want to be treated for me," said Savage Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire but thanks to the bravery of neighbors and one local hero Reach out to Marcos with your story ideas at marcos.icahuate@kecytv.com Phoenix-based Sprouts remains one of the nation’s fastest-growing specialty retailers Your browser doesn't support speech synthesis JLL announced today that it has signed a 23,228-square-foot lease bringing a second Sprouts Farmers Market to Yuma Phoenix-based Sprouts is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing specialty retailers of fresh The new Yuma Foothills Sprouts store will be located at the northeast corner of Fortuna Road and Interstate 8 It will offer the company’s trademark grocery experience featuring fresh produce and better-for-you products and items that cater to various dietary lifestyles including organic Regan Amato from JLL's Phoenix office represented Sprouts in the lease transaction Pancrazi Real Estate Services represented the project developer “Yuma has a young and growing population that continues to expand thanks to its thriving agricultural and military economies and an emerging manufacturing sector,” said Amato “That makes this southwestern Arizona town a prime location for Sprouts to expand its retail footprint.” Sprouts currently operates one location in Yuma at 1590 S The store sits in Yuma’s central retail corridor The new Yuma Foothills Sprouts location will serve eastern Yuma in an area that is underserved from a specialty grocer perspective and surrounded by new residential development “The Spencer Companies has been an active developer in Yuma for more than 30 years and is honored to be involved in bringing Sprouts Farmers Market to the Foothills Community,” said Lane S “In addition to this specialty grocery store this new Sprouts Center will include an additional 11,250 square feet of attached in-line retail space designed to provide enhanced restaurant shopping and service industry benefits to those who call Mesa Del Sol and the Yuma Foothills home.” Development and grand opening timelines for the new Yuma Foothills Sprouts store are underway For more news, videos and research resources, please visit JLL’s newsroom insights and opportunities from global commercial real estate markets straight to your inbox (Editor's note: Audio above is of resident Anne O'Leary speaking at Monday's Yuma County supervisors' meeting.) Yuma County supervisors voted Monday to approve what they say is just one step in a long process regarding acres of land in the Yuma Foothills area as area residents groaned their disapproval which covers land along South Frontage Road and Avenue 14 E roughly between the Desert Foothills and Las Barrancas neighborhoods whose District 3 covers the area in question Jonathan Lines and Lynne Pancrazi voted yes Supervisor Martin Porchas was not in attendance at the meeting and did not participate in the vote At issue was a request to rezone about 16 acres from a rural area designation to a general commercial one and 411 acres to a Recreational Vehicle Subdivision That would mean a possible mixed-use residential/commercial development A dozen residents who spoke at the meeting which was moved to Yuma City Hall from the usual county supervisors meeting location on Main Street spoke in opposition to any rezoning or development Their main points of dissent were what they say is a lack of infrastructure in the area a lack of transparency and no meetings with the public to date and some also made it very clear that they are upset with the sewer smell at night which they said has not been addressed despite many complaints about the issue "Please do not approve this rezoning case," said resident Marilyn Cox Whitenton "The landowner has never been transparent.. they have never reached out to anybody in the Foothills." a wastewater system manager with Foothills Utilities said he’s heard the concerns about the sewer system in the area Martinez said $7 million has been spent to fix the sewer system on things like hiring engineers and installing odor control equipment He said at least $4 million more will be spent and invited residents to tour his facilities a civil engineer and the president of Dahl is the agent for applicants Granite Yuma LLC Desert Properties Development LLC and Granite Yuma LLC Delaware Dahl said transparency is going to come and that this was the first step in a long process that will include public forums and addressing necessary traffic improvements in the area said Monday’s vote was not a yes or no on a specific development but that it was a necessary step if the residents wanted what they said they wanted- namely more transparency from developers and traffic and water impact studies “If there are not significant improvements regarding the sewer system and other changes (in the future) I will not be voting in support of any future development there,” she said KECY) - In the latest Yuma County Board of Supervisors presented various projects that they are looking to bring to life in the Foothills They are looking to rezone various areas in the Foothills in the area of southwest corner of Foothills Boulevard and County 10½ Street 2 and approximately 0.25 miles north of North Frontage Road The Yuma County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass it This is set to be a slow progress and will be taking place over the course of 10 years KECY-TV) - The dry streak in Yuma has come to an end at 215 days Yuma airport has measured 0.03" as of 8:57 PM MST With our on and off rain showers and storms that developed throughout the day today brought measurable rain in both Yuma and Imperial Counties The Fortuna Foothills area did get some significant rain and according to the National Weather Service's social media post on X post they say the Foothills area got more than 0.50" Take a look below at the rain totals that were record Weather Authority First Alert ACTION DAY is in effect now through tonight due to the widespread rain and possible rain accumulation which could lead to dangerous lightning and wet roads The first storm system is bringing a round of widespread rain showers where we can get light to moderate rainfall through tonight As of tonight and into Wednesday rainfall amounts will vary from 0.01"-0.40" The next storm system will arrive Thursday afternoon This system looks to be more active and colder There could also be embedded thunderstorms and widespread gusty winds By Wednesday we will have breezier conditions with winds coming from the south with wind gusts between 20-25 MPH Heading into Thursday morning winds will really pick-up and we will have stronger westerly winds with wind gusts between 35-40 MPH A Weather Authority First Alert Action Day will go back into effect on Thursday for on and off rain and possible thunderstorms on Thursday Rainfall amounts for Thursday are looking between a tenth and up to a quarter of inch Stronger winds and dust is also expected Thursday evening with chillier temperatures and warmer temperatures for the weekend leading to highs in the 80s for St March 13th and March 14th is the Full Blood Moon and a view of the Partial Eclipse This is when the moon will be in the Earth's shadow But with all the active weather moving in again on Thursday, we may or may not be able to get the best view. The best time to view in the Desert Southwest is from 8:57 pm MST Thursday, March 13th and will last through 3:00 a.m. MST Friday, March 14th. This will last about 6 hours. Read more about when to see it here Melissa Zaremba joined KYMA in November 2021 and is the Chief Weather Forecaster If you have a story idea or want to share any weather pictures with Melissa you can email her at melissa.zaremba@kecytv.com UPDATE (9:41 AM): Power has been restored in the Fortuna Foothills area KECY) - Arizona Public Service (APS) has reported an outage in the Fortuna Foothills area Saturday morning According to APS' outage map the areas affected in the Foothills are Frontage Rd to Avenue 13E and Avenida Compadres to New Sun Avenue APS says the outage happened at around 6:10am and 1,287 customers have been affected by the outage They also said they are currently investigating the outage and will provide an update soon APS says the estimated restoration time is 9:15am and KYMA will keep you updated on this developing story reach out to him at dillon.fuhrman@kecytv.com KECY) - Families in the Foothills area now have a new place to hang out in the sun A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Tuesday at the Yuma Foothills Community Park Residents have expressed the need for a recreational area for some time and this area has grown to the point where it's a city in itself you're talking 30,000 people or so out here," said Darren Simmons This was just the first phase of the project AZ 85367 next to the Yuma Foothills Library Manoah Tuiasosopo joined the KYMA team as a videographer in February 2024 you can send them to his email at manoah.tuiasosopo@kecytv.com Vanessa Gongora joined the KYMA team in 2022 and is the anchor/producer for CBS at 4 p.m You can contact her with story ideas at vanessa.gongora@kecytv.com KECY) - News 11 received video Sunday evening from Clara Hofsink out of the Fortuna Foothills of a Bobcat This video shows a Bobcat strolling around on a wall behind someone's home It was spotted on East 49th Drive in the Yuma Foothills at 4:15 pm Be cautious and be aware of this and keep an eye out especially for those of you with pets who may go outside If you happen to come across the Bobcat in a dangerous situation Cole Johnson is News 11’s Sports Director KECY) - Rural Metro Fire responded to a crash Sunday morning According to a post on Facebook they found a "multi-vehicle collision" involving five crews prompting them to quickly stablize the vehicles and assess the occupants Rural Metro says no injuries were reported Zackary Moran-Norris joined KYMA in July 2023 as a weekend reporter Send him your story ideas to zackary.moran-norris@kecytv.com KECY) - People throughout the Foothills are upset about an approved rate increase for Foothills Water and Sewer LLC The Arizona Corporation Commission approved a settlement between the Arizona Residential Utility Consumer Office and Foothills Water and Sewer on October 17 The commission says Foothills sewer customers will see an increase of about 61% Water customers who use an average of over 3,490 gallons a month can expect an almost 6% increase Foothills water says these rate increases are needed to reinvest into systems to bring them up to modern standards which they say should around $19 million They also say the existing rates were from a long time ago especially for people who are already struggling financially.  in a really hard spot...What do they have to give up to pay just to survive in their house," said Foothills resident Ryan Swartz Some locals feel that the rate increase could have been handled differently I guess I know there's going to be a rate increase let's let the residents know exactly," said fellow Foothills resident Marilyn Whitenton The Arizona Corporation Commission says that this increase was needed after foothills utilities purchased the company from Far West in improper conditions While the rate increase was dramatic they feel it was in the best interest of the people of the foothills "To bring the company into compliance with ADEQ we are first and foremost concerned with the health and safety of our Arizona rate payers," said Jim O'Connor the chairmen for the Arizona Corporation Commission These new rates will go into effect on November 1 UPDATE (2:52 P.M.) - Sam Kirk is live at the scene to provide an update on the shooting in the Foothills UPDATE (1:55 P.M.) - The Yuma Police Department and Yuma County Sheriff's Office are telling people it's going to be a while before they can go home UPDATE (1:30 P.M.) - A reporter at the scene says there is a SWAT team present and there's also some smoke coming from a home in the area No idea exactly if the smoke is due to a fire or teargas Neighbor Mark Larsen says he heard about 10 to 12 shots fired but was not sure where exactly they came from Other neighbors we spoke with say they heard shots fired before police arrived It appears there are at least two people detained We have confirmed that the Yuma County Sheriff's Office is overseeing this investigation and are waiting to get more details from them regarding this incident KECY) - There's a heavy police presence in the area of Avenue 10E in the Foothills Wednesday afternoon the Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are currently in the area after receiving reports of a shooting KYMA will keep you updated on this developing story The future of a massive proposed housing development in Yuma County is uncertain after the Board of Supervisors voted down a first controversial attempt at rezoning citing fears of increased flood risk and what they called a lack of transparency from the developer Developer Granite Yuma LLC requested to rezone hundreds of acres in Fortuna Foothills to allow for a mix of commercial real estate and higher density housing than what is currently allowed Two parcels were discussed for higher density housing: one on the northwest corner of County 12th Street between Avenue 14 E and Avenue 15 E and the other on the southwest corner of South Frontage Road and Avenue 14 E The board received 630 pieces of written correspondence against the project and none in support a New York-based company with developments across the United States and in Europe requested to rezone 411 acres from Rural Area-10 zoning which allows one dwelling per minimum of 10 acres The request also included rezoning 14 acres to high-density residential as well as additional land rezoned for commercial uses Ron Gross told the board his family owns Granite Yuma and has owned more than two dozen parcels of property in the county since they first bought land in 1981 Desert Properties Development LLC is also listed as the owner The Yuma County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 earlier this month against two proposals for rezoning the two parcels of land Supervisors Jonathan Lines and Martin Porchas voted in support of the rezoning Marco “Tony” Reyes and Lynne Pancrazi voted against the proposals Reyes said no other proposed developments in the area had received as much attention as this one no decision has been made about resubmitting a request for rezoning "We are still considering options on that property," he said Hundreds of residents attended the March 6 supervisors meeting to oppose the project Simmons asked the crowd how many people supported the development He then asked how many people were against the project Community members who spoke against the development said they were not against housing development but wanted more transparency about what the developer planned to build The applicant did not provide the board with any photos of the planned project Many residents also worried high-density housing would affect the land’s ability to hold floodwaters “We are not against new development … the issue is that we don’t know what you are going to do,” said Walt Bonneau a housing just south of the properties under discussion He said a wash that crosses the property is a “holding pond” for water when flooding occurs which is just north of the Las Barrancas development “We’ve seen this wash … overcome the culvert and go across the top of 40th Street and literally fill up that piece of property on that southwest section with three feet of water He noted that a section of the property on the corner of Frontage Road would be “excellent” to develop with five houses per acre said private owners have a right to develop their property in line with the 2030 General Plan that outlines the vision for future development in Yuma County County staff said this project aligned with the general plan “People have made a significant investment in our community looking forward to doing some type of development,” Lines said it falls within our purview and our general plan.” said he supports development if done carefully and would consider the proposal if the developer came back with a site plan “It’s not about what you are going to do; I think you all will do the right thing,” he said “It’s about making sure the right thing is what those people in that area would like to see.”   said a project plan would be presented after the land was rezoned He told the board that the development of a site plan is the third step in a multi-step development project that is expected to take 10 years to complete it will be presented to the Yuma County Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Supervisors for feedback He argued the board should approve the rezoning because it is consistent with neighboring parcels and past zoning actions in the area He noted Yuma’s need for workforce housing and said this property is one of the few that does not impact agricultural land or the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range “There isn’t a whole lot of land left in Yuma to do a development like this without doing it in agriculture or bothering the military,” Dahl said the project is likely to only fit four houses per acre You categorically cannot get 14 units to the acre,” he said president and CEO of the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation She said Yuma has great workforce housing needs She said she knows doctors who have not been able to work in Yuma and military personnel moving to Yuma without their families because of the lack of housing options “We have a housing crisis … We have teachers who move here .. with high monthly rents and bidding wars for houses for sale and for rent critics of the rezoning effort scoffed at her comments Although some said there are plenty of rentals in the Foothills area housing issues are nothing new in the rural county Reporting by the Yuma Sun in April highlighted numerous people speaking on housing issues and noting not only a lack of affordable housing but also a lack of housing in general “We have to be thinking of the long-term future and survivability for our younger generation,” she said Coverage of southern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America in association with The Republic Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com KECY) - Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers will host a grand opening in the Foothills on Tuesday the grand opening is taking place at 11340 S making this the second Freddy's location in Yuma "We feel thrilled to expand Freddy's in east Yuma and give residents in the community another convenient location to visit Our newest restaurant will uphold the traditional Freddy's dining experience as we continue to provide fast friendly service with genuine hospitality and cooked-to-order menu items made with premium quality ingredients," said Craig Newman The press release has given the following hours of operation: KECY) - Rural Metro Fire Department (RMFD) is building a new fire station expanding its services into the Foothills neighborhood The expansion is the result of projected growth in the region and a growing demand for public safety resources for the community RMFD's call volume has experienced a 1% increase from 2021 to 2022 and it anticipates surpassing this growth rate in 2023 The department's decision to acquire a ladder truck was based on the growing number of multi-story commercial and residential buildings that have been constructed or are in the planning stages The Foothills community has seen a significant rise in both commercial and residential development in recent years prompting the need for a larger station to add additional personnel and equipment The expansion to the Foothills neighborhood will improve and increase access to care for the surrounding communities Rural Metro said it hopes to have the new station operational by early 2024 Samantha Byrd joined the KYMA team in February 2022 and is the morning anchor/producer for News 11 and Fox 9 You can reach out to her with story ideas at sammy.byrd@kecytv.com The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. KECY) -A Yuma man is behind bars after being linked to numerous car and house burglaries in the Fortuna Foothills The suspect was specifically targeting the Mesa Del Sol neighborhood We share why this type of activity is out of the norm for the area The Mesa Del Sol neighborhood which is usually a calm and peaceful part of town The Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) says that might be what compelled the suspect to try his luck and anything that was available to be taken," says Tania Pavlak of YCSO The Sheriff's Office reports that when they arrested 40-year-old Miguel Angel Soqui this past Saturday tey discovered stolen property including the car he was driving and missing construction tools Regardless of how peaceful the neighborhood is YCSO advises people to double check their belongings "We recommend people to make sure their vehicles are locked if you're using your vehicle for any work-related matter because those items were the items that were targeted," shared Pavlak One resident says he's keeping his guard up and I get a lot of updates that they've been missing a lot tools and packages Make sure you put them in there safe and get some cameras The Sheriff's Office thanks the community for submitting tips that led to this successful criminal arrest One resident says the neighborhood has always been tight-knit "A lot of people that live on this street are winter visitors It's a great neighborhood," RC Owen shared Soqui is being held at the Yuma County Jail facing more than ten felonies and a bond of $127,000 If you were a victim or you have any information on this case call 78-crime to remain anonymous A man was found and suspected to have made multiple robberies in the Mesa Del Sol area according to Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) deputies were given a tip about a stolen vehicle and found the vehicle in the area of E The man inside the vehicle was identified as 40-year-old Miguel Angel Soqui YCSO says Soqui had stolen property for previous burglaries YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A young woman from Wellton, tied to a wrong-way DUI crash that killed a man in the Fortuna Foothills is facing eight felony counts including second-degree murder 22-year-old Kiara Gomez is facing eight felony counts including one count of second-degree murder, and several counts of aggravated DUI tied and driving the wrong way “This person was westbound on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 8 they sideswiped a vehicle," stated the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Spokesperson Bart Graves DPS Spokesperson Bart Graves shared more on what happened last September "The wrong way vehicle continued traveling the wrong way and struck another vehicle A gray pickup truck then rear-ended the black SUV," stated Graves The drivers of the car and SUV were taken to a Phoenix hospital the driver of the SUV later died due to his injuries Gomez was booked into the Yuma County Jail on Wednesday Graves shared why it took nearly four months for her to be arrested and once she had been released from the hospital then the detectives could arrest her and then book her into jail," explained Graves This isn't Gomez's first run-in with the law The 22-year-old has two prior traffic-related citations including exceeding max interstate speed outside the urban area and school zone speed over 15 MPH to which she both pleaded guilty Graves said there’s no excuse for anyone to drive under the influence there are a number of ways to avoid when you’ve had too many drinks to get behind the wheel," stated Graves Gomez was in court Thursday morning and her next court appearance has yet to be determined She is currently being held on a bond of $100,000 YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Rural Metro Fire says the Fortuna railroad crossing is now open following a train derailment that happened Tuesday evening in the area of Highway 95 and Rifle Range Road when "approximately a dozen railcars on a Union Pacific train derailed." and said they found eight-to-10 railcars derailed "and no smoke or flames were seen." they found the contents of the railcars to be "non-hazardous." Both Rural Metro and Union Pacific said there were no injuries reported and the cause of the derailment is under investigation Jalen joined KYMA in 2022 and is a morning anchor/producer Send your story ideas to him at: jalen.fong@kecytv.com KECY) - You could say that it was love at first sight Henry "Hank" Schechert visited the Yuma area spending his winters in what was then a desert area According to those who knew Schechert he longed to be in the desert and in the 60s During that time the area just east of the Yuma city limits was scarce but slowly the keen developer sparked what is now the Fortuna Foothills From just a few homes to a booming community which to this day continues to grow Schechert held a Valentine's Day parade and when he passed the local car community decided to change it from Valentine's Day to Hank Days at 10 am the Yuma community will gather to pay homage to this great pioneer The parade is set to start not far from where Schechert lived The parade will travel from 46th Street and Foothills Boulevard and head south to South Frontage Road Parade Insider Tip: According to Foothills Rotarian Doreen Caldwell the sweetest spot on the parade route is in the lot on Tiffany Lane You can catch Jenny Day anchoring KYMA News 11 at 5 KECY) - One boulder has been the talk of the town for months as people continue hitting what is known as the "Wendy's Rock" or the "Foothills Famous Boulder" leaving some vehicles stuck and in need of a tow truck It is also marked in Google Maps as a Historical Landmark with the label "Famous Foothills Boulder." The historic landmark is located right at the entrance of the Wendy's fast food restaurant in the Foothills KYMA spoke to a couple of Wendy's employees who say seeing people run it over is the highlight of their shift Many people around town have even taken a picture with the famous boulder and we even got to talk to one local who started the trend “I swung over and took a picture with it and posted it on the Yuma not so great drivers page and it just went while," said Robert McAlister And asked another local about his thoughts on the boulder I cannot believe people are running it over but I guess it is all in good fun,” said Steve Perez Some Wendy's Employees even gave their input its crazy… they’re just there or someone comes inside and they’re like someone is stuck and were like oh still getting ran over,” stated Honesty Carillo Others are not the biggest fans of the rock as one driver who hit the rock had to pay over $3,000 in damages It seems as though the boulder is not going anywhere anytime soon and will continue giving people a hard rock life A future housing development in the Foothills in eastern Yuma County will have to wait county supervisors voted against approving requests to rezone hundreds of acres in the Foothills area to allow for future housing The meeting was standing-room only as officials representing Granite Yuma LLC said their request is in the planning phase and that objections over traffic The meeting had been moved to the Yuma City Council chambers to accommodate a larger than usual audience More than 630 letters were sent to the supervisors in opposition to the rezoning The county's planning commission recommended denial of the rezoning request Foothills residents including Walt Bonneau said they are not anti-development but they want the Foothills to be developed responsibly and transparently almost 300 people in here opposed to the rezoning Tony Reyes and Lynne Pancrazi voted no on the requests Reyes told developers if they bring forward a more concrete plan said the rezoning request was part of a 10-year process during which residents could continue to have their say and impact studies would be done as required "There is not a lot of land in the Yuma area where you can do a development like this," Dahl told supervisors He added that Granite Yuma only wanted the same opportunities previous developers in the Foothills had Dahl said Granite Yuma was being penalized because it was the last development in president and chief executive officer at the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation said the Yuma area is in need of more housing options as the area has lost doctors teachers and other professionals because of that Bonneau said Yuma is more affordable than other areas he's lived in He said there are more than 1,200 homes for sales in the Yuma area and said in his Las Barrancas community there are 23 unsold homes A couple of sticking points for residents were the expressed need from developers to build a crossing over the Fortuna Wash near 40th Street They also objected to the Recreational Vehicle Subdivision (RSV) zoning designation which could allow up to 14 dwelling units per acre Developers said they believe they would only be able to build four units per acre who is executive director of the Comite De Bien Estar which assists residents in San Luis said he trusts Granite Yuma to do the right thing "But will it be what the other residents there (in the Foothills) want?" Reyes said YUMA – A new large-scale energy storage system – connected to an existing APS solar power plant in the Yuma Foothills – now provides electricity to customers The 35-megawatt Foothills plant is one of nine locations across the state where large-scale energy storage systems have been installed as part of the APS “Solar After Sunset” project APS officials say the project is part of an annual $1.5 billion investment into the electrical infrastructure The nine locations provide about 200 megawatts of power enough to serve 32,000 Arizona homes for 3-4 hours The lithium-ion batteries store power captured from sunlight during the day which is then dispensed after dark – a process that has historically been difficult to achieve KAWC’s Chris McDaniel recently spoke with Ben Cluff About 73 Arizona Public Service customers in Yuma County remained without power as of 10 a.m this morning following a widespread power outage that began at about 2 a.m About 2,200 APS customers in Yuma County lost their power at the onset of the storm The outage was caused when more than 80 utility poles in South County were damaged by high winds associated with a thunderstorm that swept through the area “We got about 1,100 customers back on within an hour," Del Rincon said "Currently we have 73 customers without power but our crews are working as quickly and as safely as possible to be able to restore power for those remaining customers.” “Some of the work happens after a monsoon storm that rolls through," she continued "Once the crews determined that location [and] assess the damage they clear much of the storm debris and they'll also bring in new poles and then they'll start to install new poles and wiring.” this is a lot of the work that happens and takes place after a monsoon storm hits," Del Rincon said we had more than 80 poles down and damaged but as of now we have 70 poles down and our crews are working to quickly to get most of that equipment back up," she said The outage impacted APS customers along 32nd street between Avenue B and near South Arizona Avenue Additional outages were reported in the Fortuna Foothills and in South County below MCAS Yuma A shelter has been set up at the Yuma Civic Center Kofa High School is closed today to students as a result of the outage APS customers can receive reimbursement for purchasing Ice or dry ice YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A young woman from Wellton, tied to a wrong-way DUI crash that killed a man in the Fortuna Foothills is facing eight felony counts including second-degree murder appeared in court Tuesday for a case management conference 22-year-old Kiara Gomez is no longer in custody but is still facing eight felony counts including one count of second-degree murder, and several counts of aggravated DUI tied and driving the wrong way when Gomez was westbound on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 8 Gomez continued traveling the wrong way and struck another vehicle A gray pickup truck then rear-ended the black SUV and the driver of the SUV were taken to a Phoenix hospital Then the driver of the SUV later died due to his injuries This isn't Gomez's first run-in with the law.  She has two prior traffic-related citations which include exceeding maximum interstate speed outside of an urban area and school zone speed in excess of 15 miles per hour Her next court appearance is set for early March (KYMA/KECY) - Two people were transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) after a crash involving three cars It happened around 3:45 Sunday afternoon near Chevron on Fortuna Avenue and Frontage Road Nine people were in the crash including five minors in separate cars A green Dodge Ram crashed into the Chevron sign Two adults in the truck were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries a black Jeep Patriot and red Toyota Corolla were also damaged The Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) was also on scene The roadway was blocked off for about an hour The cause of the crash is unknown and under investigation Arlette Yousif joined KYMA in November 2020 as a Multi Media Journalist She holds a BA in Journalism with a minor in Film You can reach out to Arlette for at arlette.yousif@kecytv.com Marine Corps Air Station Yuma has confirmed the ” loud boom ” several residents heard in the Foothills yesterday was the result of a sonic boom MCAS Yuma Range Operations said the sonic boom was caused by a USMC F-35B conducting routine training Sonic booms are the result of an aircraft reaching supersonic speed which is allowed in the area MCAS Yuma said it appreciates the community’s understanding It adds the booms are not often felt and it is normal in training to fight and win the country’s battles in the air KECY) -The City of Yuma withdrew a request to the state Monday that would have allotted the city more than 1600 acres in what is state trust land It would have been used for future development in the City's General Plan.  that area is widely used by off-road enthusiasts that live in the Yuma foothills and in the county.  "The right decision was to stop this process and work through the remaining issues to find a path forward for the greater Yuma community." - Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls The land east of Fortuna Road in between Highway 95 and 24th Street is desert and filled with hills Gonzalo Zaragoza organized a group and gathered signatures against the idea of developing that area with infrastructure He was able to gather more than 2,000 signatures online If there is anything we can do in the future on their behalf to support them we are all in," Zaragoza said "We do appreciate that they considered what we all thought about that desert and they decided to preserve it for us."   City Administrator Philip Rodriguez is glad to see the process work out like it's supposed too. “As we saw the public input process did exactly what it is designed to do which is provide everyone an opportunity to be heard and give staff a chance to work to resolve those issues raised from our valued businesses,” said City Administrator Philip Rodriguez we realized that more time was needed to address the concerns of our businesses our business partners and the Yuma community.” Brandon Mejia joins the news team as the evening anchor for KSWT You can catch him weeknight at 6 and 10 p.m combined with anomalously high atmospheric moisture associated with Hurricane Linda off the Baja Coast resulted in shower and thunderstorm development around Yuma during the afternoon hours of Tuesday September 8 Initial hazards included blowing dust and damaging winds (including several downed trees in the Loma Vista Estates) however flooding quickly became the primary threat as storms trained (moved over the same area) for several hours As is typically the case during the monsoon and tremendous amounts south of the airport near Somerton IR Satellite imagery showing the evolution of storms across the area KYUX Base Reflectivity showing colliding outflow boundaries and quasi-stationary storms in/around Yuma KYUX Base Velocity showing several colliding outflow boundaries along with a few downburst wind signatures near the radar Storm total rainfall from several regional mesonet sites including KNYL airport (0.91") and the Cibola RAWS (2.14") which closely matched KYUX radar estimates Image courtesy Berenice Carranza (via Facebook) Image courtesy Anna Covarrubias (via Facebook) Image courtesy Ricky Prieto (via Facebook) Updated: 11:10 PM MST Sunday 9 September 2012 A nearly stationary area of low pressure over Baja California (the same weather system that played a role in the heavy rain across Phoenix two days prior) and blowing dust to SW Arizona and SE California on Sunday Early morning cloud cover rapidly dissipated before noon and sunny skies prevailed all the way into Sonora Storms initiated around 1 PM south of Rocky Point and moved northward into Arizona by 3 PM Further intensification took place as the storms tracked along the international border toward Yuma with the storms reaching their peak intensity as they arrived in Tacna and Fortuna Foothills The heaviest rainfall was localized in nature very much unlike the event in Phoenix on 7 September Rainfall totals were generally less than 1 inch but was enough to cause at least one road closure due to flooding in SE California near Brawley Infrared (IR) Satellite loop from 12 PM to 10 PM 9 September 2012 Pink/Blue colors indicate cold cloud tops (intensifying storms) while yellow/gray colors indicate warming cloud tops (weakening storms) The area of low pressure responsible for these storms is evident in the circulation noted over northern Baja California.  Strongest storms are indicated with yellow and red colors The two blue/green "arcs" seen moving from east to west through Yuma are areas of blowing dust.  Yuma Radar Velocity loop from 3 PM to 8 PM Strongest winds are indicated with bright green/blue colors (when storms are moving toward the radar) as well as bright red/pink colors (storms moving away from radar) Note the area of bright green/blue just southeast of Yuma (radar estimates of winds around 60kts) The Yuma airport (KNYL) recorded a gust of 65 mph winds shortly thereafter Numerous other spotter reports confirmed winds around 65 mph at this time But new rankings from Niche.com suggest that if you are planning to retire in New York, Long Island is the place to be. Long Island towns dominate Niche's 2016 Best Places to Retire rankings for New York with nine of the top 10 places on the island The best place to retire in the country, according to the rankings: Fortuna Foothills in Arizona The rankings take into account key factors housing costs and access to amenities such as restaurants in an attempt to measure the appeal of an area for retirement Here are the Long Island towns that made the top 100 list for New York and their respective rankings: No. 1- Lake Success No. 2- Great Neck Plaza No. 3- Westhampton Beach No. 4- Roslyn No. 5- Southampton No. 6- East Hampton No. 7- North Hills No Woodbury No Searingtown No Southold No Hewlett Calverton No North Sea No Amagansett No. 20- Melville No. 22- Huntington Bay No. 27- East Atlantic Beach No Port Washington No Westhampton No Roslyn Estates No University Gardens No Eatons Neck No Ridge No Sag Harbor No Rockville Centre No Glen Cove Kings Point No Northville No Oyster Bay No Cutchogue No Kensington No. 59- Syosset No Milo Town No Manhasset No Greenlawn No St. James No Cold Spring Harbor No Amityville No Lynbrook No Roslyn Heights Port Jefferson Northport No. 90- East Williston No Huntington No. 94- Hauppauge No Albertson See the full top 100 New York list here Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. 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